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Galaxy, and the Ground Within

A Novel

Becky Chambers

Ages 14+

Readers rate it 4.4 (498 on Hardcover)

336 pages · Released 2021

Content report card

What's inside

High confidence

Violence

Language

What it offers

Positive messages

Positive role models

Educational value

A note for parents

This character-driven science fiction novel is fundamentally about connection, acceptance, and self-discovery across differences—featuring diverse aliens and a thoughtful exploration of identity. The content is gentle and introspective rather than action-heavy; what mild mature elements exist are background details rather than focal points. It's best suited to teen readers who appreciate emotional depth and philosophical reflection over plot-driven adventure.

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From the publisher

With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your avera... With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop. At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through. When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.

Shelved under

  • Science Fiction
  • American literature
  • Interstellar travel
  • Fiction
  • Extrasolar planets
  • Space colonies
  • Extraterrestrial beings
  • Voyages interstellaires
  • Romans, nouvelles
  • Exoplanètes
  • Colonies spatiales
  • Extraterrestres

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ISBN 9780062936059 · HarperCollins Publishers