Skip to main content

The Long War

The Long War (The Long Earth, #2)The Long War by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Just finished The Long War, the second book in the Long Earth series, and I'm finding it leans heavily into fantasy rather than hard sci-fi. Pratchett's influence is clear, with the inclusion of familiar characters like the Kobolds and the Beagles (sentient dogs). Honestly, I'm only continuing because 1) it was recommended, and 2) I foolishly bought the whole set at once. Here's hoping The Long Mars brings the science back!

The Long War itself isn't your typical military conflict. It's more of a sprawling, societal struggle sparked by "stepping" – the ability to instantly travel to parallel Earths. This opens up a practically infinite frontier, leading to a scramble for resources as people flee the overpopulated "Datum Earth." Competition and clashes are inevitable, not just for land and materials, but also between emerging ideologies. Some embrace technology, others a simpler life, and these philosophies often collide.

While large empires are hard to sustain across the Long Earth, smaller communities rise and fall, sometimes driven by shared beliefs or ethnicity. And as if internal struggles weren't enough, hints of older, possibly more advanced civilizations, and the potential for unknown dangers, loom on the horizon, adding another layer of tension.

Ultimately, The Long War is less about battles and more about the massive social, political, and philosophical shifts caused by stepping. It's a story about humanity grappling with infinite possibilities, questioning its place in the universe, and fighting not just with weapons, but with ideas and beliefs. It's a journey of self-discovery disguised as a multi-Earth adventure.

View all my reviews

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Echo of worlds

Echo of Worlds by M.R. Carey My rating: 2 of 5 stars M.R. Carey's "Echo of Worlds" serves as a powerful and satisfying conclusion to his "Pandominion" duology, following the intriguing setup of "Infinity Gate." While the author's broader works certainly explore diverse realms, this novel masterfully ties together the threads of this particular multiversal conflict. The story immediately plunges readers into an epic war across countless dimensions. On one side stands the organic Pandominion, pitted against the chilling machine-intelligence known as the Ansurrection. Both factions are escalating their destructive capabilities, threatening to unleash an extinction-level event called the "Scour," which could wipe out thousands of planets. At the heart of this desperate struggle is the artificial intelligence, Rupshe. Convinced that the "Scour" is inevitable without intervention, Rupshe assembles a captivating and unlikely team fr...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Long Mars

The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett My rating: 3 of 5 stars "The Long Mars," the third installment in the Long Earth series, continues to expand the already vast canvas of Pratchett and Baxter's creation. While the concept of "Joker Mars" – echoing the familiar "Joker Earths" – is intriguing, it's just one of three distinct narrative threads woven throughout this book. We follow Sally Linsay on a journey across the Martian Stepped worlds, unraveling the mysteries her father, Willis, seeks. This exploration of the alien landscapes of the Long Mars is certainly compelling, but personally, it was the storyline involving "The Next" that truly captivated me. Joshua Valiente's arc, which delves into the emergence of these post-human children, is where the book really shines. It's a powerful exploration of prejudice, fear, and the potential societal clashes that arise when faced with the "other." The authors masterfully tackle ...
Post a Comment
Read more

📝 Review Summary: Children of Memory

Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky My rating: 4 of 5 stars Children of Memory (Children of Time Series #3) is an essential, challenging, and mind-bending addition that shifts the series' focus from galactic evolution to a profound crisis of identity and reality. Note: This cannot be read as a standalone novel and contains major spoilers. Core Plot & Major Twist The novel revolves around a struggling human colony on the world of Imir. The central puzzle is the repeated ship crashes. The Engine: The crashes are revealed to be "intentional" because an ancient, alien Simulation Engine beneath Imir copies the consciousness of approaching life and inserts the duplicates into a simulated, rapidly aging environment. The Reveal: The original human colonists and the Skipper crew's landing party (including the Interlocutor, Miranda) were all physically destroyed. The "people" living on Imir—including the simulated Miranda and the copies of Portiid (Fabian)...
Post a Comment
Read more