A Closed and Common Orbit
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4.5 • 597 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
National Bestseller!
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Series!
A Publishers Weekly "Best Books of 2017" pick!
Nominated for the 2017 Hugo Award for Best Novel!
Shortlisted for the 2017 Arthur C. Clarke Award!
Winner of the Prix Julia-Verlanger!
Embark on an exciting, adventurous, and dangerous journey through the galaxy with the motley crew of the spaceship Wayfarer in this fun and heart-warming space opera—the sequel to the acclaimed The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.
Lovelace was once merely a ship’s artificial intelligence. When she wakes up in a new body, following a total system shut-down and reboot, she has no memory of what came before. As Lovelace learns to negotiate the universe and discover who she is, she makes friends with Pepper, an excitable engineer, who’s determined to help her learn and grow.
Together, Pepper and Lovey will discover that no matter how vast space is, two people can fill it together.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet introduced readers to the incredible world of Rosemary Harper, a young woman with a restless soul and secrets to keep. When she joined the crew of the Wayfarer, an intergalactic ship, she got more than she bargained for—and learned to live with, and love, her rag-tag collection of crewmates.
A Closed and Common Orbit is the stand-alone sequel to that beloved debut novel, and is perfect for fans of Firefly, Joss Whedon, Mass Effect, and Star Wars.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
You don’t need to be a hardcore sci-fi fan to love Becky Chambers’ standalone sequel to her career-making debut, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Though set against a futuristic backdrop, this book is all about the intimate story of an AI learning to be human in a new body—and the engineer who’s helping her through it. Illuminating both the mundane and meaningful, A Closed and Common Orbit explores the quieter side of sci-fi while still wowing us with daring leaps of imagination.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This worthy sequel to Chambers's lovely debut, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, again features marvelously detailed aliens, a universe full of carefully observed peculiarities, and a friendly, soothing atmosphere. This time, though, there's more emotional weight and depth, adding a necessary ominous shading to Chambers's generally calming voice. It's illegal for AIs to have bodies that can be mistaken for those of other sentient beings, but Lovelace downloaded herself into a human-form body on her first day of existence, more to help her ship's crew than by her real choice. Now, assisted by friendly tech Pepper, Lovelace has to figure out her new identity and make a new life for herself, including how to hack various portions of her own code to keep from being caught and destroyed. Simultaneously, Pepper's backstory as a cloned factory slave on a rogue planet that doesn't adhere to galactic laws is brought to the forefront, since not everything from her past can or should remain in the past. Chambers's clean, careful prose and beautiful pacing and structure keep the narrative engrossing from beginning to end.
Customer Reviews
JaxGTO loved it
Great book. Great characters. I read the other book first. Both great reads.
Set in the same universe...but not a sequel
Most of us search for meaning and purpose to our lives. But how do you find it when you are an AI? The variety and diversity of characters / aliens in the novel are enthralling and stimulating. A most enjoyable read.
Oh Stars Yes!
Please take this the right way: If I had to describe Becky Chambers’ Wayfarer books, I’d say they’re are like the realization webcomic Questionable Content multiplied by the Star Wars Rebels cartoon series (minus the needless violence) and then some extra cool poured on top. It’s proof that you can be wholesome yet futurist, while still having fun. Her characters and worlds are inspired and artfully crafted - and adventuring with them leaves me feeling like I’m a similarly inspired and artfully crafted character who just landed on a new world too.