SPOILERS The Long Earth **Spoilers**
- Thread starter Tonyblack
- Start date
I just finished! 
A very different book I thought with a lot in it to think about. In parts it read almost as a documentary on evolution – or maybe a David Attenborough programme on wildlife. Incidentally, towards the end, I was reading Lobsang with Stephen Fry’s voice.
For the longest time in the book I wondered where the story was going and when it got there I wasn’t sure I’d got an answer. There definitely needs to be a second book if only to explain some of the first book. Did Lobsang manage to get through to First Person Singular? Who incidentally reminded me of a friendlier version of the Borg from Star Trek. And how did all the steppers who escaped from Madison get back again?
Some of the observations about human nature seemed to be spot-on for me and I wonder if this is the authors’ way of postulating how humanity might one day colonise the Galaxy. There definitely seemed to be an almost cynical view of humanity there which, oddly enough was quite amusing. And that’s another thing – there was a surprising amount of humour there to the point of making me laugh out loud on times.
I liked the idea that those people who couldn’t step became hostile to those who could. I just recently watched series four of Enterprise and was reminded of the Terra Prime group who wanted to isolate Earth and kick out all the aliens.
I think there’s some really good science in this book and much of it works as a sort of exercise in evolutionary what-ifs. It reminded me of Carl Sagan’s speculation of what alien life might be like in his Cosmos series. At times I think the science got a little in the way of the actual story, but it made for fascinating reading, so I’m not really complaining.
I shall look forward to the second book.
A very different book I thought with a lot in it to think about. In parts it read almost as a documentary on evolution – or maybe a David Attenborough programme on wildlife. Incidentally, towards the end, I was reading Lobsang with Stephen Fry’s voice.
For the longest time in the book I wondered where the story was going and when it got there I wasn’t sure I’d got an answer. There definitely needs to be a second book if only to explain some of the first book.
Did Lobsang manage to get through to First Person Singular? Who incidentally reminded me of a friendlier version of the Borg from Star Trek. And how did all the steppers who escaped from Madison get back again?Some of the observations about human nature seemed to be spot-on for me and I wonder if this is the authors’ way of postulating how humanity might one day colonise the Galaxy. There definitely seemed to be an almost cynical view of humanity there which, oddly enough was quite amusing. And that’s another thing – there was a surprising amount of humour there to the point of making me laugh out loud on times.
I liked the idea that those people who couldn’t step became hostile to those who could. I just recently watched series four of Enterprise and was reminded of the Terra Prime group who wanted to isolate Earth and kick out all the aliens.
I think there’s some really good science in this book and much of it works as a sort of exercise in evolutionary what-ifs. It reminded me of Carl Sagan’s speculation of what alien life might be like in his Cosmos series. At times I think the science got a little in the way of the actual story, but it made for fascinating reading, so I’m not really complaining.
I shall look forward to the second book.
Hi,
I'm about a quarter of the way in and I like it...it's an odd journey though.
In the early chapters it struck me as a little bit Douglas Adams Hitchhikers ...a teeny bit Stephen King's Dark Tower .... a pinch of Red Dwarf and then a bit of Jules Verne thrown in...I'm also not sure where it's going but I know it's captivating.
Will certainly opine my two penn'orth when I've stepped out of the last page.....
I'm about a quarter of the way in and I like it...it's an odd journey though.
In the early chapters it struck me as a little bit Douglas Adams Hitchhikers ...a teeny bit Stephen King's Dark Tower .... a pinch of Red Dwarf and then a bit of Jules Verne thrown in...I'm also not sure where it's going but I know it's captivating.
Will certainly opine my two penn'orth when I've stepped out of the last page.....
Not finished The Long Earth yet but there is one thing that is niggling and please excuse my ignorance if I have missed the bloody obvious but how do babies step? They can't finish their own box and they won't be able to flick the switch so how do they step?
Have I missed an explanation or just being Captain Pedantic?
Yours, in ignorance
Ails
Have I missed an explanation or just being Captain Pedantic?
Yours, in ignorance
Ails
Hi hello.
Haven't been on here in ages and ages but am so enjoying 'The Long Earth' that I had to come over and see what y'all had to say.
Does this book remind any of you of 'Strata'? Perhaps its the searching for answers that alludes to it. It seems to be in a similar vein at least.
I loved the way 'Strata' gave glimpses of ideas that later became The Discworld and here in 'The Long Earth' are Discworld ideas brought into a recognisable reality.
Especially the Elves and the iron, I've been expecting an incarnation of Granny Weatherwax.... Perhaps there's something of her in the Nuns.
Haven't been on here in ages and ages but am so enjoying 'The Long Earth' that I had to come over and see what y'all had to say.
Does this book remind any of you of 'Strata'? Perhaps its the searching for answers that alludes to it. It seems to be in a similar vein at least.
I loved the way 'Strata' gave glimpses of ideas that later became The Discworld and here in 'The Long Earth' are Discworld ideas brought into a recognisable reality.
Especially the Elves and the iron, I've been expecting an incarnation of Granny Weatherwax.... Perhaps there's something of her in the Nuns.
A bit late, but maybe catch it on iPlayer.
@LynseyDalladay
@terryandrob and Stephen Baxter talking The Long Earth on @BBCRadio2 Steve Wright at 2pm! http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006wr4r
Retweeted by Terry Pratchett
@LynseyDalladay
@terryandrob and Stephen Baxter talking The Long Earth on @BBCRadio2 Steve Wright at 2pm! http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006wr4r
Retweeted by Terry Pratchett
Why so down on ebooks?
Yes, I prefer paper books to ebooks because I like the whole sensory thing - but at least anyone downloading an ebook is likely to do so because they want to read it as opposed to leaving it lying around to impress visitors. Or - as happened in one bookshop I was in - queuing up to get their pristine first editions signed by the author purely as a financial investment, with no intention of ever reading it, just hoping to make a killing in the future a la Harry Potter. As a writer and a reader, that made my blood boil. And there's a wealth of free reading available on ebooks too. There are plenty of good things to be said for ebooks!
Yes, I prefer paper books to ebooks because I like the whole sensory thing - but at least anyone downloading an ebook is likely to do so because they want to read it as opposed to leaving it lying around to impress visitors. Or - as happened in one bookshop I was in - queuing up to get their pristine first editions signed by the author purely as a financial investment, with no intention of ever reading it, just hoping to make a killing in the future a la Harry Potter. As a writer and a reader, that made my blood boil. And there's a wealth of free reading available on ebooks too. There are plenty of good things to be said for ebooks!
No such thing as free reading on e books as there is no such thing as a free e book reader but libraries happen to lend books for free as a lot of people seem to forget when they say the only free books are electronic.
My main issues with e-books tend to be both the limitations and the sensory aspects. I love the feel , look and smell of a book.
If i enjoy a book i recommend it . Some of my favourite books such as Good Omens and Shadow of the Wind have been passed from my shelves to at least twenty other people and back to me again . An e-book version of these can't be passed like this . It limits the sharing of fantastic books in this way .
People who use books as ornaments annoy the hell out of me as well. I have a great collection many signed , many first editions but all read or to be read .
My main issues with e-books tend to be both the limitations and the sensory aspects. I love the feel , look and smell of a book.
If i enjoy a book i recommend it . Some of my favourite books such as Good Omens and Shadow of the Wind have been passed from my shelves to at least twenty other people and back to me again . An e-book version of these can't be passed like this . It limits the sharing of fantastic books in this way .
People who use books as ornaments annoy the hell out of me as well. I have a great collection many signed , many first editions but all read or to be read .
Really enjoyed The Long Earth, stylistically it felt more Stephen Baxter than Terry Pratchett but there were definite passages where Terry shone through. Lots of loose ends though, this really does need a sequel to tidy up things however as this was the intention from the beginning that's no bad thing.
Now to read it again to see what I missed the significance of the first time through now that I know where the story is heading.
Now to read it again to see what I missed the significance of the first time through now that I know where the story is heading.