The Atrocity Archives
A Laundry Files Novel
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Narrated by:
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Gideon Emery
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By:
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Charles Stross
About this listen
Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic. But for some reason, he is.
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Best Vigilante Story since Without Remorse
- By Victor @ theAudiobookBlog dot com on 04-16-16
By: Robert Bidinotto
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Cold City
- Repairman Jack: Early Years Trilogy, Book 1
- By: F. Paul Wilson
- Narrated by: Alexander Cendese
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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If you've never read a Repairman Jack novel, this is the place to begin. It's 1990. A twenty-one-year-old named Jack has dropped out of college, leaving his old life behind to build a new one in New York City. Manhattan's rough edges are jagged enough to shred any unwary newcomer, but perhaps not one who is determined to stay off the grid, at any cost, in the busiest metropolis on earth. And to do so, he'll have to take jobs of a less than legal nature.
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Fun, as long you don't think too much
- By Andrew Pollack on 01-17-14
By: F. Paul Wilson
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Darknet
- By: Matthew Mather
- Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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One minute Jake O'Connell is on top of the world, with a beautiful family and bright future as a stock broker in New York; the next it's all ripped away when he's embroiled in a fraud investigation, his childhood friend is murdered, and he finds himself on the run. Dodging the FBI and targeted by the Mob, Jake is thrown into a Wall Street underworld of crypto currencies and autonomous corporations, where he discovers a dark secret setting the world on a path to destruction.
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Good Outline, bad book
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 08-25-16
By: Matthew Mather
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Market Forces
- By: Richard K. Morgan
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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What do you buy and sell when the global markets reach saturation point? The markets themselves. Thirty years from now the big players in global capitalism have moved on from commodities. The big money is in conflict investment. The corporations keep a careful watch on the wars of liberation and revolution that burn constantly around the world. They guage who the winners will be and sell them arms, intelligence, and power. In return for a slice of the action when the war is won.
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Good easy listen
- By GGodman on 06-07-05
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Dark and Stormy Knights
- By: Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Shannon K Butcher, and others
- Narrated by: Renee Raudman, Joe Barrett, Marc Vietor, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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It was a dark and stormy knight, and nine dark defenders embarked upon a most perilous quest. They're the ultimate defenders of humanity, modern day knights who do dark deeds for all the right reasons. In this all-star collection, nine of today's hottest paranormal authors bring us thrilling, all-new stories of supernatural knights that are brimming with magic mystery and mayhem.
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Bought this for Dresden, loved the rest!
- By Moon River on 06-27-12
By: Ilona Andrews, and others
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Two Weeks' Notice
- A Revivalist Novel, Book 2
- By: Rachel Caine
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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After dying and being revived with the experimental drug Returne, Bryn Davis is theoretically free to live her unlife - with regular doses to keep her going. But Bryn knows that the government has every intention of keeping a tight lid on Pharmadene's life-altering discovery, no matter the cost. Thankfully, some things have changed for the better; her job at the rechristened Davis Funeral Home is keeping her busy and her fragile romance with Patrick McCallister is blossoming.
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Bourne + iZombie + Terminator = Empire cliffhanger
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 11-05-23
By: Rachel Caine
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Children of the Deterrent
- Halfhero, Book 1
- By: Ian W. Sainsbury
- Narrated by: Sam Phillips, Jaimi Barbakoff
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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The new novel by the author of the best-selling The World Walker series. 'My name is Daniel Harbin, and I'm a child of The Deterrent.' What if a superhuman turned out not to be so super...or even human? Britain's superhero, The Deterrent, was unveiled to the world in 1979 and disappeared two years later. The truth about his origins has never been revealed. The rumours about his children - those that survived - and their mysterious abilities have never been confirmed. Until now....
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Everything Backstory Until Last Few Chapters
- By Sailfish on 06-30-20
By: Ian W. Sainsbury
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METAtropolis
- By: Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, and others
- Narrated by: Michael Hogan, Scott Brick, Kandyse McClure, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Armed camps of eco-survivalists battle purveyors of technology in this exclusive, original production featuring five sci-fi masters and five all-star narrators.
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Not a wasted credit
- By james on 10-27-08
By: Jay Lake, and others
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Stalkers
- By: Paul Finch
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Time's up. You're Next. "All he had to do was name the woman he wanted. It was that easy. They would do all the hard work. "Detective Sergeant Mark 'Heck' Heckenburg is investigating the disappearance of 38 different women. Each one was happy and successful until they vanished without a trace. Desperate to find her missing sister, Lauren Wraxford seeks out Heck's help.
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Great !
- By CM on 03-28-16
By: Paul Finch
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Not what I expected
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I Really Enjoyed It
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Not what I expected
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The end is nigh! Ish.
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Probationary constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he'll face is a paper cut. But Peter's prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter's ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale....
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I LOVE this Book!
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Give it time.
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What a surprise find
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A great story becomes even better
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In Saturn's Children, Freya is an obsolete android concubine in a society where humans haven't existed for hundreds of years. A rigid caste system keeps the Aristos, a vindictive group of humanoids, well in control of the lower, slave-chipped classes. So when Freya offends one particularly nasty Aristo, she's forced to take a dangerous courier job off-planet.
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If you know it's erotica beforehand, it might help
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Mycroft Canner is a convict. For his crimes he is required, as is the custom of the 25th century, to wander the world being as useful as he can to all he meets. Carlyle Foster is a sensayer - a spiritual counselor in a world that has outlawed the public practice of religion, but which also knows that the inner lives of humans cannot be wished away.
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Outstanding story, if a bit inaccessible at times
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Dead Things
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Necromancer is such an ugly word, but it's a title Eric Carter is stuck with. He sees ghosts, talks to the dead. He's turned it into a lucrative career putting troublesome spirits to rest, sometimes taking on even more dangerous things. For a fee, of course. When he left LA fifteen years ago, he thought he'd never go back. Too many bad memories. Too many people trying to kill him. But now his sister's been brutally murdered and Carter wants to find out why.
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Cannot Tolerate The Narrator
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Interface
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In this now-classic thriller, he and fellow author J. Frederick George tell a shocking tale with an all-too plausible premise. There's no way William A. Cozzano can lose the upcoming presidential election. He's a likable midwestern governor with one insidious advantage - an advantage provided by a shadowy group of backers.
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Interface
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What listeners say about The Atrocity Archives
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Nick
- 05-19-12
Do you love the Dresden Files? You'll like this.
Overall this is an easy listen with a great reader/author combination. The second story drags at points (hence the star taken away from story and overall) but the first story carries it magnificently. Highly recommended if you liked the Dresden Files.
In Depth:
The author is a fan of the Dresden Files, and it shows in his writing. He translates the same quick wit, heavy action, and light mystery of the Dresden Files across the Atlantic to a tech geek in England. The magic has a comp sci/math twist that adds a whole new level of geekiness. Gideon Emery's amazing performance rivals James Marsters' performance of the Dresden Files. Get it and thank me later.
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- C Vedeel
- 07-03-14
Let Down
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
For me it was not well spent. I found the book disjointed and dull. I was really looking forward to listening to this one but there were to many problems with this title.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Akela
- 01-25-15
great story + brilliant narration
Would you listen to The Atrocity Archives again? Why?
Most definitely. The story itself has a lot of small and fascinating details which are a pleasure to find when you re-read or re-listen. Stross is a great author if you like sf with overtones of very modern urban fantasy, sly humor, equally sly horror and characters acting and speaking like live real people (swearing included, warning).
Plus an extremely good narration by Gideon Emery which adds a totally new layer of enjoyment to the book.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Charles Stross himself. It's one of those books when you keep hearing author's voice all the time and you quite like what you hear and would love to meet this person and just listen to them talk.
Which scene was your favorite?
The Newton craddle on Angleton's desk.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Mostly laugh -quite often.
Any additional comments?
Gideon Emery does a fantastic job with wonderful voice, perfect timing, great accents and nuances - but thankfully without going all theatrical or over the top. Most definitely added to my so far short list of brilliant narrators.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Robert
- 03-20-15
intelligent & fun
I found the writing a bit tech. heavy at times, but it was nonetheless an enjoyable listen. The performance was top notch. I will definitely continue the series.
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- Timothy Knox
- 08-12-16
Outstanding story and an outstanding performance
Did you ever have a book that a friend had been recommending for years that you should read? And when you finally did, how often were you disappointed? Not so with this book. I've had a good friend telling me for at least five or six years that I should read it, but somehow I just never did. Finally, I broke down and got a copy, in both ebook and audiobook form. Wow!
Okay, first let's talk about the story. This book was written by a hard-core geek for other hard-core geeks. If you don't know who Turing was, or what fractals are, or any of a dozen other geeky things, you probably won't enjoy this book. If you're not a fan of British humour, with which this book is filled, you won't enjoy it. For the rest of you, come on in, the water's fine.
This book is a great mixture of geekery, Lovecraftian horror, and bureaucracy. Our hero hast to save the world from nameless horrors, but is required to fill out forms justifying his overtime claims. He is a desk jockey at the ultimate secret service, who longs to get out in the field. Unfortunately for him, he gets his wish. Hilarity ensues.
Now as to the reader: He is absolutely top-notch. I didn't come in to this series with any expectation of what the characters sounded like, but now I know exactly what they sound like. Gideon Emery does an outstanding job of vocal characterisation, I know who is speaking, just based on what they sound like. That really improves the quality of a listen. In addition, Mr. Emery clearly has a touch of the geek about himself, as he gets the pronunciation spot on for all the technical terms. That is critical to me, as nothing yanks me out the flow of a good listen faster than a reader who mispronounces words. One or two in the course of a read is acceptable, but dozens ruins it for me. This reader never missed even one, as far as I could tell. So instead, I stayed in the flow the whole time, and the book just blazed past. I have already begun buying the rest of the series, so I can listen all the way to the end. Definitely recommended.
To sum up, if you are a geek, or if you have ever worked for a really large and bureaucratic organisation, you will definitely get the jokes. And the horror, while horrific, is handling with skill, such that I wasn't unable to sleep at night after reading (well, hearing) this book. Urban fantasy fans, don't hesitate to add this to your rota of books to read. I hope you will love it as much as I did. Charles Stross definitely goes on my list of writers I'll be watching, and knowing an audiobook was read by Gideon Emery will be recommendation enough for me.
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- Jamie mccullar
- 02-25-15
Good story well done
Already said well done the dele very service is very well done I mean I purchased book and I had it in probably less than five minutes well D one boy and girls keep up the good work. Guess that's. About twenty words thanks Jamie Las Vegas
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- Angie Medrano
- 06-21-19
Loved the story
I love the idea of the story. However, the technical explanations run a bit long. It’s still a darn good read though.
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- Cather
- 12-15-20
What did I just "read", and why did I love it??
I picked this up on recommendation from a friend, who did not properly prepare me for the madness I was about experience. This book is funny-- I laughed a lot-- but this is not a humor book. This is contemporary fantasy and the primary reason it's funny is because the protagonist is a snarky bastard, and there's just enough silliness to keep things fun for the reader despite the fact that the characters are in a horror novel.
Imagine an IT guy who finds himself in the James Bond role-- except his agency is on a tight budget, and he has to deal with terrors that Bond never had to face. Monsters. Demons. Occult Nazi Plots Gone Horribly Wrong. And worst of all? Office Politics. Tropes are inverted, subverted, violated, terminated, reanimated, and then put to work filing form 6-ZZ-A-9/GL.
The author does an excellent job of building the world very quickly without getting bogged down in the origin story that often slows down the first entry in a series. That origin story is there, don't get me wrong, but it's handled so expertly that by halfway through the book I sort of felt like I was reading the second book in a franchise where I already knew the universe and was thoroughly invested in the characters. I'm also impressed with the way that the author can simultaneously paint in broad strokes and fine detail, sometimes at the same time.
Between the excellent reader and the well-crafted story, this turned out to be surprisingly immersive.
One thing-- this book is actually a novel AND a novella, so "The Atrocity Archives" wraps up much earlier than expected if you're watching the time on the book. All of the above commentary applies to both.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- 4thace
- 10-06-19
Interesting ideas with some annoyances
This book is the first in the Hugo-nominated series about a cross between entrenched bureaucracy and transdimensional horrors menacing our universe. I am an an unusual situation because my background made the stretches of technical jargon not too difficult to comprehend, dealing with computer science and cosmological ideas I had some familiarity with. It seemed as though the author had done a good deal of research on these and on how they might be applied to the occult in a way that was at least somewhat plausible. It's easy to understand the negative reaction some readers might have to the dry recitation of made-up scientific facts, though. It felt a little like he wrote these sections in love with some of the exercise in worldbuilding. Still, the description of the big gun employed at the climax at the first story was truly ingenious, its principle also forming the basis of the second part "The Concrete Jungle" included with the main audiobook. I would expect that because this was the first book in the series, it might have had a heavier burden sustaining all this exposition than the other installments, which I have not read.
The book also establishes the first-person narrator and his situation as a rather unwilling participant in the business of monster hunting and fighting. He was the sort of self-absorbed technocrat with a chip on his shoulder when it comes to the strict functionaries he has to report to, all in a rather unpleasant, misogynistic fashion. I can't say that the run-ins he has at work in the Laundry are exactly enjoyable compared to his exploits in the field which feature all the action you would expect to find in a book with this premise. There is a nagging sense that the the antagonists are just set up as comic foils instead of real characters, most noticeable with the few women depicted. Everyone else is a British male and it felt like a better job of balancing the representation could have helped.
I would probably consider picking up another book in the series at some point if I had reason to believe that it was going to try to make some advances beyond this first installment. There were a couple of grand ideas that I liked which mainly served as ornamentation here which I would like to see treated in a fuller way.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- W. Wright
- 01-09-17
More than I was expecting!
If you could sum up The Atrocity Archives in three words, what would they be?
Nerdy Lovecraftian Action
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Atrocity Archives?
To avoid spoiling: There is a point where things get very grim for the first time, it's a great moment and unexpected in the sudden intensity.
Have you listened to any of Gideon Emery’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
This was the first I have heard but he did a very good job.
Any additional comments?
I have been told for years that I have to read these books. I have never quite found the time for one reason or other so the audio book was perfect. A well read and well told story, I will be listening to the rest and likely will add the books to my bookshelf as well.
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