The Galaxy, and the Ground WithinThe Galaxy, and the Ground Within
What it's about
On Gora, a barren planet with no water, no air and no native life, the only business is a layover stop for ships traveling between wormholes. When a technical failure grounds all traffic, three strangers of different alien species are stranded together at a small rest stop run by a mother and her child, with nothing to do but get to know one another.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Hugo Award finalist. It's the final book of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series, and like the others, it's warm, hopeful science fiction about kindness across differences.
You'll love it if you liked
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Project Hail Mary
All Systems RedGood to know
It stands alone; the Wayfarers books share a universe, not characters. It's quiet and character-driven, with little action.
By the numbers
- Readers92 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller26 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz26 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #54 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #108 of the 481 new books we rank
- #601 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by Becky Chambers
A Closed and Common Orbit
Record of a Spaceborn FewThe Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
A Psalm for the Wild-BuiltIf you like this, read next
The Tainted Cup
A Drop of Corruption
The Will of the Many
The Everlasting
Cloud Cuckoo Land
BabelExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Galaxy, and the Ground Within worth reading?
Yes. It was a Hugo Award finalist. It ranks #601 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Galaxy, and the Ground Within about?
On Gora, a barren planet with no water, no air and no native life, the only business is a layover stop for ships traveling between wormholes. When a technical failure grounds all traffic, three strangers of different alien species are stranded together at a small rest stop run by a mother and her child, with nothing to do but get to know one another.
How long does it take to read The Galaxy, and the Ground Within?
About 8 hours (333 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Galaxy, and the Ground Within?
If you liked it, try The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir or All Systems Red by Martha Wells.