This series is like my new Star Trek—which isn't to say it's utopian. Becky Chambers has created a universe with many sentient species of alien, all with wildly different cultures, each as complex as the next. As you can imagine, these differences create all sorts of tension and misunderstanding. What makes this series like Star Trek to me is that it's made up of a hugely diverse cast of characters that try their best to be thoughtful and inclusive and it just warms my heart.⁣
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Science fiction is so often used as a lens to see the future of humanity as the consequences of our worst impulses. A future shaped by greed and war. Becky Chambers instead shows us a future fueled by cooperation and a desire for mutual understanding. It's a future not without it's flaws but all the more hopeful for the efforts made to confront them.⁣
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Each of the books in this series is self-contained, meaning you can read as many or a few as you like without missing any larger plot. I would still recommend starting from the beginning so that you catch the references in the later books. If you haven't read much scifi before, I can't think of a better place to start.⁣
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In this installment we follow a cast of characters all staying at the same guesthouse on what is essentially the planetary version of a rest stop. Conflict and friendship ensues. As always Becky Chambers comes through with amazing representation. One character and her twin are both disabled (this is such a weird word to use for members of an alien species but that's undoubtedly what they are.) One has a physical disability with her legs and the other is chronically ill. I loved to see the mutual care they provided each other. It's a small thing but so lovely and thoughtful to include.