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Kevin Gabbert

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Good characters and story though slow in parts

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-13-15

What made the experience of listening to The Memory of Earth the most enjoyable?

The epic scale of the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The AI. It's the least flawed and most interesting character.

Which character – as performed by Stefan Rudnicki – was your favorite?

The AI.

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

No, but some of the characters are really irritating in how unfair and petty they can be.

Any additional comments?

Not up to the level of the Alvin Maker series but pretty good.

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Unlikable characters but still a good story

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-13-15

Would you listen to Gateway again? Why?

Definitely. The characters feel very real and flawed while at the same time Pohl makes you feel this sense of wonder and adventure and terror of space.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The AI. Its the most likable character by far.

What does Oliver Wyman and Robert J. Sawyer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's a good reader.

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

"Would you go?" - shows the open hatch and dark interior of a gateway ship.

Any additional comments?

Pohl really knows how to get you into a story and make it feel real in a way few sci-fi authors can match. The whole gateway series maintained or even improved this as it progressed.

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3 people found this helpful

The Genesis Machine Audiobook By James P. Hogan cover art

Great sci-fi concepts, good story, characters meh

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-13-15

What made the experience of listening to The Genesis Machine the most enjoyable?

Hogan's sci-fi concepts are always fascinating and way ahead of their time and this book is no exception. Plus he explains the concepts well.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All the characters were fairly meh to me. I read Hogan for the concepts.

What does Ryans Johnson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He was a pretty good reader.

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

The Hot war.

Any additional comments?

Not my favorite Hogan but its good. It reads a bit dated in places but overall I liked it.

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Good sci-fi with an interesting twist

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-13-15

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

Interesting fun sci-fi

What was one of the most memorable moments of Redshirts?

No particular moment stands out for me, it was all pretty good.

Which scene was your favorite?

Where the captain tells the main character something in very shatneresque way.

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

Naa, I listened to it during work commutes over a few days.

Any additional comments?

It's light sci-fi with pretty good characters and enough story to keep you going. Plus the twist is interesting and fairly well done. Plus Will Wheaton as narrator had me sold.

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My favorite self-help book of the many I own

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-05-14

Where does The Nerdist Way rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've only had it a few weeks and already played some chapters five or more times. I can't say that about many of my hundred-plus Audible books.

What did you like best about this story?

He's been in your shoes (if you're a nerd that is) learned from his mistakes and passed that on in this book. So far everything in the book I have tried myself has worked fairly well or else I was already doing something similar.

What does Chris Hardwick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Normally I won't get a book narrated by its author as these have almost always been terrible, but this book was an exception. I have the eBook as well (mostly to get the charts, graphs and exercise illustrations) and I hear his voice when reading it.

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

I did make me pause the playback many times so I could absorb what had just been explained. It wasn't that he said anything I hadn't heard before, though some was new to me, it was more that he made it real and personal- not dry and academic as so many other books do.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book to any nerd who struggles with their own mind and it's tendency to turn inward.

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Excellent overall, but jumps around a lot

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-29-13

What did you love best about World War Z: The Complete Edition (Movie Tie-in Edition)?

Kept my interest well and the performances were generally excellent, though there were a couple that were over acted to Shatner levels and these stood out.

What did you like best about this story?

Thought provoking and well written for the most part.

Any additional comments?

This will probably be in my top ten audio book rotation.

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Great story telling, characters, and technology

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-20-13

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

If you liked Snow Crash and The Diamond Age you already know the author's style. This novel is more of the same, but its a very long and involved story with multiple acts going on in different times.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The world war two stuff was especially good, but as a bit of a nerd I liked the tech items as well.

Which scene was your favorite?

There were many good scenes, not sure which was best.

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

Not really, it just moves along with an engaging pace and some surprises here and there. Its the characters, history, and tech that really kept me going.

Any additional comments?

I gave this five stars because I liked the characters so much, particularly the world war two era characters, that I came back to the book again and again. That said, the way it bounces around in time does get a bit wearing and so I usually only listened to an hour at a time.

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Cryptonomicon Audiobook By Neal Stephenson cover art

Great story telling, characters, and technology

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-20-13

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

If you liked Snow Crash and The Diamond Age you already know the author's style. This novel is more of the same, but its a very long and involved story with multiple acts going on in different times.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The world war two stuff was especially good, but as a bit of a nerd I liked the tech items as well.

Which scene was your favorite?

There were many good scenes, not sure which was best.

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

Not really, it just moves along with an engaging pace and some surprises here and there. Its the characters, history, and tech that really kept me going.

Any additional comments?

I gave this five stars because I liked the characters so much, particularly the world war two era characters, that I came back to the book again and again. That said, the way it bounces around in time does get a bit wearing and so I usually only listened to an hour at a time.

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A longer story is all I could wish for

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-26-13

Where does 2001 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This will be in my top ten rotation of audio books I listen to every year.

Who was your favorite character and why?

HAL of course.

Any additional comments?

The reading was well done and the forward by Clarke is good stuff. I was not disappointed.

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Good ending, but last 3 books could have been one

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-04-13

Would you listen to Lord of Mountains again? Why?

I'm sure I will since I listen to the whole series in order every six months or so.

What other book might you compare Lord of Mountains to and why?

The rest of the series, or any of the better S.M. Stirling works.

Which scene was your favorite?

The last few chapters were my favorite and they summed up the whole series in a way.

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

No extreme reactions, but most of it was good and kept my attention.

Any additional comments?

The last three books really should have been condensed down into one or two at most, but other than that it was good.

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1 person found this helpful