
Black Tar
Cinema of Awesomeness Series, Book 2
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Karl A. Nordman
-
By:
-
Michael Kanuckel
About this listen
Michael Kanuckel's story creeped me out from the start. It has moments that combine classic VHS movies like McQueen's The Blob and some from John Carpenters The Thing. It does this with minimal characters and locations and uses its uniquely crafted story to conjure up images straight from nightmares. The characters are drawn so well that they are real. Their (and your own) fear becomes truly and horrifically tangible.
When you enter this desolate nightmare, it leaves you wanting more. It has one of the best cliff-hangers I have read.
Russell Mulcahy
Director of Highlander
©2018 Michael Kanuckel (P)2018 Michael KanuckelListeners also enjoyed...
-
Weedeaters: The Complete Acropalypse
- Cinema of Awesomeness, Book 1
- By: Kevin Candela
- Narrated by: Karl A. Nordman
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here it is: the blood-and-sap-splattered epic of gritty, wisecracking survivors turned mutant warriors in a global apocalypse against gigantic man-eating...dandelions. One sunny morning, the world awoke to the revenge of their own well-manicured lawns: Seeded by chemtrails and radiated by black-ops satellites, innocent little weeds swelled to massive size and uprooted themselves from the broken earth and raced off hungrily toward their new menu - mankind!
-
-
Don't eat your vegetables, they bite back!!!
- By LITRPG Audiobook Reviews on 07-23-18
By: Kevin Candela
-
It
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Steven Weber
- Length: 44 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to Derry, Maine. It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real. They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made 28 years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children.
-
-
A Classic with a Top-Notch Performance!
- By Nicole - Audible on 06-19-17
By: Stephen King
-
The Talisman
- By: Stephen King, Peter Straub
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 28 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a brisk autumn day, a 13-year-old boy stands on the shores of the gray Atlantic, near a silent amusement park and a fading ocean resort called the Alhambra. The past has driven Jack Sawyer here: His father is gone, his mother is dying, and the world no longer makes sense. But for Jack everything is about to change. For he has been chosen to make a journey back across America - and into another realm. One of the most influential and heralded works of fantasy ever written, The Talisman is an extraordinary novel of loyalty, awakening, terror, and mystery.
-
-
Still Good
- By Bill S. on 03-24-10
By: Stephen King, and others
-
Skeleton Crew
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Matthew Broderick, Michael C. Hall, and others
- Length: 22 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The master at his scarifying best! From heart-pounding terror to the eeriest of whimsy - tales from the outer limits of one of the greatest imaginations of our time! Trucks that punish and beautiful teen demons who seduce a young man to massacre; curses whose malevolence grows through the years; obscene presences and angels of grace - here, indeed, is a night-blooming bouquet of chills and thrills.
-
-
Excellent narrators for classic King collection
- By Sheryl McCallister on 04-07-20
By: Stephen King
-
NOS4A2
- A Novel
- By: Joe Hill
- Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew
- Length: 19 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Victoria McQueen has an uncanny knack for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. When she rides her bicycle over the rickety old covered bridge in the woods near her house, she always emerges in the places she needs to be. Vic doesn't tell anyone about her unusual ability, because she knows no one will believe her. She has trouble understanding it herself.
-
-
Gripping performance by Kate Mulgrew....
- By Leslie on 05-06-13
By: Joe Hill
-
Neuromancer
- By: William Gibson
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty years ago, it was as if someone turned on a light. The future blazed into existence with each deliberate word that William Gibson laid down. The winner of Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards, Neuromancer didn't just explode onto the science fiction scene - it permeated into the collective consciousness, culture, science, and technology.Today, there is only one science fiction masterpiece to thank for the term "cyberpunk," for easing the way into the information age and Internet society.
-
-
Story? Classic. Narrator? Ugh.
- By Sage on 11-11-14
By: William Gibson
-
Weedeaters: The Complete Acropalypse
- Cinema of Awesomeness, Book 1
- By: Kevin Candela
- Narrated by: Karl A. Nordman
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here it is: the blood-and-sap-splattered epic of gritty, wisecracking survivors turned mutant warriors in a global apocalypse against gigantic man-eating...dandelions. One sunny morning, the world awoke to the revenge of their own well-manicured lawns: Seeded by chemtrails and radiated by black-ops satellites, innocent little weeds swelled to massive size and uprooted themselves from the broken earth and raced off hungrily toward their new menu - mankind!
-
-
Don't eat your vegetables, they bite back!!!
- By LITRPG Audiobook Reviews on 07-23-18
By: Kevin Candela
-
It
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Steven Weber
- Length: 44 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to Derry, Maine. It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real. They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made 28 years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children.
-
-
A Classic with a Top-Notch Performance!
- By Nicole - Audible on 06-19-17
By: Stephen King
-
The Talisman
- By: Stephen King, Peter Straub
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 28 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a brisk autumn day, a 13-year-old boy stands on the shores of the gray Atlantic, near a silent amusement park and a fading ocean resort called the Alhambra. The past has driven Jack Sawyer here: His father is gone, his mother is dying, and the world no longer makes sense. But for Jack everything is about to change. For he has been chosen to make a journey back across America - and into another realm. One of the most influential and heralded works of fantasy ever written, The Talisman is an extraordinary novel of loyalty, awakening, terror, and mystery.
-
-
Still Good
- By Bill S. on 03-24-10
By: Stephen King, and others
-
Skeleton Crew
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Matthew Broderick, Michael C. Hall, and others
- Length: 22 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The master at his scarifying best! From heart-pounding terror to the eeriest of whimsy - tales from the outer limits of one of the greatest imaginations of our time! Trucks that punish and beautiful teen demons who seduce a young man to massacre; curses whose malevolence grows through the years; obscene presences and angels of grace - here, indeed, is a night-blooming bouquet of chills and thrills.
-
-
Excellent narrators for classic King collection
- By Sheryl McCallister on 04-07-20
By: Stephen King
-
NOS4A2
- A Novel
- By: Joe Hill
- Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew
- Length: 19 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Victoria McQueen has an uncanny knack for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. When she rides her bicycle over the rickety old covered bridge in the woods near her house, she always emerges in the places she needs to be. Vic doesn't tell anyone about her unusual ability, because she knows no one will believe her. She has trouble understanding it herself.
-
-
Gripping performance by Kate Mulgrew....
- By Leslie on 05-06-13
By: Joe Hill
-
Neuromancer
- By: William Gibson
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty years ago, it was as if someone turned on a light. The future blazed into existence with each deliberate word that William Gibson laid down. The winner of Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards, Neuromancer didn't just explode onto the science fiction scene - it permeated into the collective consciousness, culture, science, and technology.Today, there is only one science fiction masterpiece to thank for the term "cyberpunk," for easing the way into the information age and Internet society.
-
-
Story? Classic. Narrator? Ugh.
- By Sage on 11-11-14
By: William Gibson
-
The Tommyknockers
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 27 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writer Bobbi Anderson becomes obsessed with digging up something she's found buried in the woods near her home. With the help of her friend, Jim Gardener, she uncovers an alien spaceship. Though exposure to the Tommyknockers, who piloted the alien ship, has harmful effects on residents' health, the people of Haven develop a talent for creating innovative devices under their increasingly malignant influence.
-
-
Better Than Expected King Goes Sci-Fi, Dark, Weird
- By Andy on 08-27-19
By: Stephen King
-
Phantoms
- By: Dean Koontz
- Narrated by: Buck Schirner
- Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They found the town silent, apparently abandoned. Then they found the first body strangely swollen and still warm. One hundred fifty were dead, 350 missing. But the terror had only begun in the tiny mountain town of Snowfield, California.
-
-
Great Fun!!
- By MARCIA on 01-30-09
By: Dean Koontz
-
Underground Airlines
- By: Ben Winters
- Narrated by: William DeMeritt
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is the present day, and the world is as we know it: smartphones, social networking, and Happy Meals. Save for one thing: The Civil War never occurred. A gifted young black man calling himself Victor has struck a bargain with federal law enforcement, working as a bounty hunter for the US Marshal Service. He's got plenty of work. In this version of America, slavery continues in four states called "the Hard Four". On the trail of a runaway known as Jackdaw, Victor arrives in Indianapolis knowing that something isn't right—with the case file, with his work, and with the country itself.
-
-
Original and disturbing novel
- By Mark on 10-29-17
By: Ben Winters
-
Wild Cards I
- Wild Cards, Book 1
- By: George R. R. Martin - editor
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the aftermath of WWII, an alien virus struck the Earth, endowing a handful of survivors with extraordinary powers. Originally published in 1987, the newly expanded saga contains additional original stories by eminent writers.
-
-
Dry Politics
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 02-24-13
-
Nightwise
- By: R. S. Belcher
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the more shadowy corners of the world, frequented by angels and demons and everything in between, Laytham Ballard is a legend. It's said he raised the dead at the age of 10, stole the Philosopher's Stone in Vegas back in 1999, and survived the bloodsucking kiss of the Mosquito Queen. Wise in the hidden ways of the night, he's also a cynical bastard who stopped thinking of himself as the good guy a long time ago.
-
-
Forget Any Negative Reviews and Listen Now
- By G.A. Pauper on 10-05-15
By: R. S. Belcher
-
Resurrections
- A Short Story Collection
- By: Chris Philbrook
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A boy and his father walk on the shore of an ocean filled with bloody spears cast off from a war between gods. A father travels back in time over and over, unable to rescue the mother of his child. A mischievous satyr lurking in a dungeon has a field day with trespassing adventurers. These tales and more are in Resurrections, a compilation of short stories written by Chris Philbrook.
-
-
Philbrook has done it again!!!
- By David on 07-14-17
By: Chris Philbrook
-
Robopocalypse
- A Novel
- By: Daniel H. Wilson
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the near future, at a moment no one will notice, all the dazzling technology that runs our world will unite and turn against us. Taking on the persona of a shy human boy, a childlike but massively powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos comes online and assumes control over the global network of machines that regulate everything from transportation to utilities, defense and communication.
-
-
Run….Forest….Run!!!
- By James on 06-10-11
By: Daniel H. Wilson
-
Burning Chrome
- By: William Gibson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Dennis Holland, Kevin Pariseau, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
William Gibson's dark visions of computer cowboys, bio-enhanced soldiers of fortune, and hi-tech lowlifes have won unprecedented praise. Included here are some of the most famous short fiction and novellas by the author of Count Zero and Neuromancer.
-
-
abstract art
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 04-05-14
By: William Gibson
-
The Brotherhood of the Wheel
- By: R. S. Belcher
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In AD 1119, a group of nine crusaders became known as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon - a militant monastic order charged with protecting pilgrims and caravans traveling on the roads to and from the Holy Land. In time, the Knights Templar would grow in power and, ultimately, be laid low. But a small offshoot of the Templars endure and have returned to the order's original mission: to defend the roads of the world and guard those who travel on them.
-
-
Epic Battle Brewing
- By Doug D. Eigsti on 03-29-16
By: R. S. Belcher
-
Return of the Living Dead
- By: John Russo
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Lynn Hutchins
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A decade after the first zombie outbreak, a bus crashes in a small American town, killing everyone on board. Local churchgoers rush to the scene to save the living and destroy the dead. But they're too late. A terrifying new plague of living dead has been unleashed. A new horde of victims has been infected. And this time, they are ravenous.
-
-
Great book
- By DragonVenom on 08-09-22
By: John Russo
-
Save from Wrath
- An Extinction Protocol Novella
- By: Felix R. Savage
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the besieged planet of Kepler 186f, a Marine platoon races against time to rescue civilians from an army of unstoppable Ghosts. Dropship pilot Justin Ceguerra is living through his own private hell, until the mission offers an unlikely chance of redemption.
-
-
it is short
- By Seth P Duque on 05-06-22
By: Felix R. Savage
-
The Very Best of the Best
- 35 Years of The Year's Best Science Fiction
- By: Gardner Dozois - editor
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny, Will Damron
- Length: 39 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For decades, The Year's Best Science Fiction has been the most widely read short science fiction anthology of its kind. Now, after 35 annual collections comes the ultimate in science fiction anthologies. In The Very Best of the Best, legendary editor Gardner Dozois selects the finest short stories for this landmark collection, including short fiction from authors such as Charles Stross, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Greg Egan, Stephen Baxter, Pat Cadigan, and any many more.
-
-
Would be amazing if not for spoiler prefaces
- By Amazon Customer on 08-28-19
What listeners say about Black Tar
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kristina
- 09-18-18
Fun read from start to finish!
This was like two stories in one. A quick fun audiobook that went right where I wanted it to go!
I recommend this to anyone looking for solid writing good characters to take you on a crazy fun filled ride!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LITRPG Audiobook Reviews
- 10-28-18
Creepy and suspenseful Cinematic Splatter
The Cinema of Awesomeness Series is really living up to its name. I would say that they all have a B-movie tye of feel to them, what with Hercules totting an arm cannon and people killing and becoming plants in books 3 & 1 respectively, this book comes across in a much creepier tone. Honestly, when I first saw this I was hoping for something along the lines of Night of the Ceeps, Return of the Living Dead, or even Night of the Comet. Those are all incredible B-Movies that just ooze awesomeness and are so unforgettable that you have to stop and watch whenever you see them on. That was not what I got.
This had more of a John Carpenter, when John Carpenter was good, kind of film. Honestly, one of my all time favorite horror films is the Thing, and this carries that vibe all the way through. Funny thing is, I didn't even read the book's description until after I had already come to this conclusion, and from what I could see I have to agree that it also has the McQueen Blob vibe. The feeling is hopelessness, desolation, barren, and loss. In other words, the perfect book for a nice weekend listen. I'll be clear, the book is not a downer, in fact it will keep you on the edge of your seat as you listen. It definitely has a mood all unto itself and is a standout in the Cinema series. The writing will grip you, it is vivid, descriptive and full of stomach churning events. This is not one to listen to before bed.
Nordman does a decent job, he doesn't quite fit the mood, so to speak, but I couldn't find any faults with his performance. He handles the characters and atmosphere, but I just think he was not meant in this style. It would be kind of like having Morgan Freeman narrate events in the Thing. Amazing voicework, wrong dude to do it. Still, I can't complain about his work as he carried the book very well, and I was creeped out so something must have clicked.
As much as I love Candela and Hill, this book really stood out. Maybe becasue it was a touch more grounded. It certainly had a Phantoms vibe going on, and I love that freaking movie to death. This is an excellent addition to the series and a real standout on its own. If you love horror then this is the novel for you. Even though I did receive a promo code for this review it in no way influenced my considerations of the material, and in fact, inspired me to be more honest. Getting a code generally makes me harsher as a reviewer as I am more often concerned what someone like Me will decide based on my review.
If this review helped, please press the YES below. Thank you immensely!!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amanda M Lyons
- 11-05-18
An Excellent Novel of Adventure and Sci-fi
Black Tar is a story about people in complicated circumstances tackling a very big monster who poses a real threat to their world. Not only do they learn it is they who must do so, they are quite literally the only thing that can stop it. The enormity of that, to be not just worthy but utterly and completely necessary to the survival of everyone one knows despite limitations both known and perceived, is not taken lightly but worn with a mighty weight. This book has impact precisely because it does a great deal more than offer you just another monster vs hero tale, letting you in on the sort of heroic elements that don't get much focus in the big screen version-the sort that mean confronting heartache, love, truth and self-reflection in the very moment when all of these things can dictate some of the most pivotal decisions our heroes face.
I've always enjoyed Kanuckel's stuff, I have yet to read anything from him that wasn't a genuine treat to sit down with. His characters, narrative, and open world all mesh together and create a great place to engage with, often a place where one could lose themselves completely. Black Tar is no exception. Come for the adventure and thrills of a great kaiju novel and walk away after completing it with real satisfaction in having come to known such great characters at their greatest moment.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Troy Buffington
- 09-26-18
Well done
A good mix of sci-fi and horror. The narrator gives all the characters their own personalities and voices. Keeps you hooked until the very end. Definitely need to check out more from this author.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Oneiros
- 10-04-18
Good performance elevates this already great book!
Having previously enjoyed Black Tar in paperback form, I was excited to hear it in audiobook form.
The performance was very good, with each character receiving a noticeably clear voice of their own.
The story itself is a LOT of fun, with some pretty memorable action scenes and well developed characters.
Whether by audiobook or paperback, do yourself a favor and consume this novel!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!