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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
There were some really interesting mind boggling moments, but equally the plot was quite flat. There was a clear build and quest that sort of tickled away over the course of the book, where I wasn’t really motivated by the characters anymore. Joshua was interesting, I loved the nun’s storyline and his progression through the book, but seemed a little dense. Sarah was just annoying. Lobsang I thought was the most interesting of the lot, but he just goes and disappears? I think this book relies on you reading the next in the series, but the first book didn’t give me enough to rush to read the next.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Was definitely slow at points, but engaging!
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It’s not very often I like fusion fiction like this. Pratchett was a well-known fantasy writer, most famous for Discworld. Stephen Baxter writes hard science fiction so they are hardly the best of bedfellows. Yet come together they did and they’ve created a (largely) fun romp about dimension travel.
Stepping: it’s the new global craze everyone is talking about. All it takes is a box with a three way switch and a potato and you can visit as many alternate Earths as you are able. The world we live on is no more as people, young and old, entrepreneurs and drifters, strive out into the new frontiers of the Long Earth. It seems the number of alternate Earths is immeasurable and each one is slightly different to the last, that is until the next one that is truly different.
Every conceivable world is here, but I won’t list them for you. The story is really about the concept and that is where the sci-fi elements are at their heaviest (not, I add, that this is heavy by any stretch of the imagination). Nevertheless, the very idea of Stepping and its social implications are paramount here. The characters are merely bit part players in the tapestry that is the universe of The Long Earth.
So there is Baxter’s contribution, what of Pratchett’s? Anybody looking for a humorous romp and in-jokes, daftness or profound explorations of humanity will be bitterly disappointed. I can honestly say that there is little here that stands out as being Pratchettesque. Much of this feels like Baxter’s work. That’s certainly not a problem for me, I do like his fiction, but anyone looking for more of a sci-fi and fantasy blend will be bitterly disappointed I am afraid to say.
Now the good parts. I really loved the adventure element to this story. I really loved covering the social implications of a new technology. How will the world economy change? Will social dynamics alter? Will people’s outlook on life change? Undoubtedly the answer to all of these questions are in the affirmative, and this is certainly my favourite side of the tale.
On the down side, everything else feels quite superficial – which is unfortunate. I love alternate universe stories, especially when looking at one major particular aspect. There comes a point in this when I feel bored with how different the worlds are and boredom is not something I want to feel with this type of story.
Also, where is the conflict? As our hero and his AI unit travels the universes, there is very little incentive to do so. Sure, the spirit of adventure and wanderlust is there, but it’s not strong enough in the characters and it’s not enough to maintain the interest for the duration of the book. We need conflict and even when 300 pages into the paperback (of around 420 pages) nothing has happened, indifference is firmly embedded.
I know this is part of a series and it feels like it. At the moment, I am really not bothered about reading more.
Haven't read much Pratchett. My son's a DiscWorld fan. I never read any of those books. The Long Earth is a great premise about parallel universes and traveling between them. Exploration of our (aka Datum) universe has come to a virtual halt as humanity spreads out into adjacent slices of reality to seek adventure and fortune on parallel earths. Some of the parallel universes are very similar to our own. Others not so much. People travel to the alternate universe using a "stepper". Some folks don't need a stepper and are called natural steppers. Some folks can't step even with the stepper machine. Are things to good to be true? Maybe... The main characters, Joshua Valienté a natual stepper and Lopsang, an artificial intelligence, travel to the far reaches of the Long Earth. They learn more about human species that evolved their stepping sense rather than evolving as humans did in our universe. The also find that these hominids are fleeing something. Unfortunately Terry Pratchett has passed away, but looks like Stephen Baxter has continued the series. I want to read them.
OK, the end sucks ;). It is too short and too easy a conclusion, but you can say that about so many Pratchett Novels... it reminded me of "Reaper Man" even if then the supermarket creature was there a bit longer (but most of the time as a nuisance for the wizards).
For everybody who says, this is not a Pratchett Novel? I don't know what you've read. I admit it is not looking for the next laugh as hard as the Discworld series and word plays, footnotes etc. are not as important, but it has this social commentary tone, the fallible characters, this humanist view of the world, that man is sometimes stupid but inherently it could all work out and it has one thing that is common in all recent Pratchett novels, the plot has to step back, fit to the theme and help the humour, the characters and the commentary, holes and errors, characters popping up and vanishing etc. gratuitos.
And I still love it, just because it gives you this warm fuzzy feeling, that if we just could all be nice to each other, everything could work out in the end*, while at the same time ironically stating, "Not happening, mate!".
*Which Neil Gaiman gave as his political position in a newspaper interview
For everybody who says, this is not a Pratchett Novel? I don't know what you've read. I admit it is not looking for the next laugh as hard as the Discworld series and word plays, footnotes etc. are not as important, but it has this social commentary tone, the fallible characters, this humanist view of the world, that man is sometimes stupid but inherently it could all work out and it has one thing that is common in all recent Pratchett novels, the plot has to step back, fit to the theme and help the humour, the characters and the commentary, holes and errors, characters popping up and vanishing etc. gratuitos.
And I still love it, just because it gives you this warm fuzzy feeling, that if we just could all be nice to each other, everything could work out in the end*, while at the same time ironically stating, "Not happening, mate!".
*Which Neil Gaiman gave as his political position in a newspaper interview
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The plot of this book was meandering and anti-climatic. I have the feeling that it had originally been conceived of as the first in a series. Characters appeared and disappeared, and it was hard to tell what the point was for many of the side characters and journeys, though some of them connected at the end. I enjoyed the scientific and paleontological correlations in the fantasy world of the Long Earth, but much of it just seemed to be interesting world-building with little point to it. I guess I could honestly say that I didn't hate it
I found this book to be one I have conflicting views on. I really enjoyed starting out (has to be said though I start every new book with excited anticipation!) and loved the final third but lost my way a little in the middle. I would actually go as far as to say I had to will myself to actually continue at about page 200. I'm so glad I did continue though as by the end I was fully engrossed again and was well and truly wrapped up in the ride. The depth of imagination of alternate world's at some points in this book did actually take my breath away to the point I felt like an excited child again. I will DEFINITELY be reading the following books in this series as I'm entirely hooked on the 'Long Earth' series now. I've rated this book 3 stars, on account of the dip in the middle, but would happily award 3.5 given the opportunity. Still a recommended read in my view.
Não tem todo o humor do Discworld, mas é uma história bem gostosa de acompanhar e bem completa. Espero que tenha continuação.