The Long Earth, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
13 Sep 2012
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![The Long Earth. Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Book Review: A design appears on the internet, simple enough for any kid with a nearby Radioshack to complete. Children everywhere build the potato-powered device, flip the switch... And step—into a limitless number of potential Earths, empty of human life. The ramifications of a possibly endless expanse of land and resources on a crowded and depleted 'datum' Earth, its economy, and the people left behind when many feel the itch toward Manifest Destiny are explored in this novel. The novel has an interesting premise and is a promising beginning, but it has a lot of incomplete narratives and ends rather abruptly. [Image: The 'Stepper' box described.]](/assets/img/longearth.png)
Good for: It's a passably good science fiction novel, with some humorous elements and a couple good dramatic stories. Fans of such things may enjoy it—the only real downside is the abrupt ending, with plot threads left dangling.
Comments
Jeremy said:On Sep 13, 12 at 8:28pm
In principle I would be all for a book about potato-powered dimensional gateways. Sounds like this one misses the mark in the oft-neglected genre.
Audrey said:On Sep 14, 12 at 4:11am
It started out very promising though! I hear there is a sequel coming out. I may be more satisfied with the series as a whole.
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