A Review: The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

Musings

Apr 7

I put off reading the final book Becky Chambers wrote for the Wayfarers series for quite some time. Not because I didn’t want to read it but because I didn’t want to say goodbye to a series that has become so dear to me. So, when I finally decided that it was time to wrap up the series with The Galaxy and the Ground Within, I wondered how I’d feel having reached the end.

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Summary

On the unremarkable planet Gora, the Five-Hop One-Stop serves as a haven for weary spacers. When a technological failure strands three diverse strangers, they confront their pasts, ponder their futures, and reevaluate their relationships in this heartwarming tale of connection and self-discovery.

Review

Like every novel in the Wayfarers series, The Galaxy and the Ground Within is only loosely tied to every other novel in the series and can be read without having knowledge of the others. The most notable connection is spending time with Pei, a character from A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. Instead of giving us a strong thru-line, Chambers again expands the universe by focusing on another small, intimate story. This is a Cozy SciFi story that focuses heavily on character development rather than a fast-paced or action-oriented plot.

Unlike the previous novels, especially Record of a Spaceborn Few, the cast of this novel is notably devoid of any humans. Each of the characters is an alien species with their own unique cultures that are brilliantly explored, compared, and contrasted with each other, leading to the characters bonding over their differences while also creating conflict due to their differing perspectives.

Roveg is who I related to the most, and I never thought I’d say that about an alien with an exoskeleton and multiple legs. His curiosity, his reckoning with the choices of his past, and his desire to create beautiful experiences are all enduring characteristics. And Ooloo is lovely, a top-notch character that I fell in love with for her devotion to a life of simple service that can so easily go unappreciated.

The story also functions as a worldbuilding love letter—a final goodbye that gives readers who care about the world that Chambers has built more insight into the unexplored conflicts and beauty of the universe. This one is for the fans.

Is It Worth Reading?

As I completed the book, I couldn’t help but feel a sort of wistful appreciation for the stories Becky Chambers delivered with the Wayfarers series. I was sad to let go of the world and its characters, but I also appreciated the stories so very much, and the way these novels have made me feel has left a lasting impression on my heart.

If you like SciFi, but want something cozier as a break between the high-concept, high-stakes stories that are more conventional for the genre, I 100% recommend not only The Galaxy and the Ground Within, but the whole Wayfarers series as a whole. It has become one of my favorite series of all time.