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

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Title: The Junkie Quatrain

Author: Peter Clines

Narrator: Christian Rummel, Therese Plummer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-31-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1652 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Audie Award Nominee, Original Work, 2013

Six months ago, the world ended. The Baugh Contagion swept across the planet. Its victims were left twitching, adrenalized cannibals that quickly became know as Junkies. Civilization crumbled as people created isolated safe havens to hide from the infected... and the possibly infected. Now, as society nears a tipping point, lives will intersect and intertwine across two days in a desolate city.

The Junkie Quatrain is four tales of survival, and four types of post-apocalypse story, because the end of the world means different things for different people. Loss. Opportunity. Hope. Or maybe just another day on the job.

Members Reviews:

SOMETIMES YOU GET A BOUNCE

Four stories that are very interconnect and considered stand alone. All four stories are very good in this book. Two of the stories, if I had read as stand alone only, would not have been rated as high.

I like Zombie stories and this a twist on that theme, they are not Zombies. What I liked most about this group of stories was how the whole thing started and continued. This is my third Clines book and all three were very entertaining.

I loved Christian Rummel from the first hello and I am liking him even more with each listen.

An awesome set of vignettes

Just finished The Junkie Quatrain - didn't finish the laundry (thanks Peter!) because I was so engaged by these stories - and I am sitting here a bit awe struck. I'm not a huge monster fan especially the zombie type monsters with no individuality. But I picked up The Junkie Quatrain on sale because I enjoyed 14 so much and I am so glad I did. Nothing special about these monsters but there is something pretty special about 4 tightly written monster stories that could each stand alone but each connects to the others in such clever ways. In quick strokes, Peter Clines defines each of the central characters so that you invest in them immediately and each of these shorts then delivers a lot of punch. Mr. Clines can certainly write and Christian Rummel and Therese Plummer each do nice narrator turns with the material. It's not that the stories themselves are too short - each is a perfect length and locks in with the others almost with a "snap". It's just that the "snap" each time is such a "AHA" payoff in the brain you want it to go on and on. It's like watching a great dancer do a few quick amazing moves on the dance floor and then walk away before you can quite grasp what you saw. I totally loved this set of interlocking vignettes!

Get down in junkie town

It is four stories about post apocalyptic California. At some point each story intersects.I love the way the story unfolds. You get information from different points of view so you learn more in each story Very entertaining. It was short so I listened to it twice so I could pick up on more things. I enjoy Peter. Clines. The narration was very good too.I bought it on sale I thought it was fabulous.

a sneeze that never comes

Any additional comments?

wish there was more! the 4 short stories are great. they weave together seamlessly. my disappoint is the clines could've made a full-blown book out of this material. the stories are great, but they just end. there's no resolution. the stories end just as the characters begin to reveal themselves. i was left frustrated, wondering what happens next.

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Title: Sisterhood of Dune

Author: Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson

Narrator: Scott Brick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-03-12

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 962 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

It is 83 years after the last of the thinking machines were destroyed in the Battle of Corrin, after Faykan Butler took the name of Corrino and established himself as the first Emperor of a new Imperium. Great changes are brewing that will shape and twist all of humankind. The war hero Vorian Atreides has turned his back on politics and Salusa Secundus. The descendants of Abulurd Harkonnen Griffen and Valya have sworn vengeance against Vor, blaming him for the downfall of their fortunes. Raquella Berto-Anirul has formed the Bene Gesserit School on the jungle planet Rossak as the first Reverend Mother.

The descendants of Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva have built Venport Holdings, using mutated, spice-saturated Navigators who fly precursors of Heighliners. Gilbertus Albans, the ward of the hated Erasmus, is teaching humans to become Mentats and hiding an unbelievable secret. The Butlerian movement, rabidly opposed to all forms of dangerous technology, is led by Manford Torondo and his devoted Swordmaster, Anari Idaho. And it is this group, so many decades after the defeat of the thinking machines, which begins to sweep across the known universe in mobs, millions strong, destroying everything in its path.

In Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's Sisterhood of Dune, every one of these characters, and all of these groups, will become enmeshed in the contest between Reason and Faith. All of them will be forced to choose sides in the inevitable crusade that could destroy humankind forever.

Members Reviews:

This is the First Need to Listen for 2012

I love the continuation with the Dune series by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Yes, it is not Frank Herbert, but it is as close as you are going to get, and it is Wonderful.

The authors have done a great job telling the back story, although for me, I had already read what is called the Legends of Dune series, which includes the Butlerian Jihad, the Machine Crusade and Dune:the Battle of Corrin. You don't need to read these books to enjoy this book, but I enjoy the series and it is impossible for me view this with fresh eyes, the back story is told very well, so you don't need to read the other books.

Although I read an ARC of the book I could not wait to get the audiobook so I can hear Scott Brick add his voice to this book. For me he is the voice of the Dune series.

It is a great telling of the background of Bene Gesserit School and how the Mentats developed.

For me it closed the loop on a lot of things just mentioned in the original Dune series.

A letdown for the Dune Saga

Would you try another book from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson and/or Scott Brick?

Yes, this is the bad apple out of the bunch that I have seen. Most of the are quite good.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Good Omens

What about Scott Bricks performance did you like?

None of my issues with the book are with Scott Brick's performance, he is as solid as I have come to expect from it.

Did Sisterhood of Dune inspire you to do anything?

Yes, to stop listening to it.

Any additional comments?

I love the Dune Saga, but this addition was painful to listen to. it's like they where grasping for straws on what to write next. I sincerely hope they are done and move onto other projects.

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Title: How Firm a Foundation

Subtitle: Safehold Series, Book 5

Author: David Weber

Narrator: Charles Keating

Format: Unabridged

Length: 28 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-13-11

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1323 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The Charisian Empire, born in war, has always known it must fight for its very survival. What most of its subjects dont know even now, however, is how much more its fighting for. Emperor Cayleb, Empress Sharleyan, Merlin Athrawes, and their innermost circle of most trusted advisers do know. And because they do, they know the penalty if they lose will be far worse than their own deaths and the destruction of all they know and love.

For five years, Charis has survived all the Church of God Awaiting and the corrupt men who control it have thrown at the island empire. The price has been high and paid in blood. Despite its chain of hard-fought naval victories, Charis is still on the defensive. It can hold its own at sea, but if it is to survive, it must defeat the Church upon its own ground. Yet how does it invade the mainland and take the war to a foe whose population outnumbers its own 15 to one? How does it prevent that massive opponent from rebuilding its fleets and attacking yet again?

Charis has no answer to those questions, but needs to find one quickly. The Inquisitions brutal torture and hideous executions are claiming more and more innocent lives. Its agents are fomenting rebellion against the only mainland realms sympathetic to Charis. Religious terrorists have been dispatched to wreak havoc against the Empires subjects. Assassins stalk the Emperor and Empress, their allies and advisers, and an innocent young boy, not yet 11 years old, whose father has already been murdered. And Merlin Athrawes, the cybernetic avatar of a young woman a thousand years dead, has finally learned what sleeps beneath the far-off Temple in the Church of God Awaitings city of Zion.

The men and women fighting for human freedom and tolerance have built a foundation for their struggle in the Empire of Charis with their own blood, but will that foundation be firm enough to survive?

Members Reviews:

Annoying Performance

I am so very disappointed with Mr. Keating's reading that I am probably going to discontinue listening and spend an additional 15 bucks for a copy from Amazon.

Mr. Keating's name and place pronunciations really annoy me after having listened to the other 4 books in the series. Both Mr. Culp and Mr. Wyman give far superior performances. Mr. Keating may be a fine narrator (I???ve not heard any of his other performances) but he was absolutely the wrong choice to bring in at this time.

Weber delivers despite weak narration

Book: How Firm a Foundation follows in Weber's tradition of detailed scenes and completeness of back-story. That makes for some very exhaustive descriptions, which can understandably cause some readers/listeners eyes to glaze over a bit. For myself, that richness of detail and insight to the thoughts and minds of the characters is a signature of Weber's writing; Safehold would not be the same without it. That being said, this is also a middle book in a series, and if realism demands a bit of 'hurry-up and wait', just as real life does, this book has more of the waiting.

Production: When I heard to first words of the book read, I was wary of the new narrator, for good reason. With every reintroduction of a character from the previous books I am wracking my brain for alternative pronunciations to make the connection.

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Title: The Prefect

Author: Alastair Reynolds

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-28-11

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2154 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Tom Dreyfus is a Prefect, a law enforcement officer with the Panoply. His beat is the multifaceted utopian society of the Glitter Band, that vast swirl of space habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone, the teeming hub of a human interstellar empire spanning many worlds. His current case: investigating a murderous attack against one of the habitats that left 900 people dead, a crime that appalls even a hardened cop like Dreyfus. But then his investigation uncovers something far more serious than mass slaughter---a covert plot by an enigmatic entity who seeks nothing less than total control of the Glitter Band. Before long, the Panoply detectives are fighting against something worse than tyranny, in a struggle that will lead to more devastation and more death. And Dreyfus will discover that to save what is precious, you may have to destroy it.

Critic Reviews:

"A fascinating hybrid of space opera, police procedural and character study.... This is solid British SF adventure, evoking echoes of le Carre and Sayers with a liberal dash of Doctor Who." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Best yet of the Revelation Space series

Reynolds again demonstrates why he is among the top of contemporary sci-fi writers. Readers familiar with the Revelation Space series will recall Chasm City which was centered on the Yellowstone system. In that tale, surrounding the planet was a mass of space detritus known as the Rust Belt. Its state was the result of an undefined prior event known as the melding plague that destroyed nearly all nanotech. In Prefect, Reynolds sets the story prior to Chasm City when the Rust Belt was at its pinnacle and known as the Glitter Band. Encompassing 10,000 discreet and sovereign habitats, Reynolds explores the diversity and evolution of human societal organization (from voluntary tyranny to demoncratic anarchy). The conjoiners as well as Silveste remnants and the shrouders also play a small role.

Holding the hodge-podge together is our hero, Tom Dreyfus, a prefect who enforces the minimal rules for orderly interaction among the habitats. From what begins as a routine investigation, Dreyfus gradually peels back the onion of an ever expanding conspiracy that threatens the entire Glitter Band. Along the way, he must face, the corrupt, the gullible, the naive, and the idiotic, but he always manages to remain focused on his ultimate objective: seeing that justice is served.

As is typical of Reynolds, the sci-fi is first rate. He also has a knack for instinctively recognizing that unique interaction of science and society and the likely results. At the heart, the tale is an exploration of the human struggle to evolve beyond mere biology with all the potential pitfalls clearly displayed. Finally, as usual John Lee performs outstandlingly; his range of voices are superb and he sets the right tenor to allow the tension to develop.

The Prefect is Perfect

Just coincidentally, I have recently listened to three sci-fi novels that all begin as police procedurals with law-enforcement agents investigating a localized crime that expands into a much more cosmic, universal mystery - The Prefect, The Great North Road, and Leviathan Wakes. The Prefect was by far the best of the three.

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Title: Pushing Ice

Author: Alastair Reynolds

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-02-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2993 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

2057. Humanity has raised exploiting the solar system to an art form. Bella Lind and the crew of her nuclear-powered ship, the Rockhopper, push ice. They mine comets. And they're good at it.

The Rockhopper is nearing the end of its current mission cycle, and everyone is desperate for some much-needed R & R, when startling news arrives from Saturn: Janus, one of Saturn's ice moons, has inexplicably left its natural orbit and is now heading out of the solar system at high speed. As layers of camouflage fall away, it becomes clear that Janus was never a moon in the first place. It's some kind of machine - and it is now headed toward a fuzzily glimpsed artifact 260 light-years away. The Rockhopper is the only ship anywhere near Janus, and Bella Lind is ordered to shadow it for the few vital days before it falls forever out of reach. In accepting this mission, she sets her ship and her crew on a collision course with destiny - for Janus has more surprises in store, and not all of them are welcome.

Critic Reviews:

"[Reynolds is] a genius for big-concept SF and fans of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama and Larry Niven's Ringworld will love this novel." (Publishers Weekly

Members Reviews:

Proof that a good story doesn't require a trilogy

I was led to Pushing Ice on the recommended reading list in another book I own. I had a few credits to spare and decided to try it out. I was happy to see that John Lee was narrating, as I've enjoyed his other work (Count of Monte Cristo particularly). But this was my first exposure to Alastair Reynolds.

Right out of the gate I was engaged. The depiction of life aboard a comet mining ship was really first rate with very little in the way of "space magic" thrown in. The characters were interesting and the events of the first portion of the book were so gripping I found myself pulled into the slip stream (wink).

The development of the plot from beginning to end is quite broad in scope, and Mr. Reynolds doesn't slow down to spoon feed every portion of the the plot which I enjoyed. There are a couple of lulls in the story when new events are being set up that dragged by comparison to other parts, but they were by no means boring.

In the end, the quality of Pushing Ice is a result of the whole story rather than any one character or plot arc. It's a great experience that I'd recommend to any fan of science fiction.

Aliens, castaways, relativistic quandries, mortality, betrayal, vengeance, love, sacrifice, cosmic insignificance and perserverance...all delivered to your ears by the smooth-as-butter voice of John Lee.

Hard Science Space Adventure

Pushing Ice is really a mind-expanding view of the universe on a scale of time that goes beyond my ability to imagine. There are some interesting aliens and some vague secondary characters, but the two primary characters are both women and the plot boils down to a battle of wits and wills between these two. Both characters have dimension, but neither quite hit the mark for me on the believability scale. Bella Lind, captain of the Rockhopper, is more magnanimous and long-suffering than any one I've known. Svetlana Barseghian is more egocentric and openly vindictive than most people I know, but I might accept that if there was some explanation for it.

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Title: Surface Detail

Subtitle: A Culture Novel

Author: Iain M. Banks

Narrator: Peter Kenny

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-10

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 895 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

It begins in the realm of the Real, where matter still matters. And it begins with a murder.

Lededje Y'breq is one of the Intagliated, her marked body bearing witness to a family shame, her life belonging to a man whose lust for power is without limit. Prepared to risk everything for her freedom, her release, when it comes, is at a price, and to put things right, she will need the help of the Culture.

Benevolent, enlightened and almost infinitely resourceful though it may be, the Culture can only do so much for any individual. With the assistance of one of its most powerful - and arguably deranged - warships, Lededje finds herself heading into a combat zone not even sure which side the Culture is really on. A war - brutal, far-reaching - is already raging within the digital realms that store the souls of the dead, and it's about to erupt into reality.

Critic Reviews:

"Banks's labyrinthine and devious ninth Culture space opera novel adeptly shifts perspective between vast concepts and individual passions....New readers may be taken aback by the rapid pace, but fans will dive right in and won't come up for air until the final page." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Devestatingly superior

Reading is a major part of my profession and it is not fun. For my own pleasure, I read science fiction almost exclusively (Patrick O'Brian being a major exception). I have read a science fiction book every week since 1978 except for those weeks when I read more than one. I mention this because Iain M. Banks has practically ruined my favorite reading pastime. If you dont know why, you have only to read one Culture novel and then recall the dialogue of any computer on any Star Trek video or book. Surface Detail is virtually the last nail in the coffin.

Most science fiction is crap. For example, I have never read a space opera that could not be fully converted to horseback. I continue to read science fiction because of the surprising quality of the jewels that can be found in the rubble (consider An Exchange Of Hostages). Then comes Iain Banks and his Culture; Science fiction that actually takes notice of the age of our universe and the, presumably, perseverance of intelligence. After I read Matter, I purchased all of his novels in bulk. I read them, loved them and then re-read them. I was convinced that Excession was the best of the best. I then discovered that Surface Detail was about to be released in the United Kingdom (and much earlier than in the U.S). I made the purchase on-line in the UK and had it shipped. It was brilliant and his best novel to date. I then purchased the Audible version which I play on my truck stereo I-Pod. The audible version is icing on the cake.

I can tolerate (barely) a space opera now because I can imagine the story line in circumstances where the Culture has declined to make contact. What I cant tolerate, is Mr. Banks insistence on having a life. He is active and apparently has activities outside of writing his next story.

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Title: Bleak Seasons

Subtitle: Chronicles of the Black Company, Book 7

Author: Glen Cook

Narrator: Jonathan Davis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-31-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 439 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Having risked their lives and souls to capture the fortress of Stormgard, a band of weary soldiers known as the Company witnesses their commander's descent into madness and await the reemergence of their ancient gods.

Members Reviews:

Not as bad as the other review.

I'm just writing to go against that other review of the guy hating the book and making him stop reading the series.

The narrator is great. The timeline in the story is set up strangely. But not too hard to follow and anything would be better than the book of lady.

Love the Black Company, but not this..

I am a big fan of the Black Company books and have been one since they were first released. Bleak Seasons is a painful book to get through. The main character jumps back and forth in some sort of parallel time travel, and it is extremely hard to follow, and just way too much. The style and jumping just doesn't work in this, not even close. The only saving part of the story was the narrator, who solid an excellent job. Sorry, Mr. Cook, this one pretty much sucked in my opinion.

very enjoyable

This was a very good book. I was worried when I saw many people complaining about the story continually jumping through time. I found it a great way to tell the story of what happened to the Black Company inside the city of Dejagora (uncertain of exact spelling) during the time frame of Croaker and Lady's time outside the city (previous book) while at the same time pushing the Black Company's story along with the war against the remaining shadow masters.

also loved the narrator's performance. having a new voice for murgen to differentiate from the narrator who reads Croaker was great. the reader provided great voices and personality to all the characters. after having listened to a couple other books recently with monotonous and emotionless voices, this narrator was like a breath of fresh air.

Series Killer

If any book in the Black Company series can drive a fan to quit, it is this one. The constant, disjointed, mind numbing jumps between perspective time periods turns this book into some bastardized choose-your-own-adventure story. Take a regular novel, chop it into a dozen or two pieces, then read those pieces in random order and you've got Bleak Seasons.

The narrator does such a fine job with the voices, I almost pity the man for having to read this assault on listeners minds.

The style of presentation in Bleak Seasons is so dreadful and of no narrative relation to its predecessors that one has to wonder if Glen Cook were in a particularly vile mood when he wrote it and was purposefully trying to kill the series.

weakest of the series so far

as an audio book it's very difficult to follow. Maybe reading it is easier. great characters though.

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Title: Terminal World

Author: Alastair Reynolds

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-01-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1105 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Spearpoint, the last human city, is an atmosphere-piercing spire of vast size. Clinging to its skin are the zones, a series of semi-autonomous city-states, each of which enjoys a different - and rigidly enforced - level of technology. Following an infiltration mission that went tragically wrong, Quillon has been living incognito, working as a pathologist in the district morgue.

But when a near-dead angel drops onto his dissecting table, Quillon's world is wrenched apart one more time. If Quillon is to save his life, he must leave his home and journey into the cold and hostile lands beyond Spearpoint's base, starting an exile that will take him further than he could ever imagine. But there is far more at stake than just Quillon's own survival, for the limiting technologies of the zones are determined not by governments or police but by the very nature of reality---and reality itself is showing worrying signs of instability.

Critic Reviews:

"A rousing adventure in a widly original setting." (Guardian, UK)

Members Reviews:

This ain't your fathers Alastair Reynolds

I listened to this book several month ago and like it. It was different from what I am used to from Mr. Reynolds, but I thought the story was solid and the characters were interesting and well developed. However, after listening to several other books, including Pillars of the Earth and World Without End by Ken Follett (omg, if you have not read/listened the these books yet, do yourself a favor, NOW!), I find myself comparing everything the Terminal World. I went back & listened to it agin. This is a really good book! Maybe I am a latent steampunk fan and did not realize it, but WOW, I really love this book! I think you should try to erase any vestidual remnant of Chasm City and Revelation Space from your brain before reading this book, because there is NO relation. If you are expecting this, it may effect your perception of this book.

Also...

My concept of the word 'terminal' has always been in realtion to death and dying. But, it also means 'end point' as in bus/train terminal. Keep this in mind when listening. Because of my educational deficit in this regard, I had pre-concieved notions when listening to this book the first time and it effected my opinion (amazing how titles & book covers can impact your perceptions!).

---

As far as Narrator, 2 words... JOHN LEE. If he read the NYC phone book, I would listen to it...twice.

Worthwhile slightly lacking

I give this offering from Mr. Reynolds four stars based on his masterful writing style as well as the narration of John Lee.

However, the listener should be aware that this is a marked departure from his previous works, which many people list as genius among British space opera.

This story is more of a quest novel, and the story flows more from the setting and the character responses to cataclysmic changes, rather than deep character development.

Also, the main character has many similarities to the main character in Chasm City, i.e., mysterious past, assumed identity, and what will happen when the main character's true nature is revealed.

That being said, if you are a fan of Reynolds, than it is a worthwhile use of a credit.

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Title: Feed

Subtitle: The Newsflesh Trilogy, Book 1

Author: Mira Grant

Narrator: Paula Christensen, Jesse Bernstein

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-03-10

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1702 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so, we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

Now, 20 years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

Members Reviews:

I laughed, I cried...

I would like to thank everyone who was disappointed that this was not really a zombie story. I was not going to buy it until I read the reviews. Your disappointment gave me the encouragement I needed to take a chance on it. It was a great listen. I love the author's October Daye stories and this was just as good. She is a hard hitting story teller, and the idealism is a nice change not usually found in a distopian worlds. I don't want to provide any spoilers, but I will say none of my predictions for the conclusion was correct.

As for the reader's slight lisp, it helped make the characters more real for me.

I look forward to the next book, though I know I will have to steel myself to listen to it because of the emotional intensity.

Surprisingly Good

I only listened because of the Hugo nomination. I, for one, resent our new zombie overlords. But this really wasn't a zombie book, more of a "humans can adapt to anything, and still be bastards" kind of book. Fun to read, thought-provoking, and, to my surprise, with an emotional punch that had me mourning at one point in the book, really grieving for a character. Impressive.

An interesting perspective

As a zombie horror fan I liked the new (to me) way the perspective was presented from the intentionally different character views - newsie, irwin, fictional - and I thought it was a good mechanism for adding depth to what could have been a limited and boring narrative. The matter of fact way horrors are considered and dealt with as just part of life, the personality traits that led each character toward their own views, right down to seeing and accepting the flaws of those around us. You and I don't have to agree, and in a world where you're perpetually on the edge of extinction you and I are all we have, that seemed to be a strong under current not only in the brother/sister relationship yet in their dealings with others. And I took the 'Christian bashing' another reviewer noted as being a portrayal of the religious zealotry too common in today's news, politics and cultures, and the cost we pay for it. Questioning God? Who except the same zealots hasn't at some point, Ms. Grant conveyed to me a character that was searching for answers, holding to hope in a hopeless world, doing the right thing because its the right thing even within that abyss of doubting whether its all worth it or if there's anything beyond.

I guess I just read/heard more depth, more nuance than some, or my imagination filled in the blanks created from her words - and isn't that what's supposed to happen?

Not what I expected, but still good

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

Any additional comments?

Listening to the audiobook of Feed by Mira Grant left me with a most unexpected experience.

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Title: The Jennifer Morgue

Subtitle: A Laundry Files Novel

Author: Charles Stross

Narrator: Gideon Emery

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-29-10

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 965 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Hugo Award-winning author Charles Stross continues to make a name for himself in the sci-fi genre. The Jennifer Morgue is an extension of Stross award-winning novella The Concrete Jungle.

Bob Howard is a special operative for the British agency called The Laundry, and his task is to stop a rogue billionaire from using an artifact, known as Gravedust, with the power to reanimate the dead. The U.S. Black Agency sends the lethal Ramona Random to aid Bobs mission, but she seems to have a different agenda.

Critic Reviews:

"[A]lternately chilling and hilarious....It's up to Bob and a collection of British eccentrics even Monty Python would consider odd to stop the bad guy and save the world, while getting receipts for all expenditures or else face the most dreaded menace of all: the Laundry's own auditors. Stross has a marvelous time making eldritch horror appear commonplace in the face of bureaucracy." (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

The Laundry as James Bond

The demon dimensions exist. Scary things from your nightmares are real. And Bob Howard- a computer geek - works for the Laundry. An MI-6/MI-5 type agency with all the bureaucratic ISO nightmares, created to control the demons and other horrible things that no one else believes really exist.

In 1975, the CIA used Howard Hughes's Glomar Explorer in a bungled attempt to raise a sunken Soviet submarine in order to access the Jennifer Morgue, an occult device that allows communication with the dead. Now a ruthless billionaire intends to try again, even if by doing so he awakens the Great Old Ones, who thwarted the earlier expedition. It's up to Bob to stop the bad guy and save the world, while getting receipts for all expenditures or else face the most dreaded menace of all: the Laundry's own auditors.

This third in the Laundry series move Bob along in his life, his relationship with his significant other- Mo, his next ina series of matrix management bosses, his father-son relationship with his true mentor in an entertaining story that makes Bob into the James Bond-like damsel in distress.

The snark factor has gone down as the Laundry series has continued. And we know that while Charles Stross has a problem with religion. What he really, really, really hates is American-style, pro-life, evangelical Christianity. However, you can get past this bias and just enjoy the story.

Fabulous

The reader, Gideon Emery, was perfect for this book, and the material was a fascinating blend of Lovecraftian tropes, computer technical geekery, and the application of over-the-top spycraft.

And damn it if the interpersonal relationships didn't have extraordinarily satisfying arcs! Stross's characters have really begun to feel like real people in the best possible way.

This has me slavering to hear the previous Laundry book, also read by Emery. I hope you've got Emery already producing the Fuller Memorandum, now that I'm on the topic, because if you can't tell, I think Stross, the Laundry books, and Emergy are a winning combo.

GREAT NEW LISTEN

Once I got used to the accent it turned out to be a really fun listen. Lots of twists and turns. Wish I had listened to Book 1 first. Have ordered Book 1 to listen to better late than never. The characters are very richly portrayed by the narration.