
The Robert Stanek Short Story & Novella Collection
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By:
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Robert Stanek
Enter the spell-binding worlds of best-selling author Robert Stanek and dream a new dream. The book contains two novellas, two short stories and a special feature exclusive:
- Absolutes: Expertly melds science fact with science fiction. The brilliant boy scientist, Krzysztof Steelbridge, is blinded by ambition and ultimately consumed by it.
- Magic Lands: Following the village elder's advice, Ray leaves his home village, setting out for the place lost and deep where he will find a companion for his journey to the stone land and where he will discover that there is no easy path.
- Silence Is Golden: In the distant future, the universe is controlled by Majority-1. Their rule is supreme. No one dares stand against them, and so it is against all odds that Ev tries to make a stand against them. To do so, however, she must sacrifice everything and everyone that she holds dear.
- August Rains: Former teacher and principal John Anderson must face the demons of his past.
- Exploring Ruin Mist: A guidebook to Robert Stanek's The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches.
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The first story in the collection is Magic Lands Journey Beyond the Beyond, the longest and best selection. This is the story of a young man named Ray who sets out to prove himself to his village by journeying to the "place lost and deep." This journey is a rite of passage for his people, and like any rite of passage there are things Ray must do on his journey. Ray's encounters with strange creatures, an outsider girl, and an old man shape his journey.
Magic Lands Journey Beyond the Beyond is followed by a bonus excerpt from The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches. This excerpt introduces the story of Vilmos. The narrator for both of these selections is very, very good.
Silence is Golden is the next story. This is the story of Ev who must make a terrible dark choice. While this is selection is fairly short, it is thoughtprovoking and interesting. I didn't like the narrator for this selection very much, but the story made up for it.
Silence is Golden is followed by August Rains. This is the story of John Anderson who is reminscing his past through a visit to the schoolhouse where he taught. This story is sentimental and moving in many ways, and I story I listened to a second time immediately to catch all the nuances.
Absolutes is the final story in the collection. Like Magic Lands, it is fairly long and quite well done. I liked how the story twists around back on itself and the science behind the fiction is interesting.
I thought this was a good collection. I wish the second narrator had been as good as the first, but the stories make up for it. I had to adjust the EQ settings on my iPod for the second narrator.
A memorable and entertaining audiobook
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Memorable, Entertaining, Thought Provoking
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Pure Excellence!
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Saw the bad reviews of this book coming as soon as a review mentioned it was worthy of an Audie what with Scott Brick fanboys running around trashing every popular book on this site not read by Brick while praising just about everything he narrates.
This book truly truly is exceptionally well done. The book has several narrators and they change from story to story so if you don't like one you are sure to like another. I continue to be amazed at the depth and quality of Stanek's writing. His characters are both fascinating and well drawn. The stories themselves give you lots to chew on.
As a fan of Robert Stanek's Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches I was thrilled by the special "Exploring Ruin Mist" feature. That section alone was worth the price of the book to me.
Sleeper Hits of the Year!
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Such an amazing story to tell
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The collected stories are all different, and there's something for avid readers of just about any genre. August Rains is my sentimental favorite, it reads more like literary fiction, and I enjoyed getting to know the story's protagonist, John Anderson. In the story, John is returning to a place rich in his thoughts and memories, and it's simply a wonderful story you can listen to over and over. Silence is Golden also touched a deep part of me because the underlying premise is of the very real problem with the death of language and culture. Stanek's story is a precautionary tale about the devastion caused by the loss of language, heritage, and culture. Absolutes is pure science fiction. On the surface like the other stories it is about one thing--the quest for the final absolute--but under the surface there's a much deeper subtext about the danger of obsessiveness and the danger of being driven the point of needing absolute absolution to salvage one's self. Those three stories are my favorites, and the depth of emotion Stanek evokes reminds me of Philip K. Dick. The final story is Journey Beyond, a coming of age story.
Good stories well told
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Overall, I enjoyed this selection, and would choose it again. This is one of the best books I have listened to from Audible.
Wow! What a fun book!
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This audio includes Stanek's Magic Lands book which is a fantasy, Silence is Golden which is scifi, Absolutes which is part science fact and part scifi, and August Rains which is more contempary fiction. enjoyed all four stories and the characters in the stories from Ev in "Silence is Golden" to "Krys" in "Absolutes." The extra "Exploring Ruin Mist" section I could take or leave, but this was added as a bonus anyway. I'll definitely listen to this one again.
A worhwhile listen
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A MUST for your audio collection!
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YES. YES. YES.
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