The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

The crew of the Wayfarer, like the larger society of the Galactic Commons, is made up of members of different species. In such a multispecies environment, tolerance is required of the differences of other species and cultures. Xenophilia—an affection for foreign cultures, peoples, languages, habits, etc.—goes beyond the mere tolerance of such differences and celebrates them. Someone with a xenophilic perspective actively seeks out and enjoys these cultural and physical differences between species. Rosemary serves as the principal means of exploring xenophilia within the story because, unlike the rest of the crew, she is new to wider, galactic society. Repeatedly, Rosemary hesitates when encountering something outside of her experiences, only to remind herself to be open-minded and consider the perspectives of others. By following this principle, she discovers new foods, modes of living, and sexual partners that she would not have otherwise considered.

On the other hand, problems of xenophobia and notions of “purity” are explored through the Aeluons, Gaiists, the Toremi, the Quelin, and Corbin. Aeluons have a strong taboo against coupling with other species, and Gaiists are human fanatics who believe in only natural evolution and selection. The Gaiist who tries to convert Kizzy and Rosemary tries to ignore Sissix because she is not human. The rogue Toremi demand total unity of thought within their clans, resulting in a puritanical and xenophobic attitude. The Quelin, a xenophobic, insect-like species, require all ships to submit to random inspections. Until this point, the reader knows very little about Corbin. He seems to consider himself better than the rest of the crew, and it is implied that some of this is because he is from a colony that did not racially admix the way Martians and Exodans did. The discovery that he is a clone erodes any pretensions to superiority he has. Corbin, who has been openly xenophobic, faces execution due to the Quelin’s notions of purity and own xenophobia, and the whole episode serves as a foil to the otherwise xenophilic atmosphere of the novel.

Autonomy is the ability of an individual or community to make decisions for themselves free from coercion. Autonomy can be expressed in multiple ways: Bodily autonomy is the freedom of an individual to express themselves by having total control over their medical treatment, as well as the ability to make any modifications to their body. Sexual autonomy is related to bodily autonomy in that the individual has the sole right to decide who to have sexual relations with and how.

Autonomy can also be reflected in decision-making processes. Rather than engage in a hierarchical decision-making process in which the individual at the top of the hierarchy makes all decisions for the group, autonomy can be fostered through respectful deliberation and fostering consensus. In this way, the views of all members of a group can be heard and incorporated. Member species of the Galactic Commons are also allowed a great degree of autonomy within their territories. The crew must submit to a surprise inspection by the Quelin when traveling through their space because the Quelin are allowed to determine the rules for transit through their territory. Likewise, the high mortality rate of Aandrisk children would be considered barbaric by other member species, but these other species recognize that the Aandrisk have their own way of raising their children and do not attempt to interfere.

Pansexuality is the capacity to feel sexual or romantic attraction for someone regardless of their sex or gender identity. It differs from bisexuality in that someone who is pansexual feels attraction for both binary and nonbinary people. Some pansexual people explain their sexuality as primarily an attraction to someone’s personality or soul rather than their body. This does not mean that pansexual people are not physically attracted to other people, but rather that they can feel attracted to bodies that do not fit within a narrow range of binary options.

In the novel, Rosemary’s relationship with Sissix is pansexual because they are not of the same species. Rosemary is physically attracted to Sissix the first time they meet, though Rosemary does not immediately recognize it as such. Neither Rosemary nor Sissix have coupled with a member of the other’s species. They must experiment to determine how they best enjoy being physically intimate with each other, but it is a problem easily overcome.

Jenks and Lovey’s relationship is also an example of pansexuality. Because Lovey does not have a physical form, they cannot be physically intimate in the way that two biological organisms are. Even so, Jenks’ physical caressing of Lovey’s AI core and components demonstrates how pansexuality allows for the possibility of intimacy even when one partner does not have a body. 

Transgender people have a gender identity or gender expression other than the one they were assigned at birth. Transgender identity can be binary, encompassing transgender men and transgender women, or nonbinary, encompassing people who are bigender, agender, genderfluid, etc., and so encompasses a wide range of identities and gender expressions. During their lives, many, though not all, transgender people “transition” their gender expression away from the gender they were assigned at birth and into the one they identify with. Transitioning may involve changes to dress, mannerisms, speech, and personal pronouns. This transition is sometimes, though not always, motivated by gender dysphoria, psychological distress caused by the mismatch between the individual’s gender identity and the sex they were assigned at birth. A minority of transgender people believe that experiencing gender dysphoria is the only determination of whether someone is “actually” transgender. This view is termed “transmedicalism” and is usually accompanied by a rejection of nonbinary identities.

The discussion between Lovey and Jenks about the possibility of getting her a body kit and the idea of Lovey “transitioning” to a physical form that better matches her needs, desires, and sense of self is an analogy to gender transitioning by transgender people. As a home for radical body modders, Cricket provides another opportunity to develop this theme: Bear has replaced an entire forearm with a mechanical implant. If organic and mechanical are viewed as binary opposites, then Bear’s modifications are a metaphor for gender transitioning. This connection becomes more explicit when Jenks explains to Rosemary why Human modders adopt new names. These new names, like the new bodies they form for themselves, better fit who they are inside.