David C. Newland

Great performances. Thought provoking novel.

Reviewed: 04-19-23

A very enjoyable experience. Novel looks at the zombie apocalypse from a variety of angles. Lots of fun and yet has something to say about our current culture. Top notch production with great voice actors.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Wow! That was amazing.

Reviewed: 08-19-21

Every Holmes story from Conan Doyle! Great narration. Hours and hours of fun. Buy it!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

It is the prequel to a video game

Reviewed: 06-20-21

(No spoilers here so don't worry)

Listen - it is Aliens so, of course, read it!

Yet, it lacked the things that make the Alien franchise unique:

There were no strong central female characters (like Ripley, or Blue or Liyah Cooper - you know what I mean if you have read all the books).

No synthetic played a central role either negatively (as in ALIEN, Out of the Shadows, Alien Isolation and Covenant) or positively (as in ALIENS, the Cold Forge, Into Charybdis, etc).

This is a really important one... No single malevolent actor or instance of corporate greed can be pointed to - nor was it cowardice and entitlement (as in Phalanx) - the characters seemed to do really dumb things for no particular reason. There was some "infiltration" as the name suggests but that hardly was the cause of the real problems.

In other words, the motivation of the characters was lacking - as was the sort of cautionary message about technology and authoritarianism and corporations that make the ALIEN franchise what it is. This could almost have been one of those forgettable and contrived end of the world novels that this narrator often reads.

A word on the narrator - he was really GREAT in Aliens Phalanx - which is a far superior book. In this one he was a little off his game.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

excellent short book!

Reviewed: 05-17-21

Really clever, fun look at the world of Sherlock Holmes from the other side. More of these please Mr. Weir! Narrator was perfect.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Best Alien Book (and yes I have read them all)

Reviewed: 05-17-21

Combines all of the features that the Alien series is known for: exotic, terrifying settings and circumstances; human weakness and strength under pressure; authoritarian tendencies; and strong female characters. Exceptional writing and perfect narration. For me the Alien books and movies are social commentary wrapped in good scary fun. This is a perfect combination of the two. Pressure reveals human character and what could exert more pressure than a hive of Alien "Demons"? A big thumbs up. 10 out of 10.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Don't let the few bad reviews fool you.

Reviewed: 01-05-21

Very interesting example of the Alien genre. Yes, the hero is a woman - but so was Ripley! Give it a listen...

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Very creative backstory on the Covenant

Reviewed: 12-02-20

Great narrator. For me, it was a very interesting story. Like all alien stories it is tragic, but in this case, mostly because we know what is going to happen next.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Forewarned is Forearmed!

Reviewed: 02-27-19

I quote this book all of the time!

I teach a class and one of the things we talk about is the impact of technology and whether technology will end up surpassing humans. The examples are well-researched and very convincing. This is not only for scientists. It is for everyone. I could not stop listening. Be prepared to look straight into an uncertain (even scary) future.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In touch with the new fears of the 21st Century...

Reviewed: 12-30-18

The original Alien was for me first and foremost a musing on the dangers of technology and of corporate greed. Those same themes drive the action in this Alien radio play but the fears are updated for the 21st Century. The fear now is not necessarily a physical android able to interact with humans on an equal basis (Ash was an android in the first Alien movie), but an artificial intelligence - an algorithm - that is able to control all of the elements of our overly connected world.

I doubt that very many people today fear a physical "Terminator"-type robot as much as they fear a computer program that can conduct surveillance, change things like your credit score, social media postings, or your electronic records; and in the future seize control of everything from your self-driving car to your "smart" refrigerator.

This novel certainly involves Aliens as the title suggests, but it is really a smart take on the problems of artificial intelligence. The kind of problem discussed academically in a book like Homo Deus but illustrated very dramatically here.

I think this is an great book and really interesting performance.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Great Book and Even Better Narrator

Reviewed: 12-18-18

I have owned horses in the past and have recently moved to a new property that has an old barn and I'm thinking about keeping horses again. As I ponder getting back into horses I have been wondering if I could possibly save some money this time. Amanda Wills has answered that question for me fifty times over in her new book 50 Things to Know About Caring for a Horse on a budget!

This small book is a gem for everyone from the new horse owner to the most experienced. It is full of everything from very simple suggestions of how to buy in bulk or where to get things for free to surprising suggestions of substituting human products for things such as different supplements and first aid equipment. Even an experienced horse owner has likely not discovered all of these cost savings yet and likely does not know the exact names of the products to look for.

The real surprise was how well this works as an audio book and how well the narrator - Stacky Vos -reads it!

I often listen to different non-fiction audio books on scientific topics, but I almost always end up buying the printed version as well as the audio because it is easier to keep up with the difficult vocabulary and concepts. This book is not like that. This book is full of simple understandable ways to save money and is written in plain English. It is very conducive to the audio format. Any listener can quickly capture important names of products or other details in a small notebook or notepad. And with audible it is easy to pause and rewind if you need to go back to a prior point to write it down.

Listening to this narrator is like having a trusted and caring friend share with you the knowledge that she has gained over the years. Do yourself a favor and spend a few dollars and an enjoyable hour of your time and LISTEN to the narrator - Stacky Vos - share the practical insights of author Amanda Wills with you!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful