Worlds Apart

Worlds #2

by Joe Haldeman

In New New York during the one-day World War that inflicted everyone over eighteen with madness and death, Marianne is torn between her desire to aid her lover and her duty to humankind. Reprint.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Collections

227 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1983

About the author

Brother of Jack C. Haldeman II

Haldeman is the author of 20 novels and five collections. The Forever War won the Nebula, Hugo and Ditmar Awards for best science fiction novel in 1975. Other notable titles include Camouflage, The Accidental Time Machine and Marsbound as well as the short works "Graves," "Tricentennial" and "The Hemingway Hoax." Starbound is scheduled for a January release. SFWA president Russell Davis called Haldeman "an extraordinarily talented writer, a respected teacher and mentor in our community, and a good friend."

Haldeman officially received the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master for 2010 by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America at the Nebula Awards Weekend in May, 2010 in Hollywood, Fla.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second volume of Haldeman's Worlds trilogy. He planned and plotted it as a trilogy from the beginning, and this sophomore volume doesn't suffer from the slump that so many of the second books in trilogies do. This volume sees the action split between two primary settings, the space stations in orbit above Earth and the post-holocaust surface of the planet as seen by Marianne above and her former husband Jeffrey below. The contrast is quite effective, and the character of Marianne, particularly, is very well drawn. Curiously, the paperback came out from Ace even though the paperback version of the first had been issued by Pocket, so there's no look of continuity or similarity between them, a lack that was compounded and continued when the concluding volume appeared in a mass market edition from Avon. I didn't enjoy it as much as The Forever War books, but it's good 1980s sf.

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Más desarrollos de la trama sobre una humanidad en decadencia.-

Género. Ciencia-Ficción.

Lo que nos cuenta. Marianne O´Hara sale de la Tierra en el último momento antes de que los misiles empiecen a caer y llega a Nueva Nueva York, en cuya estructura orbital se juntarán muchos supervivientes, haciendo algo incómoda la vida en la colonia satélite. Tras pasar un tiempo en cuarentena para evitar riesgos con el virus Koralatov, es reclutada para una misión que trata de evitar que un grupo de supervivientes malintencionados envíe desde la Tierra una bomba de hidrógeno contra la colonia. Novela también conocida como “Mundos distantes” y segundo libro de la Trilogía de los Mundos.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Clint the Cool Guy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it about two thirds through the second book. The first book really stunk, and I kept hoping the story would get better and finally go somewhere. But now I realize that I don’t care anymore. Life is too short for bad books, and I’m done reading this.

The main problem is I don’t like or care about any of these characters, especially the female protagonist. She is written by a dude, and the author doesn’t seem to have any idea how to write realistic female characters. Her sexual attitudes seem entirely male to me, which makes the book hard to immerse in since that stands out in such a cringey way.

There are also a lot of ideas in this story that seem weak and dumb. The author spends a LOT of time explaining his ideas, like the idea of a world dominated by a cult based on Charles Manson. I mean, seriously? Give me a break.

Or the idea of families no longer being nuclear, but instead being groups of people forming a cult-like group sex “family”. This seems ridiculous to me. It has never worked in human history. But somehow this catches on in the future? I don’t think so.

I’m done reading this junk. The Forever War was awesome. The Worlds Trilogy? Not so much.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband recommended this series. He said it had a smart, gutsy female protagonist and boy was he right! I loved O'Hara. She was vulnerable yet resilient, ambitious and committed to charting her own future.

Book two also focuses on both Earth and the worlds, but in a completely different way than book one. Much of civilization is in free-fall and we get to see how both societies fight through it, develop and plan for the future. Plot-wise, a book like this could feel policy heavy as people talk about growing crops or developing the right skills in their populace but instead it is fascinating, action packed and full of challenges for O'Hara and others to solve. This was quite simply masterfully written.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow Haldeman created a superb blend in this book. Half hard SiFi space station story and half apocalyptic Earth bound story. As always hos characters are exceptional and the plot sweeps you along. Excellent 2nd book in the trilogy. Highly recommended

[Robert Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started on 'Worlds Apart' after having discovered, and reading, a copy of 'Worlds' in my local laundrette. To be honest I was a little disappointed in 'Worlds Apart'. I understand the reason for splitting the two main characters after they had discovered each other in adverse circumstances. However, this plot device impacts negatively on the possibilities of developing the achievements of their partnership. Overall I remain impressed by this book, I'd like to rate it at 3.5 stars, and would encourage any one who enjoyed 'Worlds' to try its sequel and see what they make of it.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story I read in High School - from a used bookstore.
I read the middle one first then discovered a prequel - "Worlds"
Never got around to the final one but will maybe someday.

Liked this - neat adventure along the Heinlien vein of making science fiction suspecting America/the world's future. Kind of thought about it now given a current "Pandemic" scare as I write this.

Overall a fun read. A female is the main character - but someone you'd like to know/meet not a modern "Social Justice" man-hating ball-buster.

[Keith B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this book up at a used bookstore some time back and finally got to it. Didn't realize it was second in a series but that didn't detract from it. Survival fiction and space opera combined with some good characters made it fun to read. I am heading to the beginning now that I got a taste of the series.

[Edgar Guedez · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's all about Marianne

A dystopian story brings the end of civilization on earth. Worlds and earth are so much apart that sometimes it does not makes sense. And sending an starship to epsilon eridani makes less sense. But the Marianne Oh are character is fascinating, even with all of het flaws..

[Bradford D · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is not as much in this second book of the Worlds trilogy that is unique like the first one. The story of Jeff Hawkins on old Earth is interesting, but in the same vein as other post-apocalyptic stories. Well-written, but less inspiring than the first book.

[Gary R Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent World Building

I thoroughly enjoyed this near space adventure. Only rarely did I find a annoying incongruence or wrong word usage. eg:
University used where universe made much more sense.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recent Rereads: Worlds Apart. The second book in Joe Haldeman's Worlds trilogy is more a traditional novel, as New New York tries to pick up the pieces of a broken Earth, while planning an interstellar colony. Marianne O'Hara juggles the eggs between baskets. Political altruism.

[James]

In New New York during the one-day World War that inflicted everyone over eighteen with madness and death, Marianne is torn between her desire to aid her lover and her duty to humankind. Reprint. NYT.

[StarMan]

2.1 stars.

[Peter Learn · Rating 2 out of 5]

More soap opera than sf

[Jean Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this better than the first book in the series but it's a little far-fetched even for SciFi.

[Xavier Carballo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Por el momento el mejor de la saga... Mucho más divertido que el primero, que a toro pasado parece una introducción para este.

[Al Lock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it's just as much of a page-turner as book 1, but it is also clearly filling the story for book 3. Wouldn't really work as a stand alone. More than anything else, Worlds Apart is a pair of dystopia stories - which is why the title fits. Oh, and the dedication is very cool. On to book 3!!

[Alexis Albrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mis notas mientras iba leyendo:

Empieza casi donde termina el libro anterior, antes del flashforward final, lo cual es un alivio, pensé que directamente iba a saltarse todos esos años. La lectura se me hace más ligera esta vez, quizá debido a que me acostumbré al estilo del autor. Lo que no tengo idea es cuál va a ser la trama de esta novela, si acaso se va a centrar en el regreso de Marianne a la tierra o si esa es solo la punta del iceberg.

Bueno, la vuelta de Marianne a la tierra fue solo un desvío. No estoy seguro aún de en qué se centra el libro, pero estamos viendo, por un lado, el progreso en Nueva Nueva y la idea de explorar nuevos mundos; y, por otro, el desastre que quedó en la Tierra tras la guerra. El autor nos muestra mucho de Jeff y la vida en este mundo posapocalíptico con un culto religioso a Charles Manson, mutaciones y relaciones un tanto cuestionables. No es lo que esperaba, but I’m invested.

La verdad es que se puso muy bueno. Leo y leo y nunca sé muy bien qué esperar, el autor hace un buen trabajo despistando al lector y llevándolo por caminos inesperados. Aunque no estoy seguro de si esa era su intención original. De cualquier modo, lo importante es que mantiene el interés y uno quiere saber qué va a pasar a continuación. Ya estoy casi en el final y, definitivamente, voy a leer el final de la trilogía con gusto.

[Bruce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm rereading this after many years-- Haldeman used to be one of my favorite authors, and I loved this at the time I read it (mid 80's).

Now? Not terribly interesting I'm sorry to say. It's very dated, very much an extension of the times. Charles Manson-themed post nuclear and chemical apocalyptic mutant bearing adolescents. L-5 cities in space technical know how interstellar colony ship... it is not grabbing me at all. Strange how these themes, which have been done in a more timeless fashion by others, are mired in that smarmy 80s world view.

The storytelling is very-- I don't know, is episodic the right word? The years roll forward and we get a couple of vignettes from a couple of viewpoints, that somehow just don't communicate anything like real living breathing humans.

Interesting how my perspective has shifted over 25 years. That's certainly not the case with everything I am rereading now...

so yeah, this earns the dreaded 2 star award, which to me means, "finished it, wish I hadn't."

[Diego González · Rating 3 out of 5]

ATENSIÓN HESPOILERS GRASIAS DE HANTEBRASO.

Si la primera parte de Mundos parecía una introducción a la segunda, la segunda parte parece un capítulo versión extendida de la primera. Al final de Mundos estalla una guerra mundial que dura un día, con sus pepinos nucleares y sus virus atroces que matan a cualquier ser humano mayor de veinte años. Nuestra protagonista salva el pellejo por poco escapando a su asteroide pero se ve obligada a volver a un planeta con sus bandas a lo Mad Max y sus ciudades abandonadas y demás. La idea mola pero la novela es sosa y la protagonista me resulta una pedorra insufrible. Si existiera la abofetearía con el propio libro.

[Desiree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Guh, as a fan of Haldeman and the concepts in this series, I really wanted to like this book more! Maybe it was just awkward timing, or the fact I end up reading too many things at once, but I just wasn't feeling #2. It was slow & clunky, even though I enjoyed the first one. The concept makes me think a lot of "The Expanse" series (basically, humanity forced into a diaspora) which I -loved-, and the RPG I went through a kind of obsessive phase with (and still play from time to time) is also similarly themed, so by all guesses, this one should have gone better.

Anyhow, someday I'll make it through the rest of Worlds, perhaps.

[Eric Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worlds Apart by Joe Haldeman is the second in the series covering the life and loves of Marianne O'Hara. After a nuclear and biological war earth is in ruins. At some time round 20 years old people go mad and die. The story follows 24 years of Marianne on New New York, and Jeff Hawkings, her ex husband, on earth.

This book is not as good as the first book in the series. There is a large amount of time covered in a small number of pages which makes the story quite fragmented. The two stories being told, Marianne's and Jeff's, only meet each other occasionally.

[Xan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liberado del homenaje a Heinlein la segunda parte de esta trilogía recupera el estilo de Haldeman. Una historia mucho más equilibrada, con los Mundos recuperándose de la agresión y la Tierra iniciando desde cero su lucha por escapar a los efectos de la última guerra. Los personajes ganan en profundidad, la trama mucho más sólida.

[Carl Afk · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part of this book, to me is Jeff Hawkings. His peculiar pituitary gland problems saving his life. He gets to rebuild society. This to me is the more interesting half of this book, the other being simply about O'Hara, and mediocre compared to Jeff... Hem.

[Malapata · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decepcionante continuación de la interesante "Mundos". Después de cerrarlo me ha dado la impresión de que realmente no había sucedido nada, que lo único realmente reseñable ocurre en las últimas páginas y que podía haberse reducido a un par de capítulos al final del primer volumen de la saga.

[Xavi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3'5. Un poco decepcionante la continuación. El argumento es interesante, pero Haldeman no acaba de sacarle el jugo. Puede que sea un problema de traducción, era muy extraña. Para lo que queda, continuaremos con la historia.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should have been part 2 of book 1, but still good. Very quick read. Love Haldeman style

[Charl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally enthralling.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haldeman is one of those authers whose style I adore so much I can overlook many other problems such as uneven pacing or datedness.