The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

Book Description

The Long Earth transports readers to the ends of the earth – and far beyond. All it takes is a single step… 

The Western Front, 1916. 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? 

Madison, Wisconsin, 2015. Police officer Monica Jansson is exploring the burned-out home of a reclusive scientist who seems to have vanished. Sifting through the wreckage, Jansson finds 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.

Review

The Long Earth, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter, invites readers on a mind-bending, science fiction journey. The writing is clear, concise, and strong. Although there is wit and humor, The Long Earth does not have the silly, cozy feel of a typical Terry Pratchett novel.

The story revolves around the discovery of the “Stepper,” a simple device that allows people to step to… I won’t spoil it for you!

Like many Pratchett novels, I found the large cast of characters highly engaging. The protagonist is Joshua Valienté, a young man who possesses a unique ability to step without a device. When Lobsang, an artificial intelligence, invites Joshua on an adventure to explore the Long Earth with him, Joshua cannot help but accept.

A Wild Ride

This story hooked me from the start. The world building in The Long Earth is astonishing. It’s Earth… and it’s not. Although Pratchett is one of my favorite authors, I’d read none of Baxter’s works before. Baxter’s interests in evolutionary biology and human-animal behavior strongly influenced this story. I found Baxter’s explanations grounded the narrative in a satisfying way.

Unlike many science fiction novels, the world and technology are familiar, so don’t worry if you’re not a fan of spaceships and alien lifeforms.

The novel delves into the social, political, and environmental implications of “stepping” to humanity. Not only does stepping destabilize governments, it blows up religion, economics, national identity, and even what it means to be human. In some ways, the novel is like a post-apocalyptic story, but without a world-ending apocalypse.

While The Long Earth is the first in a five-book series, it reads like a stand-alone. It showcases the brilliance of both Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter, and I loved it. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking and entertaining read, this one is great fun.

Content Warning

Artificial Intelligence, Colonialism, Environmental Devastation, Loss, Reincarnation, Social Unrest, Violence

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Pop & Zebra on Unsplash