Worlds Apart can be considered Martin R. Oliver’s sequel to The Never Lonely Planet, a travelogue that details the author’s extensive travels throughout the world. The Never Lonely Planet takes the reader from his native town in Coventry – England, to Brazil, to the Middle East, and to Asia. In it, Martin describes his experiences while he muses on the cultural impact these travels have had on him as a global citizen.
Worlds Apart follows pretty much a similar travel itinerary but this time the stories are told from the point of view of several fictional characters. Knowing the author from our previous interview, it is actually quite difficult to tell whether the characters are fictional – as the line between fiction and the reality of Martin’s adventures and misadventures blurs in the written text.
Worlds Apart takes readers all over the world!
This collection is made up of 14 short stories, the first one being “A Siam Story” – Thailand being a country the author is much in love with. If you’re a regular visitor or an expat living in Bangkok, the story will be a familiar one. If not, then you’d better read it carefully.
The great thing about “A Siam Story” is that Pia, the Thai bar girl, becomes a recurring character, creating thus a neat connection between some of the stories. This interconnectedness brings unity to a collection of short stories that otherwise would have been just that. Short stories.
Obviously, the overarching theme of Worlds Apart is travel. Travelling has been Martin R. Oliver’s lifetime bug and, even now, as a retired expatriate living in Dubai, this bug still gets him on planes and far-away destinations. It’s no wonder that the book was published by Booksmango, a Bangkok-based European managed publishing company that also distributes Martin’s first book The Never Lonely Planet.
Worlds Apart makes a great read if you’re planning to travel to Asia. If you don’t have such travel plans, then the collection of short stories will make you an armchair traveller who experiences a foreign world through Martin R. Oliver’s words.
The book is available at Asia Books throughout Thailand and also as an e-book from the publisher’s website. The printed book cost US$11.99 while the e-book version is only US$4.99.
