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World Enough
In the 24th century, companies offer deep-space cruises on luxury ships, but no one takes a deep-space cruise for pleasure. Because the ships travel at nearly the speed of light, 20 years pass on Earth during a standard cruise, while the passengers age only two years. Most passengers are sufferers of degenerative diseases who hope that, during those extra Earth years, medical science will catch up with their maladies. Many of these passengers are elderly; nearly all are fantastically rich. And then there's Jeremiah Brown. 31 years old and in the pink of health, Jeremiah is "rich" only through his wealthy uncle, whose fortune he will inherit. In fact, Jeremiah is on the cruise precisely to receive this fortune on an accelerated timeline, and has bought a ticket "on expectation" of said inheritance. But as the ship nears Earth, Jeremiah learns that his uncle has cut him out of the will, instead leaving every cent to a home for maltreated ferrets. Unable to honor the financial arrangement of his ticket, Jeremiah must work for the final ten days of the cruise. As ten days will be a full week and three days longer than Jeremiah has ever worked, even an ordinary job would be sure to prove challenging. But this will be no ordinary job... World Enough (And Time) is a sci-fi comedy of manners and errors. If you enjoy the work of Douglas Adams—or have always longed to read something inspired by P.G. Wodehouse or Kingsley Amis but set on, you know, a spaceship zipping through the void at an appreciable fraction of the speed of light—you should check it out.
- GenresScience FictionHumor
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 2, 2019
146 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Edmund Jorgensen
4 books103 followersEdmund Jorgensen was born in Chicago. He studied classical languages, and has maintained a love for all things Greek and Roman.
He and his wife met in Mexico, and now reside, happy but considerably chillier, in Stoneham, Massachusetts, with their adorable son.
You can contact Edmund at ewj (at) inkwellandoften (dot) com.
He and his wife met in Mexico, and now reside, happy but considerably chillier, in Stoneham, Massachusetts, with their adorable son.
You can contact Edmund at ewj (at) inkwellandoften (dot) com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
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February 23, 2019It was a delight. I read it in a short span of time. I even stopped myself from reading it some days, to make it last a bit longer.
I won’t give any spoilers, neither will I tell you most of the story, don’t worry. The book starts at a relativistic cruise. What’s that? A cruise that’s traveling in space at the speed of light, in a two year trip for those on board, but twenty earth years for those on Earth. A young man, Jeremiah, has purchased a ticket to that cruise, on the expectation of receiving his uncle’s inheritance. While on the ship, he discovers that his uncle has left all the money to a home for maltreated ferrets, which bumps him down from preferred passenger to worker for the cruise line.
Jeremiah is now working at the desk, and entrusted with the most comical tasks. Love is in the air of this relativistic love boat.
Jorgensen is definitely one of the story tellers of today. He writes to delight and entertain, a comedy of errors with a touch of si-fi. Less postmodern than Speculation, more traditional and full of humor. The book pays homage to classic books and TV shows like Dallas.
What I loved best was the hilarity of the plot, how tender and likable all the characters are, (it’s a bit an upstairs downstairs type of book too), the fact that there’s some interesting reflections about serious topics that don’t feel contrived, and Jorgensen’s vocabulary. For those who love language, he surprises with unusual words here and there, which fit perfectly.
It was a wonderful book to read, a nice reading vacation. I recommend it to anyone who wants a fun read.
Gracias, Edmund.
I won’t give any spoilers, neither will I tell you most of the story, don’t worry. The book starts at a relativistic cruise. What’s that? A cruise that’s traveling in space at the speed of light, in a two year trip for those on board, but twenty earth years for those on Earth. A young man, Jeremiah, has purchased a ticket to that cruise, on the expectation of receiving his uncle’s inheritance. While on the ship, he discovers that his uncle has left all the money to a home for maltreated ferrets, which bumps him down from preferred passenger to worker for the cruise line.
Jeremiah is now working at the desk, and entrusted with the most comical tasks. Love is in the air of this relativistic love boat.
Jorgensen is definitely one of the story tellers of today. He writes to delight and entertain, a comedy of errors with a touch of si-fi. Less postmodern than Speculation, more traditional and full of humor. The book pays homage to classic books and TV shows like Dallas.
What I loved best was the hilarity of the plot, how tender and likable all the characters are, (it’s a bit an upstairs downstairs type of book too), the fact that there’s some interesting reflections about serious topics that don’t feel contrived, and Jorgensen’s vocabulary. For those who love language, he surprises with unusual words here and there, which fit perfectly.
It was a wonderful book to read, a nice reading vacation. I recommend it to anyone who wants a fun read.
Gracias, Edmund.
April 12, 2019
Take a two-year luxury vacation on a Worldlines Space Cruiser, and with a little luck, when you get back to Earth (twenty years earth-time later, due to relativistic effects), your financial, legal, relationship, and health problems may be a thing of the past. On the downside, your beloved fur (or scale) baby will have died of old age by then, and according to Worldlines rules, you can’t take it with you.
Jeremiah, pressed into service as a concierge on the final week of one of these voyages, has the Sisyphean task of making every one of the passengers happy, or having to do it over and over again, for all eternity (well, for the foreseeable future, anyway.) Sisyphus only had one stone to roll up the hill--Jeremiah's got to juggle a whole ship-full of needy passengers, stow-away lizards, busted musical instruments, and love affairs.
It's a story that has to move right along to work well, and World Enough (And Time) doesn't always keep up the pace. A variety of things get in the way, rather than provide impetus to the story: there were some characters/subplots that weren’t necessary (I think the “Kimberly” subplot didn’t add much). There is a murder mystery running through the story that needs to work as a murder mystery, and doesn’t quite. There is an account of a sort of psychological or spiritual problem ("the glass wall") that afflicts the protagonist that is an explanation that doesn't really explain anything.
Like a musical combo, this wacky ensemble of characters and sub-plots needs to be really tight to be most effective, and it's a little loose, here and there.
But there is a lot that does work. World Enough (And Time) is well-written and employs an interesting premise and engaging characters. The end was exactly (in a post-Einstein, quantum super-position way) what it needed to be. A solid 4 stars for this reader.
Jeremiah, pressed into service as a concierge on the final week of one of these voyages, has the Sisyphean task of making every one of the passengers happy, or having to do it over and over again, for all eternity (well, for the foreseeable future, anyway.) Sisyphus only had one stone to roll up the hill--Jeremiah's got to juggle a whole ship-full of needy passengers, stow-away lizards, busted musical instruments, and love affairs.
It's a story that has to move right along to work well, and World Enough (And Time) doesn't always keep up the pace. A variety of things get in the way, rather than provide impetus to the story: there were some characters/subplots that weren’t necessary (I think the “Kimberly” subplot didn’t add much). There is a murder mystery running through the story that needs to work as a murder mystery, and doesn’t quite. There is an account of a sort of psychological or spiritual problem ("the glass wall") that afflicts the protagonist that is an explanation that doesn't really explain anything.
Like a musical combo, this wacky ensemble of characters and sub-plots needs to be really tight to be most effective, and it's a little loose, here and there.
But there is a lot that does work. World Enough (And Time) is well-written and employs an interesting premise and engaging characters. The end was exactly (in a post-Einstein, quantum super-position way) what it needed to be. A solid 4 stars for this reader.
March 4, 2019
Rating: 3.6/5
Review: This was in the “Read Now” bin so there were low expectations to start (although, some of my best reads have been from the bin). This is one of those rare gems that delivers and endless stream of entertainment within a variety of story lines. There is a murder mystery, a love story(s), migrant space workers, eccentric oldsters and a uber billionaire recluse that rounds out an interesting cast.
The constant observational wit is entertaining while being creatively poignant. The story line does drag on a bit with the scenes stretching on too long, coupled with instances looping too often. The mystery is at once humorous and sad which showcases most of the stories abrupt and unexpected turns.
Get it if you like observational wit and solid character development. Don’t- if a story line dragged through the wastes long past its due date, riles your sensibilities.
May 1, 2019
Comedy of manners/mystery/space!
Very funny with lots of subplots. There are iguanas, there are banjos, and there is a man waiting for an author with two middle initials to finally finish the next book in a series about dragons.
Very funny with lots of subplots. There are iguanas, there are banjos, and there is a man waiting for an author with two middle initials to finally finish the next book in a series about dragons.
March 24, 2021
The funniest book I read in the last couple of years.
April 16, 2019
I have heard that humor is hard to do because it is all about timing. This is true not only in stand-up or movies, but also in writing. This book hit the marks. It was well written, setup nicely, and had a good pace. We were given enough information about the world in the novel to understand the premise, without a lot of unnecessary detail that a lot of authors like to add. The characters may have been slightly over the top, but given enough depth to understand their motivations and actions.
I had not read anything from this author before, so it was kind of a gamble when I picked it up. However, I read the first couple of pages in the Amazon preview, and the book had me hooked enough that I wanted to read the rest. That is usually the mark of a good story, and it didn't disappoint.
And to the Canadians, I forgive you for your future "Incident".
I had not read anything from this author before, so it was kind of a gamble when I picked it up. However, I read the first couple of pages in the Amazon preview, and the book had me hooked enough that I wanted to read the rest. That is usually the mark of a good story, and it didn't disappoint.
And to the Canadians, I forgive you for your future "Incident".
May 24, 2019
This is a beautiful little gem of a book that reads like Fawlty Towers set on Douglas Adams' Starship Titanic. It is a drawn out comedy of errors that manages to balance madcap situations and multiple outlandish characters into a brilliant narrative which - albeit a bit long at times - dovetails nicely with the protagonist's emotional journey. Definitely one to pick up if you enjoy character driven stories told with wit and a bit of poignancy.
I was provided with a review copy of this book through Netgalley.
I was provided with a review copy of this book through Netgalley.
April 15, 2019
This was definitely not my type of book so I'm really unable to give a proper review. I thought because I enjoy Wodehouse and the madcap Jodi Taylor series, The Chronicles of St. Mary's, that I would like this too. Others seem to really enjoy it but I just didn't like the protagonist at all. The situations were silly and annoying to me.
January 15, 2021
This book has been four-walled and promoted extensively. It has boasted of being comparable to the works of Douglas Adams and others. Respectfully, not even close. Now, a technique oft employed by writer like Adams, or Pratchett, or Aspirin and others of similar caliber is to base a story on a totally outrageous and illogical concept that, by simply being the very basis of the plot, becomes a total act of oxymoronic satire. This book is based on a totally ridiculous premise in terms of how businesses operate and finances work, but it fails utterly to make that ironic, and indeed, without the ridiculous premise, the book falls apart. It toys with the notion of time dilation, but that's really a mere adjunct to the premise, because it is simply unbelievable, even if time dilation is put to the suggested use it is in this book, that any viable business would operate in the manner that allows the very premise of this book come to pass. As if the idea of "cash on the barrel" or "cash in hand" wasn't a firm tenet of sound business practice. Moving past this most basic of flaws in the book, it is, at best, a passably pleasant read. But no more than that. It is full of aerie persiflage, simplified science which is totally mundane and boring in a sci-fi book, and crude attempts at appearing to be written in the same of style of erudite and flowery language that is employed by the likes of the previously mentioned authors of science-fictional or fantasy satire. The author does not have the same keen sense of how, when, and where to use such language in a book in order to have it effectively contribute to the story. It becomes merely gingerbread, fru-fru, It displays a wannabe, dare I say it "Trumpian" vision of gaudy nouveau-riche wealth when it is pretending to be a Versailles. Thus the book itself is the ultimate trumpe l'oeil, rather than being a parody or satire of that gauche sense of taste. The caricatures, er, I mean characters inhabiting the world of this story aren't even clever caricatures. I've seen far superior work from many street artists who will do caricatures for a few bucks. Look, I didn't hate the book. I read it to the end. It has a few funny moments, and sure has the shell of greater potential - it just totally fails to live up to those possibilities. Need a book to read because you're bored and have read everything else on your list, this will do. But it falls far short of an "that'll do, pig, that'll do."
April 21, 2020
This was a fairly light read. Jeremiah is forced to work off the cost of his luxury space cruise due to a change in circumstances. As such, he's put in charge of the passenger service desk for the last week of the 2 year trip. If he doesn't get EVERYONE to give him a final evaluation of at least 'somewhat satisfied', he'll be stuck in the same job for the next 2 year cruise. Which is a problem because the speed of the ship approaches that of light so 20 years will have passed back on earth.
Complicating all this is his crush on one of the waitresses in the passenger dining room, missing iguanas (which weren't supposed to be on board in the first place) and a possibly suspicious death.
There were some details that didn't seem to matter to the resolution -- threads left dangling. There were a fair amount of 'inside joke' type comments, mostly about Canadians, that weren't very well explained. So the reader feels a bit left out here and there. And much of the action was very slapstick and over the top -- lots of ridiculous miscommunication. In the end, it's more a comedy with a dash of romance than a science fiction/space travel story. It is available via Kindle Unlimited/Prime reading.
Complicating all this is his crush on one of the waitresses in the passenger dining room, missing iguanas (which weren't supposed to be on board in the first place) and a possibly suspicious death.
There were some details that didn't seem to matter to the resolution -- threads left dangling. There were a fair amount of 'inside joke' type comments, mostly about Canadians, that weren't very well explained. So the reader feels a bit left out here and there. And much of the action was very slapstick and over the top -- lots of ridiculous miscommunication. In the end, it's more a comedy with a dash of romance than a science fiction/space travel story. It is available via Kindle Unlimited/Prime reading.
May 17, 2019
A worthy gamble...a winner
So I saw an ad for this book on Facebook which suggested that I would enjoy this read based on its algorithm for my preferences. Usually that is dead wrong but some intuition or Angel or demon of perversity made me take the plunge. And yes, it was worth it. This book was well written, deeply funny, full of small nuggets of wisdom, and both engaging and fun to read. It reminds me of Dave Barry's madcap style with a coupon of Bertie Wooster and Nerves for flavor all in a believable scifi burrito wrapper. I would definitely recommend it.
So I saw an ad for this book on Facebook which suggested that I would enjoy this read based on its algorithm for my preferences. Usually that is dead wrong but some intuition or Angel or demon of perversity made me take the plunge. And yes, it was worth it. This book was well written, deeply funny, full of small nuggets of wisdom, and both engaging and fun to read. It reminds me of Dave Barry's madcap style with a coupon of Bertie Wooster and Nerves for flavor all in a believable scifi burrito wrapper. I would definitely recommend it.
January 15, 2020
This was a madcap space adventure with a lot of humor, including puns and other clever word play. The many characters and multiple plot lines were handled well, and managed to come together for a satisfying conclusion even when it seemed that might be impossible. Mixed in with all the silliness and mayhem were a few light touches of philosophy and thoughts about class inequity. All in all, a fun trip, one that kept me laughing and eager to find out what happens next.
May 3, 2019
Lots of fun
The characters are distinct and offbeat, which I loved. The writing is outstanding; there are lots of phrases I'd love to use in conversation, because they're so funny. Mr. Jorgensen is in control of his language. If you want a crazy human adventure that happens to take place in space and involves time dilation, this is the book for you.
The characters are distinct and offbeat, which I loved. The writing is outstanding; there are lots of phrases I'd love to use in conversation, because they're so funny. Mr. Jorgensen is in control of his language. If you want a crazy human adventure that happens to take place in space and involves time dilation, this is the book for you.
February 13, 2021
My family kept asking me what made me laugh
This book contains at least one quotable, laugh-out-loud line per chapter, and my wife and three daughters kept looking over to see what was making me laugh so often. The back drop is a credible sci-fi setting, and the entertaining premise on the back cover doesn't begin to capture the adventure inside. I was highly satisfied.
This book contains at least one quotable, laugh-out-loud line per chapter, and my wife and three daughters kept looking over to see what was making me laugh so often. The back drop is a credible sci-fi setting, and the entertaining premise on the back cover doesn't begin to capture the adventure inside. I was highly satisfied.
April 19, 2020
Very well written sci-fi mystery romance comedy
I like sci-fi and mystery stories and funny stories where the guy gets the girl. This is all that and more. The excellent writing made it nearly impossible to put down. I hope there's a sequel, I would snap it up in a hurry.
I like sci-fi and mystery stories and funny stories where the guy gets the girl. This is all that and more. The excellent writing made it nearly impossible to put down. I hope there's a sequel, I would snap it up in a hurry.
August 15, 2020
Silly but there is enough serious in the world
I would give this a 3.5 but that isn't an option. This isn't really science fiction but sci fi makes the plot happen. It is a farce, but not a bad one. Just not a great one. But it is a fun read.
I would give this a 3.5 but that isn't an option. This isn't really science fiction but sci fi makes the plot happen. It is a farce, but not a bad one. Just not a great one. But it is a fun read.
November 16, 2020
It's a Romp
This is a fun read. Like a madcap Marx Brothers comedy in space, the reader wonders what can go wrong next and how will Jeremiah come out of it. The story is vivid and it all ties up in a whirlwind at the end. Certain to make the reader smile.
This is a fun read. Like a madcap Marx Brothers comedy in space, the reader wonders what can go wrong next and how will Jeremiah come out of it. The story is vivid and it all ties up in a whirlwind at the end. Certain to make the reader smile.
December 29, 2020
"He had the look of a plumber suddenly consulted on foreign policy by heads of state." If these are the kinds of sentences that make you smirk, don't miss this book. Jorgensen channels the spirit of Douglas Adams, romping through twisted plotlines while wooing the English language and winking slyly at others. Greatly looking forward to reading more from this author!
May 1, 2019
Recommended
Sweet, funny, smart. Great escapist literature. Will read more of this man's work. But Hemingway would hate the 20 word requirement.
Sweet, funny, smart. Great escapist literature. Will read more of this man's work. But Hemingway would hate the 20 word requirement.
July 12, 2019
Good fun
Quirky and a bit disjointed but fun to read. I could see it expanded into a series— lots of material to work with here.
Quirky and a bit disjointed but fun to read. I could see it expanded into a series— lots of material to work with here.
December 18, 2019
Outstanding
A very good story well told; travel, adventure, mystery, romance, what more could you possibly need. I really liked it a lot.
A very good story well told; travel, adventure, mystery, romance, what more could you possibly need. I really liked it a lot.
January 1, 2020
Fun
A truly original and engaging novel. This provides a wild ride of silly and a dash of laughs. I look forward to what the author produces next.
A truly original and engaging novel. This provides a wild ride of silly and a dash of laughs. I look forward to what the author produces next.
May 1, 2020
Would make a great film
A fun read. It was clever and amusing. It works as a standalone, and would be great as the start of a series.
A fun read. It was clever and amusing. It works as a standalone, and would be great as the start of a series.
July 20, 2020
Great fun read
I really enjoyed reading this novel. It is comedic and compelling. The main character is forced to grow up and get on with real life on a time-dilation cruise.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. It is comedic and compelling. The main character is forced to grow up and get on with real life on a time-dilation cruise.
August 1, 2020
Funny and light hearted.
Sometimes problems are the solution. If you have enough problems they often solve each other in surprising and humerus ways.
Sometimes problems are the solution. If you have enough problems they often solve each other in surprising and humerus ways.
December 26, 2020
Light hearted and witty comedy of errors. Mostly harmless.
February 22, 2021
Fun, well-written
Truly imaginative idea and a lot of fun to read. I need to know more about the Canadian problem! Following the author for more.
Truly imaginative idea and a lot of fun to read. I need to know more about the Canadian problem! Following the author for more.
January 7, 2025
Cleverly witty
So much happens in this story, as we watch problem after problem being solved.
The humor is fantastic! I had so much fun with it. I hope you do, too!
So much happens in this story, as we watch problem after problem being solved.
The humor is fantastic! I had so much fun with it. I hope you do, too!
December 25, 2020
The title caught my eye, on amazon, so I thought I'd take a look during Shelter-In-Place 2020.
Unfortunately, this is the weakest of all the books I've read during the COVID lockdown.
The title seemed familiar, and it turns out I very likely read the source poem in high school, so I was intrigued by my own familiarity with the title.
To know it comes from "To A Coy Mistress" is to have a major tip-off as to the nature of the story we're presented with.
The science fiction environment the story undolds within involves speed-of-light travel, where a 2 year cruise would take place while 20 years passes on Earth.
From there, it's presented in a humorous tone, albeit framed in a murder mystery and a madcap interstellar cruise.
The romance is presented in a truly coy manner; points for that. I wanted to like it better than I did, I wanted it to be more engaging, but it just kept on rolling like a railroad car, and I was along for the ride. That's an interestung observation, like a railroad, the story seems old-fashioned, despite its science fiction trappings.
The fun is in following the threads, so I won't leave you with any spoilers, such as they are.
Unfortunately, this is the weakest of all the books I've read during the COVID lockdown.
The title seemed familiar, and it turns out I very likely read the source poem in high school, so I was intrigued by my own familiarity with the title.
To know it comes from "To A Coy Mistress" is to have a major tip-off as to the nature of the story we're presented with.
The science fiction environment the story undolds within involves speed-of-light travel, where a 2 year cruise would take place while 20 years passes on Earth.
From there, it's presented in a humorous tone, albeit framed in a murder mystery and a madcap interstellar cruise.
The romance is presented in a truly coy manner; points for that. I wanted to like it better than I did, I wanted it to be more engaging, but it just kept on rolling like a railroad car, and I was along for the ride. That's an interestung observation, like a railroad, the story seems old-fashioned, despite its science fiction trappings.
The fun is in following the threads, so I won't leave you with any spoilers, such as they are.
December 24, 2019
WORLD ENOUGH (AND TIME) by Edmund Jorgensen is a truly entertaining novel. It’s witty throughout and laugh-out-loud funny in several parts. It takes a while to warm up to the characters, but when you do you find yourself rooting for them and for a “Hollywood ending.”
Mr. Jorgensen’s novel is polished and professional, free from many of the issues that plague independently published works.
Immediately upon finishing the last sentence I bought Mr. Jorgensen’s other novel, SPECULATION, and I eagerly await his forthcoming works, whatever form they take. His is a formidable talent, one I look forward to following.
Note: I’ve seen this novel described as a successor to Douglas Adams’ HITCHHIKER series, which I’m certain is meant as praise. I don’t agree with that comparison beyond the superficial “they’re both witty and funny novels” observation, for several reasons, the most significant being Mr. Jorgensen resists veering into the realm of silliness (not that silliness is a bad thing).
Mr. Jorgensen’s novel is polished and professional, free from many of the issues that plague independently published works.
Immediately upon finishing the last sentence I bought Mr. Jorgensen’s other novel, SPECULATION, and I eagerly await his forthcoming works, whatever form they take. His is a formidable talent, one I look forward to following.
Note: I’ve seen this novel described as a successor to Douglas Adams’ HITCHHIKER series, which I’m certain is meant as praise. I don’t agree with that comparison beyond the superficial “they’re both witty and funny novels” observation, for several reasons, the most significant being Mr. Jorgensen resists veering into the realm of silliness (not that silliness is a bad thing).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews