The Long Earth Review

The Long Earth

Stephen Baxter & Terry Pratchett

Publisher: DoubleDay

1916: the Western Front, France. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear birdsong, and the wind in the leaves in the trees. Where has the mud, blood and blasted landscape of No man's Land gone? 
2015: Madison, Wisconsin. Cop Monica Jansson has returned to the burned-out home of one Willis Linsay, a reclusive and some said mad, others dangerous, scientist. It was arson but, as is often the way, the firemen seem to have caused more damage than the fire itself. Stepping through the wreck of a house, there's no sign of any human remains but on the mantelpiece Monica finds a curious gadget - a box, containing some wiring, a three-way switch and a...potato. It is the prototype of an invention that Linsay called a 'stepper'. An invention he put up on the web for all the world to see, and use, an invention that would to change the way mankind viewed his world Earth for ever. And that's an understatement if ever there was one... 

...because the stepper allowed the person using it to step sideways into another America, another Earth, and if you kept on stepping, you kept on entering even more Earths...this is the Long Earth. It's not our Earth but one of chain of parallel worlds, lying side by side each differing from its neighbour by really very little (or actually quite a lot). It's an infinite chain, offering 'steppers' an infinite landscape of infinite possibilities. And the further away you travel, the stranger - and sometimes more dangerous - the Earths get. The sun and moon always shine, the basic laws of physics are the same. However, the chance events which have shaped our particular Earth, such as the dinosaur-killer asteroid impact, might not have happened and things may well have turned out rather differently. But, until Willis Linsay invented his stepper, only our Earth hosted mankind...or so we thought. Because it turns out there are some people who are natural 'steppers', who don't need his invention and now the great migration has begun...

When a series of alternative Earths with all the same natural resources but no humans are discovered, it’s a new era for humanity as trailblazers and opportunists head out into the Long Earth, and discover what awaits out there. The Long Earth is packed full of huge ideas of parallel worlds and witty observations of humanity as you would expect from two giants of British literature like Stephen Baxter and Terry Pratchett and this pulls you in like an explorer yourself to see what universe they have created.  

Joshua is a natural stepper – meaning he can move between different Earths without the technology or sickness that most people suffer. As such he is recruited by the TransEarth corporation on an adventure to the end of the Long Earth, to see if there is an end and what is really awaiting humanity if they carry on stepping out from home. Joshua is a basically good man but with a need for peace and has spent much of the time since Step-Day, when the multiple world’s first opened up, on his own in worlds were humans have not made an impact and accepting the differences. His travel companion Lobsang is either a Tibetian reincarnated in AI form or very intelligent AI and seems to represent humanities need to catalogue and note the differences in each world. The developing friendship between this two characters is great fun and the different worlds are fascinating.

While Joshua is the central character, some chapters take little diversions from different points in time (and different worlds) to explore what is happening in the wider tide of humanity. Despite all this going on, the overall plot of the books is quite slow and unfolds like a flower, when you suddenly realise quite how many petals the bud has. Despite the exploration theme, there just isn’t much urgency to their trip and feels more like a pleasure cruise at times. In total this is a glorious exploration into ‘what-if’ territory with ideas and hidden humour pull you along rather than the characters actions.

Recommended for fans of Arthur C Clarke and Tom Holt. 8 out of 10

Snuff Review

Snuff

- Terry Prachett

Publisher: Corgi

According to the writer of the best-selling crime novel ever to have been published in the city of Ankh-Morpork, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse. And Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on holiday in the pleasant and innocent countryside, but not for him a mere body in the wardrobe. There are many, many bodies and an ancient crime more terrible than murder. 
He is out of his jurisdiction, out of his depth, out of bacon sandwiches, and occasionally snookered and out of his mind, but never out of guile. Where there is a crime there must be a finding, there must be a chase and there must be a punishment. 
They say that in the end all sins are forgiven. But not quite all.

Another visit to the Discworld with Terry Prachett! This another Sam Vimes story but this time he and his family have left Anhk-Morpork behind to have a holiday in the country. The first half of this book is Discworld’s version of Midsomer Murders. Sam Vimes wanders about the country, where someone is always watching you, talking to people and becomes sure that something isn’t right about the country...especially with Goblins in the area...  

After so many books set in the colourful and fragrant Anhk-Morpork, it’s a refreshing change to see the countryside surrounding the premier city of Discworld. Terry Prachett manages to subvert a dozen English countryside stereotypes every two pages – whether it’s the local barflys at the pub, to the upstairs-downstairs relationships in the big house they is some amusing and clever take on traditions. Personally, I loved the idea of the spinning maids – it had me smiling all through the latest episode of Downtown Abbey! J

The second half of the story is more action packed with river chases and close escapes –more Twenty-Four less Midsomer Murders. There is even some deep philosophical ponderings about the nature of evil – and if you understand how evil minds work, does that make you evil...? It’s quite deep, but subtly done and adds to Sam Vimes character after so many books. The other element that adds to Sam Vimes personality is how much he loves his son, young Sam. Young Sam is a joy and delight to read about, with his obsession with poo and complete disregard for knowing what he should be afraid off.

This is another entertaining visit to the Discworld showing that Terry hasn’t lost his knack for making the ordinary sublime and ridiculous normal. Good, clean(ish) fun.

Recommended for fans of Tom Holt and Jasper Fforde. 8 out of 10

Audiobook Review: Good Omens

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

Written by Neil Gaimen and Terry Prachett

Read by Stephen Briggs

According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter--the world's only totally reliable guide to the future--the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just after tea...

Neil Gaimen and Terry Prachett and two of the most popular and inventive British writers and this come through in spades. Good Omens is essentially the story of the Apocalypse and the end of the world. But somehow it’s so much more fun, thrilling and imaginative than that suggests. Set in Britain we follow a demon and an angel, a witchfinder and a descendant of a witch as well as the son of the devil himself as they all orbit the end of days. With everything from Atlantis rising to aliens landing thrown in as well there is no end of unusual and unexpected elements which will have either laughing over the sheer absurd or wondering how you missed something so obvious!

Having read the book in the past, I was aware of what to expect, but one of the joys of this audio is the life given to the characters and events by Stephen Briggs. He seems to throw himself fully into the story telling, and your ears become glued to the ups and downs of the anti-christ. I loved how some of the elements felt so British and yet universal – from cold calling salesman (and women) making the world a worse place to every tape in car turning into a Best of Queen album after 2 weeks. (Although these days it could equally be a best of Michael Jackson album!)

Little side stories build up to one big finale where everyone gets a chance to shine. In fact having been rewatching Supernatural season 4 & 5 recently, I have to say it reminds me a bit of these book – but with much less deliberate humour! This is a fun audio book that will distract and entertain and leave you wishing these authors would collaborate more often.

Recommended for fans of Tom Holt and Jasper Fforde. 9 out of 10.

Audiobook: Eric Review

Eric (Discworld 9)

Written by Terry Pratchett

Read by Tony Robinson

An inept demonologist wants three wishes granted--to be immortal, to rule the world, and to have a beautiful woman fall in love with him. But instead of a demon, he calls up Rincewind, the most incompetent wizard in the universe. Because Eric gives him no other choice, Rincewind tries to grant him his wishes...

Eric is quite a short book for Terry Pratchett and this works well in audio form as there is less to cut for the abridgement. And this means that there are no strange plot jumps or unusual occurrences when listening. Tony Robinson is brilliant once again as the narrator and voices each character separately. He makes each character unique and recognisable which adds a lot of humour through his inflections to an already amusing story. This is one of the funniest Discworld stories partly because it follows a fairly standard plot  device– be careful what you wish for. But this is a Terry Pratchett book so the story is a clever rift on many expectations...from what the most beautiful woman in the world truly looks like and what would people do if they ever met the ruler of the world. And I won’t mention what it truly means to live forever...

Rincewind is possibly one of the bravest cowards you will ever meet – able to run away from pretty much anything and think on his feet, while the title character, Eric is a little annoying at first, he soon settles down. This story takes Rincewind and Eric across the Discworld, back in time and eventually to Hell, following in the footsteps of someone named Faust... While Terry Pratchett does add plenty of humour there is a biting satire to the story as well as we get treated to some great insights into a variety of subject from war to religion to office politics. I can’t say too much without spoiling a great experience but whether you listen to the book or read it, this is fun read.

I have to confess that I’ve never read any of the Rincewind books in the Discworld series – but I have listened to them all on audiobook. This is one of my favourites as Eric is an amusing and entertaining story with some fantastic images and a great twist on a familiar premise.

Recommended for fans of Douglas Adams and Jasper Fforde. 8.5 out of 10

Audiobook: Moving Pictures Review

Moving Pictures

Written by Terry Prachett

Read by Tony Robinson

The alchemists of the Discworld have discovered the magic of the silver screen. But what is the dark secret of Holy Wood hill?

It's up to Victor Tugelbend ("Can't sing. Can't dance. Can handle a sword a little.") and Theda Withel ("I come from a little town you've probably never heard of") to find out...

I’ve struggled for ages to write this review as there are parts of this audio book I really enjoyed and parts that jarred. The story is a parody of Hollywood and there are some great comic situations that riff on expected stereotypes (My favourite is the image of a giant woman climbing the tower with an ape in her hands!).  The best part of the audio book is Tony Robinson’s reading though – he is comic in the right places, straight where it’s needed and the all voices he creates are fantastic. I could listen to him all day.

However there is so much going on, so many characters and subplots that it becomes obvious that this is an abridgement. The situation changes rapidly and often doesn’t flow. There are some sharp transitions which jerk you out of the story as you wonder what happened there. Luckily I’ve read the book so I was able to fill in the gaps most of time.  Overall, if this hadn’t been an abridge version of the book I would rated it highly as the story and the reading was excellent. As it is, it feels a little like a cheese salad sandwich without the salad – the basic ingredients are all there but just missing something to make it stand out.

Recommended for fans of Ian Ranklin and Douglas Adams. 6 out of 10