Books › The Long War
The Long War
528 pages
A sprawling, philosophical journey across infinite parallel worlds that asks what happens to human nature when resources are truly limitless.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like embarking on a grand, leisurely expedition across an endless frontier. The narrative unfolds at a steady, deliberate pace, prioritizing the awe of discovery and the intricate sociological puzzles of colonization over explosive action. There is a distinct blend of hard-science rigor and wry, humanist warmth, a signature texture that makes the vast, mind-bending concepts feel grounded and deeply personal. The mood is expansive and contemplative, tinged with a simmering political tension as the utopian promise of infinite space collides with the stubborn flaws of human nature. It is a deeply satisfying experience for readers who prefer their science fiction to be a thought experiment, offering a sweeping, panoramic view of society, sentience, and the messy realities of building a new world.
- Mood
- expansive
- contemplative
- awe-inspiring
- simmering
- Tone
- wry
- philosophical
- inquisitive
- humanist
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- ethics of colonization · human nature in infinite space · sentience and personhood · political independence · environmental stewardship
- The writing
- Balances hard-science exposition with dry, character-driven wit, creating a texture that is both intellectually rigorous and warmly accessible.
- The arc
- Begins with the boundless optimism of a new frontier and gradually deepens into a sobering, complex meditation on the inevitability of human conflict.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love sprawling, conceptual science fiction that prioritizes sociological thought experiments and grand world-building over high-octane action.
Content notes
- colonialism
- xenophobia
- political tension
- mild violence
About the book
A generation after the events of The Long Earth, humankind has spread across the new worlds opened up by stepping. Valhalla is emerging more than a million steps from Datum our Earth. Thanks to a bountiful environment, the Valhallan society mirrors the core values and behaviors of colonial America. And Valhalla is growing restless under the controlling long arm of the Datum government. Soon Joshua, now a married man, is summoned by Lobsang to deal with a building crisis that threatens to plunge the Long Earth into a war unlike any humankind has waged before.
Description from Open Library.
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