HeatherTwist
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The Children of the Sky
- By: Vernor Vinge
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 27 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 799
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 707
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Story4 out of 5 stars 707
Ten years have passed on Tines World, where Ravna Bergnsdot and a number of human children ended up after a disaster that nearly obliterated humankind throughout the galaxy. Ravna and the pack animals for which the planet is named have survived a war, and Ravna has saved more than one hundred children who were in cold-sleep aboard the vessel that brought them. While there is peace among the Tines, there are those among them - and among the humans - who seek power. And no matter the cost, these malcontents are determined to overturn the fledgling civilization....
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2 out of 5 stars
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Deeply unsatisfying
- By Nurselord on 07-20-16
- The Children of the Sky
- By: Vernor Vinge
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
Vernor Vinge doesn't disappoint
Reviewed: 12-31-12
I loved this, for all the reasons I've loved the rest of the series. Vinge does what speculative fiction should do, which is to make you think. He anticipates much of what is happening today, but doesn't lecture on the theories or math or brain organization behind what he's saying. The Tines ability to form essentially one brain from several creatures is a very interesting twist, and makes you think a lot about how human brains are put together. Don't we often feel like we are a collection of sometimes warring pieces?
The characters are fun, and not overly complex. In other words, good entertainment. Some of my favorite other speculative authors are amazing, but it takes a lot of concentration (and taking notes) to keep the entire plot straight. Vinge is a good listen while, say, doing dishes or some boring task, without requiring my entire attention.
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Pavane
- By: Keith Roberts
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 473
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 418
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 420
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.
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4 out of 5 stars
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It's the Characters that Outline the World
- By Troy on 03-01-13
- Pavane
- By: Keith Roberts
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
History rediscovered
Reviewed: 02-19-12
I've read and listened to a lot of alternative and "real" history, and this is one of the best. Yes, it is hard to listen to sometimes, partly because it makes you THINK about history. About the changes that were needed to say, invent the airplane.
But also, it is so rich and detailed. The workers make you think about most jobs, the routines you go through every day, to make your job work. I listened to this just after "23 things they don't tell you" about Capitalism, which affected my feelings about this work too. About how the framework of your society, affects your personal decisions.
Pavane is not a work I would have selected, based on the description. I AM hooked now though, on Niel Gaiman's sense of taste. The only think I like better are the books he himself narrate.
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23 Things They Don't Tell You about Capitalism
- By: Ha-Joon Chang
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,188
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 963
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Story4 out of 5 stars 955
If you've wondered how we did not see the economic collapse coming, Ha-Joon Chang knows the answer: We didn't ask what they didn't tell us about capitalism. This is a lighthearted book with a serious purpose: to question the assumptions behind the dogma and sheer hype that the dominant school of neoliberal economists-the apostles of the freemarket-have spun since the Age of Reagan.
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2 out of 5 stars
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A shallow and destructive book
- By Sean on 11-10-11
- 23 Things They Don't Tell You about Capitalism
- By: Ha-Joon Chang
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
Um, yeah, they don't tell you!
Reviewed: 02-14-12
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I'd recommend it to anyone interested in economics. I don't personally read nonfiction much, nor do friends I know. This one though, is something people should hear.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
We've been getting a load of bull **** about what works for a thriving economy. The concepts here are really easy to understand, and make a lot more sense than most of what you've been hearing lately. It's not a manifesto for a welfare state, or for the disregulation of everything. Just a talk about
Which character – as performed by Joe Barrett – was your favorite?
There is only one character, the writer. I was surprised when, some hours into the book, I discovered the author is Korean. But the author is not the narrator: Joe Barrett does not sound at all Korean. However, Joe made it very easy to understand, which I appreciated.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
It would be a documentary, for sure.
Any additional comments?
All voters should read it.
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1 person found this helpful