I remember being frustrated with this book the first time that I read it - I hadn't had much experience with science fiction bar games and movies, so I was excited to finally sink my teeth in something proper. After my first readthrough, regardless of how much I enjoyed reading it, I felt a bit disappointed. It was too unserious for my taste, and everything was too happy and fluffy and safe. Sure, there was danger looming over the crew of the Wayfarer, and the last third of the book was tense and full of uncertainty, but things always worked out. It bothered me so much that I couldn't bring myself to give a book that I thouroughly enjoyed a five star rating. After this reread, right at the tailend of 2020, I feel an immense need to correct my rating to five stars.

The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet is, by definition, a comfort read. The characters are loveable and full of little quirks, there is healthy communication happening, and Becky Chambers banks on that by keeping the "loredumps" to a minimum (as a soft worldbuilding enthusiast, I fully support this decision). The cast of characters is diverse and the author navigates neopronouns (which aren't actually so neo- anymore in this setting) with ease and explores a variety of gender and relationship constellations in a way that seems almost utopian for us readers. The scenes of trauma and subsequent recovery/support were handled gently, and only managed to strengthen the good energy that emanates from this story, even if one scene towards the end left a bitter aftertaste.

It's always wonderful to read well-executed found family stories, but it's even nicer when they are (mostly) devoid of tragedy, but instead full of fluff, comfort, queer love and healthy communication. I may be a prickly reader who will opt for tragic books without happy ends, but some days - when the world outside is burning - you just wanna read about some space hijinks.