Rork! Audiobook By Avram Davidson cover art

Rork!

Wildside Discovery

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Rork!

By: Avram Davidson
Narrated by: Jim McCance
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About this listen

Avram Davidson (1923-1993) was author of nineteen published novels and more than two hundred short stories and essays collected in more than a dozen books, won the Hugo Award in science fiction, the Queen's Award and the Edgar Award in the mystery genre, and the World Fantasy Award (three times). His writings defy genre stereotypes and are filled with wit, wonder, and the bizarre.

In his science fiction novel Rork!, Ran Loman wants only to be left alone, to get away from it all. That's why he volunteers for duty on Pia 2, the most remote, isolated world in the Galaxy.

The problem on Pia 2 is redwing, a plant used throughout the galaxy as a medical fixative. Redwing grows ony on Pia 2. And lately, less and less is being harvested. Lomar's assignment: find out why, and do something about it.

The Station Officer tries to warn him that the job may not be quite as simple as it sounds. But Lomar has to find out for himself about the strange inhabitants of Pia 2 - the Tocks, the Tame ones and the Wild ones, and the mysterious, legendary "rorks" that everyone fears.

When a murder and a kidnapping send Lomar and a Wild Tock woman across an uncharted continent, Lomar gets rather more than he bargained for....

©1965 The Estate of Avram Davidson (P)2012 Wildside Press LLC
Fiction Science Fiction Interstellar
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What listeners say about Rork!

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

Builds into a great story, great characters

What made the experience of listening to Rork! the most enjoyable?

The surprises: not all of the speakers on the planet are human, the land has extraordinary features, the plot turns are sharp!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Rork!?

The discovery of what glows in the dark.

What does Jim McCance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Gifted vocal delivery of an extraordinary range of creatures and characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Razor-sharp and relentless: Wait for it.

Any additional comments?

Although the story has very little movement in the first section, the novelist uses this section to establish the physical setting, some of his main characters, and the central issues and conflicts of his novel. Some readers may find this slow going, but stay on course--when the main character leaves the town, the pace picks up and the real fun begins.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great storytelling

This was my first exposure to the writings of Avram Davidson, and I think I might have to look into his writings more. A very entertaining and interesting story.

It's a story set int the backdrop of humanity, far in the future, spread out in the galaxy but in decline, caught in the rut of routine, and almost dogmatic innovation-stiffling resistance to change. It's a story of predudice, and overcoming it, and of maybe seeing some redeeming light at the end of the tunnel. It was ultimately an uplifting story.

The performace of the narrator was very good, though some of the voices he used made tough to decipher what the character was saying - this was for minor characters though, and for short lines, so it isn't a major complaint.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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1965!

This story is way ahead of it’s time. It’s an enjoyable listen written over 55 years ago. It stands the test of time and then some.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent Story Telling

What did you like best about this story?

The crisp, thought provoking plot kept the story moving at a nice pace.

What about Jim McCance’s performance did you like?

His dulcet tones contained just the right mix for this story, conveying the wonder of this world, the dangers, but also the curiosity and naivety of the protagonist.

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Terrific Reading of Entertaining Science Fiction

I found the story and performance of Rork! very entertaining. The reader, Jim McCance, really brings out the humor and excitement in the book. His voices for the many humans and creatures add a great deal to the fun of it. I also enjoyed the social message of the story. It's an intriguing interplanetary tale with lots of surprising elements.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

ok story, bad narrator

not a bad little story of the man comes to understand alien he once feared variety, a little predictable in that respect, but it does then devolve into a let's kill everything else type which I tire of. but worst of all, i can not even say try it and see for yourself because the narrator is so slow and ponderous I 2x the playback and followed along easily. For this type of story I'd recommend the 2nd Ender book, Speaker for the Dead I believe it is.

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