would u like to see a drawing of the species from the wayfarers series

Spotted Crowley again.

Book is a closed and common orbit by Becky Chambers

I’m reading Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series and this is (sort of!!) how I would imagine Pepper and Blue in my head 🥺

I've heard fans say there should be a movie adaptation of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, but consider this instead: a YouTube channel with a series of "vlogs" where characters from the Wayfarers books talk about what they're up to these days.

It would be small-scale, personal, and sweet. Just like the books we've grown to love.

I know that a Wayfarers fandom exists somewhere. SOMEWHERE.

AND I CANT FIND IT.

Hear me now

I will find you

I will join you

And I will never be seen again.

Thank you for your time.

*i know it exists but not as much as I want it to*

THE WAYFARERS by Becky Chambers. This is one of my all-time fave go-to fluffy comfort series (with just enough heart crimes to keep things intense), and therefore is also my first ever Illumicrate order. I am Weak™ for painted edges.

me after realizing why Pepper chose that as her name

one of the (many) things that resonated with me after reading the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers (if you haven't read them yet, GO READ THEM) is Ouloo's opinion on the exhaustion of political activism vs taking the easy way out and letting others do the work for you.

she wants to live a quiet life, and she wants people to stop killing each other. that's the extent of her politics. she doesn't know the complexities of the political landscape of the galactic commons in which she lives, nor is she obligated to become an expert in it: fundamentally, she wants people to get along, and she wants to serve them cake, and she does her best to live her life in exactly those terms. when she's confronted with her own biases, she works doubly hard on herself to overcome them, because her existence is dominated by that one, very very simple thing: be kind to others. some of the other characters look down at her for it, saying it's naive, that the world can't be made better with cake, that if she really cared she'd do something more tangible about it.

but I think there's something really valuable in that mindset. I want to be kind to others, and I want others to get along. I don't have the answers to all of the political questions in our society. but also, I don't have to. not everyone is capable of being loud and angry. I go through so much anxiety and stress, worrying that I'm not doing enough, I'm not loud enough, I'm not doing my part to change the world we live in, what if I'm just being lazy?

sometimes living your own life gently and with kindness and interacting with others from a place of love is enough. we need both kinds of people in the world. and sometimes gentle people get loud, and sometimes loud people need gentleness.

not having all the answers all the time is okay. worrying is not activism. anxiety is not activism. you are allowed to take care of your body and mind.

Call me insane but the only romance I wanna read is the socially complex interspecies relationships in Wayfarers

I FINISHED THE WAYFAIRER SERIES AND IT WAS IMPECCABLE, 10/10

it explores interspecies relationships on a professional level, personal level, and as a society in general. potential mild spoilers ahead but this is all what i liked about the series: (theres more too i dont wanna tldr the whole series)

environments not suited for certain species so accommodations made to make them feel more at ease

harmingans more suited to moist and not too harshly scented environments, use of mobility aids akin to electric wheelchair to not touch the ground (and equipped with mist machines for the moisture they need)

aeluons who primarily use colour to speak so specific aeuleon branded grey paint being used to paint buildings

varying types of grooming care and seating, sleeping arrangements for the different species like aandrisk, aeluon, laru

dives into the varying parental styles of each species, and doesnt devalue one type in preference for another

doesnt shy away from different species asking personal questions related to the species on how they operate, because they never get to experience their sensations

uses they/them/their for the sianat species that bonds with a hivemind host, so in turn uses xey/xem/xyr for neutral pronouns

the all non-human characters in the last book discussing the concept of cheese, and being equally disgusted by it

Please do yourself a favor and go read the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers, it is such amazing queer science fiction that explores themes of family, belonging, and Identity

I went to the library sale :) i am a picky bastard and only got hardcovers with the removable dustjacket covers , so they're pristine on the outside! I've read the wayward children books, the others are on my tbr.

Human:crying tears of joy

Alien (thinking):wtf is this human doing and what is coming out of her eyes

Alien: Do I need to drag you to the medical ward

Human:No, we just do this when we feel a lot of emotions

Alien:that's fucking creepy

Not sure why but this interaction killed me lol

the spectrum of AI characters’ experiences with Gender:

5. Bubs Spacesweepers: this robot is TRANS and we LOVE HER FOR IT

4. Data: constrained by the gender norms of 90s tv.  tragic

3. Hera, Sidra: [shrug] sure, I guess.  Assigned female at bootup and went ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

2.  Breq: fuck that’s right I keep forgetting gender exists for other people.  wack.  anyway  

1. Murderbot: Do Not Gender Me Or Else

(The scale, by the way, is YES!, Yes, Eh, No, and NO!)

Are all Becky Chamber's books this wholesome? The kinda naive/childish optimism with which she writes about really tragic/horrible events/situations and characters is like the best most healing thing ever. I need a lifetime supply of this injected directly into my brainstem.