Far Far Beyond Berlin

by Craig Meighan

Even geniuses need practice Not everything goes to plan at the first attempt… In Da Vinci’s downstairs loo hung his first, borderline insulting, versions of the Mona Lisa. Michelangelo’s back garden was chock-a-block full of ugly lumps of misshapen marble. Even Einstein committed a great ‘blunder’ in his first go at General Relativity. God is no different, this universe may be his masterpiece, but there were many failed versions before it – and they’re still out there.  Far Far Beyond Berlin is a fantasy novel, which tells the story of a lonely, disillusioned government worker’s adventures after being stranded in a faraway universe – Joy God’s first, disastrous attempt at creation.  God’s previous universes, a chain of 6 now-abandoned worlds, are linked by a series of portals. Our jaded hero must travel back through them, past the remaining dangers and bizarre stragglers. He’ll join forces with a jolly, eccentric and visually arresting, crew of sailors on a mysteriously flooded world. He’ll battle killer robots and play parlour games against a clingy supercomputer, with his life hanging in the balance. He’ll become a teleportation connoisseur; he will argue with a virtual goose – it sure beats photocopying.  Meanwhile, high above in the heavens, an increasingly flustered God tries to manage the situation with His best friend Satan; His less famous son, Jeff; and His ludicrously angry angel of death, a creature named Fate. They know that a human loose in the portal network is a calamity that could have apocalyptic consequences in seven different universes. Fate is dispatched to find and kill the poor man before the whole place goes up in a puff of smoke; if he can just control his temper…

Cover Gordon Miller

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2021

Reviews

[Peter Oxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely one of the smartest, funniest books ever written - the best of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett rolled into one. A world-hopping, irreverent riot of a book which asks and answers all the big questions. Such as: what if sentient furniture could reproduce…?

Buy it, read it. Then thank me.

[Amelia Storck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far Far Beyond Berlin by Craig Meighan is a wildly inventive and darkly funny fantasy that reimagines the very concept of creation and failure itself. Blending cosmic satire with deeply human storytelling, Meighan introduces readers to a world (or rather, a multiverse) where even God’s “rough drafts” of existence come to life in chaotic, surreal, and often hilarious ways.

The novel follows a weary, disillusioned government worker who finds himself stranded in Joy World, God’s first botched universe. From there, he must journey backward through a chain of abandoned worlds, each filled with absurd dangers, eccentric characters, and philosophical riddles that test both his sanity and his soul. Along the way, Meighan masterfully balances humor with poignancy, using fantastical adventures to explore loneliness, meaning, and the flawed beauty of creation.

High above, a frazzled God, an exasperated Satan, and the hilariously temperamental angel Fate provide divine counterpoint turning cosmic drama into biting comedy. The result is a thought-provoking odyssey that questions perfection, celebrates imperfection, and delivers both laughs and insight in equal measure.

[suzanne neilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, I laughed out loud more than once. For a debut novel it is a belter of a read. I can only hope that this is actually the way that God created the Earth.
I can't wait to read Craig's next book.

[Mark Montanaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It was to be a faultless world without sadness, violence or disease. It was perfection. Eternal sunshine would light his idyll forever. He called it Joy World. Needless to say, it was a f***ing disaster.”

I really enjoyed this book; it’s absolutely hilarious and I loved the concept behind it. Suppose there is a god, but he’s not perfect - he’s just a nice guy who tries his best, but keeps getting it wrong. He’s also got a team of helpers behind him who just seem to make things even worse.

It’s centred around one man who accidentally travels to the other universes, all of which were God’s previous attempts to get it right. They had all failed for one reason or another, and the narrator sees the consequences of these failures first hand. The stories behind the universes are hilarious, and they lead to some great characters too - my favourite is probably a robot called Nigel in the mechanical universe, who is extremely powerful, but also very bored and just wants to find something that will pass the time.

The author’s writing style is also great; there’s a lot of social commentary and satire throughout the book, and that definitely adds to the humour. Despite the fantastical nature of the book, so much of it is still relatable to everyday life. There were one or two plot points I found hard to follow, particularly the rationale behind some of God’s more bizarre decisions, but that didn’t detract from the story at all.

I think there’s scope for a sequel to this book too (or even a prequel) - really hope we get one!

[Singapore Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird but brilliant

Well where do I start! To be honest I wasn't sure if I would like this book as I'm more your murder/mystery sort of reader and not into Syfi (unless it's Star Trek) but I thought what the heck let's give it ago and am so glad I did. Far Far Beyond is an interpretation of how earth is created by taking its main character (who is human by the way) through seven universes, six of which are God's trial and errors! Full of heavenly and not so heavenly characters, a few robots, vortex and talking sheep ... Yep you read that right ... This book is not only funny but a bit thought provoking. BUT be aware this is not a read for those who can't take a tongue in cheek attitude to God's creation of earth as if you don't it will have you shouting Blasphema from the top of Mount Everest, Snowdonia or Ben Lomond, depending where in the country you are! Can't wait to see where Craig's next book takes me.