I find myself on a bit of a mission this year - to find some good science fiction that doesn't revolve around the universe being as much into war as our own species has been so far, that isn't just Hollywood-waiting-to-be-made-into-a-movie (sadly similar to rule 1), that involves real female as well as male characters, and - because why make a mission easy? - preferably written by a woman. I'm happy to read it from a male writer too, but on current experience I suspect I'm alot less likely to find it written by a male writer - and also I'm bored with scanning the sci-fi/fantasy shelves and finding nothing but male authors (unless there are vampire romances involved).So when I spotted A Long Way to an Angry Planet in Waterstones, I was a bit excited. Female author - tick; non-war plot - tick; main character's female - tick; gorgeous cover - bonus tick; and here's the blurb:
When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The Wayfarer, a patched-up ship that's seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past.
But Rosemary gets more than she bargained for with the Wayfarer. The crew is a mishmash of species and personalities, from Sissix the friendly reptilian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the constantly sparring engineers who keep the ship running. Life on board is chaotic, but more or less peaceful - exactly what Rosemary wants.
Until the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They'll earn enough money to live comfortably for years... if they survive the long trip through war-torn space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful.
But Rosemary isn't the only person on board with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed.
( Review plus surprise source of book )
