Questions About The Long Mars (The Long Earth, #3)

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If I read The Long Mars without having read the previous two books will I understand it? I bought it without knowing it was a triology and I'm not sure if I want to buy the other two since the reviews are quite controversial.

Morgan Storey You will understand it, Baxter and Pratchett are excellent authors so they recap what you need to know.

That being said, I was in the same predicament…moreYou will understand it, Baxter and Pratchett are excellent authors so they recap what you need to know.

That being said, I was in the same predicament as you, buying the Long Mars at under half price. I decided once I looked inside the cover I would get the first two, they are a very easy and quick read and do give you some nice back story.(less)

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How would you compare Pratchett's & Baxters Long Earth/Mars series to Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars series: Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars? I've read Robinson's books and loved them for their philosophy/social agenda/characters; am I likely to enjoy Pratchett/Baxter?

Laura The Long Mars name checks KSR's Mars Series, which charmed me. On a very high level of abstraction, they're similar. Instead of trying to build a bett…moreThe Long Mars name checks KSR's Mars Series, which charmed me. On a very high level of abstraction, they're similar. Instead of trying to build a better world, most of the folks in this series are trying to find one. The Long Earth series is much gentler, and less complicated. Far fewer characters; far fewer zero-sum conflicts. None of the characters in this series are as vividly drawn as the ones in KSR's, and there's more whimsy. It's not hard science fiction; even granting the "step" technology that lets you set across worlds, it's still got some big fantasy elements. Or whatever you call it when a Tibetian motorcycle repairman gets reincarnated as a computer. The ideological conflicts are there, but again, not as vividly drawn as in KSR's books. (less)

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