Reading Order
WayfarersWayfarers Reading Order
Becky Chambers's Wayfarers series is a loosely connected science fiction series — each book follows different characters in the same universe and can be read as a standalone or in publication order. The books are connected by setting and occasional character appearances, but each tells a completely self-contained story. Publication order is recommended but not required.
Where to start
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Complete Wayfarers Book List
- 1Buy
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Becky Chambers·2014·Book 1 — The crew of the tunneler Wayfarer takes a year-long job through dangerous space to the edge of the galaxy - 2Buy
A Closed and Common Orbit
Becky Chambers·2016·Book 2 — Sidra (an AI from Book 1) navigates life in a human body; Pepper's backstory alternates - 3Buy
Record of a Spaceborn Few
Becky Chambers·2018·Book 3 — Life inside the Exodus Fleet, a generation after humanity left Earth; standalone - 4Buy
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
Becky Chambers·2021·Book 4 — Travelers stranded at a waystation with little in common find connection; standalone
Wayfarers — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Wayfarers reading order?
The Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers has four main books: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (2014), A Closed and Common Orbit (2016), Record of a Spaceborn Few (2018), and The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (2021). Each book is a standalone; publication order is recommended but not required.
Do I need to read the Wayfarers books in order?
No — each Wayfarers book is a standalone with a self-contained story. A Closed and Common Orbit features a character introduced in the first book, so most readers recommend starting with The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, but all four books can be read independently.
What is The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet about?
A small crew of tunnelers — who travel through space creating wormholes — takes a year-long job to drill a tunnel to a dangerous planet at the far edge of the galaxy. The novel is more about the people on the ship than about the destination: their relationships, their different species and cultures, and what it means to build a home on a ship.
Is Wayfarers similar to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?
Wayfarers and Hitchhiker's Guide both feature ensemble casts of different species traveling through space, but their tones are very different. Hitchhiker's Guide is satirical and absurdist; Wayfarers is warm, cozy, and deeply humanist. Chambers's books are closer in feel to a workplace found-family novel than to comic sci-fi.
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