Discover Most Popular Audiobooks in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

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Title: Inherit the Stars

Author: Tony Peak

Narrator: C. S. E Cooney

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-03-15

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Wanderlust runs in Kivita Vondir's blood. She dreamed of salvaging like her father when she was young, and now it's her addiction, getting her through pit stops filled with cheap alcohol and cheaper companionship and distracting her from her broken heart. Her latest contract to hunt down a fabled gemstone is exactly the kind of adventure she craves. But this job is more than meets the eye. For one thing, her duplicitous employer has hired rebel Sar Redryll - Kivita's former lover - to stop her at any cost. For another, Kivita's recovery of the relic unleashes in her powerful new abilities. Abilities that everyone in the Cetturo Arm - human, alien, and in between - desperately wishes to control....

As she avoids a massive galactic manhunt, Kivita teams up with two unlikely allies: Sar and his enigmatic new partner. Only, as the gem's mysteries are revealed and danger draws near, Kivita begins to wonder if her ex has truly changed or if he's just waiting for the right moment to betray her once again.

Members Reviews:

Fast paced, brilliant universe, great Space Opera

Inherit the Stars is a fast paced space opera with some of the most interesting world building Iâve read since Walter Jon Williamsâ Praxis series. Set in a time where mankind has forgotten its origins, a theocracy rules based on the belief that the technology of a precursor race, the Vim, will offer salvation. Savants possess the capability to decode and transmit some of the Vim technology. (The Savants remind me of psychically enhanced characters from early Philip K Dick stories or even a bit of what the Spice effects do for characters in Dune.) All of this, along with the competition between the alien races for the Vim technology, makes for a universe that I hope we get to visit again.

Somewhat atypical of Space Operas Iâve read, there doesnât seem to be straight up heroes. Indeed the use of more complex, realized characters, adds an adult wrinkle to the Space Opera plot and setting, which doesnât get in the way of the childlike sense of fun and wonder. If anything, instead of one of the kids on the playground having to be Luke, here most of the characters are more Han-like with their own murkier motivations. Except for the head rector, heâs definitely more of a Vader. Every playground has that one kid that should probably be watched a bit more closely.

The ending of this book is fantastic, a perfect mix of the sentimental and plot driven action, which provides the culmination of this story, while at the same showing that thereâs so much more left to explore in this world. Hereâs hoping for more adventures in this universe.

INHERIT THE STARS -- Space rock opera with the bass up loud

With few exceptions, âStarship Troopersâ, âFoundationâ, âRendezvous with Ramaâ, I am not a fan of space operas. I find them trite, melodramatic, paint-by-numbers science fiction. Tony Peakâs âInherit the Starsâ is an exceptional exception. Peak has created incredible detail in the construction of his universe from the painstakingly calculated time dilation effects of light speed travel (including how it slows the technological progress of a civilization, separates families, and creates a class of near immortals) to the frost on the walls of the spacecraft when the crew wakes from years in stasis.

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Title: Invaders of the Parallel Soul

Subtitle: The Man, Book One

Author: Julius Robinson

Narrator: Mikael Naramore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-26-15

Publisher: Julius Robinson

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The Man, his wife, and his son discover they share parallel lives in parallel worlds - one ancient man, one modern day. Both families fight a soon-to-be extinct alien race intent on housing their souls in Earth's most intelligent beings: mankind and marine mammals.

Members Reviews:

So-so

As noted this is only book one. In sci-fi I don't mind if stories are connected, but I don't care for them when they just drop off and stop. That's what happened here. It felt like the story ended in mid sentence just to make a second book. Nothing is accomplished.

I also felt that for such a short book there were too many sets of characters each with their own needs and agendas. Two much. I never became attached to any of them because I wasn't given the time. The story flashed back and forth (which can be okay) but this story flashed back and forth into different characters. Too busy. Sorry, Mr. Robinson

Great Story - Great Narration

What did you love best about Invaders of the Parallel Soul?

It reminded me of the great Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan series I read as a youth....with the alien twist added for extra excitement. Entertainment that makes you think too...can't wait for the movie!

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Title: Keely

Subtitle: A Steampunk Story

Author: D. Alan Lewis

Narrator: Phil Mayes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-15-15

Publisher: D. Alan Lewis

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 16 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Crashing into the streets of London, she fell to an Earth under siege by a mysterious race known as the Otherworlders. But as foreign as the aliens are, so is she to those who find her.

Thomas Laybourne, a tinker and weapons designer, finds the unconscious star girl and takes her back to his flat. Aided by his friend, Doctor Hunter, and a grumpy clothier named Mattie, he begins trying to determine who she is and why she has chosen the darkest days in human history to arrive.

With most of the world under alien control, only Britain remains as the vestige of human resistance; but the end is approaching, unless Laybourne's latest weapon can stop them. As he finishes up the weapon, his attention is drawn more and more to the beauty and amazing powers of the star girl.

Can they stop their advance and save the empire in time? Or is humanity destined to end beneath the dark clouds of the aliens?

Members Reviews:

Wonderful!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Great story brought vividly to life by the narrator!

What did you like best about this story?

It had a great pace, never getting dull! From the airships to love story that happens between Keely and Thomas, I loved it all!!!!

What about Phil Mayess performance did you like?

His english accent was lovely and he did a great job with distinguishing the characters!

loved it

It was imaginative and interesting. The writer was creative and the narrator was the perfect choice. Worth the buy and the listen.

A very nice exciting shor story

Any additional comments?

This was another short listen by this author who has the knack to put a lot into a short time frame. This was a very exciting action adventure full of thrills as the author takes you on a journey of supernatural meeting humans. Aliens have taken over London and are working on taking over the world. They have blocked out the sunlight for the most part leaving nothing but black clouds. As the humans try to find a way to get back their country a lady comes into their lives. Where she came from and how she acts if very much a mystery, they are shocked to see all that she is able to do.

It is hard for me to pick a favorite character there are so many that grab you and pull you in. Keely is a wonder and a thrill to picture from the way she dresses to the way she carries herself. Thomas is a sweet nerd who is a delight as he designs weapons to help take down the aliens. Doctor Hunter is a very nice sweet man who does his best to help Keely find her way and learn of the country she is in. Mattie I just loved her attitude but I think she is more a sweet old lady who is lonely.

I loved Phil Mayes accent he was a delight to listen to. I thought his tones were great, his emotion outstanding. He really made you feel each emotion of all the characters. You had no trouble knowing who was speaking whether it was male or female. You could hear him swallow from time to time but it didn't take away from the listen. There was no background noise and his tones were even throughout. If he took a break you could not tell. I look forward to listening to more audios from this narrator.

The author gives you a wonderful exciting, thrilling read/listen that was a delight. There wasn't a character that I didn't like. His story telling is outstanding as he pulls you in and takes you to another place and time. The only thing I would have liked to have known was more about Keely.

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Title: Magic by Gaslight

Author: Pip Ballantine

Narrator: Philippa Ballantine

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-14-15

Publisher: Imagine That! Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A novelette of steampunk and magic, from one of the minds behind the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.

Lucinda is a witch in a alternative Victorian London, where being a witch is a death sentence. Her coven harnesses sensuality and passion to make magic, and that is a crime according to the Association of Magicians. Women with control of sex and magic are too dangerous to tolerate. So Lucinda and her coven live in secret. That is until she meets a young American magician, and their attraction cannot be denied, but they have always been taught such a thing can never be.

Rules however do not apply to the young and powerful. Lucinda and Theo find out just how far they are prepared to go.

Members Reviews:

Disappointing

Way too short! (My fault for not reading the description carefully enough.) The short story started out well written and developed a good fantasy world with interesting possibilities. The last half seemed to be written by someone who was more interested in meeting a deadline than in completing a story. This short story could easily have supported a full book treatment or even a series.

Wonderful novella for romance lovers who enjoy magic with a touch of steampunk.

Lucinda watches, learning a horrible lesson, as one of her coven is put to death by electric shock. The Association of Magicians, all men, rule with their magics and have the world convinced women with control of sex and magic are to dangerous to have around, they are forbidden and sent to death when found. We then see Lucinda as she prepares to meet the young American man, Theo, in an outing as before. Lucinda fancies Theo courting her, and hopes to fill her vial of magic by being with him. But when their fingers touch, skin to skin for the first time, they might find something dangerous and powerful between then.

I liked the world created here in this all to short Novella! It seems quick, but Pip takes advantage of actions to show the world, and fears instilled into the characters. Through these pages Pip creates a sensually magical world mixed with a touch of steampunk and romance. The magic is sensual, and in the end you see how sensual. This is definitely an adult read for that reason.

This novella is a starts to a world and story I hope Pip continues with. I want to know more! I do hope Pip continues with Lucinda and Theo through novella's or even into a novel next. I'm curious what these two will do with their new found connection, one that is forbidden and told to be deadly. I have a feeling of why they are to be kept apart, but I want to find all the more out about the history and what could happen next!

With that being said, the great thing and the downfall of a novella...I want more! The story has an end, but I want more in this world.

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Title: Alive! Not Dead!

Author: R. M. Smith

Narrator: Cory Mikhals

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 08-17-15

Publisher: R. M. Smith

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A plane crash high in the mountains outside Seattle, Washington marks the beginning of Dan Kingsley's journey through hell in Alive, Not Dead where undead rise, the world appears to flip, and the entire western third of the United States is destroyed.

Travelling further inland, avoiding the constant threat of zombies, rumors of tsunamis, and complete destruction, Dan meets several other survivors who have similar stories to tell.

All of them are unaware of just how bad it really is as the world falls apart around them.

As things go from bad to worse, Dan knows more than anything else that being alive, not dead, isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Members Reviews:

Just Awful

If this book wasnt for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

Teenagers who never leave the house.

What was most disappointing about R. M. Smiths story?

The complete and utter hash of a plot. It starts off with a plane crash, then changes into The Walking Dead, takes a stroll into disaster Sci-Fi territory, before ending up as a Hostel clone. It also has a Bond villain-style denouement, where the boo-hiss baddie feels the need to explain his actions fiendish plot - which in itself is so ridiculous that I actually exclaimed "Awww give me a break!" out loud on the train when I heard it.

The novel suffers from extraneous narrative, with the same situations and characters being described multiple times.

What didnt you like about Cory Mikhalss performance?

His accents were terrible.

What character would you cut from Alive! Not Dead!?

Who to keep in it, is the real question! The leads Dan & Mindy have to be the dumbest couple in literary history. They seem to have a penchant for walking into traps, getting captured and exercising absolutely no vigilance after escaping and walk blithely into the next ordeal.

Any additional comments?

Avoid.

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Title: Zombie Dawn Exodus

Subtitle: Zombie Dawn Trilogy, Book 2

Author: Michael G. Thomas, Nick S. Thomas

Narrator: Mark Diamond

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-06-15

Publisher: Swordworks Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The second novel in the exciting Zombie Dawn series that follows the outbreak of a deadly zombie plague and the people who are left, fighting to survive. This book continues the story one year on from Zombie Dawn Outbreak. The world is now a very different place, far from the disorganized and desperate struggle to simply survive an hour. The remnants of humanity have formed new communities with their own unique approaches to survival in a zombie-dominated world.

A ragtag flotilla of ships sails the Pacific, looking for any survivors and supplies. A chance find of a missing ocean liner that appears to be in distress leads to an elite team being sent to investigate. With time running out, what will they find, and how many will make it back alive?

In Australia, former medieval reenactor Bruce has become the unlikely leader of a road column, living like a rock star while trying to find enough food to survive. The lax discipline and careless attitude leads them into a dangerous trap.

Dave, the bored British office worker, has settled down in a small community built around a wealthy landowner's house. The community has a strict rule set to stay alive, but when one man gets overambitious, everyone has to deal with the bloody consequences.

Madison, the daughter of a pastor, is bored of living within the safe confines of their seemingly perfect community in the American Midwest. But when a horde of enemies the size of which no one could have imagined threatens the town, they must make the tough decision to defend their homes or run for their lives.

In the United Kingdom, tiny groups of survivors travel the highways in the west of England in heavily modified and armored convoys, looking for supplies. In the Pacific the safest place to be is the Sanctuary, formerly known as Hawaii. Well defended and supplied, it is the last, best place to live for the remaining living.

Members Reviews:

Some times they get better

Sometimes the second book surpasses the first. This is not the case here. This installment shows not everyone has a learning curve. After a while you will even stop hoping the zombies win as they're real power is in making you bored not scared.

Dr. A

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Title: Insight Kindling

Subtitle: The Call to Search Everywhen Book 2

Author: Chess Desalls

Narrator: Jill Maglione

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-15-15

Publisher: Czidor Lore, LLC

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Calla faces charges against her for changing the past. Her use of the Travel Glasses resulted in the creation of two writings that affected the lives of Edgar, the inventor of the Travel Glasses, and Valcas, their prior owner. Now Calla must explain her actions before the Time and Space Travel Agency.

The hearing does not end well. The travel commissioner finds Calla guilty as charged and forces her to choose between two harsh penalties. Despite the risk of becoming lost herself, Calla accepts a dangerous travel mission that may help her find her father. She teams up with a group of talented travelers. While working with them, she soon discovers that she has a special travel talent of her own.

Pursued by the sentient being of white light that's been tracking her father's bloodline, Calla fears her newfound talents may not be enough to protect her and her teammates before they complete their mission.

Members Reviews:

Deeper insight into the world of travel, & love.

If you could sum up Insight Kindling in three words, what would they be?

Insightful, Love, Heatache

What about Jill Magliones performance did you like?

I slipped right into the story with Jill voicing the characters. It felt she reads the story with more emotion in Calla from the first word. She speaks with personality for all the characters along with voice differences such as scratchy or deeper. I really enjoyed the differentiation between them all, making it easy to tell who was talking. She even carried through with similar voices from the first book voiced by a different narrator. Well done. I think I enjoy Jill's narration much more than the narrator of the first book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. It's very neat to see the traveling world in this book. We get lots of details of different things with traveling. It did NOT feel like an info dump either. *Bonus* It is the story and it all comes out to help us understand the way of time and space travels. So much to the way of doing things and rules along with people having special abilities to do unique things in traveling. We also find out, at the very beginning, what is after Calla! I'm so glad this book jumped in with details and answers. Thank you, Chess!

With all the great things we learn of the world, we get to see Calla fall in love. Calla doesn't realize it until she's gone and fallen. But she does. This is Calla and Valcas's story of falling in love all over again while they are looking for her father, and stuck in the Fire Falls.

Also, I enjoyed the characters that join to help Calla and Valcas on the mission to find her father.

Any additional comments?

This story is a YA Paranormal read and is a clean story for young readers to enjoy. There is no swearing and barely a kiss is present. I would suggest this story for many young readers. The story is a simple one, a mission to find Plaka while Calla and Valcas seem to be skating around each other while feelings grow. It held my attention as it feels character based here and the characters feel developed in the story and voice.

A thought provoking, exciting trip through time and space

The second book in Chess Desalls' Call to Search Everywhen series, Insight Kindling is even better than the first. I loved it.

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Title: Life and Beath

Subtitle: Zombie RiZing 3

Author: Matt J Pike

Narrator: Justin Braine

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-09-15

Publisher: Zombie RiZing Productions

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

If Beath and the gang thought life in the school had been hard in the weeks since the riZing, well, let's just say they ain't seen nothing yet.

If only they had the resources to stay safe and secure in (Dec) East High, but they don't, and now the big, wide zombie-ridden, scary-monster-lurking world awaits.

Sounds crazy, but they need food - lots of food - and to find that they need to get to the shopping mall, and to do that they need transport, which will most likely be found at the car park near the train station. It all makes sense, right?

Did we mention the new monsters? We didn't, wow, that's really an oversight on our behalf, as they're a totally new type of devious nasty. Very dangerous. Still, things might work out well for the gang because...umm...erm...we're sure there are reasons, we just can't think of any right now.

Members Reviews:

U

AMAZING HIS POWER THOUGH!!!! I already knew it yeah that was awesome good job u too

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Title: A Bodyguard of Lies

Author: Raymund Eich

Narrator: Tim Brunson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-07-15

Publisher: CV-2 Books

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Assigned to the halls of power, only Capt. Tomas Neumann can save the Confederated Worlds from the ultimate treachery.

After bold action brings him the favor of the Confederated Worlds' new president, Tomas finds himself in an arena more dangerous than combat: Politics.

Battling assassins, spies, and pervasive surveillance, Tomas discovers a shocking secret. A desperate mission takes him from luxurious temples to secret police brain-scanning chambers to prevent the destruction of the Confederated Worlds.

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Title: Heaven, Hell, or Houston

Author: Thom Erb

Narrator: Doug Miller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-08-15

Publisher: Third Bay Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

After a less than successful stint as the Governor's security detail, the volatile, alcoholic Texas Ranger Jay McCutcheon wants nothing more than to get home to his wife and baby and save his marriage. He thinks the only thing standing between him and his family is five hundred rain-soaked miles of dark pavement. But he's dead wrong.

Isandro Dianira has just broken out of prison. He's been possessed by an evil voice that has spoken to him since childhood. With his gang-banger thugs, he leaves a bloody trail on his way to Mexico. Before leaving the country, he needs to kill McCutcheon, the pig that put him in the pen.

As the two men unknowingly race toward each other, a powerful rainstorm is heading westward, and along with it, a zombie virus that's causing the dead to rise. Stacy-Jo, a street-tough teenage girl from New York is about to get in some serious trouble, when she meets McCutcheon, who winds up saving her hide from a nasty situation.

Together, they hit the road and wind up at a roadside diner, where brutal violence will unfold and the undead will feed.

Members Reviews:

Vivid imagery, Erb paints a picture with his words

WARNING: Explicit violence and rape of women and young girls as well as foul language.

Some people have all the luck and then there are guys like the volatile, alcoholic Texas Ranger, Jay McCutcheon. From a long line of Texas Rangers and alcoholics, McCutcheon just wants to dump the stupid drunk perverted Governors security detail and get home to his wife and baby girl. A year of living apart, McCutcheon wants to save his marriage and change. He was well on his way until the yellow rain fell raising the dead to walk and eat. Oh, then there was Stacy-Jo a runaway who won his heart and whom he protected as much as possible from the uncanny situations she often found herself thrust into.

Toss in the evil Isandro Dianira, who recently escaped from prison and decided to rape and pillage everyone and thing in sight, and McCutcheons night just got worse since hes the one who was responsible for Isandros prison term. Isandro was the leader of a gang and one who had a special friend living in his head who told him to do things. Such as slicing animals and well torturing and murdering anything that has a pulse since he was old enough to walk!

If one can get past the violence, it is an authentically written book with the dialect, words and everything written in a very realistic manner. Thom Erb has written an excellent book (violence aside) that captures what everyone fears but doesnt realize who is the person entering the convenience store? What are they likely to do? What sets them off?

Vivid imagery, Erb paints a picture with his words. Listeners can see the tired, angry Texas Ranger vividly as well as the evil Isandro. Zombies do make an appearance but it is the evil Isandro and McCutcheon that are the center of the drama. A strong plot and well developed characters.

Doug Miller did an excellent Texas Ranger voice for McCutcheon, he was a little weak for Stacy-Jos New York accent but overall, he did an excellent job. Not only could I feel his energy through his reading, I could also feel the oozy slimey gunk flowing from the evil Isandro and the pervert on the bus by his talented reading by tone and voices. His enunciation was perfect.

I enjoyed the book and was sorry to hear it end.