The Long Mars
"2040-2045: In the years after the cataclysmic Yellowstone eruption there is massive economic dislocation as populations flee Datum Earth to myriad Long Earth worlds. Sally, Joshua, and Lobsang are all involved in this perilous rescue work when, out of the blue, Sally is contacted by her long-vanished father and inventor of the original Stepper device, Willis Linsay. He tells her he is planning a fantastic voyage across the Long Mars and wants her to accompany him. But Sally soon learns that Willis has an ulterior motive for his request.... Meanwhile U.S. Navy Commander Maggie Kauffman has embarked on an incredible journey of her own, leading an expedition to the outer limits of the far Long Earth. For Joshua, the crisis he faces is much closer to home. He becomes embroiled in the plight of the Next: the super-bright post-humans who are beginning to emerge from their 'long childhood' in the community called Happy Landings, located deep in the Long Earth. Ignorance and fear have caused 'normal' human society to turn against the Next. A dramatic showdown seems inevitable"
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1recommend
6mentions
5people
2014–2023years
17% recommend67% neutral17% critical
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What Hacker News says
- I'll throw in a few more recommendations -
Kindle Unlimited books:
The Origin Mystery by A.G Riddle (alternate history, aliens, seeded origins, etc)
Brilliance Saga by Marcus Sakey - Kind of a superhero thing, 1% of humans since the 80s have been born with superhuman abilities. Not bad, probably a 3/5, but entertaining.
Almost anything by Douglas E. Richards - his Mind's Eye book was a great action/mystery, Same with his Wired and Amped books (series). I'm looking into his Prometheus Project series, and might read it next.
Awakened Series by Jason Tesar - Multiple worlds type of deal. Prophecy, fighting evil beings, high powered hero and enemies, and more. Probably not the "greatest" writing or editing going on (I spotted a few spelling errors), but it's a great plot and his character development is pretty good.
Not Kindle Unlimited:
The Long Earth series by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter - Multiple worlds, epic storyline, and getting better with each new book. Can't wait for the next one (The Long Mars).
The Taken Trilogy by Allen Dean Foster - Human abducted by aliens, escapes, has great adventures with his talking dog. Humorous and engaging. Highly recommend.
The Tide Lords by Jeniffer Fallon - Powerful, immortal, nearly gods when the "tide" is up, merely un-killable when it's not. Great read (Fantasy).
- I am currently reading The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett and Steve Baxter (it’s part of the Long Earth series)
For fun -
Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde Hitchhikers guide is a given The Chronicles of St Mary by Jodi Taylor (and Time Police)
If you can make your way over to more fantasy, then:
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacks
- Actually, Terry Pratchett's _The Long Mars_ discusses this, to an extent.
(In that setting, you can build a very simple machine --- powered by a potato, which actually makes sense in context --- which can take you to a parallel Earth. You can take what you can carry with you; but not iron, which stays behind. Turns out that setting up a society from scratch using only hand tools and brain power is kinda hard.)
- The first two are excellent. But then you can tell that Pratchett's influence has waned, and Baxter's bitterness and misanthropy is creeping in; in The Long Mars everyone's painfully disfunctional and whiny.
I'm still not sure I want to read the last two. I swore of solo Baxter books after getting burnt by Titan.
- The Long Mars (by Pratchett/Baxter) explores some ideas like that on a trip through parallel universes, though it's 3 books into a series that doesn't lend itself to skipping around.
- I only just finished reading The Long Mars a couple of weeks ago - I wonder whether Stephen Baxter will continue solo with the final book (as number 4 is due out later this year[1]).
[1]: http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/the-long-utopia-the-lo...
