Soneela Nankani narrates this combination of science fiction and alternate history with a deft and subtle touch that reinforces the story's blurred reality. Elsie outwardly seems like any fashionable young woman of 1925, but inside she knows that she is really the "Mem" called Dolores Extract 1. Mems are human-shaped vessels for extracted memories that aren't supposed to have consciousness of their own. No one, including Elsie, knows why she is the exception. Nankani cultivates a tone of detachment and longing that perfectly suits the character and story. Her portrayal of Elsie is wry and thoughtful, while the people and Mems who surround her have voices and accents that are distinct even when filtered through that distancing lens.
Pub Date: May 22, 2018
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781538507421
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Multiple award winner Card is one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction; here he delivers a history fantasy of the Wabash Valley circa 1800, a world of hexes and folk magic. This is the first book about Alvin Maker, the seventh son of a seventh son, who has remarkable psychic powers. Card is a very good narrator, expressive and well paced. One can hear the excitement of an author as he brings his own well described characters to life. There is one momentary technical glitch, the only slip up in an exemplary presentation. Highly recommended for fiction collections everywhere.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: The Literate Ear
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Asimov's sweeping tale of the disintegration and fall of the Galactic Empire has never been more relevant or poignant. In the third book of the original trilogy, Dan Lazar handles the material adequately. He uses his limited range of voices nicely, if sometimes amusingly--he sometimes sounds like a foreigner attempting to mimic American accents. Varying pitch and pacing make for a lively narration, and his reading of a precocious young woman, who is ultimately an important figure, is delightful. Technical and editorial problems plague the title. Hearing Lazar repeatedly mispronounce a word that the text itself explains how to pronounce is very frustrating. Intermittent fade-outs on one channel; inconsistencies when switching sides; and low, rumbling background noise mar the sound quality.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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