The Long Earth: A Novel
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The Long Earth: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Terry Pratchett (Author), Stephen Baxter (Author), Michael Fenton-Stevens (Narrator),
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 7,114 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
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The possibilities are endless. Just be careful what you wish for....

The Western Front, 1916. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear birdsong and the wind in the leaves. Where have the mud, blood, and blasted landscape of no-man's-land gone? For that matter, where has Percy gone?

Madison, Wisconsin, 2015. Police officer Monica Jansson is exploring the burned-out home of a reclusive - some say mad, others allege dangerous - scientist who seems to have vanished. Sifting through the wreckage, Jansson find a curious gadget: a box containing some rudimentary wiring, a three-way switch, and . . . a potato. It is the prototype of an invention that will change the way humankind views the world forever.

The first novel in an exciting new collaboration between Discworld creator Terry Pratchett and the acclaimed SF writer Stephen Baxter, The Long Earth transports readers to the ends of the earth - and far beyond. All it takes is a single step. . . .

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  1. Listening Length
    11 hours and 30 minutes
  2. Author
    Terry Pratchett, see all
  3. Narrator
    Michael Fenton-Stevens
  4. Audible release date
    June 19, 2012
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    HarperAudio
  7. ASIN
    B008CLSUV0
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 11 hours and 30 minutes
Author Terry Pratchett, Stephen Baxter
Narrator Michael Fenton-Stevens
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date June 19, 2012
Publisher HarperAudio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B008CLSUV0
Best Sellers Rank #22,095 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#90 in Space Exploration Science Fiction
#802 in Exploration Science Fiction
#831 in Adventure Science Fiction

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
7,114 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Solid scifi adventure, but the plot wanders.
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2018
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Five stars for character and world development. The idea of infinite earths, laid out next to each other like a grand corridor of worlds, and only a button push away, is not an entirely unique idea, but its one that Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter approach from a unique perspective. As the first book in the series, The Long Earth is really mostly a setup for the sequels, and in that regard the plot does leave something to be desired. As the reluctant hero Joshua and his companion Lobsang, the unlikely yet somehow remarkably believable and even occasionally likeable AI consciousness with a soul, make their pioneering journey across the infinite probability trees of Earth, there is much in the way of fantastic and fascinating discoveries, that yet somehow leaves the reader with a rather bland plot, with no true antagonist to speak of. Its like if you told the story of Lois and Clark mile by mile, except instead of focusing on their interactions with the natives, you get a lot of theoretical conversations about what the existence of the natives might mean to the Louisiana Purchase. The last two chapters of the book give the real catalyst for the series, which involves rising tensions on Datum Earth about the stepping phenomenon, but even that is mostly just a cliffhanger to get you to buy The Long War. All in all The Long Earth is a fantastic series, that will satisfy science fiction aficionados, theoretical quantum physicists, and armchair philosophers alike - but if you're looking for fantastical plots with epic interstellar battles and evil aliens out for the destruction of mankind... Well, this just isnt the series for you.
3 people found this helpful
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Josh Mauthe
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and imaginative, if thinner than I wish it was
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2024
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As much as I love Terry Pratchett's work in general, I've always found that the Discworld books really were his masterpiece; while I've yet to read anything bad by the man, I've often felt like his non-Discworld books are good but never as good, if that makes sense. Which is one reason I've been putting off reading The Long Earth for as long as I had; I love Pratchett, but a) he has a co-writer here (Stephen Baxter, who's not Neil Gaiman), and b) the idea of Pratchett writing a science-fiction epic wasn't something that felt like it be able to work within Pratchett's wheelhouse. And while I'll say that part of my judgment stands true - that it can't help but feel lesser than Discworld - I will admit that The Long Earth feels more Pratchett-esque than I assumed, with a sense of richness and imagination that shines through, a loose structure that reveals itself to be more disciplined than I assumed, and a fascinating enough idea at its core to see me through the sense that, one book into this five-book series, I'm not entirely sure what it's all about. But, to back up to the basic premise: The Long Earth is set in a world where humanity has realized that alternate worlds stretch out around us, almost as far as we can imagine - and that you can travel between them, "stepping" from one world to the next with the assistance of an odd device whose plans were released onto the internet. Pratchett and Baxter are interested both in the social ramifications of this - the exploring of a new frontier, the collapse of gold as a valuable commodity, the stratification of society - but also in the environmental ones, as the book dives into millions of worlds and imagines what might be if evolution was ever so slightly different. The authors give us a pair of intriguing characters to work with - Joshua, a loner who has the natural ability to "step" without the device; and Lobsang, an AI who might be the reincarnation of a Tibetan mechanic, or might just be a very clever self-aware intelligence - and their exploring of the worlds and the wonders and oddness they find along the way is compelling. The issue, really, is that so far, The Long Earth isn't really about anything other than that wonder and exploration; it feels like a pilot to see if the world can work, but little of note happens in it until near the end, and even that is a bit cryptic in terms of its larger meaning. Still, I enjoyed the read, which was breezier and lighter than I expected, and I plan on checking out at least the next book in the series; while it's no Discworld, that doesn't make it less of a fun time so far and any less of an enjoyable read.
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JonathanRO
5.0 out of 5 stars Well Crafted & Thought Provoking
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2014
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I had avoided buying The Long Earth for quite a long time. I'm an avid Terry Pratchett reader, but just wasn't sure if I wanted to read something that's such a departure from any of his other Fantasy work. Turns out I was an idiot and should've picked this book up sooner.

The premise of The Long Earth is intriguing and a welcome departure from some well worn sci-fi / fantasy story lines. A mysterious man places the blueprints for a device called a Stepper onto the internet, accessible to everyone and anyone curious enough to try making it. The device is so simple a child can build it, and many do. When the device is activated the person holding it is transported to a parallel Earth, completely uninhabited by man. No one knows how many Earths there are, but humanity soon starts travelling beyond The Datum (Earth 1 - our Earth) to exploit the riches found one these parallel Earths. This leads to all kinds of problems for nations, politicians and people who can't step.

The story centres around a small group of characters who are connected to one another through the central character, Joshua Valiente. Joshua is a natural Stepper, able to travel without a stepping device and without any of the side effects normally involved. The story revolves around Joshua's journey with Lobsang, an AI inhabited by a dead Tibetan mechanic, and co-owner of the exceptionally powerful Black Corporation.The two of them attempt to journey as far away from the Datum as possible, to see what's out there. Along the way they meet people, discover new humanoid species, have adventures and generally develop as people. Back on the Datum we observe what is happening through the eyes of a police officer and 'friend' of Joshua.

The story is weaved together exceptionally well. The characters develop steadily throughout and the worlds they visit are strange and exciting, despite being near identical copies of Earth. I really enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. I'll definitely be reading the sequel, it's hard not to when the story ends as it does. You don't have to be a fan or Terry Pratchett's or Stephen Baxter's work to enjoy this series. Not knowing Stephen Baxter's work at all, I can only say it's a complete departure from anything I've read by Terry Pratchett previously. This book just goes to show how incredibly talented he is as an author. Buy this book and lose yourself in loads of new worlds.
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Top reviews from other countries

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stony
5.0 out of 5 stars love that book
Reviewed in Spain on May 8, 2019
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nice to read, terry's stories are always genius :)
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Music Collector
5.0 out of 5 stars Pratchett fan
Reviewed in Canada on May 20, 2017
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I have been a fan of Sir Terry for years, and have also enjoyed works of Stephen Baxter. So, I enjoyed this first volume and will read more regardless of some of the negative reviews that have been made.
There is much to tweek the imagination here. I would have liked more of Sir Terry's voice, but the combination (of the two authors) overall worked for me.
Very sad that Sir Terry is no longer with us.
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Mark
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome concept convincingly executed
Reviewed in Australia on February 19, 2017
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I love the premise of this book, the multiverse is not only a favourite of Pratchett but starting to gain traction in real world science. A great read can't wait for the next instalment.
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Benedito R. Almeida Filho
2.0 out of 5 stars Não é ruim, só muito parado
Reviewed in Brazil on February 13, 2015
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O tema é bom, mas acho que foi pobremente explorado.

O livro não tem muita ação; ele cria uma expectativa a respeito de um perigo iminente e no final tudo se resolve de forma muito fácil.

Acho que o autor deixou o tema muito mal desenvolvido. Esperava mais do livro.
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Silvarine
5.0 out of 5 stars Molto appassionante
Reviewed in Italy on July 15, 2014
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Adoro Terry Pratchett e questo libro un po' diverso dal solito mi è piaciuto molto, anche se lo stile di Terry non è molto in evidenza (e per il tipo di racconto è giusto così). La storia è davvero appassionante e originale, un libro consigliato
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