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World of Tiers #2

Los pórticos de la creación

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Universos…universos independientes, hechos a la medida de los caprichos de una raza de superseres. Universos con sus propias leyes, sus propias cosmogonías, sus propias civilizaciones, flora y fauna, existiendo solamente para contentar el antojo de sus crueles hacedores.
Y uno de estos universos había sido construido deliberadamente como una trampa, una estratagema diabólica para capturar y destruir a un hacedor de universos, cuyos triunfos y poderes habían causado la enemistad de otros.

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

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About the author

Philip José Farmer

620 books882 followers
Philip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, but spent much of his life in Peoria, Illinois.

Farmer is best known for his Riverworld series and the earlier World of Tiers series. He is noted for his use of sexual and religious themes in his work, his fascination for and reworking of the lore of legendary pulp heroes, and occasional tongue-in-cheek pseudonymous works written as if by fictional characters.

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5 stars
303 (27%)
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411 (37%)
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307 (27%)
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66 (6%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
Profile Image for Robert.
827 reviews44 followers
January 6, 2013
It turns out that this is a sequel - and a copy of the predecessor is in a warehouse along with the vast majority of my other books. So that is mildly irritating but not the book's fault...

Reading this book I was quickly and persistently reminded of The Great Book of Amber. I haven't checked which series started first but the correspondences are manifold: murderous family plots and feuding; protagonist who spent much time on Earth; ability to create whole universes; gates/trumps between places.

The Amber stories are better than this, however. Better world building, better characterisation. Better prose. This is my first encounter with Philip José Farmer and I can't say I'm positively impressed.
Profile Image for Manny.
Author 48 books16.2k followers
January 7, 2011
It was rather unfair of Kurt Vonnegut to make Kilgore Trout's name refer to Theodore Sturgeon, who by the standards of pulp SF writers was actually pretty good. Maybe he just couldn't think of a witty pun based on Philip José Farmer, who was the real deal. Farmer had a thousand great ideas, and, just as with Trout, nearly all of them were disastrous failures when they actually got written down.

This novel, the second in his World of Tiers series, is a typical example. Farmer had presumably been reading William Blake's prophetic works; he conceived the brilliant notion of writing an SF/fantasy series in which the main characters were Blake's demi-gods, who have the power to create private universes for their own pleasure. In more capable hands, the result could have been amazing. Farmer, however, just turned out more of the usual hokum, starting with that reliable staple of a central character who finds himself on Earth suffering from amnesia and gradually discovers that he has superpowers.

I must reluctantly admit that I liked some of the bizarre furnishings of the private universes: there's one that's built as a reconstruction of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Barsoom/Mars, and another inhabited by harpies, who if my memory serves me have razor-sharp claws, filthy tempers and terrific cleavage. If only he'd been able to do something with his imagination!
6,211 reviews80 followers
May 14, 2024
Wolff finds himself trapped on a world designed to capture the god like beings of which he is one.

Marvel Comics did it better with Arcade and his Murderworlds.
Profile Image for Oscar.
2,238 reviews583 followers
March 4, 2017
En ‘Los pórticos de la creación’ (The Gates of Creation, 1966), segundo libro del Mundo de los Niveles, nos volvemos a encontrar con Robert Wolff, que se ha establecido en su propio planeta junto a Chryseis. Pero la paz no durará mucho, ya que su padre Urizen, gran creador de universos, acaba de secuestrar a Chryseis. Wolff se verá en la obligación de buscarle, y para ellos contará con la ayuda de sus hermanos y primos.

Este es el planteamiento de la novela de Philip Jose Farmer, que no es otra cosa que aventuras en mundos extraños, al estilo de Jack Vance, pero sin llegar a su nivel de imaginación. En mi opinión, la historia no daba para tanto, ya que se vuelve excesivamente repetitiva.
Profile Image for Charles.
Author 41 books288 followers
June 12, 2009
An excellent, excellent book. Wonderful fantasy. Farmer was at the height of his talents with this series.
Profile Image for Jordan.
690 reviews7 followers
August 25, 2020
A fun and imaginative read. Full of strange worlds and allusions to William Blake. The World of Tiers series continues to be enjoyable.
Profile Image for William Clemens.
207 reviews3 followers
May 31, 2011
The second in the World of Tiers series takes a much different tack than the first. It's about half as long as most of the exposition and description have been removed and the book is nearly all plot.

The powerful lords, world creators, inheritors of the technology of a dying race, are tricked by their father and trapped on a series of worlds full of traps and dangers that they must brave in order to find and defeat him. Proud and spiteful, never trusting each other, they must find a way to work together to survive and reach their goal.

This is pulp, pure and simple, but it's fun pulp. Characters smarter than they have any right to be. Every one is healthy and good looking. Lasers, floods, wars in the sky, explosions, what more could you want? After the first book I thought I was done, but I am interested enough to see how the third book develops.
Profile Image for John Yelverton.
4,435 reviews38 followers
November 8, 2018
One of the few examples of a sequel which is better than its predecessor. The author's imagination is gripping as the protagonists jump through gates from world upon world with every increasing strangeness, and amazing creatures which live on each world. There is mystery and intrigue to boot, which makes this an excellent science fiction novel to read.
Profile Image for Андрій Гулкевич.
Author 6 books53 followers
January 12, 2020
Продовження пригод Роберта Вольфа у світах створених Володарями. Події розгортаються динамічно. Ми вже знаємо, що Роберт Вольф це Джадаві, один з Володарів, які здатні створювати власні світи. Вольф знаходить свого батька Урізена та братів з сестрами ,котрі в дусі Желязнівських братів і сестер з Амберу, ворогують між собою і борються за вплив і владу. Роберт досі мусить відшукати свою кохану Хрісеїду, в цьому йому допомагатимуть брати з сестрами, з якими укладає тимчасовий союз, аби здолати батька Урізена. Проте в кінці не все так просто.

На відміну від попереднього роману циклу, автор використовує вже не міфи, а саме праці Вільяма Блейка, зокрема згадуються божества Урізен, Лува, Турмас тощо.
Profile Image for Kathi.
1,065 reviews78 followers
September 3, 2024
5.5/10
A rather dated science fiction/fantasy/speculative fiction book (1966), this second book in the World of Tiers series is a pretty straightforward quest to save a damsel in distress and wreak vengeance on her kidnapper by a band of family members who basically hate each other. The author is credited with originating many of the tropes we take for granted in speculative fiction. It was a quick read but I found I didn’t much care what happened to any of the main characters, much less the secondary characters who inhabit the various worlds. However, I will likely continue with the series since I have the books on my shelf & some people consider them classics in the genre.
Profile Image for Metaphorosis.
977 reviews63 followers
February 17, 2018
Metaphorosis Reviews
2.5 stars

Summary:
Having learned that he’s one of the mysterious and powerful Lords, Jadawin-Wolff falls into a trap laid by his father, and finds many of his siblings there already. They must fight through a multiplicity of worlds to find their way out.

Review:
This book is better than its predecessor, The Maker of Universes, but only because there are more and different worlds to explore. They’re only slightly interesting, but happily Wolff and crew spend only limited time in each, saving themselves by an improbable series of happy accidents and lucky guesses.

The characters are only barely credible, and the cast continues the machismo of the first book. It’s hard to be interested in any of them, and the resolution mostly left me happy the book was over.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Norm Davis.
418 reviews5 followers
June 13, 2015

The Gates of Creation, by Philip Jose Farmer

This is a re-read for me. I devoured this series decades ago and recently found myself yearning for it again, even having forgotten every single thing except that I love it. And having finished this outing in this series, I recommend it. Moving forward may contain spoilers.

Within 10 paragraphs into this book I know pretty much everything there is to know about the book. I say this because I picked up “Blindsight” by Peter Watts, and after over 35 pages I'm not so sure the story has started. Maybe it has, but I'm rather clueless what it is about or anything else.

Mr. Farmer is much more generous to his readers. It is immediately certain that this will be a quest plot. The love of Jadawin/Wolff's life, Chrysesis, is kidnapped from his bed in his own stronghold, in his own well protected universe. There is a message from his father to come rescue her. Nothing else follows, but he knows this is a mission with almost certain death as the only result, but he must try to save the love of his life. The hate between the Lords, and of his father is ancient by Earthly standards.

Immediately upon the first step of his quest he lands with his sister, brothers and cousins, all Lords. All trapped on a world designed for their destruction. It appears their father is planning a family slaughter, for his own sick perversion.

It is a quest plot, so time and again the “Lords”, that includes Jadawin/Wolff, must overcome seemingly impossible odds, survive, only to find themselves in another nightmare that seems certain to murder them in one of many miserable ways. And so it goes, time and time again, each with twists and turns you can expect but do not know the details. So you hungrily read on. To make things even more difficult, and exciting for the reader..., all the Lords hate each other and can barely restrain themselves from murdering each other. Yet their survival depends upon each other. There is no one to trust, but onward they must push.

I suppose a person brighter than me could have seen the twists coming at the end, but I was surprised by all the concluding twists.

I couldn't find an ebook in this series. You can still find hard copies through Amazon or re-sellers.
Profile Image for Jim.
Author 7 books2,090 followers
October 23, 2014
This book also has Wolf as the primary character. I've read it a couple of times over the years & am re-reading now as part of the full series. It also weathered the decades well. Again there are some holes in it, but it was a great read. We learn more about the 'Lords' & how they are just regular people who have high technology that they don't understand. They're not very good people, either.
Profile Image for Chris Maguire.
147 reviews6 followers
May 30, 2016
I did not want to finish this book. It did have some interesting ideas but the characters were very shallow, the plot was ridiculous and mechanics felt sloppy. I enjoyed the creativity of the Dr. Seuss animals and environments on the various planets.
Profile Image for Janmi Pace.
Author 14 books29 followers
July 25, 2022
“Los pórticos de la creación” son el segundo volumen de “El mundo de los niveles” de Philip José Farmer, referente en el género de la ciencia ficción y autor clásico.

Me atrevería a decir que este libro hasta se podría leer sin haberte leído el anterior (“El hacedor de universos”), el cual me leí en 2018.

El libro fue publicado en 1966 y está repleto de aventuras. No obstante, como les pasaba algunos autores en la épica, adolece de personajes femeninos en igualdad con los masculinos y tampoco se sobreentiende que haya diversidad en la novela.

La creación de universos, seres y culturas es un don que tiene Philip José Farmer. Es increíble cómo se saca de la nada diferentes mundos, con sus propias reglas, ecosistemas, y criaturas. Es algo que no deja de maravillarme.

La aventura está centrada el protagonista, Robert Wolf, quien deberá enfrentarse a su padre y sus trampas para rescatar a su amada. Todo muy canónico hasta que te metes en los detalles y los bicharracos y tribus que se inventa este señor.

Wolff, conocido como Jadawin, Señor de Planeta de Varios Niveles, es un personaje fuerte, osado, con liderazgo, aventurero y que no teme a nada. Todo un prototipo de la época que se echa a llorar irreversiblemente al final de la novela como un contrapunto a esa fachada de hombre de acción.

La novela tiene apenas 197 páginas y se lee muy rápida ya que está cargada de acción.

El final, como suele hacer el autor, da un girito en su arco principal que no desvelaré.

Recomendado ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Christian Umami.
152 reviews1 follower
January 27, 2023
Welten wie Sand

Leider gefällt mir das zweite Buch der Reihe nicht so sehr wie das großartige erste Buch. Die Welten sind allesamt ziemlich abstrakt/bizarr und wirken zu sehr wie Relikte ihrer Zeit (60er). Diesmal lernen wir zwar interessante Nebenfiguren kennen, leider bleiben diese erneut Randfiguren und bekommen wieder zu wenig Tiefgang. Es ist zumindest mein Eindruck Daher bleibt immer die Hauptfigur im Vordergrund der Ereignisse.
Am Ende passieren leider auch zu viele unglaubhafte Dinge in zu kurzer Zeit, zusammengefasst in wenigen Sätzen. Wenn z.B. die lange Reise des Anfangs, die Monate dauerte nun in noch längerer Zeit und in wenigen Worten zusammengefasst wird.
Auch eine der wichtigsten Nebenfiguren, Chryseis, die schon im ersten Buch zum Ende hin absolut wortlos wurde, wird hier immer wieder nur namentlich erwähnt und erhält am Ende keine 2 Sätze zur Klärung der Ereignisse.

Daher bin ich etwas enttäuscht vom zweiten Buch, auch wenn der Aufbau ähnlich zum ersten Buch war. Nur waren die Ereignisse und Welten einfach nicht interessant genug.

Natürlich lese ich auch die anderen Bände, aber ich glaube ich mache erstmal eine Pause und lese das Buch eines anderen Autors.
Profile Image for Ryan.
1,279 reviews12 followers
July 26, 2020
Another Farmer classic. How does this book compare to the first in the series? Well, the first starts out with a mystery as our protagonist spends the first few chapters trying to figure out who he is and what the hell is happening to him. In this book, we no longer have that sense of mystery. Robert Wolff knows exactly who he is. But he does get to explore strange new worlds. And that is probably the best part of the book.

But then Farmer does this thing in many of his books where the main character now knows everything about science and survival. He then uses this knowledge (and there is no explanation as to where he got this knowledge) and he builds a space ship, rocket fuel, and weapons. Once he has built these things, he uses them to solve all the hurdles he was facing so that he can save the day.

Personally, I really love that sense of wonder and danger that the characters feel when exploring some strange new dimension. But some of Farmer's reoccurring tropes mar the experience just a bit.
1,064 reviews9 followers
April 15, 2019
I had no idea this was part of a series when I grabbed it, but it turned out not to make a difference... there's a two page summary of the first book that was such that I didn't feel like I needed to read it.

Overall, this book seems like it would make a good video game, but wasn't much of a story. Perhaps there was more character development in the 1st book.. it wasn't here. There are some fun puzzles while while the 'good guys' (though most of them were pretty evil by design), moved from world to world, but the only plot was 'finish the maze'.

Things were pretty clever at the end as the two sides tried to out-trick each other, so it turned out to have something worth reading about. I can't imagine what happens in 6 more books though.. I guess things move along in the same universe, but the story of these characters seems complete.
Profile Image for astaliegurec.
984 reviews
December 30, 2018
As with the previous book in this series ("Maker Of Universes"), I read Philip Jose Farmer's 1966 novel "Gates of Creation" as part of "The World of Tiers Volume One: The Maker of Universes, The Gates of Creation, and A Private Cosmos" (again, much cheaper than this version and available for the Kindle). The "plot" is different, but it reads pretty much the same as the earlier book: it's a pulp science fiction novel somewhat reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs, though not as good. The problems are the same as those in "Maker:" the vast majority (about 90%) of the book is a travelogue describing the nonsensical worlds/beings he's created and he skips huge swaths of time while a miracle occurs so he can get where he's going. I'm rating it at a Pretty Bad 2 stars out of 5.
Profile Image for Isen.
271 reviews5 followers
November 24, 2019
In the second installment of the World of Tiers, Robert Wolff's nymph is kidnapped by his dad, and the only way to save her is to run a gamut of death worlds specifically designed to kill Wolff and his siblings. Wolff McGyver's his way through all challenges, with an ending that is hillariously satisfying to anyone who has ever played Terraria. At least until some killjoy patched it.

Like the first book, but more so. The worlds are richer, the dialogue is worse. Wolff is downgraded from merely boring to downright infuriating as every time he opens his mouth he plot dumps, moralises, or drops some stupid proverb. Thankfully he doesn't talk too much and sticks to doing magic with two bits of flint and a stick.
Profile Image for Anastassia Dyubkova.
208 reviews16 followers
January 3, 2021
У меня достаточно специфические впечатления от книг Фармера.
С одной стороны, сюжеты увлекательны, есть в них что-то такое, что мешает оторваться от чтения, пока не добрался до развязки. С другой - язык прост просто до примитивности (это, конечно, и упрощает чтение, но подлинного наслаждения нет), и в целом мне обе прочитанные повести как-то неуловимо напоминали описания компьютерных игр со всеми этими различными специфическими локациями, причудливыми существами, ловушками и прочим. И развитие сюжета чисто по классике, в чём-то довольно предсказуемо (хотя сделаем скидку на время написания).
В целом специфично, но занятно.
Profile Image for Ramon Yáñez lópez.
137 reviews5 followers
August 28, 2024
Relectura de una de mis novelas favoritas de juventud…
No le pongo cinco estrellas por que tiene un cagada inmensa al final de la novela. Tharmas uno de los Señores de la creación muere al entrar en el ultimo universo de Urizen… para volver a morir mas tarde al activar una trampa…
Pensaba que unicamente estaba en la edición española pero he comprobado que la versión original tiene la misma cagada.
A pesar de todo una pequeña maravilla.
Profile Image for Krista.
86 reviews
November 25, 2022
A portal fantasy with artificial worlds, populated with creatures from fantasy, created by a super-powered technologically advanced family who sometimes ally with but largely loathe each other - this series is one of Zelazny's major inspirations for his Chronicles of Amber.

The flavor of these lie closer to pulp adventure than Zelazny's tales but is just as fantastical.
Profile Image for Kathleen D V.
37 reviews
September 25, 2025
Original story and great characters! Up to the next book in this serie.

"If we have to die ourselves in making sure of his death, so be it. But at least try to live with dignity and so dignify your deaths."

"The race has lost its ancient wisdom and skill; it has become users, consumers, not creators."
Profile Image for Beta.
359 reviews15 followers
August 28, 2017
Was soll man sagen, das war klassische Science Fiction. Voller seltsamer Welten und Wesen und Technik und (männlicher) Helden, die sich durch die eine und gegen die anderen kämpfen. Auf ihre Art und im Hinblick auf die Zeit eine sehr unterhaltsame Geschichte.
Profile Image for Brent.
211 reviews11 followers
April 17, 2018
More pulp silliness from PJF. Poor writing, silly names, ridiculous creatures. Just go with it. For sci-fi fans with an interest in pulp only. As bad as this is, it’s still better than the “Lensman” books.
Profile Image for Xabi1990.
2,128 reviews1,390 followers
December 18, 2018
8/10. Media de los 23 libros que he leído de este autor : 7/10

De jovenzuelo lector de CF aluciné con Farmer. Sexo, ideas originales y sentido de la maravilla a saco. De los grandes autores que quedaron en mi memoria.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews

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