The long cosmos

Completed by the authors eighteen months before Terry Pratchett's untimely death, this novel serves as the grand climax of the Long Earth series. Set in 2070-71, nearly six decades after Step Day, the new Next post-human society continues to evolve. Joshua Valiente, now in his late sixties, embarks on one last solo journey into the High Meggers, which quickly turns disastrous. Alone and facing death, his only hope lies with a group of trolls. As Joshua confronts his mortality, the Long Earth receives a mysterious signal from the stars. This signal, detected by radio astronomers and interpreted in abstract ways by trolls and Great Traversers, carries a simple yet profound message: JOIN US. The super-smart Next realize the Message contains instructions for developing an immense artificial intelligence, requiring assistance from the industrious worlds of mankind. Gradually, they assemble a computer the size of a continent—a device poised to alter the Long Earth's position in the cosmos and reveal the ultimate, life-affirming goal of those who sent the Message. Its impact will resonate with all who inhabit the Long Earths, affecting mankind and other species, young and old, communities and individuals alike.