m. c. de marco: To invent new life and new civilizations...

At io9, there’s a review of last year’s The Walls of the Universe by Paul Melko. I found it by accident in the library a couple of weeks ago, and I agree with the reviewer, more or less:

The Walls Of The Universe is a really fast, entertaining read, with nice, crisp prose. (At one point, Rayburn hits a guy with a tire iron, and he falls “like a suit off a rack.”) The little character touches, and the parallel between the two Johns' stories in the two alternate universes, add a lot to the basic idea. But it’s also refreshing to see a book about travel between universes where nobody’s trying to change the course of history or build an empire — just make a fast buck. Highly, highly recommended.

I would add that the novel has both a YA feel, mainly from the youth of the main characters, and a certain lack of closure. The latter could be just the opening for a sequel, yet it’s more likely to be the sudden change of perspective in the main character, who at the end is no longer after the quick buck but Truth, Justice and the Universe 7533 Way.