How I Listen to Get Your Full Audiobook in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary - Anytime, Anywhere, Any Devices

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: Prison Ship

Author: Michael Bowers

Narrator: Jack Garrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-29-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 46 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Framed for attempted murder against his superior, Commander-now convict-Jacob Steiner receives one last chance at redemption. As the captain of a Penitentiary Assault Vessel, he'll lead a desperate crew of thieves and murderers behind enemy lines in exchange for their freedom.

©2009 Michael Bowers; (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Members Reviews:

Plenty of room for both sequels and prequels.

I am a sci fi war book junkie. This book seemed perfect for me after reading the intro. The plot is a good one, but it lacks the polish often found in the first in a series. I expect improvement in the next book which often happens.

There is a lot of room for expansion on this books plot line. I enjoyed it and look forward to the next installment. As I stated there is also a lot of room for prequels as well, we seem to step into a world that could use a little more background.

At the time of this review I do not know if there are paper versions of this series, but I'm an audiobook enthusiast, and prefer to find them here on Audible. Unfortunately Audible has issues with releasing all books in a series, to my eternal frustration.

All that said, this book is credit worthy, enjoy!

OUT OF THIS WORLD

Usuallly when I read books about the future it is not exciting. Prision Ship is one of the best to keep you on the edge of your seat stories. I play this iPOD in my car as I ride around all day on business. I cannot wait until I get back in my car to get the next portion of this story. I sometimes just sit in my car when I arrive at my appointment to get a liitle more of the story.

Bring out more of these type of exciting books.

Suspense thriler

definitely loved it, fast paced story....nice combination of SciFi and Military theme. good narration and background music

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: Infinity's Shore

Subtitle: The Uplift Trilogy, Book 2

Author: David Brin

Narrator: George Wilson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 26 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-21-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 216 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

A futuristic novel of epic proportions from Hugo and Nebula award-winning author David Brin, Infinity's Shore is the second book in the new Uplift Trilogy.

On the planet Jijo, peace is upended when the starship Streaker arrives, bringing with it knowledge of a two-billion-year-old fleet and hordes of followers eager to exploit its power. Publishers Weekly hails Brin's "extraordinary capacity to handle a wide-ranging narrative and to create ... complex alien races."

Members Reviews:

MORE BRIN!!

This is a really great series, & unlike some other series, I think each successive installment gets better. My only gripe is the snails' pace at which they've been released. Heaven's Reach is the last one to go. Dear Audible, please start blowing up some publishers' answering machines and inboxes for more Brin novels because I, for one, WILL buy them.

First Rate

This is the second installment of the "Brightness Reef" trilogy, and is set in Brin's "Uplift Universe." It is a continuation of Brightness Reef, which should be read first. The conclusion, "Heavens's Gate," is not available in audio as of this posting.

The other novels in the Uplift Universe are Sundiver, Startide Rising, and The Uplift War, all available from Audible. It is not strictly neccessary to read them first, though I highly recommend the last two for the added background and events. They are both excellent in their own right.

In a nutshell this trilogy is hard SF, offering a thought-provoking story of science, technology, and sociology. It examines the plight of five races who, seeking to withdraw from the rigors of galactic civilization, illegally settle an abandoned world to find peace, only to have galactic events intrude.

The trilogy is excellent, and IMO the first two books are among the best hard SF has to offer. The plot is interesting, with many unexpected twists. The pace is fast, the writing strong, and the characters well-drawn. It is a true page-turner.

I would echo the other reviewer in pleading for the timely release of the final installment of this trilogy, Heaven's Gate.

The planet of Jijo is no longer a secret

Now that the skies (or orbit) are filled with ships wanting what the dolphin ship Streaker have the planet is no longer a secret like it was for many centuries before, the inhabitants that are illegally settling there are going to have to answer to the Galactic's for there crime of settling on a planet that is sosposta be empty

but they have bigger problems than that now and Streaker is coming to the planet to hide not realizing that there is a war going on there and they come to the place where everyone who is looking for them has converged.

I liked this book because of the 2 different stories like the people (or aliens) on the planet illegally and the crew of the Streaker who were labeled fugitives by everyone because of what they have found, they come together nicely and it sets you up for the next book the final one.

slow burn sci Fi, ends on a cliffhanger

Well written, but slow moving. Also ends on a major cliffhanger. I was swearing at the author as I finished the book as he had not resolved the most important mysteries or conflicts.

Slightly less boring than the previous book.

Like the first book in this second trilogy, there is very little action.

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: Hidden Empire: The Empire Duet, Part 2

Author: Orson Scott Card

Narrator: Rusty Humphries, Stefan Rudnicki, Orson Scott Card

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-04-09

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 599 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

In this sequel to Card's best-selling novel Empire, Averell Torrent has become president of the United States, with enormous political and popular support, and, if people only realized it, a tight grip on the reins of both political parties. He has launched America into a get-tough, this-world-is-our-empire foreign policy stance.

But Captain Bartholomew Coleman, known as Cole to his friends and enemies alike, sees the danger Torrent poses to American democracy and the potential disasters involved in his foreign military adventures. He quickly runs afoul of the president, and on the run, he and a few friends and allies seek proof of how Torrent orchestrated the political takeover - by assassinating a president and nearly starting a civil war.

Members Reviews:

A Must Read Sequel!

What made the experience of listening to Hidden Empire: The Empire Duet, Part 2 the most enjoyable?

Hidden empire took the initial storyline constructed in Empire and moves to a conclusion. Fitting its author, the conclusion cannot be guessed though Card does a great job of offering foreshadowing points that you connect in retrospect.

One enjoyable part of the series is the manner in which he builds conflict among the numerous factions and clearly articulates his premise.

What did you like best about this story?

This story brought my sadness to teams, smirks of happiness and the whole gambit of emotions in between. Card delivered on the series. Definitely a must read.

What about the narratorss performance did you like?

There were three voices in this performance -- one of the Card's voice.

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

Yes, I listened to it in two sittings. It is approximately 11 hours long, so hunker down and get some popcorn.

Better Than the First

I found myself enjoying the sequel even more than the original. a great book and performed very well.

Fantastic!

I loved the first Empire book. And even though Orson Scott Card is a favorite author of mine I never start a book with expectations on previous works in the series or by the author... but this one is absolutely as great as the first in the series and I can't wait for Mr. Card to bless us all with the next.

mlleErica

I love Orson Scott Card -- in fact Ender's Game was the first audio book, and the first sci-fi book I remember enjoying. Stefan Rudnicki could read the telephone book and make it sound like poetry. But I have been disappointed by the Empire duet.

Some parts read like a top notch thriller, but this is a book lacking the heart, character, and subtley of OSC's usual style. The characters on all sides commit acts that make them unsympathetic -- as a listener I didn't know who the good guys were, even when I was told.

I'm giving it a 3 because of Rudnicki's narration, but I'd skip it unless you're an OSC junkie.

Hidden Empire

Listen to Empire first and continue the story with this book. Another wonderful and thoughtful story from Orson Scott Card.

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: All Tomorrow's Parties

Author: William Gibson

Narrator: Jonathan Davis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 259 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Rydell is on his way back to near-future San Francisco. A stint as a security man in an all-night Los Angeles convenience store has convinced him his career is going nowhere, but his friend, Laney, phoning from Tokyo, says there's more interesting work for him in Northern California. And there is, although it will eventually involve his former girlfriend, a Taoist assassin, the secrets Laney has been hacking out of the depths of DatAmerica, the CEO of the PR firm that secretly runs the world, and the apocalyptic technological transformation of, well, everything.

William Gibson's new novel, set in the soon-to-be-fact world of Virtual Light and Idoru, completes a stunning, brilliantly imagined trilogy about the post-Net world.

Members Reviews:

Worth several listenings.

Very densely and artfully written. I listened to it multiple times, sometimes as a cure for insomnia. I would not recommend it for commutes as it is too low-key for that. I loved the conception of living on Golden Gate Bridge, but never would have hung in there, due to nebulous plotting, if it had not been for the relaxing and yet entertaining reading of Jonathan Davis. His reading of Rydell was particularly amusing.

Best production, great listening experience

Thank you for the great narration, Jonathan Davis. I can't image how you accomplished such a great listen; is very enjoyable.

I ended up enjoying this book the most of the trilogy. I've read "All Tomorrow's Parties" a couple of times, but listening to this version is much better.

William Gibson has a great talent for describing the past, present and future (all at the same time) with a great tongue in cheek style.

Very different, kinda cool :)

Poetic thoughts and images, but not the bardic/literary kind ....more artistic somehow. This author DEFinitely has his own style. Very dense, very thick weavings. Great characters. Very very interesting. The story is not your normal, straightforward sort and also not "typical" sci/fi. Know this first. BIGtime. It took me a couple (afterwards) to GET IT and then I did. Soo cool. Not your normal read. I did a LOT of re-winding (so to speak) throughout. But, I DEFinitely enjoyed the ride :)

Technology will save us

Good character study, but I don't think the author's vision of hope is viable because the root cause problem (human culture) was not addressed.

DIFFICULT NOT TO FINISH ONCE BEGUN, 1ST RATE!

Loved it, not as dazzling as Neuromancer, but much more finely constructed. A tale of a perfectly believable American favela, intricate and independent.

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 Chronoliths

Author: Robert Charles Wilson

Narrator: Oliver Wyman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-22-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 443 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Shortly afterwards, another, larger pillar arrives in the center of Bangkok - obliterating the city and killing thousands. Over the next several years, human society is transformed by these mysterious arrivals from, seemingly, our own near future. Who is the warlord "Kuin" whose victories they note?

Scott wants only to rebuild his life. But some strange loop of causality keeps drawing him in, to the central mystery and a final battle with the future.

Members Reviews:

good writing kept me going

Some writers just know how to put words and thoughts together well enough that you have to listen. This book is depressing and exciting. I am not a fan of books with bleak outlooks, but RW is such a good writer that he can keep your interest with his thoughts, even though you may not like the subject matter. The science in this is exciting, but seems to be a very small part of the book until toward the end. It is written as a narrative, which is not my favorite style. Often in the book he mentions how awful something is and then follows that with, but not as awful as it would become. I believe these type of teasers to be a cheap way out for the writer, and it is especially cheap if the ending does not live up to the billing. Through 75% of it, the book had my full attention, but toward the end my mind started to wonder and I was a little disappointed in the ending, though it keep true to the mood of the whole book.

It may sound like I am hard on the book, but I did give it 4 stars which I do not do lightly. I think it is worth the money, it just might not be your favorite. If you have not read RW, then you should start with Spin.

A haunting, beautiful work...

I was taken by Robert Charles Wilson's work first with "Bios" (hint, Audible, hint, hint...) and then with the wonderfully weird and epic "Darwinia." I think "The Chronoliths" is my favorite. This is a compelling, often melancholy novel peopled by sympathetic characters who come alive in their vulnerability, ambivalence and, in the end, profound commitment to helping each other cope with a world made despairing and dysfunctional by forces beyond understanding. The reading is flawless and perfect for this novel, well-paced with good character differentiation and a keen sense of irony, wit and melancholy. My sincerest compliments to Mr. Wyman. While my library of Audible SF readings is ridiculously large, almost begging clinical intervention, this is one that I will be happy to experience more than once. A fine work of character-centered science fiction. God, I wish I could write like RCW!

Big Idea SF, family drama story

This is a fine mix of Big Idea SF with human drama on a much smaller scale. The Big Idea is a conqueror from the future named "Kuin" who is somehow able to send massive monuments to his victories back in time, where they stand invulnerable and ominous over the lands he is destined to conquer. The first ones are in Thailand, but over the next few years they appear all over Asia. Some materialize in relatively unpopulated areas, but some appear in the middle of cities, flattening them with shockwaves. Scientists determine (using hand-wavey physics) that these "chronoliths" are indeed from the future, which means Kuin really is going to conquer all of Asia in about twenty years. This sets off global turmoil.

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: Eye of the Storm

Subtitle: Legacy of the Aldenata

Author: John Ringo

Narrator: Marc Vietor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-07-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 677 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

General Tam Wesley faces trying one of the most beloved heroes in the Federation, not to mention a friend of decades, on trumped up charges. His alternative is having the last corps of humans that haven't sold their souls to the Darhel be taken apart like a chicken. Then he finds out the bad news....

With a new invasion from a previously unknown race threatening the Federation capital, Darhel Tir Dal Ron faces his ultimate nightmare: He is going to have to reinstate the one man human soldiers trust, a man with the power and knowledge to destroy the Darhel oligarchy forever. And instead convince him, against all logic, to save the Darhel.

Somebody is going to die. General Michael O'Neal, Supreme Commander, Federation Forces, just has to pick.

Members Reviews:

Nice to see Michael O'Neal back, and his daughters

If you have been checking my reviews then you know that there is a list of the correct order to read these books in, this is labeled as book 12 and that's actually where is belongs if you don't count "The Hero" because that's like way in the future but its labeled as book 5.

I have posted the order I think they should be read in before but here it is again, first names of the books titles only - "Hymn" "Gust" "Devil" "Hell" "Watch" "Yellow" "Tuloriad" "Cally" "Sister" "Honor" "Eye" and "Hero" - if/when the Author writes more books that take place in different places I will probably get them also and post another review with the updated order.

Now the review - it was good to see Michael O'Neal back in action again if only to be treated like crap at first, he goes on to be in charge of some really important stuff and he does a good job at it.

I was expecting to see more of the ACS here but you will find out soon that they are mostly destroyed which sucks but this book ends like there should be a few more right after this one ended, I hope that Ringo writes more of them because his work is just great only lacking in a few places but the greatness makes up for it with really funny parts that most Sci-Fi doesn't have a lot of - there is technical stuff also which is what makes things interesting, but comedy as well and that's what Ringo does best.

O'Neal is back with his daughters which is cool to see because the last time the 3 of them were together was when they were just kids like 3 and 6 years old and then there was the first 4 books if you read them then you know whats up with them not seeing each other.

This one is a must read if you are a fan of this series, The Watch on the Rhine and Yellow Eyes could be skipped but then The Tuloriad has some stuff in it you don't know about so I might have said in past reviews to skip "Watch" and "Yellow" but that's not the case now - they are slow but worth it, Yellow Eyes more so.

Fun, Cliff Hanger, and massive body count

like all ringo stories this one also has a massive body count, its fast paced, and we finally see humans taking a dominant role.

on the downside like all ringo books this one just ends, basically a cliffhanger, i like that we are seeing some new races and how they interact, i also like that we start seeing some more tech appear. if you like ringo you'll like this

Awsome Book

this is the best JR book yet.

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: Winter Duty

Subtitle: The Vampire Earth, Book 8

Author: E. E. Knight

Narrator: Christian Rummel, E. E. Knight (Introduction)

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-07-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 315 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

And Valentine is losing allies fast. Some of the clans in the region have declared themselves in favor of the Kurians, throwing Kentucky into civil war. But the Kurian overlords have determined that the region isn't worth the effort of another conquest. Their order: extermination.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction written and read by author E.E. Knight.

Critic Reviews:

"E.E. Knight is one of the most consistently interesting writers in the military science fiction field. I wouldn't miss a book of his Vampire Earth series. They're great." (Charlaine Harris, author of the "Sookie Stackhouse" series)

Members Reviews:

Great all around

Great story in the series. Knight never fails to deliver and Rummel completes the experience with some of the best narration I've ever heard

Good on going anthology

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

If your a fan of the Vampire Earth series the war goes on and Valintine struggles with the enemy and his own side.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The leading character

Which scene was your favorite?

The attack on the enemies lair.

Any additional comments?

A twist on the traditional good versus bad series

enjoying the whole vampire earth series

i am loving this series. there is always something next. keep up the good work. e.e.

Most forgettable book in the series

I don't know if this book is a necessary read. It feels like a fluff piece more than anything. David's career doesn't change much, nor do the characters in the story. It feels like it could fit into the preceding novel and be recapped in the next novel without losing much. I love the series, and I'm a bit disappointed in how this book turned out.

disapointed

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Keep it relatively simple in regards to the number of characters, reinforce the goal of the story and make it clear what factions if you will stand for what. I'm not sure if it could be a four or a five.

What could E. E. Knight have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Maybe the book less obscure. Unless your a follower of the continuing saga your lost but good. It's pretty bad when an author needs to explain in the begining whats going on, which didn't help. There are so many characters and strange creatures you cant keep up with them. I'm not sure they could fix it.

Did Christian Rummel and E. E. Knight (Introduction) do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

No it didn't help, I wish the sample listen included this intro because when you hear it red flags go up and I probably wouldn't have wated my money.

Any additional comments?

I quit the listen, I'll save it for when I have nothing else to do.

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: Bellwether

Author: Connie Willis

Narrator: Kate Reading

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-16-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1144 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Sandra Foster studies fads and their meanings for the HiTek corporation. Bennett O'Reilly works with monkey group behavior and chaos theory for the same company. When the two are thrust together due to a misdelivered package and a run of seemingly bad luck, they find a joint project in a flock of sheep. But a series of setbacks and disappointments arise before they are able to find answers to their questions - with the unintended help of the errant, forgetful, and careless office assistant Flip.

Critic Reviews:

"Connie Willis deploys the apparatus of science fiction to illuminate character and relationships, and her writing is fresh, subtle and deeply moving." (New York Times Book Review)

"Willis's story builds slowly but is realistic and engrossing." (Midwest Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Initially funny but then got stuck

Its like the knock knock joke about the banana, until they finally say orange. The story is great at first and the characters seem like they will be interesting but it becomes a broken record, the characters are very one dimensional and what was funny in the beginning is becoming tedious as I continue to listen. Two thirds of the way in I realized there seem to be no story, or climax are anything interesting beyond the beginning fascination with learning about new characters. I had high hopes after having numerous disappointments. But alas it was another let down.

Pattern Recognition" Meets "Office Space

Fans of William Gibson's "Pattern Recognition" will see a lot of similarity here, in that our heroine is working to understand the evolution of trends in human society. And fans of "Office Space" will see a lot of similarity between that movie's Initech company and our heroine's Hi-Tek laboratory. The blend is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny.

Some Hi-Tek employees' names are allegories -- one incompetent assistant is named "Desiderata" and another "Flip" (for the frequent flip of her hair, or, as we learn later, maybe something else). The clueless laboratory director -- who falls for every new management fad that comes along -- is simply named "Management."

Chapters begin with just a little background on the research topic at hand, and these entries make the book's science content accessible to a general audience. I gave it four stars because I thought that these introductory segments were at times a little too long or detailed. But all in all a good book, and I couldn't put it down -- had to listen to it in one sitting.

Laugh out loud moments

Any additional comments?

I was stopped in the grocery store and asked what I was listening to that had me grinning like a maniac. "Bellwether" takes a little while to get rolling, but the narrative voice is beautifully captured, and the ideosyncracies of the workplace, fads, and scientific discoveries enlivens a fairly straightforward storyline. Once the sheep were introduced, I found myself unable to unplug. As a sheep owner, I was similtaneously laughing and nodding over Sandy's and Ben's exploits with the ovine crowd. Brilliant fun and thought-provoking as well.

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: Designated Targets

Subtitle: Axis of Time, Book 2

Author: John Birmingham

Narrator: Jay Snyder

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-06-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 436 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Only months after the Transition, the great powers scramble to develop the weapons of tomorrow. The year 1942 is now a world of crude jet fighters, monstrous attack helicopters, and unholy dirty bombs - a mongrel technology, born decades prematurely.

Then, in a radical rewriting of history, Japanese forces sweep into Australia, foreign agents begin a campaign of terror in the USA, and Germany prepares for an all-out attack on Britain. The 21st-century forces must resort to the most extreme measures yet and face a future rife with possibilities - all of them apocalyptic.

Picking up from where he left off with Weapons of Choice, John Birmingham shocks and awes us with this gripping second instalment in the Axis of Time trilogy.

Members Reviews:

Alternative history at its best

Designated Targets is the first book of a military, political, social alternative history trilogy that shows what can happen when an experiment in quantum physics goes terribly wrong. It is very clever, well written, and even somewhat thought provoking. It only requires you to suspend your disbelief a bit. The trilogy is a most entertaining listen or read.

Another winner

Heard the first one HAD to get this one and just got tne last of the three part series.

Too bad it's almost over, would make for a great movie but guess it'd be too long.

Very enjoyable.

Outstanding

A very good read, i like it very MUCH!!!!!!!!!

HOOKED

I've read many alternate history books and milti-universe genre books over the years. This is fast becoming one of my favorite series.

Worth the time, an excellent read.

I was expecting a spin on The Final Countdown. This series definitely was a different take on things. An excellent well thought out book.

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: Dust

Author: Elizabeth Bear

Narrator: Alma Cuervo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-29-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 115 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Hugo Award winner Elizabeth Bear has been called one of the best science fiction authors of her generation. In Dust she skillfully spins a classic science fiction trope - the lost generation ship - into a complex and compelling tale of fallen angels, secretive family politics, and sexual taboo.

©2007 Elizabeth Bear; (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"Extraordinary ... [a] brilliantly detailed, tightly plotted, roller-coaster ... replete with a fantastic cast of characters." (Booklist, starred review)

Members Reviews:

A new twist

This book took one of the old standards of Science Fiction; The generation ship, evolved it into a

modern thoughtful story. Adventure, Hi-Science Fiction and some love thrown in. Narration was good, although I rarely have a problem with the

narrators on audio books. I am astounded at the number of reviewers who rip on the narrators.

But I digress... This was a good story well told.

I almost wish for a sequel even though it is refreshing to read/listen to a sci fi book that

is not multi book.

A throughly well crafted story

This was my first audio book, as well as my first Elizabeth Bear book. The writing was exquisitely well crafted; her prose was simply wonderful to listen to and, because of this, I plan to read it as well. The story was compelling, leading the reader on to understand the complexities of "the world" that was the stranded generation ship, with its ship mind/AI fragmented into pieces, the "angels". Very ingenious and well done. Without burdening the reader with endless technical descriptions, she illuminates the characters and brings them into vivid focus. The narrator was perfect.

A very different kind of story.

Whether one feels the work is good or bad, there are a lot of the same and similar things out there to read in Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Can you tell the difference in Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon? I like them both, but I can't. That was why I was attracted to Elizabeth Bear's "Dust." It was so very different from much of the work out there and it was quite interesting in its differences. As someone who reads and listens (in combination), to approximately 50 to 60 books a year, I loved that I didn't guess correctly where the story in "Dust" was going. I will definitely look out for more from this author. I was also pleasantly surprised that it didn't seem to be set up as a muti-novel story either. It was refreshing to be able to finish a complete story without having to wait a year between each novel.

Generation ship sub-genre tale

Dust is a mildly interesting variation on the generation ship theme. A lost and damaged interstellar space ship circling an unstable star sets the backdrop for a band of space travelers that have "evolved" well beyond human. The timeframe is far future with sophisticated AIs, nanotech, and genetic engineering capable of growing human wings. We begin some time after the accident that has precipitated current events. The ship's crew has bifurcated into two competing groups (former officers and engineers) with an almost Medieval orientation. The original AI has been forced to divide into multiple entities responsible for maintaining unique elements of the ship while at the same time assisting different groups in an attempt to reintegrate and take back total control of the vessel.