InterWorld Reviews

• Neil Gaiman And Michael Reaves Offer Up An Alternate World Spin

  
  By A1U360OMVQRPUB on 2007-06-28
  Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves are both award winning writers. They also both rose to prominence outside the novel arena. Gaiman scripted the SANDMAN comic series that lasted 75 issues plus specials. Since that time he's gone on to script many other things, including novels, television shows, short stories, movie scripts, and continued working in the comics arena. His work for Marvel Comics to create the 1602 universe when heroes similar to the present-day Spiderman, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, etc rose at 300 years ago has rightfully garnered a lot of attention. He also helped flesh out the mythos of the comics industry's best-selling title, SPAWN.
  
  
  
  Michael Reaves has written many television cartoon scripts, including BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES, GHOSTBUSTERS, and others. He's also written short stories and novels.
  
  
  
  According to the notes in the latest book they have out together, INTERWORLD, they got the idea for the book about ten years ago. Reaves joined Gaiman at his house and they sat down and wrote the book together. The idea had originally started out as a pitch for the television people. Since they had trouble explaining the concept to television executives, they came up with the idea of writing a short novel about it. Even after the novels written, television wasn't prepared to make a series.
  
  
  
  Last year, the manuscript was given fresh life when it was shown around to some prospective publishers. Almost immediately, the book was greenlit for publication.
  
  
  
  I enjoy a lot of Neil Gaiman's work. His comics are great, his short stories haunt, and his novels are generally burst out loud laughing or truly epic. Sometimes both.
  
  
  
  I've read some of Reaves's books, but I'm not as familiar with his work. He seems to create some interesting worlds and some interesting characters.
  
  
  
  When I heard about INTERWORLD, the premise sounded truly exciting. Imagine a boy, Joey Harker, who could literally run into several of his alternate selves on parallel worlds. I figured immediately that the book had kind of a SLIDERS or Marvel Comics EXILES feel. I had a lot of hopes for the book.
  
  
  
  After getting the book in the mail today, I sat down and read it. It's an easy read. The prose just sails right along. And the story is simple. In fact, it's a little too simple compared to what I was expecting. Granted that the book was written with a nine to twelve year old audience in mind, there was a lot of concentration on the architecture of the nothingness that stretched between the worlds. And not enough focus on real character development or even a plot. Both of those turn out simple as well.
  
  
  
  I know the juvenile crowd will probably appreciate that, but this is the same market that has been reading Harry Potter books that were 1000 pages long with convoluted and heavily articulated plots.
  
  
  
  Still, this is Gaiman and there are flashes of brilliance as well as true emotion throughout. When he talks about his teacher Dimas, he sounds so true I couldn't help but wonder if Gaiman or Reaves really had a teacher like that. The "class assignments" were terrific, and found myself wishing for more of those.
  
  
  
  The book moves at high speed once it gets up and going, which is really very quickly. However Joey tends to be left on his own through much of the book. He always seems to be leaving people behind and not making any true and lasting friendships for a long time. In fact, the story was depressing there for awhile because everybody he met seem to die. Including himself.
  
  
  
  Overall, I was pretty happy with the book. I wish there had been more. But it felt like an interesting cross between a Heinlein juvenile, an early Andre Norton adventure, and Roger Zelazny's Amber series. INTERWORLD is a quick read with plenty of zip and provides a host of ideas with lots of action.
  
  
  
  

• Not Like Gaiman at All

  
  By A8OANGABVMM9L on 2007-09-01
  First, a caveat: I am 26 years old and therefore am clearly not within the 9-12 demographic for which this book is intended. Perhaps it is unfair to ask that young adult novels stand up to the scrutiny of adult readers. However, Gaiman is a first-rate talent and I think that it is fair to expect his writing to stand up to such age-independent works as the later Harry Potter novels, Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy, or Mieville's Un Lun Dun.
  
  InterWorld has an amazing premise: Joey Harker, a completely unremarkable teenager, gets caught up in a conflict that spans the infinite worlds of the multiverse in an epic conflict between magic and science. Even if I hadn't been a Gaiman fan, I would have picked up this novel based simply on the brilliance of the set up.
  
  Unfortunately, InterWorld consistently fails to deliver. Joey lacks any compelling characteristics of a great protagonist; he seems, in fact, to be a rather dull and unintelligent teenager. This is true even after his transformation from a normal kid into a major player in this epic conflict; he never moves beyond one-dimension. Especially disappointing is the missed opportunity of interesting interaction between many alternate versions of the same character. Despite the (literally) infinite potential of the multiverse, neither the magical HEX nor the technological Binary, nor anything in between, is fleshed out enough to be really interesting. This is especially true of the Binary side, which gets shafted in favor of a climax devoted entirely to the HEX side of the equation.
  
  Perhaps most disappointing, the quality of the writing is decidedly inferior. Anyone familiar with Gaiman can vouch for the magical quality of his prose. Stardust, for example, is written in language that any literate 9-12 year old would understand and appreciate, yet positively sings with lyrical elegance. In comparison, InterWorld feels plodding and clumsy. Even with the device of the first person narrator, which provides plenty of opportunity for a conversational style in the mode of a modern teenage boy, the result is inappropriately formal, or else clunky in that no teenager actually speaks in such a way. Simply put: InterWorld doesn't feel like Gaiman at all. It is much more in the mode of Reaves' Star Wars novels.
  
  To be fair, InterWorld is a fast-paced story based on a brilliant premise that bridges the science-fiction/fantasy gap. It is an easy read, and it is enjoyable enough for what it is. However, given that this story spent the last decade on the backburner while Gaiman and Reaves worked on other projects, I can't help but think that they should have left it there.
  
  

• Joey to the Infinite Power!

  
  By AB0TLNLNOAGY4 on 2007-08-14
  Neil Gaiman is well known for his fantasy novels and graphic novels and lately has gained quite a bit of status, especially since Stardust is due to hit theaters soon. According to the Afterword, this part SF, part Fantasy story was written by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves years ago and then shelved away out of lack of interest. What so often happens when authors gain fame and attention happened in this case, a story that generated no interest before and couldn't find a publisher is dusted off and given life on the bookstore shelf.
  
  Joey Harker is nothing special, or so he thinks. If anything his ability to get lost in his own house is downright embarrassing. But then one day he manages take a wrong turn and winds up in another dimension. The ability to walk through worlds is a special one, and there are forces that intend to use Joey for their own ends. The only safety for Joey is an army . . . of himself. But saving the universe is a tough business and it's not so easy for one boy to turn into a hero overnight. Before he comes into his own, Joey has a lot of growing up to do. It's a fascinating idea: an army crafted between dimensions out of self preservation. It's also a really quick read. At only 233 pages, the story has to keep moving pretty quickly in order to wrap up before the book cover closes. This tale has much in common with superhero storylines and feels almost comic-book like in nature, despite the text storyline. This isn't too surprising given that Gaiman is well known for his Sandman graphic novels and Reaves is an award-winning television writer who worked on Batman: The Animated Series and Gargoyles.
  
  Overall, I'd say the book isn't bad--particularly for something that was dusted off from storage. But while the world building is fascinating, the plotting tends to be way too simplistic and clichéd. Even the target audience for this novel (9-12 year-olds) is going to be familiar with some of these plot elements: Joey's friendship with a "dangerous" creature from in-between that becomes a sort of pet and sidekick, the crochety, never-a-nice-word to anybody leader, and the reluctant hero heading out to rescue his friends in a do or die situation after he's been kicked to the curb. So, if someone's looking for originality in the storyline, they may be a bit disappointed. Still, the story isn't dead in the water, and there's some fascinating glimpses and ideas to be had, but it could have been much stronger--both writers are capable of better plotting. Likewise, there isn't much time for characterization in the brief adventure tale and most of the cast gets the short end of a stick on description. We get glimpses, but no time to really get to know most of them. My biggest complaint is that things go at a comfortable pace in the beginning--introducing Joey and his teacher and his first World Walk. Then everything starts to run a bit too quickly once we get to the Interworld base. Joey goes from being rescued to being a recruit at a very sudden pace and the entire part of the story that takes place at the Interworld school feels glossed over. It would have been interesting to spend more time on that part and expand the growth of Joey from clueless victim who gets others killed to heroic teammate who saves the day.
  
  While there are deaths in this book and some gruesome threats to the protagonists, there isn't as much actual grisly death in the story and it does have a happy ending for the most part. The story will probably work best for young teens and mature preteens who enjoy the kind of blended SF and Fantasy that is found in superhero comics. It's a quick read and therefore may appeal to those who dislike longer works or endless series. For older teens and readers who have cut their eyeteeth on Gaiman's longer fiction, this may be a bit of a disappointment and it might be one to borrow from the library before buying to see if it's worth it. For those who enjoy this and want to find more Neil Gaiman books to read, check out Neverwhere and Stardust. And for other adventures in SF and Fantasy, check out Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins and Mister Monday by Garth Nix.
  
  Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad
  
  
  

• Great Characters and True Imagination

  
  By A2LQ3Q6CFKY7UB on 2007-07-28
  Wow! The story was smart, exciting, and there's a part with the protagonist, Joey and his mom that got me a bit choked up. A real page turner, I found I was saying to myself, "just one more page, and one more, and...
  
  A thoroughly satisfying sci-fi adventure, with a touch of Spielberg film (without the sappy music). Great character development, incredible worlds, and something lacking in many films today: unbelievably horrible and hate-able villains. So bad you could smell them. Bravo!
  
  

• Coming of Age

  
  By A2EWYYGUO2SJFQ on 2007-07-04
  I had a chance to read this in manuscript form, before it was published, and I thought then it would be a terrific book. Great to see it finally in print, and I'm looking forward to the movie version (the book has be optioned for the big screen.)
  
  Great job, guys.
  
  
• A story with a lot of possibilities
  By A35BT2SWSIN6AU on 2007-07-10
  Science fiction is not usually Neil Gaiman's forte, but I doubt many would suspect that after reading Interworld. Granted, he doesn't quite abandon his use of mysticism and, in my opinion, it's one more thread adding to a rich tapestry of story weaving.
  
  Like with Coraline, Gaiman is appealing to a younger audience than the one he usually writes for. Unlike Caroline, I don't think he quite hit the mark. The general plot and some of the vocabulary might prove frustrating to someone younger than high school age since it's dealing with inter-dimensional possibilities and all the quasi-scientific terminology associated with it.
  
  While I wouldn't say it's impossible for a 9 to 12 year old to enjoy Interworld (in fact, I think they would like it a lot), I think it's one of those books that a parent should consider their child's reading level before blindly buying. Similar to novels like A Wrinkle In Time, this might be a novel to read with your kid if they like books, but aren't yet a strong reader.
  
  Although I'm twice the recommended reading age, I can honestly say this was an entertaining, fanciful read for me with sincere characterization and genuine suspense. Imagine how much a 9 to 12 year old would enjoy it?
  
  
  
• Enjoyable but not great
  By A2GPD1WFUHETIU on 2007-10-11
  Gaiman is one of my favorite writers. This middle-grade level book was good, but not as interesting as others he has done such as Coraline.
  
  The premise is fine - a series of parallel worlds with two warring societies, one magical and one technical, working their way from opposite ends of the "arc" of worlds, each trying to take control. The protagonist and his counterparts from the parallel worlds are in the middle, trying to maintain the balance.
  
  It is never explained why or how the protagonist and his ilk have the power to walk between these worlds. The protagonist resolves most of the issues through last minute aid from other sources or by accident, not his own efforts, which doesn't seem to be a good example in this reading age level.
  
  The other main problem I had is the whole theme is balance, yet other than a minor skirmish the only real conflict comes from the magical side, not the technical side. And in their efforts to stop the magical side, it seems to me that would have tipped the scales far toward the technical society.
  
  It was an easy, enjoyable read, but lacking some of the plot intricacies that I expect from Gaimain, and even at this age level the audience should also expect.
  
  
• Fun read, good world, not much more.
  By A56SY60ZLHHPC on 2007-07-26
  InterWorld is the new book by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves. At first, I was surprised to see a collaboration with Neil, as other than comics, he seems to prefer to work alone. As I read it, I found that it moved quickly, but seemed to lack the multiple layers of meaning that Neil's work usually has.
  
  Ironic since it's about multidimensional universes and the travels therein.
  
  I've read Michael's work before, and enjoyed it, but it didn't leave a lasting impression. However, what I find extremely interesting about this collaboration is that, like many excellent authors, Neil seems to have problems writing believable children (Coraline was excellent, but she didn't seem like a child to me) but it seemed to work here. In some ways, it feels like Neil and Michael had this idea of a multidimensional multiverse, in which there is an arc of probabilities in which different Earths exist, which vary increasingly as they deviate from "normal". Then (and I'm guessing here), Michael wrote the plot (feels more like a Reaves plot than a Gaiman plot), and Neil sparked up the dialog a bit. There are definite lines that sit on the page and say "Hi, by the way, you're reading a Neil Gaiman book. Now, on with the story.".
  
  With the exception of the over-used dichotomy (why would a multidimensional universe divide itself into only two opposing forces?), the concept worked and was written well. It ended before a resolution, and feels much like "Books of Magic" did, and it would not surprise me to see other authors pick up the idea and turn it into a series that is good for a while before it spirals into mediocrity.
  
  Pretty par for the course for a book that was written because they couldn't make it work as a TV pilot. Which is the case (per the afterward). It's a good read and a fun world. But it's no Anansi Boys.
  
  
• Neal Gaiman almost never fails
  By A1QM7C586RAT6K on 2007-08-01
  Great, this is for children of course but is also enjoyable for adults anyway. I read the whole thing in an afternoon, would have loved to see it as a TV show or movie, maybe an anime would be the best medium.
  
  Anything from Gaiman has great quality - sorry, never heard of the other author before - and almost always is just what I like.
  
  
• Amazing story, leaves me wanting more.
  By A1XG1BCC11WZG5 on 2007-10-20
  Great story. The book reads fast and quick. Good solid Gaiman story smithing. I want to experience more of this world.... the teaser 'pilot' nature of the book has functioned as intended on this guy.... PLEASE!! MORE!
  
  
• A good read
  By AK2AF8V0C2TXK on 2008-04-10
  The story is about a boy - Joey Harker - who can walk between alternate Earths, a skill shared by all the other "Joeys" (in quotations because they have different names and genders and forms). These Joeys form an army in order to keep the balance between science and magic used in the Altiverse. This book focuses on the villains who wish to use magic to dominate the Altiverse.
  
  It is a quick read, and there are some questions that could have been delved more into. It made me wonder about what makes a person a person and how they're identifiable as the 'same' person across parallel Earths. For instance, Joey meets female versions of him, or a wolf-like one of him - is it only this ability of his to walk across worlds that make him identifiable as "a" "Joey"? What do you owe a being who has saved your life, but saving them could harm yourself and others? Expediency or honor/obligation?
  
  One good scene in the book is where he encounters his mom and there's a discussion (brief, but still) about duty - this seems to be a somewhat overarching theme of the book, as well as friendship and trust. Joey's defense of Hue, a MDLF, depicts standing up for someone despite your friends and majority call them wicked.
  
  At times the book is a little too simplistic, though I like the flashes of realistic emotions, such as feeling relief something happened even though it's not the happiest outcome for others involved. It's a good read when you want something not so heavy to delve into, but questions *could* be taken from it if you want to.
  
  
• A book for pre-teens
  By A132FCKZZYSHBY on 2008-07-30
  Neil Gaiman is one of those authors that you either love or... actually, i think everyone loves him. There are a lot of people (such as me) that will buy anything with Gaiman's name on it, even the constantly repackaged short stories that cause you to buy the same story three times
  
  i bought this book thinking this was a Gaiman book. Which was dumb of me. This book isn't "Gaiman's InterWorld", it's Gaiman and Reaves' InterWorld, and my guess is that it's really Reaves' InterWorld. i've written quite a few short stories and screen plays and my own experience is that there is no such thing as a two-author story. If a book claims it had two authors, it normally means one person wrote the story and the other provided some ideas or acted as a sounding board. But having two authors influence the final product equally is nearly impossible - one author's style and vision inevitably takes over. i don't know Michael Reaves (other than knowing that he's a prolific writer of TV screenplays) but my guess is that this is his book. There's nothing here that feels like Gaiman. Nothing. That's not a bad thing - there are plenty of good authors - just understand that this probably isn't a Gaiman book
  
  So is it good? i honestly don't know
  
  i've learned that there are stories that appeal to people of all ages and stories that only appeal to a particular group. When she turned 10, Amber found a few of the latter. She loved them. Wanting to be able to talk to her about them, i read the books and utterly loathed them. They weren't bad books, they just didn't appeal to people out of their target audience
  
  And that's what Interworld is. This might be a great book for pre-teens, but i don't think anyone else will like it. i personally hated it. i'm not sure why but i think it's because i've read too many books. There are no surprises in this story, no originality and no subtlety. Everything in the story is cliche. The bad guys are cartoonishly evil, the world is ridiculously polarized (witches vs. robots), the plot could have been generated with a computer playing madlib with a generic hero story template and every plot point is drawn in big crayola letters and highlighted in neon, a heavy handed treatment to make absolutely sure you know what's going on
  
  It took me a while to realize that these are not bad things. At some point, you had never read a novel. You had read Pokey Little Puppy and Fox in Socks and at a certain age decided to tackle a novel. That's a hard transition. Much of what happens in an adult novel - the nuanced world views, subtle character interactions, assumptions of knowledge about the world - is hard to understand for someone new to novels. There is a need for stories that help readers make the transition. Starter novels. Novels with training wheels. And that's what InterWorld is
  
  Many stories appeal to all ages. All of Neil Gaiman's children's stories are like that, most notably the juvenile novels Stardust and Coraline and the movie Mirror Mask. i can't name a single Gaiman kids story that wasn't enjoyable for adults (although the opposite is certainly not true). And that's part of why this novel doesn't feel like a Gaiman book. Even his Alice Cooper graphic novel, which was often criticized for being formulaic and cliche, had an unmistakable Gaiman feel to it. i don't think Neil Gaiman is capable of not writing in the style of Neil Gaiman. And this isn't a Gaiman book
  
  So it's not a Gaiman book. Is it good? i truly don't know. i was offended by how bad it was, although if you imagine you're reading a script for a TV series pilot it feels more in place (TV shows, especially kids action shows, tend to be ham fisted and cliche). But i don't think i'm this book's audience. This was a one star book for me, but if you're a preteen who enjoys series like Warriors and The Death Gate Cycle, maybe you'll like InterWorld too. Wish i could tell you
  
  
• read it. DO NOT MISS THIS ONE just because it might be for kids
  By ADSODC2QUK52I on 2007-11-22
  It's great. It's just great. I love Gaiman, of course. And it's not, as it would be suggested, for kids. There's no sex but some violence, and characters die. The plot is twisted, Gaiman-like, will keep you sit tight and make you wish the book was larger or there would be a sequence.
  And you might want to think a bit.
  
  
• Great, Fast Read
  By A2D9Z6LA6F7EKS on 2007-12-01
  I am slightly biased as I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan, but this book is great. It is a very quick read and is definitely targeted for the younger audience, but it is still a brilliant story. This would be a great book to introduce the young reader to Gaiman or for an older reader (such as myself) to just kick back and relax for a bit.
  
  
• Just plain fun!
  By A12HI5D3C2EGWJ on 2008-02-06
  A fun jaunt through multiple dimensions, InterWorld tells the story of young Joe Harker, who has the ability to Walk between dimensions, and the adventures that ensue when he discovers this ability after getting himself lost downtown. It's not so much a story about good vs. evil as it is about science vs. magic, and trying to keep the balance between the two.
  
  Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves had originally conceived the concept as a television show, but when studios didn't seem interested, they changed the telling into a novel.
  
  I really enjoyed reading this book. Straight forward storytelling and some imaginative plots made for an enjoyable experience. It's a quick read, but worth it if you are looking for something fun. I find myself hoping that they continue the story.
  
  
• Clever and touching!
  By A7KO97DQ21O0U on 2008-03-08
  How much more can you play with the baqsic idea of multiple dimensions? Well, plenty! The authors create an original, clever, and capturing read that would pleasure both young and mature readers alike. I recommended this to all my friends (and to some of their older kids).
  
  
• Interworld
  By A3NBL1TI2M3CW1 on 2007-09-19
  INTERWORLD BY NEIL GAIMAN AND MICHAEL REAVES: Most people are familiar with Neil Gaiman, who has written such great novels as Neverwhere, American Gods, and Coraline for younger readers, but not so many know Michael Reaves. Reaves has written for Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Twilight Zone, and Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the New York Times bestseller Star Wars: Darth Maul - Shadow Hunter. Gaiman and Reaves began working on the idea for Interworld in 1995 wishing to make it a television adventure, but the idea was not received well, so they decided to write it down in novel form but was still never picked up. Recently, it was represented and has been picked up with a 2010 release, and the book finally published. It is the perfect young adult science-fiction adventure story to fill the vacuum left with the completion of the Harry Potter series.
  
  Joey Harker is an ordinary boy with nothing special going for him. He's stuck in high school with few friends and a girl who doesn't even know he exists. While on a routine school field trip, Joey suddenly "Walks" into a parallel world, just like the one he is from but with subtle differences. He Walks through a couple more worlds and soon finds people on his tail. He runs and an ally soon joins him, covered in this strange silvery suit, and looking uncannily like him. Joey eventually discovers that there are thousands and thousands of alternate realities which he is able to Walk through and get to. He discovers that there are two forces vying for control of all the worlds: the HEX, who are based in science and technology, and the Binary who believe in sorcery and magic. Finally there is the Interworld, where a seemingly endless number of Joey Harkers from different worlds, with different but similar names, all looking very different, of various ages, working together to stop the HEX and the Binary.
  
  Written in an incredibly descriptive and flamboyant style, with a pastiche of imagery styles - with the clear intention of transposing Interworld to the big screen - Interworld is a unique novel for all ages, taking you on a journey unlike any other where it requires you to stay on your "mental toes" to keep everything straight and make sure you know what's going on in this strange universe.
  
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• Great read
  By A1FGUE7YBKYAZZ on 2008-06-12
  The book is well written, like anything else by Neil Gaiman.
  I recommend it.
  
  
• Great read, great story, wonderful binding
  By AWSW1ONVNRUDX on 2008-08-02
  For those interested in getting into Neil Gaiman's literary and artistic world, Interworld is a great first choice. I personally have been reading Neil Gaiman's stories for years, and have loved everything I've come across. When I read Interworld, I found a richly described world, with he steps in between the others short and succinct. Essentially, the descriptive words that Gaiman uses so frequently in his stories can often confuse the average reader if they're not used to reading them. However, this book is a short story, perfectly designed to be an entry into Gaiman's world, and I loved every minute of it. If you're already a Gaiman fan, this is a great book to get, and if you don't know about Gaiman, this is an even better book to get started with.
  
  
• Not just for kids...
  By A3DD0JQSME6U0T on 2008-09-02
  I wasn't aware that this was a "young adult" book until I received it. No problem, since, as always, Neil Gaiman delights with clever story-telling and memorable characters. It is, perhaps, a somewhat quicker read due to being geared toward a younger, somewhat more distractable audience, but certainly not a disappointment by any means, and I would love to see futher adventures of the young Joey in his parallel worlds.
  
  
  
  

• M Is for Magic
• Eternals
• The Graveyard Book
• Coraline Graphic Novel
• Stardust