
The Brain Eaters
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Narrated by:
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Sean Duregger
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By:
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Gary Brandner
About this listen
In Milwaukee, a regular at Vic’s Tavern suddenly smashes a beer bottle and carves up the other customers.
In Manhattan, an easygoing cabdriver goes berserk and hurls his cab into a crowd of pedestrians.
In Seattle, a young bride slashes her husband in a busy restaurant, then flings herself through a plate-glass window.
At first, these shocking incidents appear unrelated. Then a disturbing pattern emerges - the agonizing headaches, the violent tantrums, the faces erupting with sickening lesions, then the final, fatal outburst.
The epidemic spreads. The nation panics. The Brain Eaters devour America.
Their hunger can never be satisfied.
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Great story, but DON’T BUY IT!
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Listener received this title free
Unfortunately, the story has a few flaws, in particular the narm-worthy dubbing of the illness as Brain Eaters, the almost bored description of growing unrest and chaos instead of showing it, and lastly the fact that I personally find Cory unlikable. (He comes across as a stubborn, cardboard cutout of the journalist looking for the big story trope). While we're at it, add to that an ending that rushes to resolve everything in a Hollywood happy ending barring the pile of corpses.
The flaws are largely diminished by the fact that the narration is superb! Outside of a few accents that sound a little wonky, it elevates the story and makes it an extremely enjoyable experience.
Full disclosure: This audiobook was given to me for free at my request and I provided this unbiased and voluntary review.
A pulp story with a stellar narration
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Listener received this title free
Old Time Horror
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Very good, but a little outdated.
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Listener received this title free
The title pretty much says it all.
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Listener received this title free
And that's where I wish the story had gone into a bit more detail. It wasn't the goal of the story, to trace out the spread and impact on society. Instead, the lens was focused on specific characters. But I have an interest and a curiosity about the broader context, especially when the topic of the story is a contagious infection - how that contagion expands through the population, and what does the government and authorities do about it. I wish there was more of that broader picture in the story. This wasn't totally absent from the story, but my personal preference is to have more of it. I think it's because the killer was a type of contagion and the mind automatically starts to think about where and how fast it will spread.
The narration was good for this story. I imagined the protagonist to be a somewhat self-centered young adult man and that's how the narrator painted the image in my mind. The other characters were voices well, no complaints there.
"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
3.5* - good gore, less focus on societal impact
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Listener received this title free
For me, the most enjoyable element was Sean Dureggar's narration. This is a narrator who obviously knows and loves this genre, and has the performance skills to bring it to life. He has a wonderful range of lighter and darker shades, bringing visceral horror or interpersonal comedy right when it's needed. His characters are distinct, and his female voices work well. His cynical journalist and German scientist were masterful. Sean Dureggar is a joy to listen to. He's one of those voices you don't want to switch off when the car pulls into the driveway. Highly recommended if you like good, character-driven horror performed with style.
A fun story, brilliantly told!
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Listener received this title free
Parasitic invaders
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Listener received this title free
It's late at night (or early in the morning depending on how you look at it) and you can't sleep, so you're scrolling through Amazon Video for a scary movie to sink your teeth into. That's when you see it: some '80s horror film you've never heard of. It's 2 AM and the movie is free. Why not? So you press play. Eighty minutes later, the credits are rolling and you’re asking yourself the same question you asked yourself the last time you chose a random '80s horror film on Amazon Video: "What did I just watch?" You're sleep-deprived so you're having trouble remembering. That, and the movie has literally caused your brain to melt and dribble out your ears and into your midnight snack, so that might have something to do with your memory loss as well. There was something about a scientist with a Russian accent. . .and then there was some generic reporter hunting down a big story that will finally launch his career. . . Also, a female scientist who was actually really pretty for being so smart and all, and. . . ah yes! Zombie-like people with melting faces! There was probably more to the movie, but in the morning it'll all seem like some bizarre dream which is probably the desired effect anyhow.
If you have ever found yourself in that situation, congratulations! You are a horror fan that will watch literally anything. I know I have been in that exact situation dozens of times and I have zero regrets about it. I also have zero regrets about listening to the audiobook of The Brain Eaters by Gary Brandner, whose formula is exactly what you would find in one of those Amazon bargain bin B-movies, from the Russian scientists to the melting people.
Like those cheesy 80s horror flicks, there is a lot in The Brain Eaters to keep you entertained; hammy dialogue, over-the-top characters, graphic gore and violence, a highly contagious parasitic virus that turns people into angry monsters with bad acne, and the mass hysteria that stems from said virus. . . which is all too timely. On the other hand, there are a couple other pulpy tropes that plague The Brain Eaters for the worst, such as dry monologues and long explanations of the “science” behind the virus. These scenes do lend some charm to the book, however, as it is hard for a story like this to exist without them.
The only thing more enjoyable than reading The Brain Eaters is listening to the audiobook, narrated by Sean Duregger. Sean is just such a nice guy, and you can hear that in his voice. This can sometimes hurt a horror audiobook, but The Brain Eaters isn’t all that scary or meant to be taken seriously. Therefore, Sean’s gleeful energy only serves to enhance the craziness of the story. He is also a pro at acting out the characters and can do a mean Russian accent. Just such a fun time!
Overall, I recommend The Brain Eaters if you are a fan of vintage horror books or if you read Brandner’s classic The Howling and want to read more of his work. This is a bonkers one, and the audiobook is also top-notch!
A solid 3.5 stars.
A pulp classic with a top-notch audio performance!
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Listener received this title free
This book was provided free for review, however, my thoughts and options are my own.
Brain Eating fun
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Listener received this title free
This story was quite enjoyable and has held up somewhat well over the years. Despite that, the culture and mindset of the 1980s came across quite heavily at times. It was both fascinating and distracting at times. The story itself is horrific if not for the premise of the book, then the lack of any sort of modern quarantine procedures practiced by the characters. I found myself enjoying the characters, the author does a wonderful job of fleshing out each thoroughly. This is definitely helped by the narrator, who does a wonderful job voicing the different characters throughout.
enjoyable story!
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