Imagining the way to a small, angry planet
A look at the art in The Folio Society's stunning edition of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
One of my favorite science fiction novels of recent years was Becky Chambers' The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. It's a delightful space opera, one in which a young woman named Rosemary Harper joins the crew of a ship called the Wayfarer, and who accompanies them as they make their way through the galaxy.
It – and the sequels that Chambers penned, are wonderful books with vibrant characters and an emphasis on the bonds that bring people together. Here are my reviews of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet from 2015, A Closed and Common Orbit from 2017 and Record of a Spaceborn Few from 2018. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within came out in 2021, and finished off that particular world.
I was delighted to see that for the book's tenth anniversary this year, The Folio Society has selected it for a limited edition release, which is now available. I've long been a fan of the publisher's work, which produces high-end editions of classic literature. Its books are gorgeous: they come printed on excellent paper and original illustrations, and often feature some extras, like forewords or new introductions. For this edition, Folio Society tapped LA-based illustrator Zoe van Dijk for the artwork.
This particular edition is limited to 750 hand-numbered copies, and it's got a steep price tag: $430. (As of the time of this writing, Folio tells me that it's sold about half of the run.) While that's pricy, the book comes with a slick presentation box, a print, and come signed by both Chambers and van Dijk. Hopefully, there'll be a less-limited release somewhere down the road, because this is really a beautiful-looking edition of a beautiful novel.
I had the opportunity to interview van Dijk recently about her work on this book.
First off, can you tell me a bit about your background? Who were some of the artists who inspired you to pick up the pen/pencil/paint?
I’m from a very small rural town called Grass Valley, population 4,000, in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. The closest mall was an hour drive away and we didn’t have internet until I was about 12-years-old so in a way, I kind of grew up in a bit of a time warp bubble. We seemed to get fashion and culture shifts on about a 2-5 year delay so all of my first exposure to fantasy and sci-fi art was strictly through book covers at the library. Leo and Diane Dillon were some of the first cover artists that really blew me away.
I also remember being so obsessed with all of the art inside of RPG guide books from Dungeons & Dragons and White Wolf Game studios. I had a BIG time werewolf era. But I wouldn’t necessarily say these books inspired me to pick up a pencil. I had that at home! I was very lucky to have an artist for a mom, so art supplies were always around me from day one. I was always drawing!
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet has become a favorite novel of many people since its first publication: when did you first pick it up? What about it grabbed you when you read it?
I read this book once when it first came out, and then again when I was invited by The Folio Society to illustrate the limited edition. I remember feeling so welcome in this book — the instant knowledge that if I ever needed a home, I would be welcome on the Wayfarer.
How did you go about conceptualizing the look and feel of the characters and scenes?
I spent a lot of time reading, rereading and reading again every character description in the book. It is a credit to Becky’s descriptive prose that I was able to connect through the pages with how she imagined them. My first impression of the crew was how approachable and normal they all were — I wanted them to have bodies and clothes that felt lived in. Other than Ashby because if you don’t have a ripped captain, honestly what. is. the point!?
Can you tell me a bit about your process for creating these images?
I am a digital painter, so other than ideation--I like to sketch away from my computer if I can when I am doing rough exploratory sketches. I typically start with line drawings and then paint from there, often incorporating traditional media textures that I've made for myself and creating bespoke brushes when a project calls for it.
For this project in particular I made several star texture brushes and other geometric patterned brushes to help build up a tactile quality in their environments and clothes.
Looking over the illustrations from the interior, I feel like I get some vibes from some of the classic illustrators like Michael Whelan and others illustrating covers from that period – is that something you were tapping into?
Wow, Michael Whelan. That’s a high compliment! I would never dare imagine myself in those ranks. I can’t say I was purposefully trying to channel any particular aesthetic beyond my own in these illustrations but what are human beings at the end of the day but unique pastiches of every thing they’ve ever liked, loved or looked upon. I definitely had a huge Anne McCaffrey Dragonriders of Pern era, circa age 12, and I’m not sure if I would have picked those books up if not for Michael Whelan's jaw-dropping covers.
Coziness is a feeling that I get from these books: a sense of closeness and intimacy from the characters. That feels like something that's difficult to convey in environments like a spaceship: how did you go about conveying that in these images?
This book was fun for me because it’s essentially an ensemble cast and I love an ensemble cast. It’s a story that’s driven by its relationships more than it is by a complex plot. I think in my own brain I didn’t use the word cozy as much as I used the word interior. It’s about interior lives in an interior space.
I had the unique opportunity to give each character their own illustration that either focused on their hero moment, an emotional breakthrough or a moment of connection with another crewmember. There is only one truly exterior scene — the double page spread of the Toremi attack. It’s a huge moment for the crew — their emotional, interior bubble is quite literally burst.
What do you have coming up that we should keep our eyes out for?
I have some TTRPGs coming out soon from Restoration Games and a whole lot of book covers on the horizon! But mostly I’ve been trying to carve out some time to make work for myself which proves to be an increasingly daunting task in the busy life of a commercial illustrator.
That's all for now: stay tuned in the next week or so for another Q&A around a Folio edition, as well as a new book list for the month of March!
Andrew