We Could Do Worse
A Millennial Collection of Alternate Histories
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $15.56
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
About this listen
Fascinating “What If?” stories from Hugo and Nebula award-winning masters of alternate history!
What would the world be like if Teddy Roosevelt had fought in World War I? If the space race started during World War II? If Joseph McCarthy had been elected President? These and other questions are answered in this collection of alternate histories. As these stories suggest, the world as we know it might have turned out different than it is today, if only one minor—or major—change had occurred in history. Included in this collection are:
“A Massachusetts Yankee in King Arthur's Court” by Harry Turtledove
“ Ike at the Mike” by Howard Waldrop
“Looking for the Fountain” by Robert Silverberg
“The Return of William Proxmire” by Larry Niven
“The Arrival of Truth” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“Goddard's People” by Allen Steele
“ Over There” by Mike Resnick
“Bloodstained Ground” by Brian Thomsen
“We Could Do Worse” by Gregory Benford
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Gateways
- Original New Stories Inspired by Frederik Pohl
- By: Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, Ben Bova, and others
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It isn’t easy to get a group of bestselling SF authors to write new stories for an anthology, but that’s what Elizabeth Anne Hull has done in this powerhouse book. With original, captivating tales by Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, Ben Bova, David Brin, Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, Joe Haldeman, Harry Harrison, Larry Niven, Vernor Vinge, Gene Wolfe, and others, Gateways is a SF event that will be a must-buy for SF readers of all tastes, from the traditional to the cutting edge; from the darkly serious to the laugh-out-loud funny.
-
-
Spectacular.
- By Steve Reid on 08-21-15
By: Greg Bear, and others
-
The New Space Opera
- By: Gardner Dozois - editor, Jonathan Strahan - editor
- Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie, Caroline Shaffer, Richard Powers, and others
- Length: 23 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This dazzling anthology includes epic interstellar adventures, tales of space and wonder, from some of the brightest names in science fiction.
-
-
Not all great, but all good
- By Michael R. Blanche on 05-07-14
By: Gardner Dozois - editor, and others
-
More Than Honor
- Worlds of Honor #1
- By: David Weber, David Drake, S. M. Stirling
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine, L. J. Ganser, Khristine Hvam
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author David Weber invites David Drake and S.M. Stirling, two of today's top writers of military science fiction, to join him in an exploration of Honor Harrington's universe.
-
-
Honor Harrington Universe Book 8
- By Professor on 10-17-12
By: David Weber, and others
-
The New Space Opera 2
- By: Gardner Dozois - editor, Jonathan Strahan - editor
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner, Bahni Turpin, Caroline Shaffer, and others
- Length: 23 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the success of their Locus Award-winning anthology
The New Space Opera, editors Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan up the ante with
The New Space Opera 2, in which more of the most beloved names in science fiction spin stunning tales of interstellar adventure and wonder.
-
-
Solid stories, some sketchy performances.
- By Turtle on 01-12-14
By: Gardner Dozois - editor, and others
-
The Legacy of Heorot
- By: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling science fiction superstars Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle combine their talents with those of Steven Barnes in an extraordinary adventure of humankind’s first outpost in the farthest reaches of space. Light years from Earth, colonists land on a planet they name Avalon. It seems like a paradise—until native creatures savagely attack. It will take every bit of intelligence, courage, and military-style discipline to survive.
-
-
Great read!
- By Thomas on 12-05-12
By: Larry Niven, and others
-
Volume I: The King of the Elves
- By: Philip K. Dick
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 20 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The King of the Elves is the opening installment of a uniform, five-volume edition of The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick, expanded from the previous Collected Stories set to incorporate new story notes, and two added tales, one previously unpublished, and one uncollected.
-
-
Fantastic stories!
- By Renee Tang on 04-18-17
By: Philip K. Dick
-
Gateways
- Original New Stories Inspired by Frederik Pohl
- By: Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, Ben Bova, and others
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It isn’t easy to get a group of bestselling SF authors to write new stories for an anthology, but that’s what Elizabeth Anne Hull has done in this powerhouse book. With original, captivating tales by Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, Ben Bova, David Brin, Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, Joe Haldeman, Harry Harrison, Larry Niven, Vernor Vinge, Gene Wolfe, and others, Gateways is a SF event that will be a must-buy for SF readers of all tastes, from the traditional to the cutting edge; from the darkly serious to the laugh-out-loud funny.
-
-
Spectacular.
- By Steve Reid on 08-21-15
By: Greg Bear, and others
-
The New Space Opera
- By: Gardner Dozois - editor, Jonathan Strahan - editor
- Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie, Caroline Shaffer, Richard Powers, and others
- Length: 23 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This dazzling anthology includes epic interstellar adventures, tales of space and wonder, from some of the brightest names in science fiction.
-
-
Not all great, but all good
- By Michael R. Blanche on 05-07-14
By: Gardner Dozois - editor, and others
-
More Than Honor
- Worlds of Honor #1
- By: David Weber, David Drake, S. M. Stirling
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine, L. J. Ganser, Khristine Hvam
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author David Weber invites David Drake and S.M. Stirling, two of today's top writers of military science fiction, to join him in an exploration of Honor Harrington's universe.
-
-
Honor Harrington Universe Book 8
- By Professor on 10-17-12
By: David Weber, and others
-
The New Space Opera 2
- By: Gardner Dozois - editor, Jonathan Strahan - editor
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner, Bahni Turpin, Caroline Shaffer, and others
- Length: 23 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the success of their Locus Award-winning anthology
The New Space Opera, editors Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan up the ante with
The New Space Opera 2, in which more of the most beloved names in science fiction spin stunning tales of interstellar adventure and wonder.
-
-
Solid stories, some sketchy performances.
- By Turtle on 01-12-14
By: Gardner Dozois - editor, and others
-
The Legacy of Heorot
- By: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Steven Barnes
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling science fiction superstars Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle combine their talents with those of Steven Barnes in an extraordinary adventure of humankind’s first outpost in the farthest reaches of space. Light years from Earth, colonists land on a planet they name Avalon. It seems like a paradise—until native creatures savagely attack. It will take every bit of intelligence, courage, and military-style discipline to survive.
-
-
Great read!
- By Thomas on 12-05-12
By: Larry Niven, and others
-
Volume I: The King of the Elves
- By: Philip K. Dick
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 20 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The King of the Elves is the opening installment of a uniform, five-volume edition of The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick, expanded from the previous Collected Stories set to incorporate new story notes, and two added tales, one previously unpublished, and one uncollected.
-
-
Fantastic stories!
- By Renee Tang on 04-18-17
By: Philip K. Dick
Related to this topic
-
Project Hail Mary
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
-
-
Bazinga
- By Davidgonzalezsr on 05-04-21
By: Andy Weir
-
George Orwell’s 1984
- An Audible Original adaptation
- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
- Narrated by: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
-
-
A Revelation!
- By wotsallthisthen on 04-07-24
By: George Orwell, and others
-
Starter Villain
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits.
-
-
Volcanic Lairs, Death Rays & Cats… Oh My! 😼
- By C. White on 09-19-23
By: John Scalzi
-
The Martian
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet.
-
-
I love Wil Wheaton but why not R. C. Bray?
- By L. Newman on 01-11-20
By: Andy Weir
-
Artemis
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Rosario Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.
-
-
A ferrari with no motor
- By will on 11-18-17
By: Andy Weir
-
Temporal
- By: Julian Simpson, Richard MacLean Smith, Bec Boey, and others
- Narrated by: Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Jessie Mei Li, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the not-too-distant future, a 21-member crew launches from Earth. Their mission: to establish a temporary colony on Mars. Little do they know that colony will become permanent–and the last stand of the human race. Because, without warning, every single person left on Earth simply...vanishes. Now, a thousand years later, the resources needed to sustain life are running out, and the very existence of the Mars colony is threatened. Humankind has only one option–to return to its home planet.
-
-
It was ok.
- By Cregg Terasa on 08-06-24
By: Julian Simpson, and others
-
Project Hail Mary
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
-
-
Bazinga
- By Davidgonzalezsr on 05-04-21
By: Andy Weir
-
George Orwell’s 1984
- An Audible Original adaptation
- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
- Narrated by: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
-
-
A Revelation!
- By wotsallthisthen on 04-07-24
By: George Orwell, and others
-
Starter Villain
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits.
-
-
Volcanic Lairs, Death Rays & Cats… Oh My! 😼
- By C. White on 09-19-23
By: John Scalzi
-
The Martian
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet.
-
-
I love Wil Wheaton but why not R. C. Bray?
- By L. Newman on 01-11-20
By: Andy Weir
-
Artemis
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Rosario Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.
-
-
A ferrari with no motor
- By will on 11-18-17
By: Andy Weir
-
Temporal
- By: Julian Simpson, Richard MacLean Smith, Bec Boey, and others
- Narrated by: Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Jessie Mei Li, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the not-too-distant future, a 21-member crew launches from Earth. Their mission: to establish a temporary colony on Mars. Little do they know that colony will become permanent–and the last stand of the human race. Because, without warning, every single person left on Earth simply...vanishes. Now, a thousand years later, the resources needed to sustain life are running out, and the very existence of the Mars colony is threatened. Humankind has only one option–to return to its home planet.
-
-
It was ok.
- By Cregg Terasa on 08-06-24
By: Julian Simpson, and others
What listeners say about We Could Do Worse
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Bryan
- 11-04-08
Take The Good with the Bad
There are some really nice stories in this anthology, with the highlight being "The Return of William Proxmire" by Larry Niven. "Looking for the Fountain" by Robert Silverberg is also one that stood out for me.
However, I found a several of these stories rather pedestrian and flat. Perhaps it was the production--to me it always seemed like the narration was very flat and almost toneless. It sure seems like a good re-engineering would make it easier to listen to this set.
So you take the good with the bad and come out even? At least I did.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lady Pamela
- 02-20-19
This Review Needs a Title...So, I gave it one
As the teaser says, it's an alternate history book. However, in several cases, it does not live up to it's hype....e.g. "What if McCarthy got elected POTUS?". The answer is not "what if" but "how"? My favorite is "Mass. Yankee in King Arthur's Court." In this story, President JFK goes to Camelot and gets laid by Guinevere. Teddy R's story is no less exciting, but portrays him as anachronistic. Niven only authored a single story in this anthology. Fun read, you'll like it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Mitch
- 03-05-09
Agree, Mediocre Selections
I was disappointed with this collection of alternate histories. When I saw that Harry Turtledove was involved, I had high expectations. Every one of the stories in this anthology was a clinker.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert
- 10-16-16
What a rip off!
This was such a rip off. the sound quality sucked, and there were not enough stories to make it worthwhile. Audible has been diaappointing me a lot lately, I thonk it's time to cancel my subscription.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- James
- 01-22-11
We could do better
I love Alternate History stories and I’m a big fan of Larry Niven and Harry Turtledove!
Sadly this misses the mark. The stories left me not caring weather or not they could have happened. With the exception of the last story, it wouldn’t make any difference in my life if they happened or not.
If you get this and decide not to finish listening, skip to the last story it is by far the best.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Gary S. Shogren
- 02-13-08
Mediocre
Alternate History can be the matrix for some excellent speculation and a better understanding of what we are in this reality. This collection almost totally fails to live up to its potential. The Manhattan Project is shunted aside in favor of a rocket program that shoots down an incoming missile? Teddy Roosevelt recreates the Rough Riders to fight in WWI? These could be interesting, but are barely developed…and history doesn’t change much. Other premises are just silly: JFK goes back in time to see the real Camelot; Eisenhower rejects military training and becomes a jazz clarinetist. The only story with any texture is Rusch’s “The Arrival of Truth”, in which Sojourner Truth’s teaching leads to slave revolts.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CHRISTOPHER
- 05-05-12
I wish I had passed, but I could see some people r
I tend to really enjoy this type of book all the way around. I like alternative histories, and I like collections of short stories by different authors with a similar theme or universe. But this really disappointed me. Maybe it would have liked it more if I hadn't had high expectations. But none of the stories really stuck with me. Some were just so implausible they really didn't feel like alternative histories any more than Alice in Wonderland. I didn't find the narration notable either, but it was far from the worst. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to more books by these two, but I wouldn't seek them out either. Overall, just sort of there. Pick it up if you have strong interest in one of the historical figures. If not, pass.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joan Zak
- 06-01-22
Lots of violence, not that clever
I didn't care for most of the stories. I guess they wrote to expose a worse case than actual history. I foubd them confusing, boring and depressing.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Amazon Customer
- 09-21-09
Disappointed
I'm a great fan of what-ifs, so I bought this without even reading the reviews!
Most of the stories are not 'what-ifs' as I understand the genre, i.e. the change in the past, in most of these stories, have no effect on the future. When you listen to them, it's a bit odd, you're left thinking 'er, so what?'.
Personally, I didn't find any of of them evocative enough to make up for the lack of plot interest.
My most recent 'what-if' is SS-GB, which I did enjoy!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- brendan f kelly
- 02-19-24
The book is called "We could do worse". No you cant.
First of all, this is a collection of stories, so your favorite author (in my case Niven) only wrote ONE of the stories, and chances are you've already read it. Secondly, the audio has problems. Every chapter begins with the last line of the story before, and is in turn, missing its' last line. Also some stories seem to be professionally read and audio mixed, others sound like they were done in moms basement by someone with a cassette recorder. The Massachusetts Yankee and Return of William Proxmire were great. Bloodied Ground and Ike at the Mike definitely held my interest, but none of the others did. At that Ike at the Mike, while fun, was a bit long. It was a fun idea, but it really couldn't support a story that long. Except for the above mentioned stories, I lost interest long before the author did. (One suspects that some of these authors were being paid by the word.) The performance of the very last story was excellent, the audio was great, and the reader knocked it out of the park, but sadly the text and plot were pretty bad.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!