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: Overthrowing Heaven

Subtitle: Jon & Lobo, Book 3

Author: Mark L. Van Name

Narrator: Tom Stechschulte

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-27-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

It began as a favor to a woman trying to get away from an abusive husband.

Jon Moore grew up in a prison laboratory. When he escaped with nothing but his body's nanotech enhancements and more anger than even a long lifetime could wash away, an entire planet died behind him. Memories of the things hed done still haunted him; because of them, he often ended up helping those in need.

His kindnesses frequently didn't work out well. This one really didn't work out well. It hurled Jon and Lobo, the intelligent assault vehicle and Jon's only friend, down an accelerating, ever more dangerous spiral involving:

Private armies and government covert ops teams

A courtesan who always seems a step ahead of him

Rival superpowers that define Good in terms of their own advantage and Ethics as whatever doesn't get in the way of their Good

And a brilliant, amoral scientist to whom human beings are just more experimental animals - and who might be Lobos creator.

Jon and Lobo take the reader on a headlong rush through armed enemies and untrustworthy allies and encounter what just might be the worst danger their partnership will face: the truth.

Members Reviews:

Großmeister

Jon's work and life are similar to a complex chess game, you always have to count many moves ahead. For some time now Jon tried to keep it simple, something he can count through and through without any difficulty, but apparently this time he miscalculated.

He finds out that part of his past is much closer than he thought

He finally understands that promising research are never discarded for long for any reason

And he should ask Lobo for advice about women. :-))

PS

I hope you already guessed that Lobo is not just ordinary PCAV (Predator Class Attack Vehicle)

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Title: Boneyards

Subtitle: Diving Series, Book 3

Author: Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Narrator: Jennifer Van Dyck

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 180 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The novellas in the Diving universe have won three Asimov's Readers Choice Awards. When multiple Hugo Award-winner Kristine Kathryn Rusch decided to put her stamp on classic space opera, readers and listeners wanted more. Now Rusch's popular character Boss returns in a whole new adventure, one that takes her far outside her comfort zone, to a sector of space she's never seen before.

Searching for ancient technology to help her friends find answers to the mystery of their own past, Boss ventures into a place filled with evidence of an ancient space battle, one the Dignity Vessels lost. Meanwhile, the Enterran Empire keeps accidentally killing its scientists in a quest for ancient stealth tech. Boss's most difficult friend, Squishy, has had enough. She sneaks into the Empire and destroys its primary stealth-tech research base. But an old lover thwarts her escape, and now Squishy needs Boss's help. Boss, who is a fugitive in the Empire. Boss, who knows how to make a Dignity Vessel work. Boss, who knows that Dignity Vessels house the very technology that the Empire is searching for.

Should Boss take a Dignity Vessel to rescue Squishy and risk losing everything to the Empire? Or should Boss continue on her mission for her other friends and let Squishy suffer her own fate?

Filled with battles old and new, scientific dilemmas, and questions about the ethics of friendship, Boneyards looks at the influence of our past on our present and the risks we all take when we meddle in other people's lives. Boneyards is space opera the way it was meant to be: exciting, fast moving, and filled with passion.

Critic Reviews:

Pay another visit to the

.

Members Reviews:

At last a good book!

This is a much better book then the first two. Easy to listen to, well written and a good story. Their needs to be another book or several books!

Jumpy storyline

What did you love best about Boneyards?

The jumps back in time give background and substance to the story and the series

Would you recommend Boneyards to your friends? Why or why not?

Am not sure, the story jumps back in time a lot - each jump back is clearly indicated, the jumps back in time is not. This makes sections the book a bit frustrating to listen to, you are not told when it jumps forward in time so you just have to guess.

Have you listened to any of Jennifer Van Dycks other performances before? How does this one compare?

The performance: A bit fast in parts (as all her performances) but really well read. She is great at what she is doing

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

The book made me chrinch at times due to the non-existing telling of when a jump forward did occure. This made me go back several times to ensure I got the story right. Frustrating!

Any additional comments?

PLEASE let the listener know ALL times one jumps back and forward on a story, this book only let me know when the author jumps back.. It is really frustrating - and kill much of the joy of listening to the story

1 was okay, 2 was tedious, 3 was unreadable

The first book of this series was okay.

The second book was pretty tedious.

Ten minutes into the third book, I determined it wasn't going to get better, and gave up.

Nice to be back

Maybe not as good a story as the previous two in the series, but it's always delightful to return to Boss's universe.

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Title: Pavane

Author: Keith Roberts

Narrator: Steven Crossley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-25-11

Publisher: Neil Gaiman Presents

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 424 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Award-winning author, narrator, and screenwriter Neil Gaiman personally selected this book, and, using the tools of the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX), cast the narrator and produced this work for his audiobook label, Neil Gaiman Presents.

A few words from Neil on Pavane: "When Old Earth Books told me they are reissuing Pavane, which was originally published in 1968, I told them: 'I read one story from Pavane when I was nine, and it scarred me. I read the whole book as a teenager and learned where that story had come from, and the shape of the whole story and I felt the scars heal.' Pavane was Keith Roberts' masterpiece: profound and still remarkable."

Considered Keith Roberts' masterwork, this novel consists of linked short stories (six measures and a coda) of a 20th century in which the Roman Catholic Church controls the Western world, and has done so since Queen Elizabeth of England was assassinated in 1588. The Protestant Reformation never happened, and the world is kept in a Dark Age of steam-power transportation, with no allowance for electrical power, by a tyrannical Rome. Pavane shows the harshness of life in this society and details the generational struggle for independence by the citizens of Dorset, England. It's through this series of moving tales that Roberts interweaves a discussion of Destiny and History that take the book out of the ordinary. And the author's great love of his native country makes this the most English of novels, and one of the finest in fantastic literature.

Learn more about

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Critic Reviews:

"Roberts's vivid depiction of the day-to-day lives of the common folk gives these stories a tangible reality. Steven Crossley's gentle voice, embedded with a regional accent, enhances the characters and places them solidly in their milieu." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

It's the Characters that Outline the World

Neil Gaiman Presents, and George R.R. Martin praises it right on the cover. Two powerhouse names like that can't be wrong when they stand in agreement, and it's that very reason I selected this book. These are names I trust.

This is an older novel and reads like one, but that's certainly no turn-off. What's a bit jarring is the format and presentation. A Pavane is a style of music, and the format was presented in here in literary form as 6 movements and a coda. The basic idea is that this is an alternate history where Queen Elizabeth I was assassinated, and in the mid-20th century, the Roman Catholic Church is still in supreme dominance as a result of having killed the Reformation. It's a steampunk styled world ruled by superstition and fear, but far more authentic feeling than most steampunk. It feels less like fantasy and more like a legitimate alternate reality. Sounds epic, right? Yes and no. You don't get an epic here. What you get is a personal account. Each of the stories contained here link one to the next through the eyes of the characters. Instead of a big worldview epoch, you get a human quality to the world as these people see it - what it's like to live in this world from within a few different walks of life, with the same emotions, strengths, and frailties that people are prone to have in our world as well. It's a master class in characterization.

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Title: The Dervish House

Author: Ian McDonald

Narrator: Jonathan Davis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-16-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 177 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

It begins with an explosion. Another day, another bus bomb. Everyone, it seems, is after a piece of Turkey. But the shockwaves from this random act of 21st-century pandemic terrorism will ripple further and resonate louder than just Enginsoy Square.

Welcome to the world of The Dervish House; the great, ancient, paradoxical city of Istanbul, divided like a human brain, in the great, ancient, equally paradoxical nation of Turkey. The year is 2027 and Turkey is about to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its accession to the European Union; a Europe that now runs from the Arran Islands to Ararat. Population pushing 100 million, Istanbul swollen to 15 million, Turkey is the largest, most populous and most diverse nation in the EU, but also one of the poorest and most socially divided. It's a boom economy, the sweatshop of Europe, the bazaar of central Asia, the key to the immense gas wealth of Russia and Central Asia.

The ancient power struggle between Sunni and Shia threatens like a storm: Ankara has watched the Middle East emerge from 25 years of sectarian conflict. So far it has stayed aloof. A populist prime minister has called a referendum on EU membership. Tensions run high. The army watches, hand on holster. And a Galatasary Champions' League football game against Arsenal stokes passions even higher.

The Dervish House is seven days, six characters, three interconnected story strands, one central common core - the eponymous dervish house, a character in itself - that pins all these players together in a weave of intrigue, conflict, drama, and a ticking clock of a thriller.

Critic Reviews:

"This is a brilliant, jewelled machine of a novel in which lives trigger events in other lives, in a sequence that skirts chaos and disaster, but ends with gorgeous order." (The Independent, UK)

"McDonald takes the history of Istanbul, both real and imagined, and forges a multi-faceted and fascinating character out of the city itself; then he adds in the experiences of six people whose lives are about to intersect in the most unexpected ways. McDonald creates a magnificent knot of intrigue, thrills, and daring adventures, with the flair for character and setting that make his tales so satisfying to indulge in." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Listen, but then read

This is a wonderful book, a literate and engaging political, futuristic, sci-fi, spy, thriller, travel, mystery, history, romance, picaresque, philosophical coming of age story. Yes, it defies type casting. It is so intriguing, it will send you straight to Google Maps satellite, Wikipedia, and maybe even the non-fiction stacks of the library. You will want to know more. I love to get my serious thinking with a spoonful of the sugar of imagination and plot. The heroes are many and all unlikely. The villains are bad enough, but not incredibly evil, actually real. The same might be said of the near future setting, which is entirely plausible. Well done, Ian McDonald! Jonathan Davis is a great narrator, managing to find just the right voice for each character without resorting to falsetto women and children or exaggerated accents. My one complaint is that, as the recording is paced, and I am sure this is editing, not narration, there is no pause between apparent chapters, resulting in a seamlessness inappropriate to the story.

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Title: The Key to Creation

Author: Kevin J. Anderson

Narrator: Scott Brick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-20-11

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 68 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Brave explorers and mortal enemies across the world clash at a mysterious lost continent. After long voyages, encountering hurricanes and sea monsters, Criston Vora and Saan race to Terravitae, the legendary promised land. Saan's quest is to find the Key to Creation, a weapon that may defeat Uraba's enemies, and Criston wants vengeance against the monstrous Leviathan that ruined his life long ago.

Back home, two opposing continents and religions clash for the remnants of a sacred city, unleashing their hatred in a war that could end both civilizations. Queen Anjine and Soldan-Shah Omra are driven by mutual hatred, heaping atrocity upon atrocity in an escalating conflict that only their gods can end.

Meanwhile, the secretive Saedrans. manipulating both sides, come ever closer to their ultimate goal: to complete the Map of All Things and bring about the return of God.

Members Reviews:

The Key to Creation

Great story, I really like this Series, great character development and action. Five star all the way

depressing narration

Entertaining reading yet Mr. Brick kept his tone as gloomy as possible. Perhaps the intent was to experience continous despair. It was too much.

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Title: Sten: Court of a Thousand Suns

Subtitle: Sten Series, book 3

Author: Allan Cole, Chris Bunch

Narrator: Jerry Sciarrio

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-22-10

Publisher: Books in Motion

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 113 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Sten had fought his way up from slave labor on a factory world to commander of the Eternal Emperors bodyguard, the Imperial Gurkhas. But during his first three months on Prime World, the most dangerous weapons Sten had encountered were the wellphrased lies of Court politicians. It seemed no place for an honest fighting man. But when a bomb destroys a local bar, Sten discovers the danger and corruption behind Court intrigue. Only quick work by Sten, Alex Kilgour, and a tough female detective can keep the Empire together and the Emperor alive.

Members Reviews:

Another Good STEN Book!

I was very please with this 3rd book. Cool Action and Drama. Very Good Narration. I see that the 8th book in this series Empire's End is NOT released. I hope Audible gets it before I reach the 8th book. AUDIBLE has a BAD habbit of NOT getting ALL the books in all the sagas it has.

My new best sten

I really am beginning to get into these books. All have complex plots but book three is a real cliff-hanger

Great

good story line, with wonderful characters. easy to listen to when driving and well read.

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Title: End of the Beginning

Subtitle: Days of Infamy, Book 2

Author: Harry Turtledove

Narrator: John Allen Nelson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-28-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 77 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Six weeks ago, Imperial Japanese military forces conquered and occupied the Hawaiian Islands. A puppet king sits on Hawaii's throne, his strings controlled by the general of the invasion force. American POWs, malnourished and weak, are enslaved as hard laborers until death takes them. Civilians fare little better, struggling to survive on dwindling resources. And families of Japanese origin find their loyalties divided.

Meanwhile, across the United States, from Pensacola, Florida, to San Diego, the military is marshaling its forces. Steel factories and fuel refineries are operating around the clock. New recruits are enlisting and undergoing rigorous training exercises - all for the opportunity to strike back and drive the enemy from American soil.

Critic Reviews:

Chilling.... A plethora of characters, each with his or her own point of view, provides experiences in miniature that combine to paint a broad canvas of the titanic struggle. (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Harry Turtledove

Harry Turtledove is a great writer with a strong understanding of history. you feel like you are part of the story.

If you love "what if's", THIS IS FOR YOU!

Would you consider the audio edition of End of the Beginning to be better than the print version?

This is one book that helps you to really understand how POWs were treated in WWII. Even if it is set in an alternate time line you really feel for the characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of End of the Beginning?

These characters come alive with expert authorship.

Have you listened to any of John Allen Nelsons other performances before? How does this one compare?

The reader is consistent with being top grade.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

History Hangs On One Single Action.

Any additional comments?

I have been a SUPERFAN of Mr. Turtledove for many years and have had the pleasure to learn of what has happened because of what might have happened.

Turtledove rocks! And I need 15 more words....

Harry Turtledove rocks it again. I appently need 15 words.... Wow that is a dumb requirement...

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Title: The Affinity Bridge

Subtitle: A Newbury & Hobbes Investigation

Author: George Mann

Narrator: Simon Taylor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-24-10

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 109 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

Welcome to the bizarre and dangerous world of Victorian London, a city teetering on the edge of revolution. Its people are ushering in a new era of technology, dazzled each day by unfamiliar inventions. Airships soar in the skies over the city, while ground trains rumble through the streets and clockwork automatons are programmed to carry out menial tasks in the offices of lawyers, policemen, and journalists.

But beneath this shiny veneer of progress lurks a sinister side. Queen Victoria is kept alive by a primitive life-support system, while her agents, Sir Maurice Newbury and his delectable assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes, do battle with enemies of the crown, physical and supernatural.

This time Newbury and Hobbes are called to investigate the wreckage of a crashed airship and its missing automaton pilot, while attempting to solve a string of strangulations attributed to a mysterious glowing policeman, and dealing with a zombie plague that is ravaging the slums of the capital.

Get ready to follow dazzling young writer George Mann to a London unlike any youve ever seen and into an adventure you will never forget.

Critic Reviews:

"Fast-paced and well-written, this novel is likely to appeal to genre fans." (

School Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

nowhere near as bad as reviewed

The book, and the audio are nowhere near as bad as the other reviewers have indicated. Make no mistake, the story is not -- nor does it pretend to be -- great literature. It's a steampunk tale of Zombies, airships and automatons, featuring a semi-Holmes pastiche. If you like the genre, you'll probably find something to like there. It has some good passages, some areas that even excel, some that drag a bit and yes, it also has its low points (as many first efforts do). But the book is hardly worthy of the level of vitriol seen in some of the other reviews. Were the other reviewers looking for a great work of modern times? The story is what it advertises (warts and all) and as a "light listen" it is enjoyable enough for long car rides. No, Masterpiece theater-material it is not; but does it have to be?

Really Really Really Good Listen

George Mann's "The Affinity Bridge" was a real eye-opener for me. I am new to the steampunk genre and have been looking for books to read in order to quench that need. I have started several but became so bogged down in vampires and werewolves that I just stopped reading.

This book however is beautifully written. Yes, there are a few zombies, but they do not overwhelm the story. Mann captures the feel of the Victorian era with clever descriptions and remarkable characters. Maurice Newbury is quite a character in himself, rakishly flawed, but powerful in his determination to do right by the Queen and her country.

Veronica Hobbs is a force to be reckoned with. Headstrong, loyal, and as determined as Sir Maurice, they make an awesome pair.

Fighting against several unknown entities, Newbury and Hobbs are cast into a world of near chaos. They must discover if the forces at work are those of the dark forces, one of Newbury's weaknesses, or if something far more sinister is afoot.

With plenty of action, emotion, and a few good twists, "The Affinity Bridge" is one of my favorite steampunk novels so far.

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Title: Sten

Subtitle: Sten Series, Book 1

Author: Chris Bunch, Allan Cole

Narrator: Jerry Sciarrio

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-08-10

Publisher: Books in Motion

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 210 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

The first book in an action-packed new science-fiction adventure series.

Vulcan is a factory planet, centuries old, company run, ugly as sin, and unfeeling as death. Vulcan breeds just two types of native: complacent or tough. Sten is tough.

When his family is killed in a mysterious accident, Sten rebels, harassing the Company from the metal worlds endless maze-like warrens. He could end up just another burnt-out Delinquent. But people like Sten never give up.

Members Reviews:

The Adventures of Sten

This was a great find and it reminded me a little bit of a Heinlein read. This story follows the life and adventures of a boy called Sten. This book can be broken up into 4 parts revolving around his life, and things look promising for the continuing books in this series.

Sten is born on a corporate world named Vulcan to a lower class family of workers. This oppressed class of employees (and their families) are subject to a greedy company that has tricked them into servitude by shady contract dealings. With unfair practices, brutality, and disregard for human life, there are many reasons to dislike the system and conflict that follow our young adventurer. Dealt a hard hand from birth into this unfair system Sten must use intelligence, ingenuity, quick thinking, a little bit of luck and force to find himself a better life. This book is classified as four books in one with each story taking place at separate times in his life (but apparently close in time span). They also wrap up very nicely. Each part was great for its own purpose and we get to see the protagonist progress through harsh conditions that bring about loss, love, leadership, and success.

Narration was good for the most part. Jerry Sciarrio did a find job distinguishing between characters he read. I only have one minor criticism. It would have been nice to have some chapter breaks or pauses because I had to back track a few times when I wasn't completely focused on the story.

I would have been satisfied using a credit on this one. Give it a try, be ready to cheer on Sten and enjoy the ride.

VERY Good

I'd never heard of the Sten series, and now I'm hooked. On the same level as David Drake, if you like War Sci-Fi, with the technical details to make it real, these guys are for you.

THE MASTERPIECE BY JERRY SCIARRIO

The whole series is a masterpiece of science fiction, it deserves solid four stars, but narration by Jerry Sciarrio moves it to extraordinary FIVE STAR MASTERPIECE!!!!!

PS

My only regret is that only book 1-5 are narrated by Jerry Sciarrio.

Mediocre narration of a good, fun book

It was not a terrible narration, just not very good. The narrator's idea of giving each character a unique voice tended to come down to assigning them random bad accents.

For those who've read the series: He gives Mahoney a bad British accent. That's gotta be some kind of sacrilege to commit on an Irishman. And apparently the Eternal Emperor is an Aussie now.

It doesn't ruin the experience altogether, but it does detract from what ought to be a fun military SF action-adventure. I probably won't get the second in the series, unless it's free or cheap. "Sten" is a better read than a listen.

Love the series, HATED the narration.

I enjoyed the entire Sten series, so I thought it would be fun to re-visit them on audio.

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Title: Starplex

Author: Robert J. Sawyer

Narrator: Mark Boyett, Robert J. Sawyer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 234 votes

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

Publisher's Summary:

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction written and read by author Robert J. Sawyer.

Critic Reviews:

"While not perhaps as utterly mind-boggling or stylistically outrageous as some of the A-list classics, [Starplex] is scrupulously rigorous, exciting, surprising, and emotionally involving. In short, all you could ask for in any SF novel, hard or soft. (Asimov's Science Fiction)

"Multiple award-winning Canadian author Sawyer offers an epic hard-science space adventure full of technical descriptions of starships and physics tempered by human concerns. In 2094, scientists on the Starplex study the mysterious artificial wormholes that make space travel routine and convenient. Then the wormholes' creators appear, and the scientists must understand and communicate with them to save the galaxy. Highly recommended for sf collections." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Tribute to Arthur C. Clarke

I believe this to be a tribute to Clarke by Sawyer. It is written in a similar style to Clarke and Sawyer even mentions one of Clarke's biggest books, Childhood's End. I like all six of the Sawyer books I have read, but if he was trying to write like Clarke, I do not believe he captured Clarke's ability to show the wonder of space. That being said it is still a good book. I believe I am a hard customer to please, but Sawyer has yet to produce something I could give less then four stars to.

There is lots of science in this, especially physics. There is lots of explaining science in this that might turn some people off, but I was not bothered by it. The story includes, Green Stars, Dark Matter, Time Travel, Gateways, Space Biology, Macro Life, a glass man and the word Billions is often used to describe.

A very small part of the book deals with an aging man going through a middle age crisis and how it effects his marriage. Another bigger part is a kind of a "Make Love Not War" theme which I found a little annoying. Bad guys who try to kill you are forgiven and become your buddy. There is also a part of the book where scientist fight a military with makeshift weapons and the scientist come out on top. I found that I little hard to swallow.

If you like this, you will want to read Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. My favorite Sawyer books are Terminal Experiment, Flash Forward and Calculating God. As mentioned before no Sawyer book has disappointed me yet.

At least as much science as fiction

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

Very thought provoking

What did you like best about this story?

The inclusion of pretty accurate physics mixed into a good story. The part about how to learn to communicate with a whole different species was worth the price of admission.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

This would never make a decent film. The technical physics would be left out.

The synopsis is misleading

Slight Spoiler alert!

Not a great book. The story is mostly told in a non-linear fashion, jumping from time to time. The majority of it being told by the main character to a being on an alien ship. The alien ship actually has nothing to do with any conflict in the books universe.

Mental thrill ride

I've read most of Robert J Sawyer's books and this is by far my favorite. What made it so interesting is how the author took very big ideas and weave them into a story.