Preview
  • Birthright

  • The Book of Man
  • By: Mike Resnick
  • Narrated by: Tom Weiner
  • Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (68 ratings)

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Birthright

By: Mike Resnick
Narrated by: Tom Weiner
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Publisher's summary

An epic novel of human expansion across the stars...

This brilliant science fiction novel constructs a blueprint of mankind’s history - social, political, economic, scientific, and religious - for the next 18,000 years. Through a series of adventures, it illustrates clear, focused ideas about our birthright and our destiny.

Since this 1982 debut, Mike Resnick has emerged as one of the most honored science fiction authors of his time, picking up 40-odd Hugo and Nebula nominations and awards. He has set 25 novels and a novella in the future that was outlined in this book. Now, those who missed it the first time around can catch up on this mind-boggling, all-encompassing precedent to Resnick’s fiction.

Mike Resnick’s outstanding work has won numerous awards, including five Hugos and one Nebula, and has been nominated for dozens more. He divides his time between Cincinnati and Orlando, Florida.

©1982 Mike Resnick (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
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Critic reviews

" Birthright is a kaleidoscope image of humanity’s strengths and weaknesses, a patchwork quilt of vivid assumptions on just what being human is all about. And at the heart of that question are answers which reveal the seeds of humanity’s ultimate downfall." (Raymond E. Feist)
" Birthright is a kind of magicked mirror, where we find our own image amid strange scenes, with alien companions. It’s well worth your attention." ( Locus)
"Resnick has a beautiful style, his characterizations are well handled and his descriptions vivid. The situations his characters face are exciting and clearly presented." (Martha Bartter, author of The Utopian Fantastic)

What listeners say about Birthright

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A MASTERPIECE

GREAT WORLD BUILDING AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. AWESOME ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND EXCELLENT PACING. WONDERFUL NARRATION.

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

Reads like a classic Asimov story

Very conversation-driven story telling, told from the viewpoints of members of various classes, e.g., biologists, politicians, artists, ..., and ultimately, archaeologists.

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

story is fantastic But the ending is depressing

Fantastic story depressing ending

Listen to it non-stop Though by the end of the book i'd almost wished I hadn't Not that I hadn't enjoyed the book but the ending just stuck with me

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

B-O-R-I-N-G

What disappointed you about Birthright?

I love scifi but this book just didn't work for me. Too negative.

What was most disappointing about Mike Resnick’s story?

I only made it through the first story and part of the second one. No female characters, everything very negative, stories not connected except by the world being constructed by the author. Maybe if I had knowledge of other books set in this world I would have liked it more, but as a first "toe in the water" it just didn't hold my interest.

What three words best describe Tom Weiner’s performance?

Okay but not memorable.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Ummmm . . . not really

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Interesting, but not exceptional

I bought this because I like Resnick, but this was just ok. It felt formulaic and like a retread of ideas I've seen over and over, and didn't contribute anything really new. the overall story arc and conclusion felt forced as well.

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