Download Best Full Audiobooks in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary Most Popular

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: A Plague of Zombies

Subtitle: An Outlander Novella

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Narrator: Jeff Woodman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-20-13

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 712 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

In this tale of adventure, murder, snakes, revenge, and zombies, the Royal Governor of Jamaica sends an S.O.S. to London, asking urgently for help in putting down a burgeoning slave rebellion. London replies by sending Lieutenant-Colonel Lord John Grey, with half a battalion of infantry, a company of artillery, and his trusty valet, Tom Byrd.

Members Reviews:

These are not the Zombies you are looking for.

HER TOUCH LINGERED A LITTLE TOO LONG

HER HAND WAS WARM

SHE LOOKED TO SEE IF SHE HAD SHOCKED HIM AGAIN

D.G. is a fine writer, but if your looking for Zombie thrills, this is not the right place. In the first hour and a half only one Zombie appears and he is not a real Zombie. Sticking to historical fact, Gabaldon points out that through drugs the witch doctors, make people believe they are zombies.

AWARE OF HOW FAST GOSSIP SPREADS IN A RURAL AREA

Gabaldon fans should enjoy this, as it is distinctly her writing, but thrill seekers would be disappointed.

HE KNEW WHAT A GRAVE SMELLED LIKE AND ROTTING FLESH

Interesting story very different

What did you like best about Lord John and the Plague of Zombies? What did you like least?

It was not what I was expecting from Diana Gabaldon, It had the horror paranormal quirkiness. If You're not into zombies, and para-normal you won't like this story. I have enjoyed all of the "Highlander" and "Lord John" series....This is just very different and has is not for everyone who likes Ms Gabaldon's books

What did you like best about this story?

It showed that Ms Gabaldon can stretch her writing to go to the bizarre. I found it really interesting, also how Lord John handled himself under very stressful situations.

What does Jeff Woodman bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

I think he did the narration very well the accents of the Jamaicans, British, and Scots were done very well. He was also able to express emotion in his voice which is important.

Was Lord John and the Plague of Zombies worth the listening time?

I enjoyed it because I enjoy paranormal, horror, vampire, zombie, werewolf, etc type stories. I love Jim Butcher, Simon Green, C. Harris, etc. great writers of paranormal fantasy.

Any additional comments?

If you're looking for the dashing romantic Lord John he's still the man but in a very difficult circumstance, and there is sexual innuendo, but not the romantic trysts of other stories. He has a mission to get a problem solved in Jamaica. Solve a murder, and get his soldiers back, from a group who they think are making zombies. There is a twist here and the ultimate bottom line is the British were the ones doing wrong. If you don't like para-normal stay away from this one. otherwise give it a try.

Zombies

Quite well. done. A good addition to the core story. Another look at Gilles Duncan.

I only wish it were longer

Another great Lord John book. Interesting, humorous, and fast-paced, the novellas about Lord John are always a treat. L.J. has become one of my favorite characters. I look forward to more!

muntu -The religion-Zombies

this book held an accuracy of the Ancient African religion of Muntu. I have studied this with much interest and accuracy. I am pleased that Diana c. Upheld her research for such accuracy.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: 'Til Death Do Us Part

Subtitle: Zombie Fallout, Book 6

Author: Mark Tufo

Narrator: Sean Runnette

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-21-13

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3030 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

BT, Gary, and Mrs. Deneaux race to the Talbot compound in a desperate bid to turn the tides of a lost war. Is Michael dead? This is the question plaguing the Talbots as they prepare for the final showdown with a merciless enemy hell-bent on their absolute destruction.

Members Reviews:

Series Back on Track

Yes! Yes! Awesomely Yes! From start to finish this books was amazing! The series isn't finished yet (I hope) but one chapter seems to be closed. There is so many things that Mark Tufo has gotten right in this one once more.

If you have been following the series (which I am guessing if you are looking at this review you have been) then you would probably have been slightly disappointed by book 5. Thank the powers that be the book has got back on track in book 6. The book is teeming with action and (unlike the precious book) does not have meaningless flashbacks. Mark Tufo seems to have been listening to my silent prayers after I finished book 5 and ramped up the action in every aspect.

Sean Runette is an excellent narrator and he kept up the great work. I am very very much satisfied!

To prevent myself from giving any away I will stop raving about the book. I am extremely thankful that the book has answered so many unanswered questions and have rejected the inclination to end on too big of a cliff hanger although I must say I was gripped up until the last sentence.

Eliza knocks on the Talbot door

What did you love best about 'Til Death Do Us Part?

The writing, the characters, the descriptions, okay everything.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mike

What does Sean Runnette bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Sean accents the characters in a way that brings them to life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Mike's ride with Trip was hilarious.

ACTION PACKED HORROR

I have to say this is my favorite Talbot book so far. I have never laughed, gripped my seat and gasped, and cringed so hard listening to a book before.

Mike is separated from his family and begins a long journey back. Thinking he is dead the family begin to prep for the LAST STAND. Along the way Mike comes across a burned out hippie and a mysterious women. The funniest moments in the book was the dialog and circumstances the burned out hippie and Mark have. There is one moment I had grit my teeth and shut my eyes during a very CLAUSTROPHOBIC situation.

Brilliant and talented series!!!!

satisfying ending...i think

Any additional comments?

where to start? for me, there's a mix of fear and excitement reading or listening to the last book in a series, hoping the conclusion will match the overall excellence of the series. so, did this book meet my expectations? yes and no.

the pros:

the good news. mark tufo is back! i didn't really like book 5 as much as the others, but this book is reminiscent of the others with a big dose of humor. some of that humor comes from mrs. deneaux. yes, the b!#*ch everyone loves to hate is featured prominently as she, bt, and gary flee north carolina for maine. while not politically correct myself, her stereotypical humor borders racism. i found it funny. most probably will b/c tufo likes to push boundaries, which is totally acceptable to me. speaking of "pc," most "pc" people probably couldn't have made it through book 1. LOL

speaking of mrs. deneaux.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Beyond the Blue Event Horizon

Author: Frederik Pohl

Narrator: Oliver Wyman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-02-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 581 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Frederik Pohl was on a streak when this Hugo Award-finalist novel was published in 1980. Now back in print after an absence of nearly a decade, this unique science fiction novel is as fresh and entertaining as ever. The story begins when the hero of Gateway finances an expedition to a distant alien spaceship that may end famine forever. On the ship, the explorers find a human boy, and evidence that reveals a powerful alien civilization is thriving on a transport ship headed right for Earth.

Critic Reviews:

Certainly very few books have ever held my attention in such an iron grip right up until the last paragraph, built so irresistibly to such a satisfying series of blockbuster punch lines, left me so breathless with admiration, achieved such truly cosmic scope. (Analog)

The kind of mind-opening conceptualization that makes the universe seem very vast and beautiful indeed. In short, this is a book that fulfills SFs ability to entertain intelligently. (The Chicago Sun-Times)

Members Reviews:

SHE SURPRIZES ME MOST WHEN I LEAST EXPECT IT

I give this five stars, but it is not as a strong five star as Gateway. You want to read Gateway first.

SHANTY TOWNS NEVER DISAPPEAR THEY BECOME INSTITUTIONALIZED.

I read Gateway when I was in my 20's and then I read this. At the time I could not understand it enough to enjoy it. I don't know if it is because I am older or because I listened on audible, but I found I really liked it this time around. I like Sci-Fi and I like reading about space travel. It is amazing how little Sci-Fi actually has space travel. When they have space travel it usually involves the military. This has a family in space, making it easier for me to picture myself in space.

This kept my attention. Toward the end there was some heavy math and physics. I had a little problem staying with Pohl on that, but as a whole I enjoyed the read and want to go on to the third book. As I grow older I seem to appreciate Pohl's ability to look into the future and write about it.

Another Winner

It may just be because I'm rereading a series I really enjoyed in my youth, but I just can't stop listening to this series. I'm picking up on stuff I missed the last time I read this series and the story is keeping me very focused. Must get some sleep tonight!!! No more marathon listening sessions. I may need Sigmund to help me through this problem.

It depends on what the definition of "beyond" is

Would you listen to Beyond the Blue Event Horizon again? Why?

Chock full of spoilers (generalized). In this book, which is a sequel to Gateway, you've got new characters, you've got new aliens. Pohl zooms in on various characters, light years away from one another, and follows specific individuals. Wyman's vocalizations are distinct. One of them is very annoying--a young character that he feels compelled to always have shouting as if they are trying to prevent someone from yanking their shorts up their ass-crack.

Pohl gloriously zooms out in the book's latter part, allowing three major aspects of the Heechee phenomenon to be told.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Immune

Subtitle: The Rho Agenda, Book Two

Author: Richard Phillips

Narrator: MacLeod Andrews

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-30-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2556 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Anyone who dares challenge the Rho Project is being systematically picked off. At the top of the hit mans death list: NSA fixer Jack Gregory, and the three teenagers who first exposed the Rho Projects dark agenda to the world.

On the run for their lives, Heather, Mark, and Jennifer know that the Rho Projects alien nano-technology has been released into the world, disguised as a miracle cure. But what they dont yet know is that the serum has taken on a life of its own, modifying human DNA in a way that even its engineers cannot control - one that will alter the very fabric of humanity.

Members Reviews:

A second volume that stands alone - brilliantly

Richard Phillips has led such a life that he absolutely nails the science aspect of this new sci-fi classic - and yet also gets the action and the political aspects exactly right as well. Speaking as an old sci-fi writer myself, I know how hard it is to do what Phillips has done.

But here's the clincher. Reading on my Nano, I began this book without remembering that this was volume two of the Rho Agenda series. Within a few chapters I realized that there must have been an earlier book. But so skillfully does Phillips handle exposition, and so clearly and deeply did he create his characters and their relationships, that I felt no need to stop and go back to listen to the first volume.

I WILL go back and listen to The Second Ship, now that I've read Immune to its brilliant and completely satisfying end - but only because this new writer is so skillful and this storyline is so inventive and moving that I don't want to miss a chapter of it.

I promise you that Richard Phillips is going to be a popular and influential writer, period.

The Rho Agenda has young protagonists, and so the series could be viewed as YA (Young Adult) fiction. While the novel is brutally real, including sexual tension, there is NO explicit sex and nothing to keep you from handing this book to a mature and well-informed twelve-year-old. Yet it is also completely fulfilling for adult readers - as good as any science fiction being written today.

MacLeod Andrews gives a perfect performance. You forget you're listening to a book. All you can think about is what's happening and why. Moving back and forth among characters, he is always clear as to who's talking - without "doing" voices in any obvious way. This is how audiobooks are supposed to be read.

Really good Sci-Fi Thriller

This is the second book in the Rho Agenda Series. It works as a stand alone novel but is better if you read the 1st book (Second Ship) prior to this one. Actually, You would be better off reading the entire Rho Agenda Inception series first as it is a prequel and gives you all the background you need on Jack Gregory. You don't have to, but this series would be a lot better if you do.

This book is an improvement over the first as the characters and their skills and tech are pretty well established. The author eats up a lot of the first book explaining how things work, skills, and tech. He does a good job and is interesting but gets a little overdone a parts. It reminded me more of the old-school Asimov style sci-fi where the science gets more emphasis than the fiction.

That is not the case in this book. It is very fun and action oriented.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: V Wars

Subtitle: A Chronicle of the Vampire Wars

Author: Jonathan Maberry, Nancy Holder, John Everson, Yvonne Navarro, Gregory Frost

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell, Gabrielle de Cuir, Roxanne Hernadez, Arte Johnson, Stefan Rudnicki, Wil Wheaton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-10-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 545 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

They are hunting us.

In this sweeping, threaded narrative of the global phenomenon known as the Vampire Wars, mankind is unwittingly infected by a millennia-old bacteria unknowingly exhumed by a scientific expedition in Antarctica. Now, in some rare cases, a persons so-called junk DNA becomes activated. Depending on their racial and ethnic heritage, they begin to manifest one of the many diverse forms of the "others" that are the true basis for the legends of supernatural creatures. These arent your usual vampires and werewolves - it goes much deeper than that.

Conceived by Jonathan Maberry,V Warsfeatures stories from various frontlines as reported by such contributors as Nancy Holder, Yvonne Navarro, James A. Moore, Gregory Frost, John Everson, Keith R. A. DeCandido, and Scott Nicholson - as well as Maberry himself, of course. The result is a compelling series of tales that creates a unique chronicle of mankinds response to this sudden, hidden threat to humanity.

Members Reviews:

You Have to Stick With This One.

I ATE LIKE IT WAS THANKSGIVING

If you buy this and you know you will, then you have to stick with it. It had it's ups and downs and some very low downs, but toward the end, you will start to get it. This is a thinking person's vampire series. I AM A VEMPIRE, VEM PIE RR. It gets a little political and at first I wanted to flee, but despite my A.D.D., my brain started to churn. People start turning into vampires and at first, I thought what is the problem, kill them all. As you will learn, vampires come in all different types and many do not kill. In reality you could replace vampire with Muslim. Some Muslims are terrorist, but most are not. Add to this dilemma, the randomness in which certain people change. Your wife, husband, children or parents could become vampires. It becomes a lot more complicated then you would originally expect. HE LOOKED LIKE HE COULD BENCH PRESS NEW JERSEY.

SCUM BUCKET

Here is another reason you want to listen to this: a sequel is coming out in September and the list of authors include; Kevin J. Anderson, Scott Sigler, Larry Corriea, and Joe McKinney among others.

Below is a list of the different stories and parts and the grade I felt they deserved:

Introduction by Dacre Stoker, A-

Junk Part 1, by Jonathan Maberry, A

Roadkill Part 1, by Nancy Holder, D+

Junk Part 2, B

Love Less, Part 1, John Everson, A-

Junk Part 3, B

Epiphany Part 1, by Yvonne Navarro, B

Junk Part 4, B

Love Less, Part 2, Concluded, A

The Ballad of Big Charlie, Part 1, by Keith R.A. DeCandido, C-

Junk Part 5, B+

Heartsick by Scott Nicholson, B-

Junk Part 6, Concluded, B+

Roadkill, Part 2, Concluded, D+

Vulpes Part 1 by Gregory Frost, C+

Escalation by Maberry, C (The rest of Maberry's stories are more chapters then stand alone stories. Which is okay, they serve to tie in the rest of the stories.)

Stalking Anna Lei, Part 1, by James A. Moore, B+

The Ballad of Big Charlie, Part 2.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Midst Toil and Tribulation

Subtitle: Safehold Series, Book 6

Author: David Weber

Narrator: Kevin T. Collins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 28 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-21-12

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1343 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

After centuries of stasis, the island kingdom of Charis began to defy the edicts of the Church of God Awaiting - egged on, some say, by the mysterious warrior-monk Merlin Athawes. Now, in the wars and intrigues that have cascaded from Charis's declaration of independence, the populous Republic of Siddermark is sliding into chaos. Vicar Clytahn of the Church of God at harvest time, King Cayleb of Charis, his queen Sharleyan, and Merlin Arthawes will have their hands full trying to stave off wholesale starvation in Siddermark while at the same time shipping in enough land combat units to fend off the "volunteers" from the Church's Temple Lands. And while Vicar Clyntahn is hailed in the Church for his boldness and audacity, there are those who remember how dependent Church power is on money from Siddermark...and who wonder what will happen if Siddermark starves.

Bursting with vivid invention and the sweep of lived history, Midst Toil and Tribulation will build its series' audience to a new level.

Members Reviews:

Narrator is HORRIBLE - Love this series

What didnt you like about Kevin T. Collinss performance?

Narrator mispronounces many of the names and places. He gets all worked up in parts of the story that do not require it. I love this series and will buy the Ebook to finish it. the previous narrator was quite good, no reason to change. Good luck to you if you can stand him.

Great story + rookie narrator = let down

Ive been waiting for this installment of the Safehold series. Ive been holding on to 2 credits for a month! As soon as it popped up I down loaded. The narrator is energetic, BUT I truly wish that the producers had stayed with the same narrator as the previous installment. If nothing else, the new narrator should listen to the previous story so that the pronunciations of names, places and objects are the same as the previous 5 books. Kevin Collins did not take the time to listen to the previous books in the series. It is obvious from the first 5 minutes that he is not a fan of the series but a guy doing a job. If I had not heard the other 5 books, it would have been an acceptable or better performance. But as I have heard the other books, the performance was avoidable horrible.

One other thought, If the producers of this book let this narration out in this condition, what respect do they have to the author or to the consumers of the product?

Stop changing Narrators!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well if you're a fan of the series, You should get it, but if you compare to previous 5 books, you may notice considerable drop in quality.

And the new narrator doesn't help the situation.

The Forever Saga

I agree with other reviewers that the quality of narration is way below that of previous volumes in the series. I generally like the story but Weber is way too wordy and his lengthy descriptions impair story flow. You have to be a dedicated Weber fan to wade through these massive books. After six volumes, we seem to have progressed only through 5-6 years of story. As Safehold is still only in the early stages of industrialization, it's going to take a long time for the planet to progress to interstellar capability at the present rate of progress. I know I'm not alone in urging the author to tighten up the stories and move towards a conclusion.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Apocalypse Codex

Author: Charles Stross

Narrator: Gideon Emery

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-25-12

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 812 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The winner of multiple Hugo Awards, Charles Stross is one of the most highly regarded science fiction writers of his time. In The Apocalypse Codex, occasionally hapless British agent Bob Howard tackles a case involving an American televangelist and a supernatural threat of global proportions.

Critic Reviews:

Stross gives readers a British superspy with a long-term girlfriend, no fashion sense, and an aversion to martinis. (

San Francisco Chronicle)

Members Reviews:

Still great, though a bit of the magic has faded

I am a big fan of the Laundry series, and this book is still excellent, but, as the series moves on, it has matured, by necessity, in ways both good and bad. In general, much like the Harry Dresden series, as the series has developed, it has become less lighthearted, losing the parody and many of the pop-nerd-culture references in favor of more spy- and Love-craft. The characters are now quite well developed, but that leaves less room for the cartoonish bad guys and bizarre plots that made the early books amusing. On the other hand, it means that the stakes feel more real, the plot more grounded in previous novels, and the action more engaging.

This trend is not the reason why I have slightly mixed feeling about the book (though I still strongly recommend it to anyone who has read the series so far). First off, the plot in this particular book is, in some ways, a little less inventive then Stross often is capable of - you are introduced almost immediately to an evangelical church leader with clearly ominous intent, which is a bit of an easy target. There are twists and turns, but perhaps the revelations are more expected in this novel then previous ones.

The second issue is that, as the series has gone on, the main character has shifted from regular schlub to a hero on a larger stage. This is fine, but, as the protagonist moves up the ranks, and as more of the secrets of the Laundry universe are revealed, it removes a little of the overarching cosmic horror that made the series some interesting. Again, this is natural for any ongoing series, but it, plus the slightly less surprising plot, makes the book Really Good rather than Amazing.

On the other hand, the reading is insanely good - many accents, from cosmic horrors to royalty, are covered beautifully. Overall, a really good choice, though this is clearly not where new readers should start.

Advanced computational demonology

Any book that actually contains the phrase that titles this review deserves to be read. This book is, by the way, the sequel to "The Atrocity Archives," and that book must be read before this one, so if you haven't read that one, stop reading now to avoid possible spoilers and go get the first book.

Stross, normally known for his very hard science fiction, has decided to reboot Lovecraft's view of our universe as a place that horrible monsters from other worlds/dimensions/universes are just waiting to invade for all sorts of terrifying reasons. And the keys to such invasion are certain kinds of advanced mathematical routines that, if run or activated or invoked by either a person or the right kind of electronics, will open the doors to these other universes and let the monsters in.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Number of the Beast

Author: Robert A. Heinlein

Narrator: Paul Michael Garcia, Sean Runnette, Bernadette Dunne, Emily Durante, Tom Weiner, Malcolm Hillgartner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 21 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-24-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 821 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The wickedest, most wonderful science-fiction story ever created in our - or any - time. Anything can begin at a party in California - and everything does in this bold masterwork by a grand master of science fiction.

When four supremely sensual and unspeakably cerebral humans - two male, two female - find themselves under attack from aliens who want their awesome quantum breakthrough, they take to the skies - and zoom into the cosmos on a rocket roller-coaster ride of adventure, danger, ecstasy, and peril.

Robert A. Heinlein (19071988) was the dominant science-fiction writer of the modern era, a writer whose influence on the field was immense. He won science fiction's Hugo Award for best novel four times.

Critic Reviews:

One of the grand masters of science fiction. (

Wall Street Journal)

The most influential science fiction writer of all time! (

Locus)

[A story] about two men and two women in a time-machine safari through this and other universes. But describing

The Number of the Beastthus is like saying

Moby-Dickis about a one-legged guy trying to catch a fish. (

National Review)

Members Reviews:

I've been waiting for this book in audio format...

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would have waited even longer to have better narration. I'm two hours into the audiobook. I'm forcing myself to continue on, because I haven't experienced this story since my paperback copy went missing back in the early 90s.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I don't mind ensemble readings. The Godfather was quite enjoyable. But this... I don't know if I'll finish it. I like Bernadette Dunn, usually. I don't care much for her reading of Hilda, but in my opinion, her performance is the best of the group. Deety's narrator makes her sound utterly immature and annoying. Her intelligently-written character becomes whiny and annoying. Zeb is read like he is a doddering old man. Jake's character performance is not memorable either way.

One Aching Pain Short of Heaven

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I love this book - BUT I really recommend waiting until they delete the passages narrated by Emily Durante. I'm so sorry to say it - but her segments are so terribly awful that I have to skip them. It is NO FUN listening with my hand on the button to "Scram" when I hear that voice. It interrupts the flow of the book - abruptly break the mood. It distracts me with thoughts like "nepotism, training wheels" and "at my expense". There is at least one passage where she is actually inoffensive. Thank Goodness I know the book so well. So I just imagine through those parts. We who purchased it should get a credit for the corrected version with Ms. Durante excised and replaced by...Ms. Dunne for example. It pains me to say that of someone's narration - but it pains me to listen to Ms. Durante. For those who've read the other Lazarus Long novels and stories - this entire book is memorable and rather important. Like me, readers may have been waiting for its audio format. I call it Hands-Free reading. It is a torturous shame that they allowed one poor narrator to ruin the overall experience.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: 2312

Author: Kim Stanley Robinson

Narrator: Sarah Zimmerman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-22-12

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 607 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The year is 2312. Scientific and technological advances have opened gateways to an extraordinary future. Earth is no longer humanity's only home; new habitats have been created throughout the solar system on moons, planets, and in between. But in this year, 2312, a sequence of events will force humanity to confront its past, its present, and its future.

The first event takes place on Mercury, on the city of Terminator, itself a miracle of engineering on an unprecedented scale. It is an unexpected death, but one that might have been foreseen. For Swan Er Hong, it is an event that will change her life. Swan was once a woman who designed worlds. Now she will be led into a plot to destroy them.

Members Reviews:

Vivid World but a bit of a bore

2312 is a tale of two books. On one hand KSR does what he always does on these types of things, he paints a vivid picture of what the future could be like so wonderful that you can almost feel the cold of space on the back of your neck. The world he has created draws from the Mars trilogy but stands alone with new and interesting places.

On the other hand this book is boring to the point where if I was actually reading it rather than listening to the audio book I might not finish it. This might also have something to do with it as the narrators voice was so calm even the parts which are supposed to be edgy didnt feel like it. For about half the book I dont know what the issue is. Should I like swan or not? Was Alex murdered? Is that even the crux of the story? It takes a while for the plot to pan out.

If I could rate this 2.5 stars (right down the middle) I would but since I cant it gets 3. The world created does enough to make this a worthwhile read as long as you know what youre getting into.

Monotone narration

What disappointed you about 2312?

The story intrigued me. I love far future, hard science stories. In fact, I will be buying this book for my ereader. However, I couldn't make it past 30 min of this audiobook.

Would you be willing to try another book from Kim Stanley Robinson? Why or why not?

Yes, I love far future and hard science, scifi.

What didnt you like about Sarah Zimmermans performance?

I'm sure Sarah Zimmerman is a wonderful person but I can't listen to her narrate. Her delivery is monotone and there is something about the cadence of her speech that makes it difficult to tell when one person stops speaking and another starts. I couldn't get into the story because I was too distracted by her narration. Sorry but that's my opinion.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment with the narration. I couldn't listen to more than 30 mins.

Good story, HORRENDOUS narration.

REVIEW OF THE STORY

Kim Stanley Robinson has a pretty narrow audience. Are you in that audience? Did you like the Mars trilogy? Are you a hobbyist geologist/astronomer/physicist/chemist/engineer/biologist/ecologist/mathematician/programmer/etc? Or - better still - are you a professional in any of these fields? Yes? Then you'll be happy to know that 2312 is exactly what you expect: it's more of KSR doing what he does, and doing it well. So, grab your pocket protector and your graphing calculator, and run - don't walk - down to your local bookstore and buy a physical copy of the book and read it; you're going to love it. But, beware: do not buy the audiobook.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Gears of War: The Slab

Author: Karen Traviss

Narrator: David Colacci

Format: Unabridged

Length: 21 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-09-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 349 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Ten years after Emergence Day, as the Locust Horde advances on humanitys last defended area -Ephyra - in a bloody war that has seen billions die, Marcus Fenix does the unthinkable: he defies orders and abandons his post during a critical battle in a bid to rescue his father, weapons scientist Adam Fenix. But Adam is buried in the rubble during a ferocious assault on the Fenix mansion, and Ephyra falls to the enemy. Marcus, grieving for a father everyone believes is dead, is court-martialed for dereliction of duty and sentenced to forty years in the Coalition of Ordered Governments brutal maximum security prison, known simply as the Slab.

But Adam is very much alive, snatched from the destruction by the elite Onyx Guard on Chairman Richard Prescotts orders. Hes now a long way from home and in a prison of his own - a COG doomsday bunker on the tropical island of Azura, a place hidden from the rest of Sera since the Pendulum Wars. His own guilty secret has been exposed: Adam knew the Locust existed deep below the surface of Sera long before Emergence Day, and were being driven from their tunnels by a lethal parasite known as the Lambent. Now he has to find a way to destroy the Lambent while the dwindling COG forces fight to hold back a growing Locust army thats threatening to overrun the city. As Adam struggles to find redemption in his comfortable island jail, Marcus seeks his own atonement in the squalid, closed world within the Slabs granite walls. While Dom Santiago and Anya Stroud fight to get him released, ready to make any sacrifice to free him, Marcus gradually finds unexpected kinship among Seras most dangerous criminals - and a way to carry on his personal war against the Locust.

Members Reviews:

Another Karen Traviss masterpiece.

Have you listened to any of David Colaccis other performances before? How does this one compare?

David Colacci is one of my favorite readers to listen to. He does such a great job with this book and all the others.

Bittersweet return to the world of Sara

If you're a fan of the Gears of War game series on the XBox 360, you'll appreciate Karen Traviss' books to fill in the backstory and to fill the gaps between the games. Written primarily as a prequel to the games, this book fills in the blanks on just why Marcus Fenix was in prison, and what is the relationship between the Locust Queen Myrrah and Adam Fenix, that is alluded to heavily in GoW3. The book ends (unsuprisingly and without spoilers) shortly after Dom frees Marcus from prison, where the first GoW game starts off. How Marcus ended up in prison, how long he was there, and how he ended up there alone, are all answered.

Along the way, Traviss really humanizes these characters. She lets us really see the heart of the brotherly relationship between Marcus and Dom, the repressed feelings between Marcus and Anya, and the complex balance of power between Chairman Richard Prescott, Colonel Hoffman, and Adam Fenix. Along the way, we see the explanation of just why Azura exists.

Unfortunately, there are still many questions left unanswered - who are the sires? Where did the Locust come from? What really happened to Elayn Fenix? Who is Myrrah?

I've seen the internet theories, but I'd like to see this properly explained, the main game series is over now so perhaps its time to fill in the blanks properly.