The Long Utopia (Long Earth)

The novel takes place several years after The Long Mars but, in keeping with one of the trends of the series, casually discards a lot of the events from that novel (including nearly the entire Mars portion) as events that have happened but no longer are relevant to where the authors wanted to go with the story. This is unfortunate, as some of the other sentient life discovered on Mars would have been extremely interesting to further explored. On top of that, the tech discovered towards the end of the novel is used, but no attempt is made to create a backstory for its previous origins. The same can be said for the artifacts left behind by a sentient race discovered in a previous novel. Not following up on some of these extremely interesting areas is one of the biggest disappointments here.

In a vacuum, however, this story is the best of the sequels in the series. It is resolved a bit abruptly, but it does include a bit of the group known as The Next. By focusing on several smaller societies within The Long Earth, the authors developed them in more detail. This was certainly a positive, and it creates a particularly compelling story in one of the further worlds. Unfortunately, the actions taken don't make a whole lot of sense as a long-term solution (particularly if The Long Mars is still accessible). The readers are again introduced to the possibility of other life out in the distant universe and again told not to concern themselves with it.

Ultimately, though, the novel is worth reading for fans of the series. The backstory provided for one of the main characters would be worth a novel on its own and the book certainly helps right the ship in preparation for the final novel.

Stephen Baxter was born in Liverpool in 1957, and holds degrees in mathematics and engineering. He was first published in 1991, becoming a full time author in 1995 and has since written within the sci-fi and alternate history books. Terry Pratchett was born in 1948 and, like Baxter, has written prolifically. He's probably best known for his Discworld series, and was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. In 2012, "The Long Earth" was published - the pair's first collaboration. "The Long Utopia", the fourth book in the series, was first published in 2015 – shortly after Pratchett’s death.

The book opens in 2052, with Joshua Valiente approaching his fiftieth birthday – alone and far into the Long Earth. His looming birthday has made him somewhat reflective. The headache that’s looming doesn’t help matters – Joshua’s headaches normally there’s significant trouble brewing somewhere...

Several years earlier, in 2045, Lobsang, had decided to retire. This retirement had involved faking his own death – with only Sally Linsay and Agnes, initially, knowing the truth. Lobsang and Agnes had decided to travel far into the Long Earth, as pioneers, with an adopted son. Sally, a natural stepper like Joshua, has travelled far and wide – her advice was crucial in choosing which world the new couple would settle on. Unfortunately for Lobsang and Agnes, Sally may well have had an agenda of her own in choosing Earth West 1,217,756....

For something strange is certainly happening on Earth West 1,217,756. Very early in the book, we meet Cassie Poulson – someone who’d settled on that Earth years before Lobsang and Cassie ever got there. While digging a cellar for her own home, she’d stumbled upon a strange cavern – and found someone inside looking back at her. The someone in question appeared to be a human sized insect – a species never yet seen on the Long Earth previously. As the book progresses, it turns out this insect isn’t alone...and what they’re doing could be very dangerous for both standard humans and the Next.

For me, “The Long Utopia” is probably the best book of the series so far. (Having said that, I'm still struggling to see anything in the story that could lead to the word "Utopia" being used in the book's title). The book's key element is centred on a single Earth, which I was very glad to see – the random journeys to the far limits of the Long Earth had got a little repetitive. The insect people and the puzzle of what they were up to – well, it gave the book an actual point that I felt had been lacking in the series up until now. We also learn something of Valiente family history - and, towards the book's climax, there were one or two surprises, things that I honestly didn’t see coming. I’m looking forward to reading “The Long Cosmos”, possibly more so than any of the other books in the series. On the downside, it’s also the last book in the series – which means having to say goodbye to Joshua and Lobsang....

The much-missed Terry Pratchett and iconic Stephen Baxter return for the penultimate volume in their oddly misfiring ‘Long Earth’ quintet. In reviews of the first two I observed that the problem with the series is that the scope is potentially sempiternal and thus it would be improbable that, as great as combining the literary prowess of this pantheistic duo might suggest, it could be done justice. It would take an author dedicated to and skilled in the art of ‘space opera’ – such as Peter F Hamilton – writing thousands more pages to truly make this awesome.
Instead we witness, in a result that is arguably both maudlin in its prescience and prophetic in its conclusion, the beginning of the end of Pratchett’s literary twilight as his dementia took firmer grip. This is evident in the loss of consistent, brilliant, satirical humour that characterised his prosaic wit; it gives way to the weightier philosophy of Baxter’s imagination. Fantastical humour is giving way to precise science fiction.
So it is this eponymous utopian effort stumbles into the aging footsteps of Lobsang, Agnes, Joshua and Sally to show us that the Long Earth with its ‘soft spaces’ isn’t just a sideways step or ‘waltz’. Indeed, a ‘gap in the space-time continuum’ – to draw on a sci-fi parlance – means that Ben has found, at the Old Poulson Place, New Springfield on Earth West 1,217,756 a place where one can step across the galaxy and find an alien-race of silver beetles whose sole purpose is to recreate and spread, gaining mass through the wholesale destruction of planets. The race is on to shove this particular Long Earth out of the eternal chain so the ‘mindless’ beetles cannot infest Long Earth itself. Doing this will involve sacrifice – indeed the whole novel’s theme is one of death, life, and rebirth; a changing of the guard, of the seasons. That comes in the newly invented super-Next, Stan Berg, a self-proclaimed 11-word Messiah, who does his duty in intoning vague, cryptic, exegeses before saving the whole of Long Earth. On his left is the sardonic Sally, on his right is the reborn Lobsang…the Christian undertones are unmistakeable.
As a side narrative – likely written purely by Pratchett given the style - Nelson Azikiwe delves back into Joshua’s past, to Victorian London where he discovers his father, Luis is also a natural stepper. In atypical fashion of current literary representations of Victorian London, this story is portrayed through a romantic tapestry of cigar smoke, stiff British governance, gaslight ambience, intellectual exploration and general colonial arrogance that reaches its xenophobic nadir when one of Luis’ would-be cronies, Hackett, intones:
“it is my intention…to harness a talent that will ensure Britain will continue to be the dominant power in this globe…And who could deny that it would be for the betterment of all mankind?’…“’The difference, Sir, is we are British…We are a rational nation. We are scientific. We are disciplined.’
As Luis, agape, manages to squeeze out:
‘Really?’”
Really, indeed. I am not quite sure what the purpose of this look-back is for in the novel, other than to provide pages. Although, it feels better than the rest of the prose: lighter, satirical, humorous, punchy. All the hallmarks of Pratchett. It just has little place in the novel other than giving us Joshua’s familial back story.
Without giving away the action, plot or events of this novel, I found myself skipping faster and faster through it, seeking some of the joy that was in the first novel, or in Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ or in Baxter’s ‘Destiny’s Children’ – and came away…not disappointed exactly, but with a furrowed brow. I have the last book I front of me and will turn the first page with an alternating heavy heart, given it is likely some of Pratchett’s final words, expectation of a whimpering end to the series, but also hope for something that is a fitting literary tribute to one of the greatest fantasy authors to date.

This is the fourth book in The Long Earth series, and while the individual books aren't the greatest, I do love the series. The strength of all the books is the deceptively easy way they cover complex concepts by rolling them into a compelling narrative, with a diverse range of characters. Even with the fourth book in the series the authors manage to keep the core premise fresh.

After The Long Mars I was curious as to where they would take the story next, and this book takes it into a familiar direction with aliens. Naturally it's not quite so simple as that, and there's a considerable build-up to the main event. And here we encounter one of the downsides to the story. As with the earlier books the finale feels rushed compared to what preceded it. In all cases the ending is fitting, but just too abrupt.

The story covers how mankind adapts to the events on Earth and the expansion of humanity into the Long Earth. It also delves into some of the history of the talent, although this aspect feels more of a distraction to the more significant events at play.

Another weakness is reflected in its greatest strength. There's some great ideas here, but they're not really developed as deeply as they could be. For me, this and the forced pacing are the biggest problems with the book, but despite these issues it is an enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward the the release of the next one in the series.

In this fourth installment (of five), the artificial intelligence, Lobsang, fakes his death and settles down with Sister Agnes to pioneer and raise a son, in a place called New Springfield way out in the Long Earth. But some kids in New Springfield are wearing silver bracelets that they couldn't possibly have ... and there are freakish lights coming from that Earth's Moon...

There is an alien infestation on this Earth, and it is doing something huge to it. And, given the chance, they will do it to all the Long Earths.

Lobsang summons Joshua Valienté, and then the US Navy, Sally Linsay, and finally ... Lobsang. In the end, the help of the Next is needed, and the cost to protect humanity is high.

The book is a cleanly written as its predecessors, and even has some of Pratchett's trademark humor - or humour - but not very much. It has, compared to _The Long Mars_, a very straightforward and linear plot with only one real side story to tie into the main narrative thrust at the end. And it's a good read, even if the setup for the last book is kind of obvious at the end.

Per other low star comments the authors didn't seem to put much effort into this one. As the story progressed I found myself skimming paragraphs because they felt like filler and were getting mind numbing.
Lack of effort really became obvious in the chapters where they cut and pasted Robert Heinlein's concept, as well as dialogue, of selective breeding from Methuselah's Children.
They could have at least given credit to RAH somewhere. Maybe they figured most readers of Heinlein are dead by now so they could explain away a core concept using his work and no one would pick up on it. Some might say to view it as a tribute but it didn't feel that way compared to how Robert Buettner has handled it.
This book felt like they weren't sure where they were going and just meandered along using shortcuts (a Keith Laumer device which he cheerfully admitted to) to get to a mundane wrap up. The Long theme extended into how it felt to plow through this one.

Once again, I am delighted by the Long Earth series, a premise where a string of Earths stretch out in the neighboring dimensions (think of an infinitely long pearl necklace, perhaps) and can be reached by a process called stepping. In addition to the dimensions stretching east and west, north – south dimensions are possible, as learned in The Long Mars, and distances measured in across the galaxy lightyears by the introduction of the Planetarium. One particular earth is in danger and the main characters seek help from Joshua Valiente, Sally Linsay, Lobsang, the United States military, and the Next.
Multiple points of view weave together in a tale that is low on action and high on science-fiction concepts, character relationships, and characters’ relationships with their world(s). Since The Long Earth, I have enjoyed the sense of Pratchett and Baxter taking me on a ride and appreciating the journey of getting to the end as much as the end. Everything satisfies. Excellent world building. Strong characters. Purposeful dialog. Well-timed pacing. A high-budget special effects conclusion that hints at book 5, The Long Cosmos. I will definitely pick up the next book and there’s a good chance I’ll revisit this series in the future, though I hope to do so strictly via audiobook because Michael Fenton-Stevens is such a talented narrator and brings out the exceptional dry British humor woven throughout the series.

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'The Long Utopia' by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter.

Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter have taken us far into the future in The Long Utopia. As humans evolve and even Artificial Intelligence (AI) is left behind, the original Earth is failing and parallel Earths seem to hold the answer to the future. However, there is a strange shift in one of the parallel Earths. This planet is known for its simplicity and is where Lobsang, an elderly AI, has disguised himself as human and is living his life in obscurity.

Soon though, an new intelligent new life form, known simply as the Next, has been discovered by the children on this planet and seem to be friendly. They actively trade for rocks and junk while leaving nice gifts of jewelry in return. Along with this discovery, both Lobsang and his partner have found a strange anomaly creating uncomfortable changes in the sequence of time. While most humans do not feel a difference, it creates havoc with the AI’s internal clock. While the causes of the anomaly are unknown, the results appear to be shorter days.

Since travel among the planets is facilitated with a box for stepping (a form of moving between plants), even this procedure is at risk. There is a group of steppers, however, that are able to step between time and space without the use of the computer technology from the box, but they must remain hidden for they are deemed a danger to the world. Lobsang must come out of hiding and track down these hidden steppers, for with their abilities they may be the only way to save this world. The connection between the planets is at risk as Lobsang and his group discover that the Next are on a course to destroy the very core of their home. Can they find if this is the real intention and if so, can they save this planet before the Next find a way to destroy the entire human and AI race?

The late Pratchett was known for his works featuring alternate realities. In The Long Utopia he moves us into another realm of space and the unknown. With Baxter as a coauthor we can be sure this world will not sink into obscurity. The characters, both human and AI, are gentle and smart, but unprepared for what is about to happen. You find yourself drawn to them, with all their flaws and feelings. The differing forms of travel and abilities are unique and quite interesting, keeping you enthralled with the process of moving through time and space.

As we are introduced to the Next, we are unprepared for their part in the changing of the world. So when the real story comes to light, confusion and perplexity keeps you digging for answers. They seem to be a gentle race and for years barter with the children, yet both their motives and background are unknown. They are creatures of both nature and technology and are like insects with a hive mentality. They seem to communicate in much the same way, and once their intentions are known, the danger becomes very clear.

If you enjoy science fiction you will be pleased with this latest work by Pratchett and Baxter. This moves a little beyond the young adult fiction that Pratchett had been known for and takes us into Long Earth and an exciting new future.

The Long Utopia seemed shorter, less complex to me than the previous books in this series, and that's both a good and bad thing. The Long Mars felt like it had too many events happening simultaneously, and while elements of all those stories are threaded through here, the Long Utopia focuses more on drawing them together than building them up further. Perhaps this is the wind down?
If you've read the previous three, you should definitely read this one. Solid passages full of human self-examination and thought experiment help draw the mind to imagine great possibilities, while all your favorite characters are back again (well, the ones still living).

Thar be spoilers here – ye be warned!

I’m usually a pretty fast reader, but checking on my status updates on Good Reads, I can’t believe it took me nine days to read this book.

The Long Utopia is long and boring, and there’s no utopia. I enjoyed The Long Earth. The Long Mars was decent as well. The Long War had no war. Well there was this thing that happened in one chapter, but in The Long Utopia, there was like a single paragraph that talked about a utopia by the smart kids.

And what’s with the beetle things? So on this world, we can step north and south in addition to east and west. Lobsang and Sally die in an attempt to seal away this world to prevent the beetle menace. Why don’t they just step north, and then east, then south again? When the Earth explodes, beetles are flung everywhere, and presumably they make it to Mars and the moon. Are those celestial bodies also sealed? If so, I get that everyone abandoned the “super-fast rotating Earth,” but did they check for life on the moon or Mars?

Lets also criticize the whole “sealing” thing. I get that soft spots would allow this world to be skipped, just like jokers where the Earth isn’t there, but what about the steppers that can’t use them? What about the people stranded on the other side of this world?

Ugh, the series has waned in the last few books, and I’m afraid The Long Utopia is the worst of the bunch. Which is sad, because the parallel Earths thing has been done so well in the past. Sliders will always be the king, even with the crappy seasons 4 & 5. I can’t bring myself to star this any worse than 3 stars.

I really like the series. The authors introduce a really powerful concept that changes everything for whole humankind. Book by book the consequences of this concept are explored further and further. While the concept is so powerful the authors still manage to keep the plot hole count relatively low. Unfortunately the last quarter of this book "The Long Utopia" completely dissolves itself quite literally into a plot hole as big as planet Mars. I am really disappointed that the authors left me with this plot hole especially when thinking about the end of this book.

I don't want to spoil so just some hints for those who finished the book: As learned in the previous book you can "step" not just on Earth but also on Mars and probably other planets. So when "stepping" for some reason is blocked on Earth I want an explanation why it's also blocked on Mars or other planets in the solar system. In my opinion the authors clearly did not think interstellar although they introduced an interstellar threat.

Really, really boring. Extremely badly put together. There is very little coherence or movement in the various storylines to keep the reader's attention. The 19th century background, for example, is entirely superfluous and skippable. Many themes are introduced and then simply dropped. Baxter usually produces great SF, if sometimes long winded, but here it seems he just gave up.

Love Pratchett. Will miss not having any more new Disc World books. This series with Stephen Baxter is enjoyable, although not as witty as most of Pratchett's work. It definitely feels like more Baxter than Pratchett in the prose, although you can feel Pratchett's influence in the storyline and characters.