Michael
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Ep. 1: Welcome to Audicted to Sci-Fi
- By: The Audible Editors
- Length: 35 mins
- Original Recording
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As real life feels increasingly like a sci-fi novel, it seemed like the perfect time to launch a sister version of our Audicted podcast dedicated to this otherworldly genre. We’ll help you find your next listen by talking about the ones that feel most relevant to us right now, and why.
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Can Not see show notes in ios App
- By Bryan Spencer on 05-15-20
Thanks for a great recommendation
Reviewed: 05-22-20
The highlight of the show was the recommendation for Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton. I doubt I would have listened to it without the recommendation in this show. Just finished Hollow Kingdom and I loved it.
Was also amazing how many of the other recommendations I’ve already listened to. Looking forward to episode 2.
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Ep. 1: Welcome to Audicted to Sci-Fi
- By: The Audible Editors
- Length: 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As real life feels increasingly like a sci-fi novel, it seemed like the perfect time to launch a sister version of our Audicted podcast dedicated to this otherworldly genre. We’ll help you find your next listen by talking about the ones that feel most relevant to us right now, and why.
-
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Can Not see show notes in ios App
- By Bryan Spencer on 05-15-20
Thanks for a great recommendation
Reviewed: 05-22-20
The highlight of the show was the recommendation for Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton. I doubt I would have listened to it without the recommendation in this show. Just finished Hollow Kingdom and I loved it.
Was also amazing how many of the other recommendations I’ve already listened to. Looking forward to episode 2.
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The Secret of Abdu El Yezdi
- Burton & Swinburne, Book 4
- By: Mark Hodder
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Burton and Swinburne return in a new series! The Beast is coming. History will be remade. Since the assassination of Queen Victoria in 1840, a cabal of prominent men - including King George V, HRH Prince Albert, Benjamin Disraeli, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel - has received guidance from the afterlife. The spirit of a dead mystic, Abdu El Yezdi, has helped them to steer the empire into a period of unprecedented peace and creativity. But on the eve of a groundbreaking alliance with the newly formed Greater German Confederation, scientists, surgeons, and engineers are being abducted - including Brunel!
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The fourth in the series did not disappoint
- By carmen on 08-06-13
- The Secret of Abdu El Yezdi
- Burton & Swinburne, Book 4
- By: Mark Hodder
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Surprise Return
Reviewed: 08-25-13
I thought book 3 of the series had to be the end so finding a book 4 available really surprised me. I took a quick look at some the reviews and decided to take a chance. "The Secret of Abdu El Yezdi" turned out to be my second favorite of the series (I think the first was the best overall despite some "first novel" glitches). I've always liked variations on a theme and the author was able to spin out some great ones in this book. His writing technique has improved over the years and but his ability to weave alternate history (alternate histories of alternate histories?) with steampunk remains as fresh as ever.
The narration also remained strong. I am a picky listener when it comes of hokey or overblown accents so I appreciate Gerald Doyle's expertise with them.
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2 people found this helpful
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Earth Afire
- By: Orson Scott Card, Aaron Johnston
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye, Arthur Morey, Stefan Rudnicki, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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One hundred years before Ender's Game, the aliens arrived on Earth with fire and death. Earth Afire by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston is the story of the First Formic War. Victor Delgado beat the alien ship to Earth, but just barely. Not soon enough to convince skeptical governments that there was a threat. They didn't believe that until space stations and ships and colonies went up in sudden flame. And when that happened, only Mazer Rackham and the Mobile Operations Police could move fast enough to meet the threat.
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ARGH - performance was too irritating to listen to
- By connie on 06-05-13
Accent Hell
Reviewed: 06-21-13
I would have preferred a reading of the story instead of the attempt to use various accents.
The worse by far were the chapters with the surviving free miners wives. I think the reader in this section was trying for a Academy Award for "Best 'R" Rolling". Since one of the characters was named Reina (Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreina) I almost gave up listening at this point. I understand what the narrators were trying to do, but it was too often overdone and took me out of the story.
Other than the narration, I enjoyed the story. Since the prequel series started last year, I've been going back and re-reading the original novels. And I can recommend the Audible version of "Ender's Game"
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Redshirts
- A Novel with Three Codas
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
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Not his Wheal-house
- By P. Stover on 09-16-13
- Redshirts
- A Novel with Three Codas
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
Great Concept
Reviewed: 05-04-13
This book was on my wish list for quite a while. I was fascinated by the concept, but am not a Wil Wheaton fan at all based on his Star Trek persona. But I finished the "Old Man's War" series and I needed a new fix of Scalzi, so decided to buy "Redshirts". And am glad I did.
The concept of the story plays off the original Star Trek episodes where semi-anonymous Ensigns, wearing red shirts, were killed off while on away missions. I won't go into details so I don't ruin the surprises, but Scalzi does a great job translating this idea to an universe where this is a fact of life for a group of junior officers on a space vessel. I did wonder if he would be able to sustain the premise for an entire book and am happy to report that he could.
I also noticed that the author included three codas to the end of the books. At first, I feared they would be "alternate endings" but turned out to be enhancements to the main story.
And as much as I didn't like Wil Wheaton as Ensign Crusher (the character should have been given a red shirt and sent on a away mission early in the series), I have to admit he did a great job. Based on this performance, I went on to also purchase "Fuzzy Nation" by the same performer/author.
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A Game of Thrones
- A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1
- By: George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: Roy Dotrice
- Length: 33 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King's Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert's name. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse - unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season. Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances....
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Terrible editing, though...
- By Kristie on 05-09-13
- A Game of Thrones
- A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1
- By: George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: Roy Dotrice
Disappointing
Reviewed: 09-03-12
I joined the Game of Thrones bandwagon late after Season 1 was already available on iTunes and Season 2 was in progress, but was instantly hooked. After watching seasons 1 & 2 I wanted to read or listen to the original novels. Due to my work schedule at the time, I decided to try out the audible book version.
Although I am a Roy Dotrice fan going back to his performance in Amadeus, I couldn't connect with his reading of this book. His voice sounded far too "plummy" to me and made it hard for me to keep in the story. I found my self wishing he read it in his Leopard Mozart voice. It's a matter of taste I suppose, but after this experience I went and bought the print books to complete the series.
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American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition (A Full Cast Production)
- By: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Ron McLarty, Daniel Oreskes, full cast
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow's best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday.
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New to Neil
- By Michael on 07-27-11
Worth Buying
Reviewed: 08-08-12
The original Audible version of "American Gods" was one of my first purchases in my Audible account. I loved the original and it got me addicted to Neil Gaiman. So when I saw the 10th Anniversary full cast production I was very hesitant to buy it since the original was so good. But I'm glad I bought it.
Some reviewers mention that they don't like full cast versions. I'll admit I don't usually get full cast Audible books which is probably strange since in high school and college I often listened to recordings of old classic radio dramatizations. But I decided to give it a try.
It turned out that I enjoyed this version as much as I did the original and the written book. The casting worked for me and I devoured this recording far too quickly.
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The Wind Through the Keyhole
- The Dark Tower
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Wind Through the Keyhole, Stephen King has returned to the rich landscape of Mid-World. This story within a story within a story finds Roland Deschain, Mid-World’s last gunslinger, in his early days during the guilt-ridden year following his mother’s death. Sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape-shifter, a "skin-man", Roland takes charge of Bill Streeter, a brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast’s most recent slaughter.
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An exceptional story, but I miss George Guidall.
- By C Yohe on 04-25-12
- The Wind Through the Keyhole
- The Dark Tower
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King
Better Than Expected
Reviewed: 07-19-12
Since the early 80's I've read every Stephen King novel as soon as it came out. Which means I waited a long time to get through the main Dark Tower series. But while I was happy to hear that a new novel would be coming out, I was worried it would be the "Godfather 3" of the series. Fortunately, I think the new novel fit right into the overall series and I was happy Mr. King decided to revisit his old stomping grounds.
Unlike many of the reviewers, I didn't find his narration to be all that bad. Stephen King is definitely not a professional level actor - he has proven that multiple times - but I thought he did an adequate job in this case.
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A Canticle for Leibowitz
- By: Walter M. Miller Jr.
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Winner of the 1961 Hugo Award for Best Novel and widely considered one of the most accomplished, powerful, and enduring classics of modern speculative fiction, Walter M. Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz is a true landmark of 20th-century literature—a chilling and still-provocative look at a postapocalyptic future.
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Introibo Ad Altare
- By richard on 03-20-13
- A Canticle for Leibowitz
- By: Walter M. Miller Jr.
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
Great Version
Reviewed: 07-19-12
A Canticle for Leibowitz has been a favorite for years. I started reading science fiction in the late sixties and this was one of the earliest ones I read. My adult son recently read this and I was going to read it again so we could discuss. Before I could read it, I saw a recommendation for the Audible book version and decided to give it a try. And was glad I did. The narrator an outstanding job bringing the novel to life.
I enjoyed this so much that I listened to it in only a couple of days. Guess I need to find a longer Audible book to listen to so my choice lasts until my next credit arrives.
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Year Zero
- A Novel
- By: Rob Reid
- Narrated by: John Hodgman
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Low-level entertainment lawyer Nick Carter thinks it's a prank, not an alien encounter, when a redheaded mullah and a curvaceous nun show up at his office. But Frampton and Carly are highly advanced (if bumbling) extraterrestrials. And boy, do they have news. The entire cosmos, they tell him, has been hopelessly hooked on humanity's music ever since "Year Zero" (1977 to us), when American pop songs first reached alien ears. This addiction has driven a vast intergalactic society to commit the biggest copyright violation since the Big Bang.
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Fantastic Performance by Hodgman
- By Robert on 08-15-12
- Year Zero
- A Novel
- By: Rob Reid
- Narrated by: John Hodgman
Laughed Out Loud
Reviewed: 07-19-12
It's rare that I laugh out loud to audio books, but "Year Zero" caused me to several times. But I've worked in the IT business for the last 14 years so I'm probably the target audience for this book.
I'm reluctant to discuss most of my favorite parts since I don't want to publish spoilers, but will mention that I loved the return of Clippy. I spent a lot of time early in my IT career helping end users get rid of him, so it was great to see Clippy make an appearance in the book.
John Hodgman was the perfect choice to narrate and did an outstanding job. I'm glad I took a chance on this audio book.
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