This demanding audiobook is worth the effort.
Peter Kenny has his work cut out for him giving voice to characters with unpronounceable alien names, including one that starts with a cough. Kenny has a charming, light British accent, and while he reads quickly, listeners will get used to his pace. At the core, the audiobook is about an immortal named Mawukana na-Vdnaze who accidentally becomes a sought-after pilot for ships that travel faster than light as life forms flee the inevitable explosion of their sun. Maw changes both physically and emotionally on his rigorous trips, and the novel juxtaposes the hero's evolving life as he does his job—which will save billions of people.
This demanding audiobook is worth the effort.Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668650707
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
A funny, creative SF adventure with poignant insights.
Dinniman’s humor and SF acumen are represented well by Travis Baldree and Jeff Hays’ narration. As gamers from Earth pay to create and operate war machines in their favorite game, Operation Bounce House, Oliver must find a way to defend his planet from real-life destruction. In a book rife with sarcasm and intense video game drama, Baldree and Hays bring excitement and fluid voices. Both narrators provide listeners with an energetic and dynamic performance, nailing the accents, tonal variety, and comic timing. Robots, inventors, space colonization, and gaming combine to create a fascinating world.
A funny, creative SF adventure with poignant insights.Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
Duration: 15 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217017270
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2026
Careful listening will be rewarded when all questions are eventually answered.
Narrator Tim Treloar does an excellent job juggling a variety of accents, including Russian, in this somewhat dizzying story about murder onboard a starship. The main character is a dogged Russian private investigator named Yuri Gagarin (yes, the first Soviet cosmonaut) in some distant future who is tasked with solving murders in space and discovering the connections to Earth. The story takes place in the author's "Revelation Space universe," which is crucial to understanding what's going on. In spite of Treloar’s skills, listeners initially may be confused about when, where, and why it's happening.
Careful listening will be rewarded when all questions are eventually answered.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668657980
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2026
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