The Long War

In a rare piece of reading consistency, I followed up my reading of The Long Earth immediately with the sequel - The Long War (on my shiny new Kindle, mwhaha). This is partly down to the quality of the first one, but also because I wanted to read it with the Pratchett/Baxter author talk still fresh in my mind.

The Long War is pretty consistent in both quality and style with the first one. The theme of an exploration novel which came out so strongly in the first one is still very prominent. At times, it actually gives off a very Star Trek vibe - not something I want to go into too much (discover it for yourself), but I'm sure I can't be the only one to have found this.

The strength of the setting is still very obvious. Not too many new elements are introduced to shake up the formula. Since the book is set a decade further down the line, it's more of a continuation of the 'thought experiment' of how the phenomenon of stepping affects humanity 10 years on. Again, as I said last time, there's clearly still a lot more scope for the series inherent in the setting.

This setting is hung around largely the same group of characters. A few new ones are introduced, both to expand the 'core group' from The Long Earth, and to provide some new perspectives and storylines. It's nice to see a half-decent proportion of good female main characters. I actually enjoyed reading Maggie's arc the most, which is one of the most separated from the main plotline.

This bring me onto my last big thought. As with The Long Earth, I felt that there was an odd narrative structure to the book. While a lot of time is spent establishing the context and backdrop to the events, not much actually happens throughout. There's a comparatively low sense of threat throughout The Long War - it's still present, and is strong than in the first book, but it's disarming. 

Parts of the section towards the end left my scratching my head slightly in terms of character motivations relating to what actually takes place. Again, I'm avoiding details because it would be spoilers, but I didn't quite sit right with me. That's not enough to significantly negatively impact on my impressions of the book. 

I certainly don't think that these books should follow some cookie-cutter recipe to hit all the beats we are expecting (thus becoming more predictable) - and I get the sense that avoiding this and reaching a different pace is intentional - but it's noticeable. The stakes don't seem to be all that high until the very last chapters of the book. That's something I quite enjoy - Baxter and Pratchett have made it a setting worth exploring, and it is on the whole enjoyable to do so with their characters, but I know that it's not for everyone. 

Week 28
28/52

Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman (2006)
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern (2011)
The Revolution of Saint Jone - Lorna Mitchell (1988)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John Le Carré (1974)
I Can Make You Hate - Charlie Brooker (2012)
Looking For Jake and Other Stories - China Miéville (2005)
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett (1989)
The Bloody Chamber - Angela Carter (1979)
Jobs* - Walter Isaacson (2012)
The Plague - Albert Camus (1947)
Ready Player One* - Ernest Cline (2011)
Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ - Phillip Pullman (2010)
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (1931)
Storm Front* - Jim Butcher (2000)
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (2005)
Fool Moon* - Jim Butcher (2001)
Iron Man: Extremis - Warren Ellis (2006)

Ultimate Thor Vol.1 - Hickman, Pachego & Vines (2010)
How To Eat Out - Giles Coren (2001)
How To Be A Woman - Caitlin Moran (2011)
In The Garden of Beasts* - Erik Larson (2011)
Pirate Cinema - Cory Doctrow (2012)
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (1953)
The Long Earth - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter (2012)
The Illustrated Man* - Ray Bradbury (1951)
The Long War - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter (2013)
The Player of Games - Iain M Banks (1988)
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (1985)

Currently Reading:

The Knife of Never Letting Go* - Patrick Ness
Stardust - Neil Gaiman