Camouflage
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Narrated by:
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Eric Michael Summerer
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By:
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Joe Haldeman
About this listen
Denser than any substance known to man, it has broken every drill bit they've tried on it and will not budge an inch. It resists every effort to breach it - or communicate with it. So the government turns to marine biologist Russell Sutton for help.
Meanwhile, unknown to any of them, two creatures have wandered the earth for generations. The aliens have no knowledge of each other, but possess a residual memory of the artifact - and an affinity for deep water. One, which calls itself the changeling, has survived by adaptation, by taking on many different forms: man, woman, snake, shark. The other, which calls itself the chameleon, has survived solely by destroying anything or anyone that threatens it.
Now, finally brought up from the bottom of the sea, the artifact calls to them both...to come home. For all these generations there have been two invincible creatures on Earth. But the chameleon has decided there's only room for one.
A novel of human and inhuman nature, Camouflage will take you to the depths of the sea, to the limit of man's imagination - and beyond.
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"Haldeman trips through history wearing alien goggles but his message is all about human nature." (Entertainment Weekly)
An extremely intelligent thriller." (Washington Post)
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- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Without warning, something has gone terribly awry. In the remote and unnoticed places of the world, small pockets of death begin occurring. As the initially isolated extinctions spread, the world's eyes focus on this unimaginable horror and chaos. Out of the ecological imbalance, something new and extraordinary is evolving and surviving to fill the voids left by these extinctions. Evolution is operating in ways no one could have expected, and environmental damage may be the catalyst.
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Good End of World Thriller
- By John S on 11-04-14
By: Kevin Bohacz
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Stand on Zanzibar
- By: John Brunner, Bruce Sterling - foreword
- Narrated by: Erik Bergmann
- Length: 21 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Niblock House is a rising executive at General Technics, one of a few all-powerful corporations. His work is leading General Technics to the forefront of global domination, both in the marketplace and politically - it's about to take over a country in Africa. Donald Hogan is his roommate, a seemingly sheepish bookworm. But Hogan is a spy, and he's about to discover a breakthrough in genetic engineering that will change the world...and kill him. Society is squeezed into hive-living madness by god-like mega computers and mass-marketed psychedelic drugs.
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perfect audio experience
- By Darryl on 03-24-14
By: John Brunner, and others
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The Curiosity
- A Novel
- By: Stephen Kiernan
- Narrated by: Kate Udall, Erik Bergmann, George Guidall
- Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Dr. Kate Philo makes a breathtaking discovery in the Arctic: the body of a man buried deep in the ice. Heedless of the potential consequences, Kate's boss orders that the frozen man be reanimated. As the man begins to regain his memories, the team learns that he was - is - a judge, Jeremiah Rice. Thrown together by fate, Kate and Jeremiah grow closer. But the clock is ticking and Jeremiah's new life is slipping away. Kate must decide how far she is willing to go to protect the man she has come to love.
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Almost perfect
- By ellegreenland on 04-14-14
By: Stephen Kiernan
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The World Walker
- The World Walker Series, Book 1
- By: Ian W. Sainsbury
- Narrated by: Todd Boyce
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Just outside Los Angeles, a prisoner hidden away for 70 years sits up, gets off the bed and disappears through a solid wall. In Australia, a magician impresses audiences by producing real elephants. Nobody realizes it's not an illusion. Across the world, individuals and organizations with supernatural power suddenly detect the presence of something even they can't understand. At the center of it all, Seb Varden, a 32-year old musician with a secret in his past, slits his wrists, is shot dead and run over on the freeway.
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Good Stuff
- By DobieChuck on 01-15-17
By: Ian W. Sainsbury
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The Flicker Men
- A Novel
- By: Ted Kosmatka
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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A quantum physicist shocks the world with a startling experiment, igniting a struggle between science and theology, free will and fate, and antagonizing forces not known to exist. Eric Argus is a washout. His prodigious early work clouded his reputation and strained his sanity. But an old friend gives him another chance, an opportunity to step back into the light.
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Started out good but fell flat
- By Ed A on 08-04-15
By: Ted Kosmatka
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Cut to the Bone
- A Body Farm Novel, Book 0.5
- By: Jefferson Bass
- Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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In this long-awaited prequel to his New York Times bestselling series, Jefferson Bass turns the clock back to reveal the Body Farm's creation - and Dr. Bill Brockton's deadly duel with a serial killer. In the summer of 1992, Arkansas governor Bill Clinton and Tennessee senator Al Gore begin their long-shot campaign to win the White House. On a sweltering hillside in Knoxville, Dr. Bill Brockton, the bright, ambitious young head of the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Department, launches an unusual - some would call it macabre - research facility, unlike any other in existence.
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Just Amazingly Thrilling!
- By Paula on 07-26-15
By: Jefferson Bass
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Footfall
- By: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 24 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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They first appear as a series of dots on astronomical plates, heading from Saturn directly toward Earth. Since the ringed planet carries no life, scientists deduce the mysterious ship to be a visitor from another star. The world's frantic efforts to signal the aliens go unanswered. The first contact is hostile: the invaders blast a Soviet space station, seize the survivors, and then destroy every dam and installation on Earth with a hail of asteriods.
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Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle at Their Best
- By Flatlander on 06-24-10
By: Larry Niven, and others
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2113
- Stories Inspired by the Music of Rush
- By: John McFetridge - editor, Kevin J. Anderson - editor
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
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The music of Rush, one of the most successful bands in music history, is filled with fantastic stories, evocative images, thought-provoking futures and pasts. In this anthology, notable, best-selling, and award-winning writers each chose a Rush song as the spark for a new story, drawing inspiration from the visionary trio Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart.
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I'm a RUSH fan, but ...no..not this book
- By NBP on 07-15-17
By: John McFetridge - editor, and others
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The Deep Blue Good-By
- A Travis McGee Novel, Book 1
- By: John D. MacDonald
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
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He's a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. He's also a knight errant who's wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: he'll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half.
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Before the A-Team, there was Travis McGee
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 11-12-16
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A Hymn Before Battle
- Legacy of the Aldenata
- By: John Ringo
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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With Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the Galactic Federation offers help to the backward humans - for a price. You can protect yourself from your enemies, but God save you from your allies!
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Another heads up!
- By Dr. Daniel Chapman on 06-12-14
By: John Ringo
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The Mote In God's Eye is their acknowledged masterpiece, an epic novel of mankind's first encounter with alien life that transcends the genre. No lesser an authority than Robert A. Heinlein called it "possibly the finest science fiction novel I have ever read".
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What listeners say about Camouflage
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Andrew McIntosh
- 05-26-10
Fast paced...intriguing story
I tried this book as an "audible recommends" suggestion. What a pleasant surprise. I like the way the author was able to comment on the last century of history using the aliens as his impartial observers. I'm eager to listen to more from this author.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Hans
- 04-20-19
I never really got into the story.
This is a decent book, worth listening to but seems contrived and a little too unrealistic For me there was too much "real people wouldn't do that" and "things don't happen that way". I never really got into the story.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Nathan Caroland
- 09-21-08
Loved it!
This is one that I picked up on a whim as frankly I had a ton of credits and none of my norms was grabbing my interest.
This is very well written and narrated and simply a lot of fun to listen to. From the beginning to a little more than halfway into the book they jump back and forth in time from chapter to chapter which really adds a lot of fun to this booth.
First chapter will be about them finding the object at the bottom of the Ocean in 2019 and setting the plot for the current time line of the book. Next chapter is about the Changeling out of the Ocean in 1932 and becoming human. It jumps back and forth like that giving you a glimpse of what 'made' the Changeling what it is 'today' and also introducing the protagonist the Chameleon in this manner as well. Makes for some fun listening.
Take a chance like I did, I think you'll very much enjoy it.
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40 people found this helpful
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- Jim "The Impatient"
- 07-27-14
PUT AN EGG IN YOUR SHOE AND BEAT IT
This is enjoyable in parts, it is not great and not one of Hadleman's best. I felt it could have been better had it not been so disjointed. Joe has some good concepts about aliens and how they may differ from us and why. The lack of flow and the parts of the story that go off on weird boring tangents, keeps me form recommending the book. It is also one of those books where a week after you read it, you will have trouble remembering it.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Barna
- 01-01-10
Another Joe Haldeman winner
This was a great listen that I saved until I was making a long car trip. Kept bouncing back between the past and the present, which was a bit offputting at first, until both stories converge in a great climax. I won't give anything away, but if you have enjoyed other books by this author like Forever War, this is for you. There is no war in this one, however. Get it!
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6 people found this helpful
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- Kevin
- 10-19-13
Fun idea, good performance
This book is one of those where you will have to suspend your beliefs to enjoy it. The idea of two immortals that end up on earth a very long time ago and as humanity evolves decides to partake in society (one brutal, one less so) and how the two entities find each other....an engaging story. Its sort of disturbing that you know that the humans can do nothing about the situation - only the two entities. It leaves you feeling a bit helpless.
But I liked the story. It is a quick read will keep you entertained.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Andrew E. Cox
- 05-19-18
A view from the outside
The story is simple: An alien shapeshifter encounters humanity and learns what it means to be fully human. Haldeman's story moves along at a nice clip keeping the reader engaged and occasionally deconstructing sexuality and gender along the way. Ultimately the story is comes down to love which may not be original but it is timeless. The excellent narration boosts and otherwise average experience to good one.
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- Matthew Crofoot
- 07-20-14
Interesting story - narrator needs a Samoan lesson
What did you love best about Camouflage?
I love sci-fi, especially stories about aliens among us. This book did not disappoint on that front.
What did you like best about this story?
The main character was well developed, and I was intrigued by its progression through different 20th century situations.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
The narrator had a pleasant voice, but clearly needed a Samoan language lesson. I've spent time in both Samoas, and am sorry to say almost every word and phrase was mispronounced. It became annoying to the point of distraction.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No, no extreme reactions to the book. In places, the writing seemed forced and some scenes were predictable. There were also some racy scenes that I just couldn't engage with.
Any additional comments?
The story took some very interesting turns, but overall fell kind of flat. My guess, without looking at the details, is that this is an early book for a new author - it has that rough-around-the-edges feeling.
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Overall
- E. Risk
- 12-01-08
Good book but...
This was a good story although I wasn't sure if I was reading an erotic novel or a sci-fi book at times. This book isn't for the young readers it deals with some adult situations that wasn't mentioned. But in the end the story was very good I highly recommend.
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20 people found this helpful
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- S. Yates
- 07-25-16
Good premise ruined by ending
Would you try another book from Joe Haldeman and/or Eric Michael Summerer?
This isn't my first Haldeman; if it had been I probably would not do another. However, his Forever War is amazing and I hope that this book is just an outlier.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
The love story toward the end was entirely unconvincing. I don't think it fit, but if Haldeman really wanted to have it he should have spent more time showing an evolution to make it possible and more time giving it grounding in true emotion.
Any additional comments?
Haldeman starts with an intriguing premise and, for a large portion of the book, delivers on it. The idea is that there are two extraterrestrials on the planet, though we spend a lot more time with one called "The Changeling" than we do with the other, called "The Chameleon." As a third line of plot, meant to take place in the near future just as the two alien storylines are followed in flashback to the past, we have humans discovering an artifact buried in the ocean. The artifact quickly reveals itself to be a technological feat outside of current human understanding.
From this premise, we get brief vignettes from each alien as they move through time, as well as a near future storyline as scientists try to divine the nature of the artifact. The Changeling spends millenia in the sea as various sea creatures before discovering humans and taking human form. The Chameleon appears to have always been some form of human, but capable of changing appearnce in an instance. The book is most interesting when it follows the Changeling and lets us see humanity through its eyes. The book remains engaging when it shows the Chameleon, clearly an apex predator with what humans would identify as psychopathy, maneuvering through human wars and atrocities, drawn to them for their violence. The book is least interesting in the near future storyline, but still passable. However, the book jumps the shark (a pun I most definitely intend, given that the Changeling used that form for thousands of years) toward the end and takes a promising SF tale of first contact and human nature seen from another perspective and turns it into a lackluster love story. The love story feels alien (pun also intended) and Haldeman makes this worse by not giving the reader any reason to believe in it - it is rushed and pat and unconvincing. The eventual climactic scene feels sudden and the final resolution cliched. In the end, I found the book disappointing, its promise consumed by a tacked on and out of place ending.
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