Ben Allen performs a thought-provoking science fiction story about a political dissident who is trying to survive on an alien planet that serves as a tyrannical empire's prison. Anton arrives on the planet nicknamed Kiln to discover humanity was not the first sentient lifeform to visit. Kiln's ecosystem is chaotic, hungry, and hiding several enticing secrets. Anton not only must survive the prison camp but also the bizarre alien world. Allen's clipped intonation complements the third-person prose wonderfully. The artful use of an intense tone to heighten drama results in a captivating performance. Allen maintains an understated but noticeable difference between dialogue and narrative while highlighting the moments of dark humor. He makes the immersive and imaginative story one to get lost in.
Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
Duration: 14 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668642702
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A captivating, if skin-crawling, performance.
Kimberly Woods narrates an unsettling cosmic horror adventure. Sisilla is a young girl enhanced with implants travelling aboard a living ship. Her mission is to discover why a planet besieged by an implacable plague suddenly cuts off contact after a cure is found. Woods imbues 9-year-old Sisilla with youthful vitality. Her soft cadence clashes wonderfully with the vivid, disturbing body horror and violence. Woods keeps the story engaging even as it veers in unpredictable ways, and the horror aspects feel not only believable but vibrant. At times the narrative touches on surprising and uncomfortable social commentary, which Woods handles with gentleness.
A captivating, if skin-crawling, performance.Pub Date: June 23, 2026
Duration: 17 hrs, 12 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668121191
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2026
An all-too-real take on AI’s quenching of queer creativity, told by a bold and captivating narrator.
Nancy Wu leads listeners through an interplanetary heist in a SF tale of queer pirates and childhood loss. On the planet Callisto, stories are owned by a generative AI conglomerate. Stories are watered down. Characters are one-dimensional. And storytellers like Kelli Reynolds are boxed into a singular style. When Kelli’s smuggler ex-boyfriend, Rowan, comes back into town requesting a favor, Kelli’s troubling past comes back to haunt her, and her narrow vision of storytelling gets blown wide open. Wu’s depiction of Kelli’s autism is compassionate and powerful, and she provides gender-expansive voices for various queer pirates.
An all-too-real take on AI’s quenching of queer creativity, told by a bold and captivating narrator.Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 25 mins
DD ISBN: 9798899732737
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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