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The Long Earth: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 7,137 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The first novel in a brilliant collaboration between the visionary Discworld® creator Terry Pratchett and acclaimed science fiction novelist Stephen Baxter, The Long Earth transports readers to an infinity of new worlds—a series of parallel “earths"" with doorways leading to adventure, intrigue, excitement, and an escape into the furthest reaches of the imagination. All it takes is a single step. . . .
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 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.
The Long Earth is an adventure of the highest order and will 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.
Other books in the Long Earth series include:
- The Long War
- The Long Mars
- The Long Utopia
- The Long Cosmos
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"I liked it way better the second time. The first time the science was a little beyond me and I spent longer trying to figure it out than enjoying the story. The second time I found pleasure in skipping over the quantum and fell in love with Lobsang."
— Kat (4 out of 5 stars)
The Long Earth Listener Reviews
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Bruce Jondle, 1/29/2024
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" My interest fizzled out after about 250 pages. The premise was good but the meager plot plodded along and I ceased to care about the characters. "
— Cannibalcrowley, 2/15/2014 -
" It could have been much better. The potential for the story is unlimited, just add The Long Earth. But the storyline just tackles slightly some of the possibilities, leaving much to desire. In the end, it's too flat, too simple, too one dimensional, while in the same time drawing from too many ideas in the same time. "
— Maciek, 1/13/2014 -
" This was a fun, pleasant, easy read. The concept is great. The characters aren't particularly sympathetic, though, and there's very little tension. Or action. Nor is there any humor--which is fine, since this isn't a Discworld novel or marketed as humorous, but Pratchett's style feels a little empty without the humor laced in to support it. "
— Aaron, 1/6/2014 -
" The short extract from the 'High Meggas' was more enjoyable in style than the main book. An interesting idea but padded out into a whole book was not as good as I would have expected. Perhaps I've read too many Discworld novels "
— John, 1/4/2014 -
" Good book. Not his greatest but worth a read. I love the multiverse idea. However late in the third act the book takes a weird philosophical turn, and is kind of heavy handed with it. Other then that, great book! "
— Ed, 12/31/2013 -
" Great premise, execution could have been better. It meandered, and I'm not really sure where it landed. Maybe it just had too many good concepts, could even be a series, but too much was packed into one book. "
— Stacey, 12/28/2013 -
" I liked it. I hadn't heard anything about it, so I had no expectations, other than liking Pratchett. It was interesting; not especially wrenching or complex. I finished it in a day. "
— Laura, 12/26/2013 -
" Slow. Takes an interesting setting nowhere. "
— Barbara, 12/25/2013 -
" Brilliant book but annoying ending - not saying why! "
— Carol, 12/13/2013 -
" A decent 1st book in a series but at least a mini-conclusion would have been good. Will read the next though, and hopefully many more. Slightly reminiscent of Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey, an unexpectedly serious book from a pun expert. "
— Katie, 12/6/2013 -
" Idea was interesting but it seemed to mainly ask the same question over and over without answering it. Slow read. More philosophically focused and less plot focused. Plus, I've read endings like that before so it wasn't surprising. "
— Meg, 11/19/2013 -
" I wanted to love this book but it just lacked something. Still, it was an entertaining read and much of the premise was interesting. "
— Eric, 10/30/2013 -
" Brilliantly captured feel of the parallel multiverse concept. A great read. "
— Kat, 10/22/2013 -
" Intriuging... "
— Radhika, 10/8/2013 -
" I love Pratchett, but this book just didn't keep my attention. Interesting concept, but I had to return the library book and don't care about getting it back to finish it. "
— Angie, 9/8/2013 -
" Loved this! A different take on space travel I found fun. I listened to this one in the car. Wasn't thrilled with the narrator, but still an excellent story. Really hoping for a sequel. "
— Raeanne, 2/20/2013 -
" Would have given this book five stars except I didn't like the way it ends. Left something to be desired. Very interesting read, though. "
— Ash, 11/11/2012 -
" An engaging science fiction book about a perhaps-infinite string of parallel earths, and the mysterious creatures that inhabit the other earths. I enjoyed the mystery aspect but didn't like the cliffhanger ending. Eagerly awaiting the sequel! "
— Samantha, 6/24/2012 -
" Slow paced, but interesting and fun for all that. "
— Annette, 6/22/2012
About the Authors
Stephen Baxter is an acclaimed, multiple award–winning author whose many books include the Xeelee Sequence series, the Time Odyssey trilogy (written with Arthur C. Clarke), and The Time Ships, a sequel to H. G. Wells’s classic The Time Machine. He lives in England.
Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was an English novelist known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series. His first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971, and after publishing his first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic, in 1983, he wrote two books a year on average. He was the United Kingdom’s bestselling author of the 1990s and has sold more than 55 million books worldwide. In 2001 he won the Carnegie Medal for his children’s novel The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature in 1998 and was knighted in 2009.
About Michael Fenton Stevens
Michael Fenton Stevens is an actor and comedian, as well as a founding member of The Hee Bee Gee Bees, a pop music group. He is known for his work in television and for his voice work on BBC Radio 4.