Wlds

Set late in the 21st century, Worlds tells the story of a young woman, Marianne, who grew up in one of the orbital habitats (called Worlds hence the title) that surround the Earth. She journeys to Earth for the first time as part of a year long educational and sightseeing tour. She gets involved with groups and events that give the reader information, in a subtle way, about the tense political situation that exists between the Worlds and Earth. Not only is there tension between the Worlds and Earth there is additional friction between the territories and nation states of the Earth. The USA has fragmented into several republics and dominions that have widely varying socio-economic situations. This adds confusion to the geo-political landscape and sets the stage for the momentous events of the book. As the plot starts to build to the exciting and dynamic conclusion, the tidbits the reader had been given in earlier chapters become more coherent. By the end of the book the pacing has completely changed and it ends at a blistering level leaving the reader wondering, what next? What next is Worlds Apart. Worlds and Worlds Apart are two books that demand to be read together. The buildup in Worlds is only fully concluded in Worlds Apart. Buy Worlds separately and you will regret it for certain. Worlds and Worlds Apart together comprise an intensely compelling story that I found to be the best of Haldeman, even better than the Forever War.

Worlds was one of the first science fiction novels I ever read and it is still one of the best. When I started this book I got through the first 50 pages or so. For various reasons I didn't pick the book up until about six months later. When I finally got back to it, I was able to remember everything I had read before. Haldeman was definitely on top of his game with this one. He took a great premise and turned it into a great story with engaging characters and a fast-paced plot. The detail and imagery in his depictions of this future Earth and life in the Worlds makes you feel like you are standing right there next to the characters, literally immersed within the novel. If there was anything lacking, I certainly do not remember it.

I'm not much of a sci fi fan, I'm too old really. However my daughter loved this series so much I had to try it. Well it's pretty good. I'm kind of a picky guy but I liked it. It's led me to read some of his other books and I have been pleased. Good stuff.

I can't say enough good things about this book (and the whole World's triolgy). Like most people I got hooked on Haldeman via the Forever War and I just picked this one at random to be my next book. Well I was up reading this all weekend; I just couldn't put it down! I spent the next three days tracking down the sequel and read it within the week. The third book (Worlds Enough In Time) wasn't quite as great as the first two but still a very enjoyable read (though still very good, I think the thing I didn't like was that it was written many years later and somehow the style doesn't quite fit with the first two).This is easily one of the best sci-fi sagas I've ever read. It easily stands with classics such as Asimov's Foundation books and David Brin's Uplift Series. I highly recommend it.

Since there's no information here about this book, here's what the back cover of my copy says: "In the year 2084, nearly a half million humans have escaped pollution and overcrowding to live in the hollowed-out asteroids miles above the Earth. For Maryanne O'Hara--born and raised on New New York, one of several orbiting Worlds--the prospect of attending college on the home planet is both frightening and exhilirating. But things are very different down below. Violence, unrest, and political fanatacism run rampant. And mixing with the wrong crowd can have serious, sinister, and Worlds-shattering consequences."As for my own thoughts...I love this book. I've recently read Haldeman's Forever Peace, Forever Free, and The Coming, and none of them were as effective as Worlds. This novel tells the story of Mary O'Hara, a nineteen year old girl who has lived her whole life in space. She earns a scholarship of sorts to study at NYU, so she gets to actually set foot on Earth, something the vast majority of Worlds citizens never get the chance to do. Much of the story is told in the form of letters and diary entries, so the writing style is simple and moving. Deceptively simple, because there's a great story here with rich detail about what life is like on Earth in the future. I don't want to give any plot details away, but I will say that it's a great coming-of-age story that really makes you care about the main character. And the ending is really heart-wrenching. Worlds was first published in 1980. I think it's every bit as good as his acclaimed The Forever War, and a close runner-up behind All My Sins Remembered. Luckily for me (and you) this is the first book in a trilogy. I can't wait to settle back into one of Haldeman's Worlds again soon.