20 of the best LGBTQIA+ works of science fiction

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Cover image via Harper)

9. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Is all the talk of dystopias and planet-wide wars getting you down? That’s fair enough. Science fiction is well known for its grand, operatic tone, which can sometimes mean that its human readers feel a little overwhelmed. What about the small, everyday interactions in science fiction that reveal the life and emotions of all characters, regardless of gender or inclination?

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet offers some of that lightheartedness without sacrificing character development, plot, or good LGBTQIA+ representation. Author Becky Chambers also clearly has fun playing with tropes that have alternately helped and plagued the science fiction genre.

It all begins with Rosemary Harper, a young woman with a mysterious past and the desire to run away from it all. She joins the crew of the Wayfarer, a tunneling ship that builds wormholes from one planet to another. Said crew is diverse, reflecting Chambers’ desire to create a truly unique and varied universe full of different cultures, people, and species.

And, no, we’re not talking about old Star Trek-style aliens who look like humans with bumpy foreheads. There are some truly alien extraterrestrials, like Sissix, a female reptilian pilot. Sissix eventually enters into a romantic relationship with a human woman, which is perhaps most remarkable for how normal it feels.

That romance is neither a “Very Special Episode”-style plot, nor is it ignored to the point of being inconsequential. In this world, there is room for all kinds of romantic relationships and genders. It’s beautifully refreshing and welcome in this joyous book.

During the course of the novel, the Wayfarer gets a lucrative contract that could be more dangerous than initially described. Will the introspective, mysterious Rosemary and the rest of the Wayfarer’s crew stay safe on their journey?