When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, it’s up to six college students and their experimental physics project to prevent the end of civilization.
When an experiment to study quantum uncertainty goes spectacularly wrong, physics student Bill Rustad and his friends find that they have accidentally created an inter-dimensional portal. They connect to Outland – an alternate Earth with identical … identical geology, but where humans never evolved. The group races to establish control of the portal before the government, the military, or evildoers can take it away.
Then everything changes when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts in an explosion large enough to destroy civilization and kill half the planet. The team has just hours to get as many people as possible across to Outland before a lethal cloud of ash overwhelms them.
Nothing has prepared the refugees for what they find – a world of few resources and unprecedented dangers. Somehow, they must learn to survive, because Outland may not just be a safe haven – it could be their new home.
more
Someone said this concept reminded them of Terra Nova, the failed TV show about Dinosaurs. Although it doesn’t hit that mark necessarily, the concept is just as cool. Dennis did a great job developing a world that felt believable. The heist portion was well done, smart, and the end result was satisfying. Get the book, you won’t be upset.
Parallel universes have become a staple of science fiction literature, and in Outland Dennis E. Taylor has made a very good addition to the subgenre. In many ways it starts out like a Robert A. Heinlein novel. A group of college students has discovered a way to open a portal into another universe and immediately start thinking about how they can make money off of it. They realize immediately that they will lose control of their invention if the government, a major corporation, or even their university learns of its existence, so they begin seeking other ways to make money. One of the worlds is suffering from a horrendous green-house-inspired catastrophe, but another appears to be a North America without humans. They adopt the most commonly used strategy among these books and go panning for gold.
Had that been all that Taylor had in mind, this would have been an alright book. College students do not put large amounts of gold up for sale without attracting attention and that attention can lead to much excitement. Fortunately, Taylor had a much better plot in mind. While these college students are exploring their device, the super volcano beneath Yellowstone National Park is preparing to blow. When it does, it immediately changes the whole situation and the college students have to focus on how they are going to survive an extinction level event on our planet and how many people they can save. This plot twist turns an enjoyable book into an intensely exciting one. I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
I got hooked on this author with ‘We Are Legion (we are bob)’, and love this second dive into his brain just as much!
I’m a sucker for nerd-packed novels with a solid dose of humor. This doesn’t disappoint.
I love Dennis E. Taylor’s stuff. And this one is no different.
As in his other work, he doesn’t pull any punches and waste time with fluff. He tells a good story and doesn’t bog you down with trivial, non-related things. And I love that.
It’s a fun story with action, drama, dimension hopping, and a super volcano… what’s not to love?!
The man is unstoppable when creating hit books. Outland is another notch to the belt of book creation. But is worthy of a five star? Hmmm….not really sure.
The book (currently on audible only…but soon to be a print book as well) is about a group of university students banning together to create a portal to an alternate Earth…of sorts…kinda. They experience dilemmas and financial problems along the way, not to mention other things breaching our reality in return. The book itself is hard to describe – Science fiction/historylesson/geology course. Nerds will love this book no problem. But I think the everyday, non-sci fi geek will glaze over the techno-babble of what the characters are talking about.
I will admit….I’m not a geology buff, nor someone who likes to delve into the theoretical principles of mathematical probabilities. So, I kinda got lost….even when it was dumbed down a shade for the other characters not versed in the field.
Did I enjoy the book….yes…and…no. I find that it was a good read despite all the usual engineering talk he is well educated in. But at times, it got bogged down in the science and tended to drift into relationship problems that I didn’t care too much about. (Sorry Dennis.)
This was actually his first story (before the Bob books) and was re-written and polished to be yet another audio book. I can see it doing well as a movie (eventually) but I could see Hollywood taking many of those lagging moments out of the script. But that’s just my opinion on what would happen.
What I love about his books….especially this one, is the characterizations. Dennis is the master of creating real, well-rounded, interesting characters and has a gift to make them believable as hell. They speak, sound and behave like you would expect someone would in that story. And that is what makes his books sellers.
The Singularity Trap and Outland are high on my list…but his Bobiverse collection is far superior. So what do I give this book in stars…..4 out of 5.
It really is a good book. But just shy of giving it a full five stars from me. Mainly due to the lack of understanding of the joy of geology/math this embodies.
Mr. Taylor….I’d like to get some more of what you’re dishing out please.