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Outland

Dennis E. Taylor (Goodreads Author)

4.10 · Rating details · 4,318 ratings · 392 reviews

"When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, it's up to six university students and their experimental physics project to prevent the end of civilization. "

When an experiment to study quantum uncertainty goes spectacularly wrong, physics student Richard and his friends find that they have accidentally created an inter-dimensional portal. They connect to an alternate Earth wi ...more

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Kindle Edition, 1, 360 pages

Published January 2nd 2015

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Jul 06, 2017 Trish rated it really liked it

I discovered this author thanks to the SpecFic group here on Goodreads when we started reading his Bobiverse series. The cool thing about Dennis E. Taylor is that he is a geek and has a twisted sense of humour most of the time - exactly my kind of guy! :D

This book (which supposedly is the first in a series) is about a group of students, who start a summer project at university, unwittingly coming up with the technology to open portals into other dimensions.
I'm no expert so I have to take the au I discovered this author thanks to the SpecFic group here on Goodreads when we started reading his Bobiverse series. The cool thing about Dennis E. Taylor is that he is a geek and has a twisted sense of humour most of the time - exactly my kind of guy! :D

This book (which supposedly is the first in a series) is about a group of students, who start a summer project at university, unwittingly coming up with the technology to open portals into other dimensions.
I'm no expert so I have to take the author at his word that the technology part is as accurate as possible (it is fiction after all or we'd all do it).
At first, they just want to cash in and get as much out of their discovery as they can before trying to score a Nobel prize but then Yellowstone's supervolcano erupts, which changes everything.
So what would you do if your world was about to end but you had the chance to start over in another?

This is not the first time I've read about portals to alternate Earths but I liked the theory of it (you can step left or right, so to speak and that's it, you have to go from there). That being said, it did remind me a bit of Terry Pratchett's and Stephen Baxter's stepping device in their The Long Earth series. However, the author takes that idea and makes it his own.

First, I LOVE what-if stories and stories about starting over (what and how to save civilisation in such an untouched place)! Secondly, I really liked that these students thought this through (somewhat) and tried to be as prepared as they could be. They went through the different topics (food, medicine, weapons, construction etc) as I often have when contemplating such a scenario (yes, I do that, sue me). The realistic part was that despite all their brainstorming and buying stuff and throwing together stashes, there was still a lot they hadn't thought about because that is natural - they had almost no time/reason to seriously prepare for this after all.

Seeing the colony being built was fun too because I like most people's attitudes (though I would have liked for someone to at least mention the importance of saving culture -> books). That is not to say that I liked all the characters but there were a few I did grow fond of (Monica and Chavez at least when it comes to being volatile) and having all types of people is only natural too, considering how this group formed.

As with the other books by this author, what's putting a huge grin on my face regularly are the pop-culture references (scifi shows and movies mostly, but also books). These guys are not all geeky but they do complete each other and I recognize pieces of me in a number of them. :D

That being said, the writing style in this as well as the characters (how they were built up) was not as good as in the Bobiverse books. I guess that is because this came before and the author still had to find his stride. Still, after some initial problems (mainly my lack of connection to the people), I really got sucked into this story and the action (some a bit unexpected) as well as the exploration parts kept me at the edge of my seat so I definitely want that second book the author teased about (it says at the end of this ebook that there will be one so I asked the author if that plan still stands)!

Definite recommendation for anyone liking stories about alternate Earths and people starting a colony there for whatever reason (like in Terra Nova for example). ...more

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Jul 07, 2017 Bradley rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopia-yes-pls, 2017-shelf, worldbuilding-sf, sci-fi

If this is Taylor's first novel, I'm still hella impressed. It reminds me of a classic SF and modern topic mashup, kinda like a love-child between Pratchett/Baxter's Long Earth and classic Heinlein such as Tunnel in the Sky.

From a sheer enjoyment aspect, few books can beat it on the idea front. Uni-studs, crafty teachers hop world-lines in classic SF joy, building up to the grand and horrific spectacle of an erupting Yellowstone.

Yeah, I know, Long Earth did it, too, but this one, in a few speci ...more

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May 08, 2019 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalyptic, science-fiction, post-apocalyptic, audiobook, review-copy

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/05/16/...

Before The Singularity Trap and before the Bobiverse, there was Outland, Dennis E. Taylor’s self-published debut that is now getting a re-issue and making its way to the audio format as an Audible Original. Although the story itself a little rough and unrefined, embedded here are the seeds of the author’s style that would emerge in his later works.

However, unlike Taylor’s spacefaring novels, Outland takes place in the pr 3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/05/16/...

Before The Singularity Trap and before the Bobiverse, there was Outland, Dennis E. Taylor’s self-published debut that is now getting a re-issue and making its way to the audio format as an Audible Original. Although the story itself a little rough and unrefined, embedded here are the seeds of the author’s style that would emerge in his later works.

However, unlike Taylor’s spacefaring novels, Outland takes place in the present day or in the near future, and the theme is apocalyptic. Following an experiment gone wrong, a group of students in a university physics lab accidentally stumbles across a new technology allowing them to open portals to other dimensions. As it turns out, one of these dimensions is an alternate Earth very similar to our own, except in this particular timeline, humans never evolved. Students being students though, rather than take their discovery public, the group decides instead to use their newfound portal technology in a get-rich-quick scheme, coming up with a harebrained plan to pan for gold on this pristine and uninhabited Earth. It would be easy money, after all, as there is enough gold in some parts of the Black Hills that would make each and every one of them a millionaire overnight.

But meanwhile, disturbing reports are coming out of Yellowstone National Park about the area’s increased volcanic activity and tectonic actions, and soon it becomes clear that an eruption of its supervolcano is all but inevitable. It has long been hypothesized than an eruption that big would end civilization in the United States as we know it, and indeed, the amount of ash alone would be enough to bury large swaths of the country under three feet of the stuff, not to mention the way it would block out the sun and cause damage to all kinds of infrastructure and equipment. Soon enough, the situation proves even more devastating, and our protagonists are forced to abandon their gold panning ventures in Outland, the name they’ve given to the wild version of Earth they’ve discovered. Refocusing their efforts on saving lives, they only have a small window of time to bring as many survivors as they can through the portal and gather enough supplies to hunker down for the long haul.

Kind of like We Are Legion (We Are Bob), the narrative style of Outland somewhat resembles an extended and episodic world-building exercise where the most interesting things actually happen after a crucial event earlier on in the story. In this case, it’s the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano, making this one both an apocalyptic tale as well as one of survival. From that standpoint, things don’t get any better than this. There are sci-fi elements too, of course, but these are light, serving more as a backdrop for what truly matters, i.e. what the characters actually do to stay alive and speculation as to what would happen to the Earth and human populations around the world if such a major natural disaster did take place. That said, I wouldn’t into his one expecting the thrills of a disaster movie nor too much detail when it comes to the science and technology behind the premise, but at the very least, the story is convincing enough to sustain a high level of tension and an immediate sense of danger.

The humor also makes this one supremely readable. Dennis E. Taylor definitely falls into the category of geek writers which includes authors like Andy Weir or Ernest Cline, as evidenced by the profusion of nerdy jokes and pop-culture references littering the pages of Outland. Despite all the destruction, chaos and mass death, the book still had me chuckling in places, and whether you view it as a weakness or not, what we have here is a light, popcorn-y read. This means yes, the plot can be a little clichéd at times, and the characters a bit cookie-cutter and the dialogue a bit cheesy. Admittedly, there’s nothing too emotionally deep or complicated here, but there’s no denying it’s a lot of fun.

Bottom line, if you’re looking for a good mix of humor and danger in your apocalyptic fiction, consider checking out Outland. While it’s nothing mind-blowing, I did enjoy the colony building aspects and all the “what if” scenarios. I’m glad to hear there will be a follow-up, as I’m curious to keep reading to find out what happens next.

Audiobook Comments: As always, Dennis E. Taylor and Ray Porter make a great team, with the latter’s narration perfectly complementing the former’s writing style. Not only did Porter’s amazing voices and accents bring our characters to life, his performance also transported listeners to a world in which one feels fully immersed. If you’re looking for an addictive and compelling audiobook to listen to, Outland is one I would highly recommend. ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 Jim rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1ebook, scifi, 2fiction

This is a space opera - a lot of big ideas that are shown through action-packed narrative & pretty good characters, although I had trouble keeping some of the original 4 guys straight. They tended to blend into 2 for me. Still, it didn't really matter & other characters popped well enough. The story itself was great. Much like RAH's Tunnel in the Sky.

I was in an area that got hit with 2 ash falls, about 3" IIRC, from Mt. Saint Helens, so I know what that is like. Taylor got it right. I always c ...more

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Apr 23, 2019 Sci-Fi & Scary rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I received an ARC (should that be ALC if it's an Audible copy?) of this book from Audible for review consideration. This in no way affects my review (as anyone who has seen me rave over Ray Porter narrated books should know!)
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I like the combination of Dennis E. Taylor and Ray Porter almost as much as I like Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter. Y’all that is saying something! I mean, it’s true that Ray Porter possesses a nearly magical ability to bring stories to life instantly inside my I received an ARC (should that be ALC if it's an Audible copy?) of this book from Audible for review consideration. This in no way affects my review (as anyone who has seen me rave over Ray Porter narrated books should know!)
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I like the combination of Dennis E. Taylor and Ray Porter almost as much as I like Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter. Y’all that is saying something! I mean, it’s true that Ray Porter possesses a nearly magical ability to bring stories to life instantly inside my head, but even he can’t make a silk purse out of a sow ear. (See Dead Moon for an example.) However, when he is given a story like Outland that is already all sorts of perfect all on its own? That is when the listening experience goes from enjoyable to Yes-I-know-it’s-2-am-and-no-i-can’t-turn-it-off-thank-you.

When I was asked if I wanted to review a copy of Outland, I didn’t even read the synopsis. I went straight to “Yes, please.” as soon as I saw the author and narrator names. It is a decision I do not regret. Taylor’s story is one that kicks off nicely and keeps going at a perfect pace.

From pop culture to multiverse theory, there’s a little bit of something for the nerd that exists inside us science fiction readers. I am fascinated by the idea of Yellowstone erupting and how that would play out for the United States in general. Taylor took me beyond that though as he explored how it would effect the world at large as the balance of power shifted and the long-lasting effect it would have on the human race.

One of the things he said outright depressed me for a moment. Now, this quote isn’t going to be exact because I was listening to an audiobook, but it was in the midst of a discussion about how far humanity would be set back and they were talking about resources. It was something like:

“We’ve used all the easily available resources (metals, oil, etc.). We’ve mined all the medium-difficulty resources. We’ve gotten the hard stuff too. Now we’re highly advanced technology to get to the hardest to reach stuff. Humanity will be in an early-Industrial age with none of the resources they need to rebuild.”

I paused the book, leaned back, and went “Well…shit. I never thought of that.” It took me a moment to press the button and ‘read’ on.

I loved the main characters of Outland. It is a mix of mostly nerds with some kick-ass women involved. There was scenes that had me giggling in pure enjoyment, and mentally cheering when some retribution was delivered in no-holds-barred fashion. None of them are perfect. There’s a hint of romance but it is never central to the story at all. They all deliver absolutely groan-worthy lines at one moment or another. They all know they’re not doing good enough and at some point their luck is going to run out.

Perhaps my favorite thing about Taylor’s writing is how he manages to keep it so well-balanced. Even when serious happenings are going down, there’s always a wisecrack or wry observation to lighten the mood. Taylor writes sci-fi for those who have happily owned their geekdom, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This one needs to go on your must read/listen pile, folks! ...more

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Jun 08, 2017 Kruunch rated it it was ok

Outland by Dennis Taylor is the first book in the Outland series and revolves around a few college students discovering parallel Earths .... conveniently just in time as the Yellowstone super volcano blows up threatening all life on this Earth.

I loved Dennis Taylor's other series, the Bobiverse. Unfortunately, not so much with this one. It's horribly cliche, unoriginal, the characters are one dimensional and the book just flies past solid plot building (your editor charging you per page or what? ...more

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Jul 01, 2018 Mark rated it it was amazing

Title: Outland

Author: Dennis E. Taylor

Publication Date: Jan 2015

Genre: Sci-Fi

Score: 5/5

Well, this book was a surprise. I had the audio of “We are Legion, We are Bob” and enjoyed that so I looked for more fiction by Mr. Taylor and came across “Outland.” This novel tells the story of a group of college students who invent a dimensional gate leading to other Earths. In the meantime, the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts leaving our characters with a way out. They rescue as many people as they can, a ...more

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Jan 18, 2017 Sheryl rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, prime-lending-library

Be aware before reading that this is book 1 in a series and that book 2 is not yet available (as of Jan 2017). It does not end with a cliffhanger but there is definitely much more to be explored story wise. It has a "comfortable" ending so I don't feel like I've been left dangling but I am definitely looking forward to book 2.

This is a quick, easy and very enjoyable read. Good characters and an exciting story. The major players are college students so while it's not exactly YA, it's not exactly ...more

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Jun 21, 2019 Lorraine Southern rated it really liked it

Shelves: 25-000-2019, 1-750-000-2019, rmfao-2019-audiobooks-challenge

A fitting follow-up to Sarah Lyons Fleming’s sterling Until The End of the World and City series.
My only complaint is that this is number 1 in a new series, but Taylor wrote this in 2015 and doesn't appear to be in any hurry to write number 2 ☹️
...more

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Apr 28, 2019 Luke Burrage rated it it was ok

Shelves: reviewed-on-the-sfbrp, audio-book

Full review on my podcast, SFBRP episode #399.

"Luke talks with Juliane about Outland by Dennis E Taylor, a book that he wanted to be like the book he wanted The Many Colored Land to be like. Neither are really that book."

http://www.sfbrp.com/archives/1579

Advanced copy provided by Audible for review purposes. ...more

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Jun 02, 2019 Karen’s Library rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

I thoroughly enjoyed this audible original of Dennis E. Taylor's first book as performed by Ray Porter. As soon as I saw that there was a new audiobook out combining these two talents, I knew I had to have it. A group of college kids invent a portal to another earth right before an apocalypse hits. Sounded like fun to me! And it was!! I think if I'd read this story in print, I'd have rated it 4 stars, but because my favorite narrator performs the story, I enjoyed it that much more.

And it sounds ...more

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Oct 25, 2020 Karen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

You had me at "supervolcano". 🌋 I never would have found this book without a recommendation from Audible. And I'm so glad they did! This was a very entertaining adventure about a couple groups of college students. One group has developed a portal to an alternate earth where humans never evolved. The other are geologists following the pending eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. First they get together to pan for gold on alternate-earth. Apparently this is the dream of all all physicists hop ...more

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Mar 08, 2017 Chip rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction

3.5 stars. Far, far from a literary masterpiece, but a fun, quick read. Kinda a cross between Robert J Sawyer (most of whose books are premised upon a particular "what if?", and interesting, but lacking in character development) and, say Clive Cussler. A little irked only this first book of the series is currently out, as it's the kinda of trilogy (or whatever) that is easily and quickly devoured (whereas in a month I doubt I'll recall much about any of the cardboard characters). ...more

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Jul 24, 2019 Christopher rated it it was ok

Interesting story, I like the premise of the super volcano, but the skills of the characters are just so implausible. I know good college students, and it just doesn’t make sense that a premed student would have so much medical knowledge or a geology grad student would be able to calculate volcanic effects in her head. By the end of the book I didn’t really like any of the characters. I didn’t care what happened to them. Unfortunately not recommended.

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Oct 13, 2020 Flohallo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction

Listened to the German audiobook version of this book.
The story of the book was quite fascinating, although nothing really new for the sci-fi genre, still exciting. The conversations in the book were sometimes pretty cringy though in my opinion and many jokes weren't funny at all. However, still great book.
Plus I can now add super volcanoes as another irrational fear to my list of existential dreads. ...more

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Mar 03, 2017 Kerri rated it liked it

Writing 2
Characters 2
Plot 4

The writing in this is horrible, especially in the beginning. I'm not sure if it got better or if the plot just got better. The characters, although they are good people, are all annoying. The plot though is super different. Very far fetched but it kept me interested even with the bad points. I will not be reading the next one though. ...more

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Dec 06, 2020 Karen rated it really liked it

Another score by Dennis E. Taylor! Great sci-fi light.

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Aug 24, 2019 Dave Packard rated it really liked it

Shelves: laser, audible

When one event can throw this globe into a downward spiral that can obliterate civilization, we need another world to escape to. What if there was one right next door. Enjoyed this one from beginning to end. The concepts and use of those concepts were refreshing and really pulled me into the story. I recommend it!

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Jun 20, 2019 Clyde rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, audiobook, suspense-thriller

OK, it is now settled. I will read (or as in this case, listen to) anything by Dennis E. Taylor. He provides that perfect mix of nerdiness, action, characterization, snark, and world building that appeals to the SF fan in me.
In Outland an eclectic group of university students in Nebraska discover how to create stable inter-dimensional portals. They include a Newton/Einstein level genius, a geologist, an uber engineer, and several with more, um, "practical" skills.
They discover an alternate a ...more

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May 29, 2019 Myth Oceanas rated it liked it

It was alright, nothing special. After it was over, I just felt like "yeah that was a book and it was good" no real wow factor or anything. I wish the book had more action to it, I felt of lot of it was just people sitting around talking, and only half the conversations had any real substance to them.

Rant about things that stuck out and really bothered me:

The dialogue feels flat and forced, like the kinda way nerds talk if they think they are being over heard. The jokes are also kinda lame, sinc ...more

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Apr 09, 2017 Gregoire rated it it was ok

Shelves: ebook, owned, apocalypse

quick read with nothing really new ! (in between The Long Earth and Eruption Then again, softer by all means : Genius guys and girls save their lives and what left of our present world without really great difficulties ...

While reading, i was a little angry with the author who don't care for "writing" and prefer "telling" but the good point is that he made me remember the "good old days" and the eternal optimism of the Young

(i can believe they go back only a few days after the super eruption wi ...more

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May 23, 2017 Eliatan rated it liked it

Shelves: bought, kindle, dystopian, sci-fi

To be honest, I only bought this book because I loved the Bobiverse books so much that I thought I'd check out the author's other work. The first part of the story was pretty naff - low-rent writing and too many nerdy clichés, but then bang! The book finally took off.

The communist uni students save the day! The rest of the world is dying off/killing each other off, while in utopia we can all just get along and pitch in to get the work done. Good luck with that, kiddies!

But you can be sure when ...more

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Jun 07, 2019 Donatas rated it it was ok

Shelves: did-not-finish

I've finished maybe 2/3 of the book and simply couldn't continue. Part of it was Audible narrator whose voice was simply too heavy for college kids but the other part was that main characters were very shallow and didn't act like scientists would. ...more

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Aug 28, 2020 Ivan rated it did not like it

I had fun with Taylor's Bobiverse series and expected to enjoy this as a lighthearted sci-fi adventure. But I didn't like the characters, and I thought the dialogue and story seemed like some bad TV show. ...more

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Nov 26, 2016 David Paul rated it really liked it

Good book

Very entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book.
I really do not agree with the amount of words I am told to use for a review.

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Jun 22, 2017 Strina K rated it it was ok

Competent book with an interesting premise was greatly weakened for me by a farcical "goon" subplot. ...more

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May 17, 2019 Don Dunham rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Fun book ! Not in the Bobiverse anymore. Nice beginning to a Portal Fantasy series. Rated PG for language and Violence. Can't wait for the next installment. ...more

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Jul 09, 2019 Scott Diamond rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: f-scifi-fantasy

Initial plot is a little implausible but pretty soon you just get caught up in the fun SciFi story

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Feb 09, 2020 Dave rated it it was amazing

Looking forward to book two audio

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Jul 04, 2019 Jen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science, audiobook, amazing-narrator, apocalyptic, adult, sci-fi

If you've read Dennis E. Taylor before (try Bobiverse) you'll know how technically detailed things can get. This story is no exception - I think what saves it is that the really smart guys have to dumb everything down for the other characters. Regardless, this is wonderful scifi.

There is some necessary suspension of disbelief, certainly. A bunch of college kids saving a small bit of the world? Maybe, because they really are pretty smart. But they do tend to figure out a lot of complicated stuff ...more

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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. SCIFI: Yellowstone eruption, gateway to alternate earth. [s]	7	25	Nov 04, 2018 02:47PM

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About Dennis E. Taylor

Dennis E. Taylor

4,865 followers

I am a retired computer programmer, an enthusiastic snowboarder, and an inveterate science fiction reader.

And, apparently, an author now. Did not see that coming.