Mara Wilson strikes a serious tone as this existential horror audiobook becomes gradually more absurd. Vera is a passionate statistics and probability professor and soon-to-be author. But a global catastrophe, termed a Low Probability Event, leads to the sudden deaths of millions, including her own mother, under astronomically improbable odds. Years later, Special Agent Layne recruits Vera for help uncovering the connection between that tragedy and an impossibly lucky casino. Wilson's sober narration style and consistent pacing create an amusing juxtaposition with the unlucky events that unfold in front of Vera, including fish falling from the sky and monkeys bashing people with typewriters. Wilson's emotional connection to Vera genuinely depicts her trauma, and she voices Vera's statistical breakdowns with engagement.
Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2025
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250402066
Publisher: Macmillan 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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