UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Earth-Te...

I have just read Long Earth, Long War and Long Mars, the full trilogy.

It has a journey to the centre of the earth sort of feel about it, but it poses a few challenges to mankind and what we might do faced with a suddenly changed reality.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Earth-Te...

By the way, I am not particularly a Pratchett fan. Discworld bored me after the first gags started to get repeated, but this trilogy is a masterpiece and book one stands on its own with a real ending.

I've got the first two of this already and thought now the third one is out it's time to actually read them. I'm glad to hear it was a good read though. This may shoot it up my list a bit

How freaky, I started reading this yesterday after enjoying the first two but it's still very confusing. So have decided to just enjoy reading it & try not to figure stuff out ;o)

Adele - you have read them in the right order I hope. They would be a bit confusing the wrong way round :


1. Long Earth
2. Long War
3. Long Mars.

I read Long Earth a while ago now, and quite liked it in a way even though it is not typical Pratchett. I haven't got around to the others yet.

Interesting
I read the Long Earth, and Long War is in my 'to read' heap

Normally Terry Pratchett books are just read immediately they appear, but Long War has been sitting there unopened for months which perhaps tells you I wasn't entirely overwhelmed with Long Earth
But I couldn't tell you why

Jim wrote: "I wasn't entirely overwhelmed with Long Earth
But I couldn't tell you why "

I don't know either. I didn't dislike it, and there were interesting and good things in there, but it just didn't seem to take off for me.

I suppose that it has been a couple of years since I read it and I haven't had any enthusiasm to around to the next one says something about it too.

No, definitely read them in the right order ;o)

(Just me getting confused & not remembering bits from previous book ie a certain earth-shattering event)

I've never read an entire Terry Prachett.

I'm gonna get kicked out of the group now, aren't I?

Patti (baconater) wrote: "I've never read an entire Terry Prachett.

I'm gonna get kicked out of the group now, aren't I?"

Yes.

David wrote: "Patti (baconater) wrote: "I've never read an entire Terry Prachett.

I'm gonna get kicked out of the group now, aren't I?"

Yes."

In my day, if you didn't know Monty Python, Douglas Adams and 'The Princess Bride' verbatim you got kicked off the whole internet.

Richard wrote: "In my day, if you didn't know Monty Python, Douglas Adams and 'The Princess Bride' verbatim you got kicked off the whole internet"

Yes, n those days it was a bit like this:

http://www.dahadley.pwp.blueyonder.co...

Oh very good David :-)

I can't believe the group is reading a book I'm reading. I'm enjoying the Long Earth although it's taking me ages to read. It's not like a usual Pratchett, it's a normal book. What I find strange is the underplayed nature of the humour. The fact the stepper has to have a potato in it, which is inherently comic, but then a lot of it isn't funny.

Cheers

MTM

I've read Long Earth and now Long War. I think the premise is absolutely fascinating and sets up some interesting conundrums. However, I do think both books sacrifice a plot-driven story in order to spend time wandering around these fantastic worlds they have built and admiring the sights. Quite where I get off criticising Pratchett and Baxter, I don't know, but this was my impression, for what it's worth.

David wrote: "Richard wrote: "In my day, if you didn't know Monty Python, Douglas Adams and 'The Princess Bride' verbatim you got kicked off the whole internet"

Yes, n those days it was a bit like this:

http:/..."

Aaaargh! it's the 1990s all over again! Unformatted HTML! The horror!!!

(I've never managed to finish a TP either)

Tim wrote: "Aaaargh! it's the 1990s all over again! Unformatted HTML! The horror!!!"

Some of us never got beyond September 1993.

Rosemary (The Nosemanny) wrote: "(I've never managed to finish a TP either)"

Let's start our own group Nosemanny.

Patti (baconater) wrote: "Rosemary (The Nosemanny) wrote: "(I've never managed to finish a TP either)"

Let's start our own group Nosemanny."

I've not even started one.

Cool. You can join our club David.

Looks like it's going to be a very select club.

We'll be able to have our meetings in a snug.

Sounds very cozy. Will there be port to drink?

Whatever you like, David.

Tim wrote: "Aaaargh! it's the 1990s all over again! Unformatted HTML! The horror!!! "

Yes. It was probably sometime in the nineties when I last looked at that website.

I think I wrote it with notepad.

These 3 books are really different and being a TP fan is actually irrelevant apart from knowing that Lobsang is actually Sweeper from the disc world but in a human setting.

These books explore a very different side of sci-fi with an interesting set of characters and with some very old world problems.

I've read all three though i have found the best way to read them is either via CD or audible - you really immerse yourself in whats happening.

just go try out the long earth and forget everything else you thought you knew about TP

Just finished this, not sure is we are to share reviews/thoughts/comments on here, so I won't. Suffice to say though, I did not enjoy this as much as the first book

Oh, please share, Adele!

Use a spoiler tag if necessary but please do share.

Adele wrote: "Just finished this, not sure is we are to share reviews/thoughts/comments on here, so I won't. Suffice to say though, I did not enjoy this as much as the first book"

But long earth is the first book isn't it?

Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "Adele wrote: "Just finished this, not sure is we are to share reviews/thoughts/comments on here, so I won't. Suffice to say though, I did not enjoy this as much as the first book"

But long earth i..."

yes Simon, rated LE 5 stars, LW 3 stars & LM 3 stars (but really should have been 2)
I am a MASSIVE Discworld fan but just could not get on board with this series of books & thought it went really downhill from the first outing & got too wrapped up in its self. But, just my opinion.

I've just finished the first book. It's more like Foundations Trilogy. The characters never seemed to come alive for me, like some of Asimov's stuff they seemed to be there as part of a huge history lesson rather than anything else. The main generator of tension went out with a fizzle rather than a bang that was a bit disappointing. It never really posed a threat, or at least it never seemed to. I liked it but I'd only give it three or four stars. I want to know what happens next so I'll probably read the next one but... Yeh you have to like a very different thing than Pratchett to enjoy this.

As an Asimov fan, I did enjoy it but if I was more of a Pratchett fan and not into Asimov I wouldn't have done.

Cheers

MTM

Hmm, yes I agree it is soft science fiction. Apart from a few accidents and the odd city blown up it doesn't go for momentous action. On the next two books the idea of stepping loses its impact and number of big issues have to be washed over.. Like how settlers turned up beyond the gap and what was the point of the East expedition... But in all sf we are expected to suspend reality.

It did present some questions about what we will do when we encounter sentient life forms.

Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "It did present some questions about what we will do when we encounter sentient life forms. "

Dunno what we'll do, but they will probably tell us to bugger off and only come back when we've grown up.

Morphic resonance. We will invent a way of contacting other life when it is time.

I'm still not sure the sheep have spontaneously learnt to roll over cattle grids though.

Sheep do that??

Wow!

Patti (baconater) wrote: "Sheep do that??

Wow!"

Certainly sheep have learned to cross cattle grids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5PE6...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rIbZ...


Cattle can do it as well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkE1u...

The second sheep used an entertaining technique

That's way cool.

Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "The second sheep used an entertaining technique"

I felt so :-)

I enjoyed the Long Earth as an interesting sci-fi idea. It was a tad over long but well characterised.

Love Terry Pratchett