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The Long Earth (Long Earth, 1) Hardcover – June 19, 2012

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 7,317 ratings

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An unmissable milestone for fans of Sir Terry Pratchett: the first SF novel in over three decades in which the visionary inventor of Discworld has created a new universe of tantalizing possibilities—a series of parallel “Earths” with doorways leading to adventure, intrigue, excitement, and an escape into the furthest reaches of the imagination.

The Long Earth, written with award-winning novelist Stephen Baxter, author of Stone Spring, Ark, and Floodwill, captivate science fiction fans of all stripes, readers of Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen, and anyone who enjoyed the Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman collaboration Good Omens.

The Long Earth is an adventure of the highest order—and an unforgettable read.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Stay tuned for the next episode of a very old-fashioned sf quest yarn (think Jules Verne and 2001) that, since Pratchett is involved, is crammed with scientifically informed amusement.” — Booklist

“In this thought-provoking collaboration, Pratchett (the Discworld series) and Baxter (Stone Spring) create an infinity of worlds to explore. . . fascinating premise.” — Publishers Weekly

The Long Earth is a brilliant Science Fiction collaboration with Stephen Baxter: a love letter to all Pratchett fans, readers, and lovers of wonder everywhere. . . . This novel is a gift to be shared with anyone who loves to be amazed.” — Io9

“As you’d expect from these authors, the writing is elegant and witty, peppered with sly pop-culture references. The worlds of the Long Earth are all richly rendered, and even the walk-on characters are deftly imagined. . . . The Long Earth is a genuinely thoughtful and entertaining exploration of a profoundly changed universe-and the potential seems endless not just for the characters, but for Pratchett and Baxter as well.” — Tor.com

The Long Earth is the solid start of a series with infinite potential.” — Shelf Awareness

From the Back Cover

The possibilities are endless. (Just be careful what you wish for. . . .)

1916: The Western Front. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear birdsong and the wind in the leaves. Where have the mud, blood, and blasted landscape of no-man's-land gone? For that matter, where has Percy gone?

2015: Madison, Wisconsin. Police officer Monica Jansson is exploring the burned-out home of a reclusive—some say mad, others allege dangerous—scientist who seems to have vanished. Sifting through the wreckage, Jansson find a curious gadget: a box containing some rudimentary wiring, a three-way switch, and . . . a potato. It is the prototype of an invention that will change the way humankind views the world forever.

The first novel in an exciting new collaboration between Discworld creator Terry Pratchett and the acclaimed SF writer Stephen Baxter, The Long Earth transports readers to the ends of the earth—and far beyond. All it takes is a single step. . . .

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper; F First American Edition (June 19, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062067753
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062067753
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.19 x 6.4 x 1.19 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 7,317 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
7,317 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the premise intriguing and the world-building fascinating. They describe the book as an enjoyable, delightful read that keeps them entertained for quite some time. However, opinions differ on the story quality, writing quality, and character development. Some find the story well-handled and thoroughly explained, while others feel it slows down and lacks purpose. There are also mixed reviews regarding the writing quality, with some finding it talented and the language used skillfully, while others find distracting English idiosyncrasies and poorly explained concepts.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

279 customers mention "Idea"254 positive25 negative

Customers find the premise interesting and the world-building fascinating. They appreciate the exciting concepts and worlds. The book is described as an adventure with good characters.

"...setting is the story, but what a remarkable setting -- a multidimensional string of planets, each one slightly different from our own unique Earth...." Read more

"...I also love that the authors explore the real-world ramifications of what would happen if people could travel like this...." Read more

"...develop steadily throughout and the worlds they visit are strange and exciting, despite being near identical copies of Earth...." Read more

"...It is a great starting point. The sheer fascination of the scope of the concept keeps the reader entertained for quite a while...." Read more

260 customers mention "Readability"240 positive20 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it enjoyable, delightful, and engaging with fantastic discoveries. The scope of the concept keeps readers entertained for a long time. Readers describe the plot as interesting and page-turning, despite the thin plot.

"...It's actually quite delicious, but instantly causes the consumer to gain five pounds and increases their likelihood of heart attack by about five..." Read more

"...different from what I've come to expect of Prachett, it is ultimately quite good and the flaws and complaints I have with it are minor indeed...." Read more

"...The sheer fascination of the scope of the concept keeps the reader entertained for quite a while...." Read more

"...Still, I enjoyed the read, which was breezier and lighter than I expected, and I plan on checking out at least the next book in the series; while it..." Read more

302 customers mention "Story quality"179 positive123 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story. Some find it interesting with a good plot line and engaging characters. Others feel the book has a limited plot that meanders with little action and weak characters.

"...The story is related from multiple points of view with no clear protagonist or antagonist...." Read more

"...The characters develop steadily throughout and the worlds they visit are strange and exciting, despite being near identical copies of Earth...." Read more

"...While this book is not perfect, and is very different from what I've come to expect of Prachett, it is ultimately quite good and the flaws and..." Read more

"...There is a mish-mash of fantasy/occult and hard scifi - both of which I like, but neither of which dominates the story and neither of which, again,..." Read more

102 customers mention "Character development"63 positive39 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development. Some find the characters well-developed and likable, while others feel the characters are underdeveloped and poorly explained.

"...I also really liked the characters of Joshua and Lobsang, and Lobsang's very human nature. He seems the most "Pratchettian" character...." Read more

"...spins a very limited plot to little purpose as it slackly follows a collection of characters that don't really matter to us." Read more

"...The story is weaved together exceptionally well. The characters develop steadily throughout and the worlds they visit are strange and exciting,..." Read more

"...The authors give us a pair of intriguing characters to work with - Joshua, a loner who has the natural ability to "step" without the device; and..." Read more

101 customers mention "Writing quality"62 positive39 negative

Customers have differing views on the writing quality. Some find it well-written with a talented use of language and linear character development. They describe it as an easy read with sparkly sentences. However, others mention issues with one-dimensional characters, poorly constructed dialogue, poor quality prose, difficulty creating realistic dialog, and awkward flow.

"...That's the fun part. But despite all that, and even despite good writing, the book inevitably grinds into a kind of descriptive boredom from the..." Read more

"...dimensional, and one was so consistently unpleasant that it was hard to keep reading...." Read more

"...I dunno. Both these authors are (in my opinion) very talented writers. I should have enjoyed this more." Read more

"...I'd recommend this for fans of SciFi as a good, light read, that sets the stage for a new series." Read more

98 customers mention "Boredom"42 positive56 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some find it engaging and enjoyable, making them eager to finish another chapter. However, others feel the story lacks cohesion and grinds into descriptive boredom.

"...all that, and even despite good writing, the book inevitably grinds into a kind of descriptive boredom from the sheer excesses that gave it life...." Read more

"...Lobsang is the character I found most interesting and entertaining...." Read more

"...Eh. In truth there is very little Pratchett in this book. There is none of his humor or insight...." Read more

"This book was fun and ran fast. After Covid I, and a lot of other people moved to places with less people and more space...." Read more

78 customers mention "Pacing"37 positive41 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it easy to read and fast-paced, with simple ideas and technology. Others find the story tedious and slow-moving, with pointless subplots.

"...were mostly unlikeable and one-dimensional, and one was so consistently unpleasant that it was hard to keep reading...." Read more

"...I really like that the travel between worlds is done with a device so simple you can build it with parts from Radio Shack and power it with a potato...." Read more

"...The clumsy introduction of Lobsang a few pages in was so awkward and just plain uncomfortable that i honestly put the book down for a few days while..." Read more

"...The device is so simple a child can build it, and many do...." Read more

58 customers mention "Humor"28 positive30 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the humor in the book. Some find it funny and witty, with sly social commentary. Others feel it lacks certain elements like slapstick or British schoolboy aphorisms, and lacks emotion or danger.

"...Discworld stories which are unformly good to superb, full of dry, satirical wit and almost always with a point to make...." Read more

"...; very little action, very little character development, no passion, no humor. It is continued in another novel that I won't bother to read...." Read more

"...The dialogue was captivating, humorous and delved deeply into the human condition...." Read more

"...There is no sense of danger, no emotion, certainly no love and no awe and wonder in these characters...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2012
    This is a different kind of novel. It could be said that the setting is the story, but what a remarkable setting -- a multidimensional string of planets, each one slightly different from our own unique Earth. And, after a missing scientist discloses the trick for stepping from one dimension to another using a potato and some common electronic hardware, we learn how unique. Our home planet is the only one of the countless earths upon which Homo sapiens have evolved. Not that the others are empty. Many contain many familiar and not so familiar species, but ours is the only one with people like us.
    The story is related from multiple points of view with no clear protagonist or antagonist. Instead, we are treated to several interesting characters trying to deal with this new multidimensional reality in their own ways. A hint of the charm we have come to expect from Pratchett characters can be seen in several of them.
    The primary character is Joshua Valienté, an orphan from Madison Wisconsin who has a rare talent. He can step between Earths without the help of a potato-powered stepper. Because of this talent, he attracts the attention of the Black Corporation, a powerful, influential, and extremely wealthy organization, and especially the attention of Lobsang, one of Black Corp's part owners. Lobsang is the character I found most interesting and entertaining. He is either a delusional artificial intelligence or a dead Tibetan motorcycle mechanic reincarnated as a computer program. Once we get to know him, it hardly matters which. If he has a heart, it's a good one, although, true to Pratchett form, he has his flaws that only seem to make him more charming.
    Joshua and Lobsang travel the parallel earths and discover that... well, that would be telling, wouldn't it? You'll have to read it yourself to find out. Let's just say they learn much more about them and discover a mystery that could threaten the whole string.
    There is one thing I found a bit off. The character of Joshua Valienté is an American but he speaks British. Not intentionally so, I'm sure, but his word choices in a couple places are clearly from that green and pleasant land, and, at one point, he chooses fried slice for breakfast. I'm sorry, but I doubt may Americans even know what is meant by that. (For those of my countrymen who do not, imagine a slice of bread fried in hot oil and then, for the purist, topped with butter. If you really want to be traditional, you can fry it in bacon or sausage fat. It's actually quite delicious, but instantly causes the consumer to gain five pounds and increases their likelihood of heart attack by about five percent.)
    I enjoyed this book and hope there will be a sequel, or an infinite string of sequels that further explore this remarkable setting in the company of Lobsang and some of the others. I recommend it.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2012
    I consider Terry Prachett to be one of the finest English-language writers working today. I've never read anything by Stephen Baxter. So now we all know where I stand coming into this.

    This book tells the tale of humanity discovering the ability to travel between dimensions. They can visit various alternate versions of Earth by going "East" or "West" from the home Earth. There they find the same geography (mostly), the same animals (mostly), and no sign of humans whatsoever. It appears that the original Earth is the only one with humanity but not, perhaps, the only one with sentient beings.

    Some people view this as an opportunity to get rich fast. One of them decides to go to Sutter's Mill in our world, then move a few worlds over, all the better to get the gold there. He arrives only to find that he's far from the first person to think of this, and very soon the value of gold decreases dramatically.

    Others view this as a chance to get away from the world; to start new lives in a new land. The Green family is one of these, moving to a world over 100,000 Earths away from ours to set up a new life. In doing so they leave behind their thirteen-year-old son, who is one of the 20% or so who cannot travel between worlds.

    And others view this as a great chance for science and exploration. These include Joshua, a man who can travel between worlds naturally, without the machine that most people require. He and a sentient computer named Lobsang (he claims to be the reincarnation of a Tibetan man), travel across over a million worlds, dropping science probes as they go, and trying to learn about this strange new phenomenon.

    I really like that the travel between worlds is done with a device so simple you can build it with parts from Radio Shack and power it with a potato. I also love that the authors explore the real-world ramifications of what would happen if people could travel like this. For example, within a day of the technology appearing, there's an assassination attempt on the American President, and a bombing at the House of Commons in the UK. Then the cities start rapidly depopulating as people begin to leave for the new worlds. Some places end up as virtual ghost towns.

    I was also pleased that they addressed the possible legal issues (ie: do America and other countries have jurisdictions over these new worlds?), dealt with the issues of those left behind and I found it interesting that they decided iron would not be able to travel between worlds. There's no real explanation for this (except possibly a Celtic one), but I liked it.

    What I liked less, frankly, was much of the story execution. The Green family is entirely unsympathetic. I can understand their desire to go out and start a new life, but the parents should have been arrested for child abandonment. You don't leave your thirteen-year-old son behind so you can go colonize. That's just not right. I'm not sure why they couldn't have just waited a few years. It's not like there was a massive land and/or resource shortage on the first Earth. I'm also not at all clear on why they couldn't take him with them. It's established that people who can't travel between worlds can, in fact, do so if someone carries them. It could just be me, but if I wanted to go colonize and keep my family intact, I would have been happy to tote my son between 100,000+ worlds if that is what it took.

    I also got a little bored of the travelogue between Joshua and Lobsang. The conversations and the various worlds they were visiting were interesting, but it just kept going and going and going, and the little cut-aways to what was happening with the Green family or what was happening back home were more distracting than anything else, and not always in a useful way. I also found the ending very abrupt and an event that happens in Madison just before the end to be really unnecessary.

    So why the positive review with those complaints? Because while the conversations do go on and on and on, they ARE interesting, as is the travel. I also liked the various almost-humans and the possible dinosaurian civilization that are encountered. I like that some of the various problems these new worlds create with the old one are addressed. I also really liked the characters of Joshua and Lobsang, and Lobsang's very human nature. He seems the most "Pratchettian" character. I also liked the general concept overall. It's just interesting to think that there could be well over two-million alternate Earths, and possibly a lot more, that are out there, and of those, ours is the only one with humans.

    But my favorite part of the book comes near the very end, when we learn what has been driving various non-human intelligences "Westward" over the last few years. It leads to something which reminded me very heavily of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", "2001" and various episodes of "Doctor Who", and I mean all of that in the best possible way.

    While this book is not perfect, and is very different from what I've come to expect of Prachett, it is ultimately quite good and the flaws and complaints I have with it are minor indeed. I'm not sure if this book is meant to be the start of a new series, but if it is, sign me up for all the following installments!
    44 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Eric
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend it!
    Reviewed in Canada on March 27, 2018
    Excellent book from beginning to end! You'll definitely want to have The Long War ready to go for when you finish this one! It's definitely a departure from the fantasy of the Discworld series, but it still has a nice blend of sci-fi and fantasy.
  • stony
    5.0 out of 5 stars love that book
    Reviewed in Spain on May 8, 2019
    nice to read, terry's stories are always genius :)
  • Mark
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome concept convincingly executed
    Reviewed in Australia on February 19, 2017
    I love the premise of this book, the multiverse is not only a favourite of Pratchett but starting to gain traction in real world science. A great read can't wait for the next instalment.
  • Benedito R. Almeida Filho
    2.0 out of 5 stars Não é ruim, só muito parado
    Reviewed in Brazil on February 13, 2015
    O tema é bom, mas acho que foi pobremente explorado.

    O livro não tem muita ação; ele cria uma expectativa a respeito de um perigo iminente e no final tudo se resolve de forma muito fácil.

    Acho que o autor deixou o tema muito mal desenvolvido. Esperava mais do livro.
  • Silvarine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Molto appassionante
    Reviewed in Italy on July 15, 2014
    Adoro Terry Pratchett e questo libro un po' diverso dal solito mi è piaciuto molto, anche se lo stile di Terry non è molto in evidenza (e per il tipo di racconto è giusto così). La storia è davvero appassionante e originale, un libro consigliato