Listen to Your Favorite Audiobooks in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary on Computers and Mobile Phones IOS or Android

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Title: Z 2135

Subtitle: Z 2134, Book 2

Author: David Wright, Sean Platt

Narrator: Dan John Miller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-14

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 77 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The Darwin Games are over. The battle for survival has just begun.

The Lovecraft family is in ruins. Their convict father, Jonah, roams The Barrens, near starvation, in search of his daughter, Ana. Only the hope of seeing her again keeps him alive. Meanwhile Ana, Liam, and Duncan have found temporary relief at a camp outside The Walls. Inside City 6, Jonahs young son, Adam, has been co-opted by Jonahs enemy, Chief Keller, and is being groomed as a City Watch spy.

Between the terrifying zombies roaming The Barrens - monsters created by the plague that destroyed the Old Nation - and the ruthless, manipulative government that controls everything and everyone within the City Walls, no one is safe. Z 2135 is both a frightening vision of a dystopian future and a heartening tale of family, hope, and humanity. The newest season from Sean Platt and David Wright is as captivating as it is terrifying.

Members Reviews:

great continuation!

awesome writing, vivid characters. looking forward to more! Sean and Dave always come through!

Some zombies, but mostly barrens with backstory

Z2135 picks up several months after Z2134 left off. This installment is presented as season 2 with a made for TV feel of "episodes" (some ending with a bit of a cliffhanger). Most of the story revolves around the Lovecraft family with Jonah getting picked up and suborned into a ragtag band of insurrectionists. His daughter is mostly wandering the barrens with Liam trying to reconnect with her dad and his son is slowly inculcated into the police force by the creepy police chief. This "season" ends again with everyone in mortal danger again.

The sci-fi elements are in line with the first installment. More information and background is provided on the zombie origin as well as history surrounding the evolution of the current political and socioeconomic structure. The corruption and perverse natures of all the power players is on display. Jonah and his family serve the roles of willing, but unwitting pawns for players on both sides of the warring factions.

The narration is well done with a good range of voices along with excellent pacing, tone and mood.

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Title: Skinwalker Ranch

Subtitle: Path of the Skinwalker

Author: Ryan Skinner

Narrator: Susan Hanfield

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-04-14

Publisher: Ryan Skinner

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 24 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

For the past 7 years, Skinwalker Hunter - Ryan Skinner, has investigated bizarre events at Skinwalker Ranch. What Bigelow and his NIDs research team encountered after 2005 has not been shared with the public, until now. This audiobook picks up with Ryan Skinner chronicling his up-to-date experiences at the Ranch as highlighted by his visual narration, alluring photos and videos of shocking events that actually happened. On numerous occasions he was threatened by balls of light which have given chase, mysterious voices speaking in the desert air, glowing objects were seen, shadow people stalked him (and others), portals opened, alien creatures emerged, and all this in vivid detail. The audiobook culminates with Ryan meeting a shape shifting entity known as a "Skinwalker" Path of the Skinwalker opens a gateway into the realities of an alternate universe; one which is beyond comprehension, beyond time and space, a place strictly off-limits to the public, a place known as Skinwalker Ranch.

Members Reviews:

Missed the mark

This is either fiction or it's trying too hard to convince us that the events were really intense. A more straightforward and journalistic approach would have been better.

a great paranormal adventure!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

yes there is a good sense of humor to this book

Any additional comments?

if your your interested in the paranormal you should definatley get this book! being from the uinta basin and knowing what really goes on there i found this book to be very interesting and fascinating!! more than just a ufo story and more than just a ghost story (something very real is happening in this part of the country that everyone should know about) and this book is a perfect start to learning about the mysterious happenings at skinwalker ranch!!!

Worst writing I've ever seen

The only reason to listen to this book is to hear some of the amazing stories of what took place at Skinwalker Ranch. Otherwise, the author comes off as a pretentious, arrogant, dumb, misogynistic douche. Way too many overly detailed descriptions of mundane acts - I don't think anyone "wraps their eyebrow meat around a night vision scope." There are so many descriptions that the truly amazing things this man witnessed are lost in the avalanche of hyperbole. The narrator was average at best - maybe she is new to this? She didn't differentiate her voice between the characters and missed a few words here & there, which made the story even more jumbled. Do not recommend.

luckily returning shitty books it's easy.

I came in with high hopes. des regarding low reviews.

disappointed. it sucks, drags on too much.

dontwaste your time

the writer needs to be writing drama tv for hollywood house wives. there is... at the most,,,, 30 minute story stretched out over 4.5 hours of agony. over dramatizing every aspect of every sentence. oh the pain and agony to finish listening to it. I think my IQ fell 10 points.

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Title: Gabriel's Revenge

Subtitle: Evan Gabriel Trilogy, Book 3

Author: Steve Umstead

Narrator: Ray Chase

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-31-14

Publisher: Podium Publishing

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 103 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

A missile has no conscience. It is an inanimate steel object: cold, emotionless. But once ignited, it burns white hot inside, and cannot be shut off. Fired in combat, it has but one objective: the total destruction of its intended target. And it will only stop when its objective has been achieved, or it runs out of fuel. Not all missiles are made of steel.

North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel thought it was over. Returning from a mission on the far-off world of Eden, he finds that Mars is in a state of political upheaval. Two major dome cities are now under the control of ambitious and ruthless men backed by the scheming South American Republic. Friends are in trouble, Renay Gesselli is missing, and the future of a world is in flux while rival governments bicker behind closed doors. From the ice-bound planet of Poliahu, to the dangerous jungle world of Eden, and back to his adopted home of Mars, Evan Gabriel has witnessed death follow him. Now, he's turning the tables, and no force would stand in his way.

Members Reviews:

Ray Chase Takes It Home In Style

Where does Gabriel's Revenge rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Gabriel's Revenge ranks 8.92 out of 10 on my Modified Indexed Listening Formula (MILF) scale, which is nothing to sneeze at. Why? Because it isn't.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Evan Gabriel was a hard as nails, government sanctioned killer of all things evil who has to carry several metric tons of psychic baggage since he was about 2 1/2 years old. He had more ghosts stalking him than the total spooks who chased that shiftless peach fuzz Shaggy and his gangly mutt Scooby in three years of that show's episodes.

Evan will corpse up anyone who stands in his way, especially if it is one of those banditos from the SAR. When one of these soulless cucarachas had a reverse MENSA brainwave and told his cronies, "I know what will make Evan Gabriel crumble and throw in the towel, I'll kidnap the one person left in this solar system and local star cluster that Evan truly loves and cares for with all of his heart - his hot girlfriend. Yeah that will make him back down. Hey amigo, pass me some more of that crappy Chilean ripple heh, heh, heh," If there is a better example of famous last words that ends up biting your ass and entire lower torso off I have not heard it.

Didn't the guy who uttered this nonsense remember what happened two weeks ago on Planet Armpit, or something to that effect, when Evan and the surviving half dozen of his merry band of merciless unrelenting space avengers ground into a mushy paste each one of the 82 assorted mercenaries, 60 Asian ninja wannabes and 39 innocent bystanders too slow to scramble away from the fusillade of bullets and pulse laser beams? And that was for some Mars-based washed up politician's son who really never entered the story in any meaningful way. Yeah, idiot, grab Evan's girlfriend, he won't get pissed.

Which scene was your favorite?

Evan is about to get a new hole in the back of his head by the head mercenary guy but his "brain buddy" pulls an ace out of its virtual sleeve and ends that nonsense.

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Title: 100 Days in Deadland

Author: Rachel Aukes

Narrator: Hollie Jackson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-17-13

Publisher: Rachel Aukes

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 139 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

A journey through Dante's Inferno with a shambling twist.

In one day, the world succumbed to a pestilence that decimated the living. In its place rose a new species: vicious, gruesome, wandering zombies with an insatiable hunger for the living. There is no government. No shelter. No hope.

Still in her twenties, Cash has watched her friends die, only to walk again. An office worker with few survival skills, she joins up with Clutch, a grizzled Army veteran with PTSD. Together, they flee the city and struggle through the nine circles of hell, with nothing but Clutch's military experience and Cash's determination to live. As they fight to survive in the zombie inferno, they quickly discover that nowhere is safe from the undead...or the living.

This is the beginning after the end.

100 Days in Deadland is a journey through the first poem in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, the classic tale on the horrors of hell...zombie apocalypse style!

Members Reviews:

pretty good zombie fix

Any additional comments?

100 days in deadland has a quick start. in the first 5 minutes, the main character, mia, is in the thick of a zombie apocylapse. as she attempts to flee des moines, iowa, she encounters clutch, a truck driver, who just happens to be a survivalist. although this seems cliche, the story is pretty good. it reminded me of no easy hope: surviving the dead. for those who haven't read/listened to it, there's a good mentor-apprentice relationship and storyline.

the zombies are the romero style shamblers, and there's a good amount of zombie action as mia(cash) and clutch scavenge for supplies. however, zombbies aren't their only concern. mia(cash) and clutch must also contend with a local militia and what's left of the military. so, the second half of the book is kind of predictable.

100 days in deadland is told in the first person by mia(cash). the narrator's voice is easy to listen to. her inflection matches what's happening in the story.

100 days in deadland has all the storylines you'd expect in a zombie apocylapse story. while this is good, it is also bad. well, at least for me. i've listened to a bunch of zombie stories, and i'm always on the lookout for a story to surprise me. nothing in this story surprised me or added to the zombie genre. i'm not saying it's a bad, but it's just a story i've heard before.

as far as the dante's inferno connection is concerned, the author broke the story up so that each circle of hell matched what was happening in the story. i did not buy this story b/c of that, but i loosely paid attention to the connection between the two. after the end of the story, the author provides an exposition of how each section of the story represents a different circle of hell. i only listened to part of it before i moved on to the next book.

so if you're pretty new to the zombie genre, then this is a pretty good story to start off with. it's a full story in one book and not a series, where the story sometimes comes to an abrupt end. if you're a gray hair like me and need a good, predictable zombie fix, then give it listen.

Excellent story with non-stop action!

The story really drew me in.

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Title: Post-Human

Subtitle: Post-Human Series, Book 2

Author: David Simpson

Narrator: Ray Chase

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-13-13

Publisher: Podium Publishing

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 154 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The future should have been perfect. Microscopic robots known as nans could repair any damage to your body, keep you young by resetting your cellular clocks, and allow you to download upgrades like intelligence, muscle strength, and eyesight. You were supposed to be able to have anything you wanted with a simple thought, to be able to fly without the aid of a machine, to be able to live forever. But when a small group of five terraformers working on Venus return to Earth, they discover that every other human in the solar system has been gruesomely murdered. Now, James Keats and his four companions must discover what happened to the rest of humanity and fight back if they wish to avoid the same, horrifying fate. Welcome to the post-human era

Members Reviews:

Blame It On Christmas!

Sometimes I write long review for books I like. It's not intentional - They deserve additional real estate on the page. In this case, I'll keep it VERY small - Christmas shopping, parties and miscellaneous festivities ensue. I'm on my way to a company Christmas party in the heart of the French Quarter! So, blame it on Christmas! Here goes:

It's different from the first, yet a good listen. Interesting changes and continuity. Good character development, but not as much as in the first book. Believably cool technology. Good plot lines, changes, and at least one surprise. Wow! I'm getting the next audiobook in the series. Well worth the Audible credit.

Enjoy!

This was the start

Would you consider the audio edition of Post-Human to be better than the print version?

I will always prefer the printed book, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it being read.

What other book might you compare Post-Human to and why?

Before reading the Post-Human series, I had never read a book that compared to the concepts that David Simpson puts out there. The only other comparison I can make is to The Matrix. The idea of a all encompassing A.I. that guides humanity wasn't something I thought about before reading Post-Human.

Have you listened to any of Ray Chases other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first time I've heard Ray Chase. He has a very pleasant voice reminiscent of the voice of Sam Neill... an actor with a distinct accent and way of speaking.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

OMG... This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning and didn't let go! This is the book and audiobook that started my love of the Post-Human series!

Any additional comments?

Even though I've read the Kindle edition of the books, I decided to purchase the audio version of the "Post-Human" series. I rarely listen to audiobooks. I'm ADD and it's very easy for me to get distracted from the narration. I didn't have that problem with Ray Chase's narration. His voice was soothing and didn't grate; he was very easy to follow.

No the worst, but far from the best

Would you ever listen to anything by David Simpson again?

Yes, I am currently listening to the breakers series w/ David Simpson. My biggest issue with Mr. Simpson is that he chooses one character in every series to growl non-stop. In the "post-human" series that character is "Old Timer"

I'm not sure what's up with that, but it gets old real fast.

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Title: Blood Soaked and Contagious

Author: James Crawford

Narrator: David Stifel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-12-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 57 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

I am not going to complain to you about my life. Weve got zombies. They are not the brainless, rotting creatures wed been led to expect. Unfortunately for us, theyre just as smart as they were before they died, very fast, much stronger than you or me, and possess no internal editor at all.

Claws. Did I mention claws? I kill them for a living, but its as much a vocation as a freelance career choice. It helps me, helps my neighborhood, and the people I consider to be my family of choice. Whats more? Im really good at it.

My life had a nice rhythm, and I'd almost gotten used to it, but the military bungled an attempt to wipe out an organized bunch of undead near a major commuting route into DC. The formerly-human survivors relocated. Now theyre less than an hours stroll away from where I live.

The new Zombie Overlord is smarter, crazier, and much more well-equipped than anyone we'd dealt with in the past. We have something he wants, badly. I know he's going to come and get it and try and wipe us out in the process... men, women, and even the children. I'd seen it done before elsewhere for lesser reasons.

This is my home. These are my people, my family. This is personal.

Editorial Reviews:

The zombies in James Crawfords refreshingly original take on the genre, Blood-Soaked and Contagious, arent your stereotypical brain-dead automatons with an inexhaustible lust for human brains; theyre intelligent, calculating, and impressively organized. Trigger-happy protagonist Frank, along with a ragtag bunch of survivors, want nothing more than to wipe them off the face of the Earth in this playful and action-packed post-apocalyptic romp performed by David Stifel, who never takes himself too seriously and expertly captures the pulpy quality of Crawfords prose.

Members Reviews:

Molly Harper meets David Drake.

Zombies, nanobots, snarky conversation, entertaining, hot babes, manly men, plot twists, good vs. evil. What's not to like?

The funniest and most gruesome zombie story ever

At first I thought Frank was too cynical, too flip, and too likely to belittle everyone who tried to be his friend. Keep listening. Our author knows how make complex characters. He also remembers every zinger since 10th grade! Such a smart ass. Mr.Crawford describes the most grim guts on the wall scene, then observes something wildly funny. ROFL funny. Shoot food out your nose funny.

The twist on zombies in this story is really clever. They are quirky in every way, including retaining most of their premortem skills. I think, though, they meet your basic zombie definition. I'd be interested in others' opinions.

David Stifel is an admirable narrator. Except for making an Indian man and an Indian woman sound alike, he handles all the accents well.

I look forward to more works by this team, especially the next one in this series.

Great storytelling and well narrated

If you could sum up Blood Soaked and Contagious in three words, what would they be?

Unique zombie story

What was one of the most memorable moments of Blood Soaked and Contagious?

The description of the "Lolita zombie sister" and her remembrances.

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

I've enjoyed his readings of Edgar Rice Burroughs' works.

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Title: The Society of Saint Philip of the Screwdriver

Subtitle: Gazette Singles

Author: Rick Boatright

Narrator: Joe Peck

Format: Unabridged

Length: 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-13

Publisher: Ring of Fire Press

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Take a town full of West Virginia coal miners, 17th century nobility, one of the longest and bloodiest wars in history, d'Artagnan (without the three musketeers), Blaise Pascal, Rene Decartes, Galileo, Oliver Cromwell and Gustav II Adolph. Shake well and simmer for thirteen years.

Eric Flint's world of 1632 is an amazing and complex alternate history universe that split off from ours one spring day in 2000 and 1631.

The Grantville Singles provide readers with the opportunity to sample some of our favorite stories from the semi-monthly magazine devoted to the series, The Grantville Gazette. We hope you enjoy them.

In this story, Rick Boatright's popular character Father Nick Smithson returns. While part of the action of the story is set, as usual for Fr. Nick, in the Library, there is rather more 'action' than librarians are used to.

Father Nick and his associates continue their work to keep Murphy's Imp directly in front of them lest a moment of inattention result in disaster.

Members Reviews:

Beware the Demon Murphy!

Take one Catholic church, One Saint whose background fits slightly into the concept, add Murphy's Law and you wind up with Saint Philip of the Screwdriver, a Society of Believers who dissect breakdowns and failings and determine their causes and remedies...and thwart the Demon Murphy who makes certain that:

: if it is possible to install a part incorrectly, it will be,

: if you need a part, the local hardware store won't have it,

: the proper-sized screw has the wrong thread,

: your shoelaces break when you don't have a replacement and are late for a meeting, and,

: "Anything which can go wrong eventually will go wrong, and at the worst possible time".

The whole concept is hilarious and all too probable.

Do you carry a yellow screwdriver?

Definitely a "short" story in the 1632 series, yet it harkens back to another delightful series by Christopher Stasheff, which added St. Vidicon to the "Litany of Unofficial Saints." [...]

I agree wholeheartedly that St. Phillip Neri (the Laughing Saint) is a more appropriate patron as he has been canonized; however, the spirit of cooperation and improvement the society evinces is appropriate. (Any yellow-handled screwdriver is a token although some prefer the cross-shape of the Phillips-head for symbolism.)

Good writing.

Good for someone who has not read all the Gazettes

Go Go! Phillips head

An entertaining look at technology and how it works in 1632. Especially the importance of preventative maintenance.

no need to read

Nice piece but a bit too granular. 1632 fans may wish to read to gain context for other pieces but not really compelling nor well written.

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Title: Rise of the Horde

Subtitle: Zombie Attack!, Book One

Author: Devan Sagliani

Narrator: Luke Daniels

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-01-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 170 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

When 16-year-old Xander's older brother, Moto, left him at Vandenberg Airforce Base he only had one request - don't leave, no matter what. But there was no way he could have known that zombies would gather in groups big enough to knock down walls, and take out entire buildings full of people. That was before the rise of the horde! Now Xander is on the run, fleeing south to Port Hueneme to locate his brother, with nothing but his martial arts training and the katana blade left to him. Along the way, he'll have to fight for his life against other survivors, neo-Nazi's, outlaw bikers, gang bangers, cannibals, cult members, and a seemingly endless sea of flesh hungry zombies.

But Xander is far from alone. Traveling with him are Benji, a 12 year old comic book geek, and Felicity Jane, a childhood celebrity with wild mood swings. Will they make it in one piece to the safe zone - or will they become the next meal for a hungry horde of wild zombies? Zombie Attack! Rise of the Horde is filled with pulse-pounding, undead action, from the very first chapter until the bitter end. From rock stars and celebrities, to false prophets and miracle workers, this audiobook has it all! The story takes off like a bullet and doesn't slow down until the very last sentence.

Editorial Reviews:

Narrator Luke Daniels has a strong voice that manages to convey all manner of emotions, and his expressive performance adds to the addictiveness of this story about the rise of a zombie horde. 16-year-old Xander, must fight his way to Port Hueneme, where he hopes to find his brother. He is accompanied by a 12-year-old comic book geek, as well as a moody child celebrity, and Daniels gives lots of humor and personality to each voice. Listeners will find their interactions truly entertaining.

Members Reviews:

Should really be better

Its a pretty well written book and good narration, I just had difficulty with the story. I had some difficulty with the "hero" because he has anger issues and doesn't seem to be very thoughtful, but that's because hes just a kid. I don't like kids in stories, but they weren't terribly annoying.

As you read in the blurb, his base got run over and he's trying to find his brother, along with an even younger side kick he feels obligated to protect. So typically, on his way there, he meets up with one group after the other...

Soon after the fall of the base, two brothers save his life and rather than being thankful this silly alpha dominance struggle ensues. I don't think he said thanks, just got all angry, literally the second after they shot the zombies about to eat him. Same thing happens later on, he gets "caught" twice by quirky groups. They have their "issues", but its not like they want to put him in a pot and eat him. They give him a safe place to sleep, eat and rest and he just gets all up in their face. Amazingly they try to placate him, except the one time where one in their group ran off and got himself killed and they were all put in "jail".

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Title: The One-Eyed Man

Subtitle: A Fugue, with Winds and Accompaniment

Author: L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Narrator: William Dufris

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-17-13

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 48 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The colony world of Stittara is no ordinary planet. For the interstellar Unity of the Ceylesian Arm, Stittara is the primary source of anagathics: drugs that have more than doubled the human life span. But the ecological balance that makes anagathics possible on Stittara is fragile, and the Unity government has a vital interest in making sure the flow of longevity drugs remains uninterrupted, even if it means uprooting the human settlements.

Offered the job of assessing the ecological impact of the human presence on Stittara, freelance consultant Dr. Paulo Verano jumps at the chance to escape the ruin of his personal life. He gets far more than he bargained for: Stittara's atmosphere is populated with skytubes-gigantic, mysterious airborne organisms that drift like clouds above the surface of the planet. Their exact nature has eluded humanity for centuries, but Verano believes his conclusions about Stittara may hinge on understanding the skytubes' role in the planet's ecology - if he survives the hurricane winds, distrustful settlers, and secret agendas that impede his investigation at every turn.

Critic Reviews:

"One of Modesitt's best, which means, don't miss it." (

Kirkus Starred Review)

Members Reviews:

Modesitt lover BUT

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

Sorry I can't endorse this particular book. I have read and listened to many of L E Modesitt's books but this one was a bore.

Sorry Mr M.

Would you ever listen to anything by L. E. Modesitt again?

Moving on to the his next book in the Magi of Cyador.

Really enjoy his Recluse and Imager series

Have you listened to any of William Dufriss other performances before? How does this one compare?

Mr Dufris is a fine narrator and it was the material that seemed to lead nowhere slowly

Skip this one

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

He could have made it a short story.

Any additional comments?

Im trying to spare you without including any spoilers:

This book is slow, repetitive and boring. Nothing interesting happens, just the same boring routine over and over again. They could easily have taken out 10 hours from the middle of the book and it would only make the book better. Somewhere among the repetitive happenings there are elements that could make it a halfway passable story but for some reason, they never make it into the main storyline. If you listen to this all the way through get ready for some disappointment. Im a fan of the author, but this time he totally missed his mark.

The story of a bureaucrat's life

This book is the story of a bureaucrat's life. Yes, this bureaucrat is a planetary ecologist living in the far future, sent to judge the human population of a whole world, but still a bureaucrat.

Thus we get long passages about the protagonist reviewing reports all day, after which we get a review of the food he ate. He seems to be fond of ordering pale lagers.

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Title: Colony

Author: Ben Bova

Narrator: Kristopher Tabori

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-15-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 57 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

In the future, everything is differentbut nothing has changed.

"The Earth has been poisoned by pollution, choked by overpopulation, and ravaged by the mindless greed of power-hungry corporations. A fragile peace is threatened by landless revolutionaries and global anarchy seems imminent.

Yet a single ray of hope remains."

Island One is a celestial utopia, and David Adams is its most perfect creation - a man with a brain as advanced as any computer and a body free of human frailties. But David is a prisoner - a captive of the colony that created him - destined to spend the days of his life in an island-sized cylinder that circles a doomed and desperate home planet. Thousands of miles below him, a world trembles; its people cringe in terror and despair in anticipation of an impending apocalypse. And fate has cast one extraordinary human in the role of savior. For David Adams has a plan - one that will ultimately ensure the salvation of his species... or its annihilation.

Members Reviews:

Complex Classic Sci-Fi Thriller -- Must Read

Colony is a classic Sci-Fi thriller. The plot is the world is overpopulated while a space colony, in space called Island 1, has lush greenery and is untouched by Earth's woes. This tale is complex with many threads which Bova does a fabulous job laying out and pulling altogether. I say it is complex because there are numerous characters each with their own agendas. In fact there are numerous antagonists and arguably two hero characters.

In true Bova style, he weaves intrigue with a splash of violence to keep you on the edge of your seat. This work was written when there was still a Soviet Union and worries about population global population explosion -- so the premise may be dated a bit but it is still relevant today. Narration was goo -- it didn't get in the way.

This book will appeal to Bova fans. There is sex in the book and Bova doesn't shy away from innuendoes -- there is no gritty details. No more than Hunger Games or other such current thrillers. I recommend this novel.

Could have benefited from an editor's red pen

I read the reviews before purchasing. However, none were obviously made by a woman or a person of color. I have read everything Ben Bova has written and have been a Science Fiction fan since I found used paperback version of "I Robot" in a desk drawer 30 years ago. However, I found I had to skip about 5-6 chapters detailing the race war and rapes in the cities. The plot was implausible and assumed that the revolutionaries were idiots without a plan. There was no explanation of their actions except murderous intention and no attempt to show them as anything more than caricatures This was not the worst. Once our heroine "Sherherazade" met the hero she turned from the revolutionary leader and light of the PRU to a simpering female who could be overcome by her lover grabbing her and planting a big one. He did everyrthing except grab her by the hair and drag her into the cave, YUK!

Somewhere near the end, the character become something more than cutouts. However, I found the resolution simplistic and naive. I won't even begin to talk about the narrator.

Every character sounded like an old " geezer".