The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

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In the latest installment of space drama set in the Galactic Commons, our characters spend more time on land than in space. In a refreshing take on space-based science fiction, we get a glimpse into the lives of the travelers who make the Five-Hop, One-Stop the most delightful and inclusive travel rest stop in the galaxy. Ouloo and her teenager do their very best to make guests of all species and shapes as comfortable as they can while they wait for access to the wormholes that connect the different worlds in the Galactic Commons. 

When an incident causes a catastrophic communications failure, the guests at the Five-Hop, One-Hop, as well as everyone on the planet are stranded until further notice. During their impromptu lay-over, the various guests of Ouloo’s travel stop do what they can to minimize the stress of the travel delays that while inconvenient for some, could be life-changing for others. As the guests spend more and more time together, they discover that with all of their differences: political, physical, spiritual, and ethical; they have more in common than they ever could have imagined. 

I just love this series. It’s so imaginative and hopeful with an emphasis on characters that don’t default to human. In The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, we are introduced to the Laru Ouloo and Tupo who have four paws, long necks, and choose their gender after adolescence. In my mind, Tupo was always the little Llama from the Anne Dewdney series…I’m sure that’s wrong but xe was such a grumpy teenager that it seemed fitting. 

There is also the first methane-based life form, Speaker, that I have read and it was fascinating how much detail went into allowing Speaker to interact with the other guests and the obstacles that she had to overcome to do so. There is a scene, not a spoiler I promise, where someone brings up food around Speaker. When Speaker questions the guest as to why Speaker never eats around them, they assume it’s the ingredients. Nearly all the guests haven’t considered that Speaker would die if exposed to the air that they all rely on for life. Speaker spends her time on the planet in a type of robotic space suit that allows her to breathe and move, but no one takes into account if she’s every comfortable or if they could arrange for food to be brought to her so she can participate fully in the spontaneous parties that Ouloo keeps arranging. 

Becky Chambers gave a really interesting interview on Imaginary Worlds, an excellent nerdy podcast, about how she developed her characters and the attention to detail that is needed to create non-oxygen breathing humanoids. While the characters in The Galaxy, and the Ground Within are some of the most unique and otherworldly that I’ve read, the issues discussed amongst them such as gender, politics, families, and personal choice are incredibly familiar. 

My favorite scene in the book involves Speaker and Pei, two individuals who have incredibly different views on a long-running war and have to work hard to maintain civility when around each other. When Pei realizes that she has a choice to make that is loaded with personal, political, and cultural significance, Speaker quite calmly explains that not wanting to do something is always a valid decision. We can always choose to not do something simply because we don’t want to. It’s a short but incredibly powerful conversation between the two and the fact that two would be enemies in any other situation carries so much weight. Chambers writes it beautifully and it’s one of those scenes that will stay with me for a long time. 

Unfortunately, this is the last book the Wayfarers series. While I’m always sad when a series ends, this is one that can be re-read over and over again, each time coming away with something new. Also, I can’t wait to see what Chambers brings us next. 

If you would like to dive into this imaginative and diverse world, you can find ordering information here: 

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