Space Opera Fans discussion

The January 2025 Reader Pick is The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers. Please use this thread to post questions, comments, and reviews, at any time.

Official description:
With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop.

At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.

When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.

I tried the free preview of this book when it first came out but it didn’t grab me. I placed a hold on it from my library and will give it another try. I really liked this author’s first two books.

I'll definitely be reading this one - as my "Culture series" choice for January is quite a long book, I'll be starting The Galaxy, and the Ground Within early - probably in the next day or two. As I've liked all of her books so far, I have high hopes for this one.

Download a copy late last night and have started reading.

I'm about one third of the way through, and really enjoying how the author is building the characters, and their inter-action.

I'm reading Service Model (Adrian Tchaikovsky), I forgot you were starting this one, I have been away for a week. I will be interested how you get on.

I've just finished The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, which was probably good timing - it's a nice heart-warming story at this time of the year, and its hopeful tone is something to cling to as we enter a new year.

Like most of the Wayfarer series, there is little or no plot, but the characters (and there are not many of them) are wonderful - dealing with a key theme of facing up to and overcoming prejudice.

I'm sorry that the Wayfarer series has come to an end, but this was a lovely, and peaceful, finale. I rated it as 4 stars and warmly recommend it.

I really look forward to this author's books, and I hope we don't have too long to wait until her next release.

I just noticed that this book is available on Kindle Unlimited, so I don’t have to wait for my turn for the library copy. Just have to wait for the proper mood to give this another try.

It’s still not grabbing me. Giving up on it. Not saying it’s a bad book, just that it isn’t holding my interest.

I really liked this book both on its own and as a conclusion to the Wayfarers series. Its conflicts are intimate and interpersonal, and I cared for the characters and their situations just as much as if they were trying to save the galaxy from some large-scale threat.

It feels like a very good capstone story for the themes of care and seeking understanding of others’ differences that run through the Wayfarers series.

I agree Caitlin, it felt like an almost perfect way to bring the series to an end that left a feeling of hope for our own future, and overcoming the prejudices that are deliberately fostered to keep us divided.

Teresa wrote: "It’s still not grabbing me. Giving up on it. Not saying it’s a bad book, just that it isn’t holding my interest."

Oh well, it was worth checking again Teresa. One of the things I like so much about this group is the variety of tastes represented; I've benefitted from some great recommendations, and from reading authors I probably wouldn't have considered previously.

This is my second favorite installment of the Wayfarers series after the first one, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.

I don’t quite categorize it as “cozy” but it’s certainly cozy-adjacent, and I echo John and Caitlin’s opinion that it’s more on the feel-good side of the equation.

Two things I particularly like is that firstly it features a mostly non-human cast. That’s not exactly a rarity in SF but it is uncommon, so that’s a nice change of pace. Secondly, I really like that the characters are reasonable and try to work out their differences when conflicts arise. It’s definitely not all hugs and heart emojis, but no one is intentionally evil.

I read a lot of books with fighting in them, from arguments to wars, so books like this are a breath of fresh air. 4 stars from me.

As we approach the last week of the month, is anyone still reading, or planning to read, The Galaxy, and the Ground Within?

Teresa had another attempt at it, but it still wasn't grabbing her, while Caitlin, Trike and I all rated it 4 stars. Does anyone else have a rating, or comment, they'd like to mention?