Kevin Gabbert
- 19
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- 4
- helpful votes
- 224
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The Memory of Earth
- Homecoming, Volume 1
- By: Orson Scott Card
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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High above the planet Harmony, the Oversoul watches. Its task, programmed so many millennia ago, is to guard the human settlement on this planet, to protect this fragile remnant of Earth from all threats...to protect them, most of all, from themselves.
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I keep hoping, but, alas, ...
- By Ole Hippie on 02-22-10
- The Memory of Earth
- Homecoming, Volume 1
- By: Orson Scott Card
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
Good characters and story though slow in parts
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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Gateway
- By: Frederik Pohl
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman, Robert J. Sawyer
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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When prospector Bob Broadhead went out to Gateway on the Heechee spacecraft, he decided he would know which was the right mission to make him his fortune. Three missions later, now famous and permanently rich, Robinette Broadhead has to face what happened to him and what he is...in a journey into himself as perilous and even more horrifying than the nightmare trip through the interstellar void that he drove himself to take!
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A human-focused SF classic
- By Ryan on 12-05-13
- Gateway
- By: Frederik Pohl
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman, Robert J. Sawyer
Unlikable characters but still a good story
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
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The Genesis Machine
- By: James P. Hogan
- Narrated by: Ryans Johnson
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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In an America becoming repressive in the face of world tensions, Brad Clifford, a young mathematical physicist, had been virtually drafted from academia to work on defense projects. But Brad's true dedication was to bring about the unification of all fields and forces, and his theory was too wild for his superiors to take seriously. So he defied the political authorities and went AWOL to work with a fellow maverick scientist. They built the machine that his theory made possible - but the machine made all weapons impotent, and could either wreck the world or save it.
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Just like I remembered...
- By Edward on 10-01-14
- The Genesis Machine
- By: James P. Hogan
- Narrated by: Ryans Johnson
Great sci-fi concepts, good story, characters meh
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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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
Good sci-fi with an interesting twist
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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The Nerdist Way
- How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life)
- By: Chris Hardwick
- Narrated by: Chris Hardwick
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Nerds: Once a tormented subrace of humans... Now captains of industry! You don’t have to be a stereotypical geekwad to appreciate the tenets of Nerdism and to make your innate talents for overanalysis and hyper-self-awareness work for you instead of against you. Join Nerd superstar Chris Hardwick as he offers his fellow “creative-obsessives” the crucial information needed to come out on top in the current Nerd uprising. Success is the most satisfying - and legal - form of vengeance there is. And you can achieve it when you follow the Nerdist Way,
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I'm a disciple of The Nerdist Way!!
- By Heather on 07-02-14
- The Nerdist Way
- How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life)
- By: Chris Hardwick
- Narrated by: Chris Hardwick
My favorite self-help book of the many I own
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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World War Z: The Complete Edition
- An Oral History of the Zombie War
- By: Max Brooks
- Narrated by: Max Brooks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Abridged
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World War Z: The Complete Edition features 21 additional Hollywood A-list actors and sci-fi fan favorites performing stories not included in the original edition. New narrators include Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, Spiderman star Alfred Molina, The Walking Dead creator Frank Darabont, rapper Common, Firefly star Nathan Fillion, Shaun of the Dead’s Simon Pegg, and members of the casts of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes and more!
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Will never pre-order again
- By Ignatz on 05-18-13
- World War Z: The Complete Edition
- An Oral History of the Zombie War
- By: Max Brooks
- Narrated by: Max Brooks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, Rob Reiner, Mark Hamill, Alfred Molina, Simon Pegg, Henry Rollins, Martin Scorsese
Excellent overall, but jumps around a lot
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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Cryptonomicon
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 42 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1942, Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse - mathematical genius and young Captain in the US Navy - is assigned to detachment 2702. It is an outfit so secret that only a handful of people know it exists, and some of those people have names like Churchill and Roosevelt. The mission of Watrehouse and Detachment 2702 - commanded by Marine Raider Bobby Shaftoe - is to keep the Nazis ignorant of the fact that Allied Intelligence has cracked the enemy's fabled Enigma code. In the present, Waterhouse's crypto-hacker grandson, Randy, is attempting to create a "data haven" in Southeast Asia....
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Two thirds through and quit
- By Joshua on 06-20-16
- Cryptonomicon
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: William Dufris
Great story telling, characters, and technology
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
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 42 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Neal Stephenson hacks into the secret histories of nations and the private obsessions of men, decrypting with dazzling virtuosity the forces that shaped this century.
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Be careful!
- By Jeffrey Wieseman on 11-07-10
- Cryptonomicon
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: William Dufris
Great story telling, characters, and technology
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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2001
- A Space Odyssey
- By: Arthur C. Clarke
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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It has been 40 years since the publication of this classic science-fiction novel that changed the way we look at the stars and ourselves. From the savannas of Africa at the dawn of mankind to the rings of Saturn as man adventures to the outer rim of our solar system, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a journey unlike any other.
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The Movie Makes More Sense Now
- By Douglas on 12-10-08
- 2001
- A Space Odyssey
- By: Arthur C. Clarke
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
A longer story is all I could wish for
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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Lord of Mountains
- A Novel of the Change
- By: S. M. Stirling
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Rudi Mackenize, now Artos the First, High King of Montival, and his allies have won several key battles against the Church Universal and Triumphant. But still the war rages on, taking countless lives, ravaging the land once known as the United States of America. Artos and his Queen, Mathilda, must unite the realms into a single kingdom to ensure a lasting peace. If the leaders of the Changed world are to accept Artos as their ruler, he will need to undertake a quest to the Lake at the Heart of the Mountains....
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Same Great Story, One too Many Books...
- By Matthew on 10-29-12
- Lord of Mountains
- A Novel of the Change
- By: S. M. Stirling
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
Good ending, but last 3 books could have been one
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