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The Galaxy, and the Ground Within

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

National Bestseller!

Return to the sprawling, Hugo Award-winning universe of the Galactic Commons to explore another corner of the cosmos—one often mentioned, but not yet explored—in this absorbing entry in the Wayfarers series, which blends heart-warming characters and imaginative adventure.

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.

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    • Booklist

      April 1, 2021
      Some places in the galaxy are bright and exciting. Some are literally useless. The planet Gora, where Chambers' latest (after Record of a Spaceborn Few, 2018) takes place, is a way station. People stop on their way to their final destinations and move right on through. When a catastrophe hits Gora, five beings, each with their own past and goals for the future, have to figure out how to get along in an interstellar truck stop. Each alien culture is described vividly, and each character's motivation is affecting in its own way. Conflicts, both interpersonal and life-threatening, are met with grace and handled with understanding. Themes include parenthood, gender, finding commonalities, and forging one's path in the universe. This is the final book in the Wayfarers series (which started with The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, 2014), and though it doesn't end with a titanic space battle, the way that these characters work to support and learn from each other is very satisfying. Recommended for fans of character-driven science fiction who are interested in how differences can be a source of strength, not weakness.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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  • English

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