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The Code Trilogy #1
The Worldship Humility
The Worldship Humility is the start of The Code trilogy, written exclusively for audio by sci-fi author R. R. Haywood. Narrator Colin Morgan (best known for playing the title character BBC’s fantasy series Merlin) brings the colourful characters and treacherous escapades of The Worldship Humility to life, a gripping space adventure which will appeal to fans of Ready Player One, Bladerunner and Haywood’s previous best-selling works, Extracted and The Undead.
Summary:
It’s been 120 years since the 50 or so worldships containing the few million survivors set off after planet Earth was destroyed by a meteor.
On the Worldship Humility, Sam, an Airlock Operative, is bored. Living in space should be full of adventure, except it isn’t, and he fills his time hacking 3-D movie posters.
Petty thief Yasmine Dufont is also from the WS Humility, but she is not bored. Growing up in the Elfors, the lawless lower levels of the ship, has seen her surrounded by violence and squalor since birth, and now she wants out. She wants to escape to the luxury of the Ab-Spa on top of WS Abstinence, where they eat real food instead of rats and synth cubes.
Meanwhile, the sleek-hulled, unmanned Gagarin has come back from punching out ahead of the fleet in the ever-continuing search for a new home. Nearly all hope is lost that a new planet will ever be found, until the Gagarin returns with a code of information that suggests a habitable planet has been found. This news should be shared with the whole fleet, but a few rogue captains want to keep the information to themselves and colonise the new planet.
When Yasmine inadvertently steals the code, she and Sam become caught up in a dangerous game of murder, corruption, political wrangling and...porridge, with sex-addicted Detective Zhang Woo hot on their heels, his own life at risk if he fails to get the code back.
Summary:
It’s been 120 years since the 50 or so worldships containing the few million survivors set off after planet Earth was destroyed by a meteor.
On the Worldship Humility, Sam, an Airlock Operative, is bored. Living in space should be full of adventure, except it isn’t, and he fills his time hacking 3-D movie posters.
Petty thief Yasmine Dufont is also from the WS Humility, but she is not bored. Growing up in the Elfors, the lawless lower levels of the ship, has seen her surrounded by violence and squalor since birth, and now she wants out. She wants to escape to the luxury of the Ab-Spa on top of WS Abstinence, where they eat real food instead of rats and synth cubes.
Meanwhile, the sleek-hulled, unmanned Gagarin has come back from punching out ahead of the fleet in the ever-continuing search for a new home. Nearly all hope is lost that a new planet will ever be found, until the Gagarin returns with a code of information that suggests a habitable planet has been found. This news should be shared with the whole fleet, but a few rogue captains want to keep the information to themselves and colonise the new planet.
When Yasmine inadvertently steals the code, she and Sam become caught up in a dangerous game of murder, corruption, political wrangling and...porridge, with sex-addicted Detective Zhang Woo hot on their heels, his own life at risk if he fails to get the code back.
Audible Audio
First published May 18, 2019
486 people are currently reading
891 people want to read
About the author
R.R. Haywood
94 books1,233 followers"One of the most original voices of our time." - Richard Moriarty, The Sun
"Whether it's gritty horror, spectacular sci-fi, or insane comedy, RR Haywood delivers in style." - Chris Riches, Daily Express
RR Haywood is a Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Audible bestselling author with over 4 million books sold and more than 30 Kindle Bestsellers. As one of the top ten most downloaded indie authors in the UK, Haywood has captivated readers worldwide with his diverse storytelling.
His creations include the global sensation EXTRACTED, the riveting CODE TRILOGY narrated by Colin Morgan, the phenomenal UNDEAD Series, the blockbuster DELIO, PHASE ONE, and the chart-topping A TOWN CALLED DISCOVERY. His latest work, FICTION LAND, narrated by Game of Thrones star Gethin Anthony, has been hailed as "an outrageously funny tour de force."
A former police officer, Haywood now resides with his dogs on the north coast of the Isle of Wight. He entertains audiences and shares his expertise on TikTok with his Writing Class for the Working Class.
"Whether it's gritty horror, spectacular sci-fi, or insane comedy, RR Haywood delivers in style." - Chris Riches, Daily Express
RR Haywood is a Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Audible bestselling author with over 4 million books sold and more than 30 Kindle Bestsellers. As one of the top ten most downloaded indie authors in the UK, Haywood has captivated readers worldwide with his diverse storytelling.
His creations include the global sensation EXTRACTED, the riveting CODE TRILOGY narrated by Colin Morgan, the phenomenal UNDEAD Series, the blockbuster DELIO, PHASE ONE, and the chart-topping A TOWN CALLED DISCOVERY. His latest work, FICTION LAND, narrated by Game of Thrones star Gethin Anthony, has been hailed as "an outrageously funny tour de force."
A former police officer, Haywood now resides with his dogs on the north coast of the Isle of Wight. He entertains audiences and shares his expertise on TikTok with his Writing Class for the Working Class.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
June 5, 2019
The setting is a post-apocalyptic, dystopian society traveling through space in search of a new home planet. It only serves as a unique background for this mostly character driven story.
We are treated to a lovable cast of misfits. Yassy easily steals the show as well as anything else she can get her hands on. Sam is a genius hacker who doesn't know his own worth. Together with Sven, the indebted cafe owner and Janey, the outcast Financial Services employee, they make for a lively team of thiefs. It's almost a crime to not mention the rest of the characters in this story. They are each so vivid! But I'm going to have to let you read it so I don't get carried away with a 10K word review. The blurb does a great job of introducing the plot.
I adored Haywood's Extracted Trilogy. After reading The Worldship Humility I know that this author's writing is perfect for me. I love the humor, the snark, the nerdiness, the action and suspense. I love all of it. I simply can't wait to read more. Although, if Carl Prekopp happens to narrate again, I'll be listening instead of reading the next one. I loved his narration in the previous trilogy!
The only reason this review is missing a star is because the book still needs one more proofread. Otherwise, it's another perfect storm of unique imagination, storytelling talent and writing skill.
We are treated to a lovable cast of misfits. Yassy easily steals the show as well as anything else she can get her hands on. Sam is a genius hacker who doesn't know his own worth. Together with Sven, the indebted cafe owner and Janey, the outcast Financial Services employee, they make for a lively team of thiefs. It's almost a crime to not mention the rest of the characters in this story. They are each so vivid! But I'm going to have to let you read it so I don't get carried away with a 10K word review. The blurb does a great job of introducing the plot.
I adored Haywood's Extracted Trilogy. After reading The Worldship Humility I know that this author's writing is perfect for me. I love the humor, the snark, the nerdiness, the action and suspense. I love all of it. I simply can't wait to read more. Although, if Carl Prekopp happens to narrate again, I'll be listening instead of reading the next one. I loved his narration in the previous trilogy!
The only reason this review is missing a star is because the book still needs one more proofread. Otherwise, it's another perfect storm of unique imagination, storytelling talent and writing skill.
April 26, 2019
Well, this turned into a disappointment.. It took me so freaking long to actually finished it but I finally did it thank fuck. I did not like this at all. Not one second of it.
The only reason that I even know about this book is because Colin Morgan has narrated it, otherwise I would've never picked it up myself. I do not like sci fi and especially not those books that take place in space. I usually find those to be incredibly dull, just like I did now.
I had a strong dislike for all of the characters in these which were terribly written in my opinion. I found them all to be whiny immature brats with little emotions. They had no character. For some apparent reason they were talking about boobs, dicks and fucking all the fucking time. I do not understand it for one bit, but it was very off putting to me.
You might be wondering, Milou why didn't you stop reading if you resented this book so much? To that I only have one answer and that is Colin Morgan. I have no problem with listening to his voice for a solid 13 hours and it doesn't matter to me what he's reading. I loved all of the different voices that he used for all of these characters, and certainly the females. Whenever he was swearing I got a little grin on my face though.
The plot of this book wasn't working for me also. It felt as it was written by a 12 year old or something it was that weird and made little sense since it didn't go anywhere. It was just really bad.
So all of the positive things that I have to say about this book are about Colin of course. I'm just thankful that I can finally move on from this nightmare of a book.
Books in the series:
↠ Genre: Sci fi
↠ Pov: Third Person - Multiple
↠ Type: Book 1 out of 3 in The Code Trilogy
↠ Rating: 2 stars
Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Last.fm
The only reason that I even know about this book is because Colin Morgan has narrated it, otherwise I would've never picked it up myself. I do not like sci fi and especially not those books that take place in space. I usually find those to be incredibly dull, just like I did now.
I had a strong dislike for all of the characters in these which were terribly written in my opinion. I found them all to be whiny immature brats with little emotions. They had no character. For some apparent reason they were talking about boobs, dicks and fucking all the fucking time. I do not understand it for one bit, but it was very off putting to me.
You might be wondering, Milou why didn't you stop reading if you resented this book so much? To that I only have one answer and that is Colin Morgan. I have no problem with listening to his voice for a solid 13 hours and it doesn't matter to me what he's reading. I loved all of the different voices that he used for all of these characters, and certainly the females. Whenever he was swearing I got a little grin on my face though.
The plot of this book wasn't working for me also. It felt as it was written by a 12 year old or something it was that weird and made little sense since it didn't go anywhere. It was just really bad.
So all of the positive things that I have to say about this book are about Colin of course. I'm just thankful that I can finally move on from this nightmare of a book.
Books in the series:
↠ Genre: Sci fi
↠ Pov: Third Person - Multiple
↠ Type: Book 1 out of 3 in The Code Trilogy
↠ Rating: 2 stars
Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Last.fm
February 3, 2019
Pop Muzik!
here's no doubt that everyone is going to be talking about this, this is the audiobook equivalent of 70s pop music at its zaniest! Haywood has, in my opinion, gone one better than even the excellent Extracted series! In his ragtag fleet of Homeships, he has managed to bolt Judge Dredd's Mega-City One on to the bottom of something like the environment of The Fifth Element. Inside that, he's put together a set of characters ranging from the most desperate and lowly to the upper echelons of a very twisted society.
Yasmine and Sam are unlikely heroes but their struggles with everything from sex-addicted policemen to personal shyness are a joy to behold. The whole thing is infused with Haywood's fast-becoming legendary humour and is brought to life with a bravura performance from Colin Morgan. Haywood presented him with a bizarre challenge with his zany and wildly varied cast and Morgan does a fair impression of one of those old one-man bands as he voices everything from Russian gangsters to English snobs, military women to Chinese detectives.
This is an absolute humdinger of a modern sci-fi heist with mischief, comedy and drama running through its veins in equal measure!
here's no doubt that everyone is going to be talking about this, this is the audiobook equivalent of 70s pop music at its zaniest! Haywood has, in my opinion, gone one better than even the excellent Extracted series! In his ragtag fleet of Homeships, he has managed to bolt Judge Dredd's Mega-City One on to the bottom of something like the environment of The Fifth Element. Inside that, he's put together a set of characters ranging from the most desperate and lowly to the upper echelons of a very twisted society.
Yasmine and Sam are unlikely heroes but their struggles with everything from sex-addicted policemen to personal shyness are a joy to behold. The whole thing is infused with Haywood's fast-becoming legendary humour and is brought to life with a bravura performance from Colin Morgan. Haywood presented him with a bizarre challenge with his zany and wildly varied cast and Morgan does a fair impression of one of those old one-man bands as he voices everything from Russian gangsters to English snobs, military women to Chinese detectives.
This is an absolute humdinger of a modern sci-fi heist with mischief, comedy and drama running through its veins in equal measure!
October 14, 2019
DNF.
This refers to the audible version.
So, The ships are all from different countries, right? Well why do they mention "The British Ship" (as a different ship) if some, but not all of the people on board have British Accents.
Well, it could be because it is read by an Irish narrator, who does a bunch of great British accents - but that begs the question - is this ship British or not?
The origin & nationality of this eponymous ship is the least problematic thing.
1. 22 chapters in and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. And no discernible plot is forming.
2. This society is not particularly advanced, and their most used tech is very similar to a Disney Magic Band.
3. The characters all talk like they were put on the ship in the year 2000. Not sure exactly what year the book takes place, but it does take place 120 years after the fleet left Earth. I have to assume that by the time we can build intergalactic fleets, some language, words and slang will have changed. I also HAVE to assume that in X+120 years a lot of things will change.
I would hope that an author writing a book that takes place X+120 years has some imagination about what those changes might be.
Not here folks, move along.
4. Back to the narration. Sorry, but every woman sounds like a trans-gender valley girl...or a trans-gender street urchin from Oliver Twist.
I have to stop relying on "star ratings" when I pick books.
This refers to the audible version.
So, The ships are all from different countries, right? Well why do they mention "The British Ship" (as a different ship) if some, but not all of the people on board have British Accents.
Well, it could be because it is read by an Irish narrator, who does a bunch of great British accents - but that begs the question - is this ship British or not?
The origin & nationality of this eponymous ship is the least problematic thing.
1. 22 chapters in and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. And no discernible plot is forming.
2. This society is not particularly advanced, and their most used tech is very similar to a Disney Magic Band.
3. The characters all talk like they were put on the ship in the year 2000. Not sure exactly what year the book takes place, but it does take place 120 years after the fleet left Earth. I have to assume that by the time we can build intergalactic fleets, some language, words and slang will have changed. I also HAVE to assume that in X+120 years a lot of things will change.
I would hope that an author writing a book that takes place X+120 years has some imagination about what those changes might be.
Not here folks, move along.
4. Back to the narration. Sorry, but every woman sounds like a trans-gender valley girl...or a trans-gender street urchin from Oliver Twist.
I have to stop relying on "star ratings" when I pick books.
February 15, 2019
it's tough to review a trilogy after just one book but i am a huge fan of the author so i was eager to get started on this one.
I have read comments that this is a greatest hits style of book and i can see why, previous characters have been recycled and used again in this book. Not just the extracted trilogy but there are a fair few familiar people from the undead books as well. I have two thought on this, firstly if you are as good as Haywood is at creating character dynamics and writing in a way which really makes you feel like your part of the gang then whats the harm? and i get that and i lean more towards this view if i am honest. Secondly i can't help that feeling that this means Haywood has hit a wall in terms of creating new characters Saffa, Marcy, Yasmine are all cut from the same cloth and there are so many similarities with others that i find myself looking for it rather than just enjoying the book itself if that makes sense?
the reason this wasn't a 5 star review which almost feels like sacrilege was because i felt the ending was really rushed. From the point of the party at Sven's to the last scene of the book felt disjointed and rushed, like it needed another 2 chapters just to calm things down a little and add more depth to what was going on. it didn't leave me thinking...wow i can't wait for the next one! which was odd because i think this is the first Haywood book i haven't had that feeling at the end. It all felt a little anticlimactic.
I will of course read the second and the third book and continue to read Haywood's books because i am a huge fan but i hope for the second book more time is taken on the surroundings and that means an extra few chapters (15/16+hours) to add more depth to the look and feel of the ships, the Elfors were described several times but it just needed more time and more detail to bring it to life more in my opinion.
I would still recommend this book.
I have read comments that this is a greatest hits style of book and i can see why, previous characters have been recycled and used again in this book. Not just the extracted trilogy but there are a fair few familiar people from the undead books as well. I have two thought on this, firstly if you are as good as Haywood is at creating character dynamics and writing in a way which really makes you feel like your part of the gang then whats the harm? and i get that and i lean more towards this view if i am honest. Secondly i can't help that feeling that this means Haywood has hit a wall in terms of creating new characters Saffa, Marcy, Yasmine are all cut from the same cloth and there are so many similarities with others that i find myself looking for it rather than just enjoying the book itself if that makes sense?
the reason this wasn't a 5 star review which almost feels like sacrilege was because i felt the ending was really rushed. From the point of the party at Sven's to the last scene of the book felt disjointed and rushed, like it needed another 2 chapters just to calm things down a little and add more depth to what was going on. it didn't leave me thinking...wow i can't wait for the next one! which was odd because i think this is the first Haywood book i haven't had that feeling at the end. It all felt a little anticlimactic.
I will of course read the second and the third book and continue to read Haywood's books because i am a huge fan but i hope for the second book more time is taken on the surroundings and that means an extra few chapters (15/16+hours) to add more depth to the look and feel of the ships, the Elfors were described several times but it just needed more time and more detail to bring it to life more in my opinion.
I would still recommend this book.
April 21, 2021
Such an amazing book! I didn't really doubt it would be but I had been stuck in his world of zombies for so long that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get into a nother of his creations as easily. Boy was I wrong... I started and finished Worldship in less than a day. The ease at which this book reads is top notch. You will be sucked in, there is no doubt of that. You will be hooked and you will fall, yet again, into another of his beautiful creations...that is Worldship Humility. Great characters, great story and a fast pace that will keep you listening and begging for more when it's over. What a book. I'm ready for another and this one has only just been given to us. Now I'm not sure what I want more, another zombie book or the next installment of Worldship! So, so GOOD!
February 7, 2019
Fairly derivative sci-fi "last humans living in space after Earth got destroyed" story featuring poorly developed stock characters. Far from terrible but pretty forgettable. It's all been done before.
March 22, 2019
In the end, this one was just plain fun. Nothing profound, just fun. There are so many open story lines to be explored further, and I hope the other books in this series are as enjoyable as this one. It makes a great audiobook for a long trip :)
June 12, 2019
This would make a great movie! It has EVERYTHING!
October 14, 2019
More of a mix between the movies Wall-E and Snowpiercer, but lacking the charm of the former and suspense of the later. Really could not have cared less if they all careered into a black hole
With the inhabitants of earth, having ruined the planet set of to find a new place to live. The author is at pains (such great, great pains) to describe the squalor, corruption and shallowness of those living in the hierarchy of the worldship. The lower decks are the poorest with literally dead bodies left lying in the street. The upper decks are brightly lit, with people distracted by the new and shiny clothes that arrive periodically, but this thin veneer only hides the corruption and sleaze that lies beneath. Relentlessly grim and depressing, most of the characters are pretty awful - its actually hard to care about any of them - or shallow. Children are somehow just left with no parents to speak of, to be groomed by pimps. While trade uses 'credits' the only real currency is sex, which everybody seems completely obsessed with. There's a lot of action, detailed fight and sex scenes (so, so much detail about the sex scenes, completely overblown and unnecessary and should come with trigger warnings, because its also pretty rapey, any woman who needs a backstory is given on one of - what do you know - sexual assault because anything else would be boring) but not much plot - what plot there is meanders around aimlessly, things happen; a lot of the time. And when things aren't happening, there's awful, longwinded descriptions of how bored they are, or how hopeless things are. Not much hope is given for any of the characters we're introduced to, and our early main characters seem to fizzle away. The other characters are stereotypes that borders on racist: the buff, sex addicted cop, the drunk Russian doctor, the smarmy officers, sleazy Dimitri the pimp, the motherly West Indian (I think from the accent, woman who looks after the children (and don't you just know she's got a big set of welcoming bosoms, so yes, descriptions of women that is pretty sexist too - not to mention a description of another black womans hair *shudders* no, don't ever do that, ever ever). All the baddies have foreign names too! just wow.
Yassmin, who is one of our main point of view character seems to be a teenager, existing on her cunning, but she's not really either of those two things. Others come and go and you barely remember them. These, shallow, (and dumb, everybody is so dumb) corrupt, sleazy people from the top to the bottom, are looking at colonising another planet or are they? there's snippits of a mystery seeded, but knowing that its a trilogy doesn't help (and honestly, its pretty well telegraphed).
My personal preference is for a female to voice a female character, and the high pitched, whiny accent here for our main female character (ad all other female characters) is grating, and annoying.
It might have worked better as an audio drama, or at least with 2 narrators - would appeal to those who think an all female reboot of Ghostbusters ruined their childhood.
With the inhabitants of earth, having ruined the planet set of to find a new place to live. The author is at pains (such great, great pains) to describe the squalor, corruption and shallowness of those living in the hierarchy of the worldship. The lower decks are the poorest with literally dead bodies left lying in the street. The upper decks are brightly lit, with people distracted by the new and shiny clothes that arrive periodically, but this thin veneer only hides the corruption and sleaze that lies beneath. Relentlessly grim and depressing, most of the characters are pretty awful - its actually hard to care about any of them - or shallow. Children are somehow just left with no parents to speak of, to be groomed by pimps. While trade uses 'credits' the only real currency is sex, which everybody seems completely obsessed with. There's a lot of action, detailed fight and sex scenes (so, so much detail about the sex scenes, completely overblown and unnecessary and should come with trigger warnings, because its also pretty rapey, any woman who needs a backstory is given on one of - what do you know - sexual assault because anything else would be boring) but not much plot - what plot there is meanders around aimlessly, things happen; a lot of the time. And when things aren't happening, there's awful, longwinded descriptions of how bored they are, or how hopeless things are. Not much hope is given for any of the characters we're introduced to, and our early main characters seem to fizzle away. The other characters are stereotypes that borders on racist: the buff, sex addicted cop, the drunk Russian doctor, the smarmy officers, sleazy Dimitri the pimp, the motherly West Indian (I think from the accent, woman who looks after the children (and don't you just know she's got a big set of welcoming bosoms, so yes, descriptions of women that is pretty sexist too - not to mention a description of another black womans hair *shudders* no, don't ever do that, ever ever). All the baddies have foreign names too! just wow.
Yassmin, who is one of our main point of view character seems to be a teenager, existing on her cunning, but she's not really either of those two things. Others come and go and you barely remember them. These, shallow, (and dumb, everybody is so dumb) corrupt, sleazy people from the top to the bottom, are looking at colonising another planet or are they? there's snippits of a mystery seeded, but knowing that its a trilogy doesn't help (and honestly, its pretty well telegraphed).
My personal preference is for a female to voice a female character, and the high pitched, whiny accent here for our main female character (ad all other female characters) is grating, and annoying.
It might have worked better as an audio drama, or at least with 2 narrators - would appeal to those who think an all female reboot of Ghostbusters ruined their childhood.
February 16, 2020
DNF
Unoriginal, badly edited, plotless drivel.
Unoriginal, badly edited, plotless drivel.
February 13, 2019
4.3 stars
I liked the characters and the story. Sometimes I would get a little lost in what was happening. This book kind of had a Wool vibe with the various levels of the ship/silo. I like the R.R. Haywood touch with the humor and banter. Overall, once the stories start meshing together and I get a better feel for who was who, I really started enjoying this audiobook and look forward to the next one!
One thing about the ending…
Audiobook narrator Colin Morgan rating: 5 stars
The narrator did a great job of changing his voice and telling the story. He really breathed life into the characters and made them who they were.
I liked the characters and the story. Sometimes I would get a little lost in what was happening. This book kind of had a Wool vibe with the various levels of the ship/silo. I like the R.R. Haywood touch with the humor and banter. Overall, once the stories start meshing together and I get a better feel for who was who, I really started enjoying this audiobook and look forward to the next one!
One thing about the ending…
Audiobook narrator Colin Morgan rating: 5 stars
The narrator did a great job of changing his voice and telling the story. He really breathed life into the characters and made them who they were.
December 30, 2020
2.55 stars
After a million years I finally finished this book. Let me be frank, I only started listening to this because Colin Morgan narrates the story. However, I still finished it because I did enjoy the story to a certain point.
Science-fiction just isn't my cup of tea. I have read next to zero SF books in the past, but for some reason this all sounded so familiar.
The main space station is called the ARK, there are others as well. There is a very distinctive hierarchy in the society.
That being said, it was an ok story. I wasn't the greatest fan of Yasmine. Sam was pretty ok.
It took a while for the story to start as well.
After a million years I finally finished this book. Let me be frank, I only started listening to this because Colin Morgan narrates the story. However, I still finished it because I did enjoy the story to a certain point.
Science-fiction just isn't my cup of tea. I have read next to zero SF books in the past, but for some reason this all sounded so familiar.
The main space station is called the ARK, there are others as well. There is a very distinctive hierarchy in the society.
That being said, it was an ok story. I wasn't the greatest fan of Yasmine. Sam was pretty ok.
It took a while for the story to start as well.
April 17, 2024
The Worldship Humility (The Code, #1) by R.R. Haywood : Too British for my Taste
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Review:
"The Worldship Humility" by R.R. Haywood is a captivating science fiction novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey aboard a vast worldship hurtling through space. With its blend of compelling characters, intricate world-building, and pulse-pounding action, this book is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
Intriguing Premise:
One of the most intriguing aspects of "The Worldship Humility" is its premise. Set aboard a massive worldship designed to sustain life for generations as it traverses the cosmos, the novel explores themes of survival, identity, and the human condition. Haywood does an excellent job of immersing readers in the intricacies of life aboard the worldship, from the social hierarchies to the technological innovations that keep the ship running smoothly.
Compelling Characters:
The strength of "The Worldship Humility" lies in its well-developed characters. From the resourceful protagonist, Asher, to the enigmatic AI known as ADIM, each character is distinct and memorable, with their own motivations and secrets. As the story unfolds, readers will find themselves drawn into the lives of these characters, rooting for them as they face challenges and confront the mysteries of the worldship.
Engaging Plot:
Haywood keeps the pace brisk and the tension high throughout "The Worldship Humility." The plot is filled with twists and turns, as Asher and his companions uncover dark secrets and face off against formidable adversaries. From thrilling space battles to heart-pounding confrontations, there's never a dull moment aboard the worldship. As the stakes escalate, readers will find themselves eagerly turning the pages to see how it all unfolds.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, "The Worldship Humility" by R.R. Haywood is a gripping science fiction adventure that offers both thrills and thought-provoking insights. With its intriguing premise, compelling characters, and engaging plot, this book is a must-read for fans of the genre. Whether you're a seasoned sci-fi enthusiast or new to the genre, "The Worldship Humility" is sure to leave a lasting impression.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Review:
"The Worldship Humility" by R.R. Haywood is a captivating science fiction novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey aboard a vast worldship hurtling through space. With its blend of compelling characters, intricate world-building, and pulse-pounding action, this book is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
Intriguing Premise:
One of the most intriguing aspects of "The Worldship Humility" is its premise. Set aboard a massive worldship designed to sustain life for generations as it traverses the cosmos, the novel explores themes of survival, identity, and the human condition. Haywood does an excellent job of immersing readers in the intricacies of life aboard the worldship, from the social hierarchies to the technological innovations that keep the ship running smoothly.
Compelling Characters:
The strength of "The Worldship Humility" lies in its well-developed characters. From the resourceful protagonist, Asher, to the enigmatic AI known as ADIM, each character is distinct and memorable, with their own motivations and secrets. As the story unfolds, readers will find themselves drawn into the lives of these characters, rooting for them as they face challenges and confront the mysteries of the worldship.
Engaging Plot:
Haywood keeps the pace brisk and the tension high throughout "The Worldship Humility." The plot is filled with twists and turns, as Asher and his companions uncover dark secrets and face off against formidable adversaries. From thrilling space battles to heart-pounding confrontations, there's never a dull moment aboard the worldship. As the stakes escalate, readers will find themselves eagerly turning the pages to see how it all unfolds.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, "The Worldship Humility" by R.R. Haywood is a gripping science fiction adventure that offers both thrills and thought-provoking insights. With its intriguing premise, compelling characters, and engaging plot, this book is a must-read for fans of the genre. Whether you're a seasoned sci-fi enthusiast or new to the genre, "The Worldship Humility" is sure to leave a lasting impression.
July 28, 2020
Notes:
Picked this audio up because I've read other work by the author. I didn't care for 1/3 of the story. The narrator has a few character voices that grates on my nerves to hear. Between those two aspects, the story did not make a great impression.
Others will probably find the story more fun. It's a futuristic heist story and the characters are interesting. The humor sounds like the type I've heard on UK shows and it's not just the narrator's accent at work. Ha
Picked this audio up because I've read other work by the author. I didn't care for 1/3 of the story. The narrator has a few character voices that grates on my nerves to hear. Between those two aspects, the story did not make a great impression.
Others will probably find the story more fun. It's a futuristic heist story and the characters are interesting. The humor sounds like the type I've heard on UK shows and it's not just the narrator's accent at work. Ha
March 18, 2024
This was a fun book, I love a good heist story and the setting of this is so fun. There interwoven stories was an interesting dynamic to see the characters go through. Overall I had a good time with this
May 2, 2025
Interesting concept but couldn’t cope with the constant head hopping and purile banter which descended into sex jokes on every other page.
July 7, 2020
Genre: science fiction. Earth was demolished by a meteorite some 150 years ago and a few million people managed to get on huge city sized ships and leave Earth in time to survive (some dodgy explanation behind how they managed it but we'll let it slide). They now roam around space looking for a planet. But have some of them already found one and not telling the others? Who knows! Because our story revolves around Yasmine, a petty thief just trying to feed herself and her dependents without getting caught.
I don't much sci-fi anymore but this was on a buy-one-get-one-free offer so, um, a girl must grab the bargains, ok?
I would've liked this had it not been for the unnecessary explicit content. There are plot holes, two-dimensional characters, repetitive bits in the narration, blah, blah but the story isn't half bad. The characters are diverse (really loved the diverse characters!). The audio narrator is brilliant (more on that later). I really would've liked this and would've recommended it to people despite all its shortcomings. But no, it's an adult book, it must have explicit scenes. Who would read it if it didn't?
(Well no wonder our world is trash, just look at the stuff our adults read, huh?)
I just can't enjoy a book that tries too hard to be edgy. I guess you could just skip those parts like I did but eh I'm still not a fan. Sorry, I guess. (But what for? I didn't do anything wrong lol.)
The narrator was brilliant. Just brilliant. He did so many accents and pulled off the female voices ever so well. For example, there's this one character called Chang. He sounds 100% Asian American, I don't know how the narrator did it. Mind you, the narrator is Irish, the fact that he could do a American at all, I was impressed. But there's such a subtle difference between mainstream American accents and the Asian American one and he captured it. I consider myself pretty good at imitating accents but I can't get my head around HOW he did it, it's just remarkable.
If you ever write a book filled with plot holes, just hire this Morgan to narrate it, I don't think people would notice/mind the holes then.
I suppose I should point out that there was some disparity between the way the author wrote some characters and the way the narrator voiced them (people with American accents saying stuff like 'sod off' and 'i reckon...' just didn't sound right). But it hardly makes a difference, the story is filled with a lot of things that don't make a lot of sense (they're 250+ years in the future, why do they talk and dress the same way as us?).
The more I write about it, the heavier the shortcomings are weighing haha. So I'll stop here. It was goodish, could've been better and the narration was incredible.
I don't much sci-fi anymore but this was on a buy-one-get-one-free offer so, um, a girl must grab the bargains, ok?
I would've liked this had it not been for the unnecessary explicit content. There are plot holes, two-dimensional characters, repetitive bits in the narration, blah, blah but the story isn't half bad. The characters are diverse (really loved the diverse characters!). The audio narrator is brilliant (more on that later). I really would've liked this and would've recommended it to people despite all its shortcomings. But no, it's an adult book, it must have explicit scenes. Who would read it if it didn't?
(Well no wonder our world is trash, just look at the stuff our adults read, huh?)
I just can't enjoy a book that tries too hard to be edgy. I guess you could just skip those parts like I did but eh I'm still not a fan. Sorry, I guess. (But what for? I didn't do anything wrong lol.)
The narrator was brilliant. Just brilliant. He did so many accents and pulled off the female voices ever so well. For example, there's this one character called Chang. He sounds 100% Asian American, I don't know how the narrator did it. Mind you, the narrator is Irish, the fact that he could do a American at all, I was impressed. But there's such a subtle difference between mainstream American accents and the Asian American one and he captured it. I consider myself pretty good at imitating accents but I can't get my head around HOW he did it, it's just remarkable.
If you ever write a book filled with plot holes, just hire this Morgan to narrate it, I don't think people would notice/mind the holes then.
I suppose I should point out that there was some disparity between the way the author wrote some characters and the way the narrator voiced them (people with American accents saying stuff like 'sod off' and 'i reckon...' just didn't sound right). But it hardly makes a difference, the story is filled with a lot of things that don't make a lot of sense (they're 250+ years in the future, why do they talk and dress the same way as us?).
The more I write about it, the heavier the shortcomings are weighing haha. So I'll stop here. It was goodish, could've been better and the narration was incredible.
March 30, 2019
This sci fi lacks depth. The overall plot is very straight forward and all about greed. Nothing especially nuanced, nothing particular for a sci fi setting. The world building is also nothing special, nothing we haven't seen before, or even a well done example of a classic trope. The real down fall is the characterisation. The main characters are meant to be 30, they act like teenagers. They are also cliched, the poor girl who is very attractive who is also a thief with a heart of gold. The computer hacker who is socially awkward and shy around girls, but for some reason the hot girl falls for him anyway.
I persevered hoping there'd be something more to this story, but I was disappointed and the whole plot, which was massively drawn out, is only a set up for the next book. This isn't always a bad thing, except this book is 14 hours long (it's an Audible exclusive) and barely anything happens.
I'm sure the author thinks this book is funny. It is not. Most of the jokes are juvenile, and revolve around sex and innuendo, or they go on far too long.
The biggest suspension of disbelief is that a cafe becomes famous across the Fleet for serving porridge and jam. This joke (I hope it's meant to be an absurdist joke) lasts for the whole second half of the book, and becomes a major driver of the plot. I am not kidding.
I'm returning this book.
I persevered hoping there'd be something more to this story, but I was disappointed and the whole plot, which was massively drawn out, is only a set up for the next book. This isn't always a bad thing, except this book is 14 hours long (it's an Audible exclusive) and barely anything happens.
I'm sure the author thinks this book is funny. It is not. Most of the jokes are juvenile, and revolve around sex and innuendo, or they go on far too long.
The biggest suspension of disbelief is that a cafe becomes famous across the Fleet for serving porridge and jam. This joke (I hope it's meant to be an absurdist joke) lasts for the whole second half of the book, and becomes a major driver of the plot. I am not kidding.
I'm returning this book.
December 30, 2021
So, the premise for this book was really fascinating to me, and on paper, it has all of the things I'd normally really like! I enjoyed the world building, the plot, some of the characters were pretty amusing at times, the narration genuinely made me laugh a few times, and there were parts of the book that, if the whole book was written that way, I would have enjoyed this a lot more. The issue I ran into is that sometimes the writing style is just very.... goofy and immature? And I'm not above crass humor at all, but the book leans into it a lot to the point where it becomes distracting at times and hard to not cringe. Like, there were several times where I had to just stop listening and listen to something else for a bit because the slapstick dialogue and writing style was just so off-putting.
I'd read plenty of other books that *also* mix this type of humor in, so I know it can be done in a way that doesn't turn me off the book entirely, but I think it's just because this book relies on it so much. It's a shame because the book ends on a cliffhanger and I'd love to know where the plot goes, but I don't think I could actually make it through another entire book written in this style.
I'd read plenty of other books that *also* mix this type of humor in, so I know it can be done in a way that doesn't turn me off the book entirely, but I think it's just because this book relies on it so much. It's a shame because the book ends on a cliffhanger and I'd love to know where the plot goes, but I don't think I could actually make it through another entire book written in this style.
May 30, 2019
Another great read
RR Haywood has yet to write a book that hasn’t left me thoroughly depressed when I reach then end! By this I don’t mean that the book itself is in anyway depressing, far from it in fact, it just means I have to wait for the next one to come out and that wait can be agonising!
Never has an author (in my humble opinion) created characters that have you so invested that you simply can’t put a book down, and in this way Worldship Humility is no different from any of his other.
From start to finish, you will go from laughing out loud to crying surreptitiously in public, all within the space of a paragraph. A rollercoaster is what you have right here, a rollercoaster that you never want to end.
If you’ve not had the good fortune to read any of Mr Haywoods books this is a great place to start. Once you’re done, you’ll be hook and then you have The Undead and Extracted series to get your teeth into! Happy reading!!
RR Haywood has yet to write a book that hasn’t left me thoroughly depressed when I reach then end! By this I don’t mean that the book itself is in anyway depressing, far from it in fact, it just means I have to wait for the next one to come out and that wait can be agonising!
Never has an author (in my humble opinion) created characters that have you so invested that you simply can’t put a book down, and in this way Worldship Humility is no different from any of his other.
From start to finish, you will go from laughing out loud to crying surreptitiously in public, all within the space of a paragraph. A rollercoaster is what you have right here, a rollercoaster that you never want to end.
If you’ve not had the good fortune to read any of Mr Haywoods books this is a great place to start. Once you’re done, you’ll be hook and then you have The Undead and Extracted series to get your teeth into! Happy reading!!
February 11, 2024
DNF. I try to avoid reviews lower than 3 stars wherever possible but just cannot get my head around the positive reviews for this book. It starts out interesting in principle but soon transpires to be very adolescent - in the literal sense that it feels like a kid has written it. There are no big ideas, either social or technological, and its outlook on humanity- both as a species and as individual characters is grim and very limited. Who are we supposed to be rooting for? It feels like it was written in the early 2000s and perhaps this would have been good enough then but we all deserve, and indeed can find, much better sci fi now.
I’m going to have to stop trusting the star ratings now.
Do not read.
I’m going to have to stop trusting the star ratings now.
Do not read.
April 2, 2019
An enjoyable read, not what I was expected, I thought it was going to be a more industrial setting to the premise of Generation ships attempting to find a new home far from Earth. It was more of a retail experience in its delivery, you have to read the book to get that reference.
Economical pacification to subdue an inclosed, bored, restless population made me think of the global dominance of brands in our every day lives, neatly used as plot device to make me reflect on our own motivations for happiness.
The next Iphone, those new trainers, is that all life is about.?????
How easy we are manipulated by false Gods/Goals!!!!!!
Makes you think!!!!!!
Economical pacification to subdue an inclosed, bored, restless population made me think of the global dominance of brands in our every day lives, neatly used as plot device to make me reflect on our own motivations for happiness.
The next Iphone, those new trainers, is that all life is about.?????
How easy we are manipulated by false Gods/Goals!!!!!!
Makes you think!!!!!!
April 11, 2019
First I just listened to this because Colin read it.
But after an hour I was so invested in the story I would have read it whether he was the narrator or not.
I really enjoyed this. Normally I don't like "SpaceshipStories" but this was really good
It was a little different and fun to listen to.
I really liked the characters (I mean: yes... Some of them were quite stereotypical...(the nerds omg...) but Colin read them in a way that made them so hilarious that I didn't care for the stereotypes) :)
And Colin is an amazing narrator. He did so much different voices and did his job perfectly.
I'm looking forward to the second installment.
But after an hour I was so invested in the story I would have read it whether he was the narrator or not.
I really enjoyed this. Normally I don't like "SpaceshipStories" but this was really good
It was a little different and fun to listen to.
I really liked the characters (I mean: yes... Some of them were quite stereotypical...(the nerds omg...) but Colin read them in a way that made them so hilarious that I didn't care for the stereotypes) :)
And Colin is an amazing narrator. He did so much different voices and did his job perfectly.
I'm looking forward to the second installment.
June 30, 2023
DNF. I tried to read this book. Twice. I do enjoy a space opera but I just couldn’t read this.
The narrative gives you whiplash, it is so full of changes in direction and holes. It feels like it has been written by a teenager for teenagers.
It does have many good reviews but this book is really not for me.
The narrative gives you whiplash, it is so full of changes in direction and holes. It feels like it has been written by a teenager for teenagers.
It does have many good reviews but this book is really not for me.
February 6, 2019
I enjoyed the characters and the lore.
It quickly fell apart after Mr angry came to their rescue. Plot had no real way to keep me engaged and after skipping almost all exposition for Jeneane we’re suddenly looking at it from her perspective.
It quickly fell apart after Mr angry came to their rescue. Plot had no real way to keep me engaged and after skipping almost all exposition for Jeneane we’re suddenly looking at it from her perspective.
September 10, 2019
Addictive!
I got to the end of this book far too quickly only to realise that the next one isn’t out yet. I was very upset by this so come on Haywood, get writing!
I got to the end of this book far too quickly only to realise that the next one isn’t out yet. I was very upset by this so come on Haywood, get writing!
September 20, 2019
Excellent book Excellent narration. Loved it. And there's a sequel...?
January 8, 2020
Unreal narration. Super well developed characters and realistic plots and dialogue. Top Sci-Fi favorites
June 24, 2025
What an amazing book! I'd give this 6 stars if I could. I couldn't read the words fast enough. I've read a lot by RR Haywood, and this has just reminded me what an amazing author he is. I'm off to read the next installment in this series. I highly recommend The Undead series by this author too!
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