Vico Ortiz narrates a raucous space adventure rom-com with infectious energy. It’s 2061, and Cleo and her three best friends—all scientists—sneak aboard to explore the neglected rocket PROVIDENCE I. The friends grew up fascinated with the story of its failed launch 20 years earlier, when its 203-person crew mysteriously vanished. But when Cleo inadvertently starts the dark matter engine, they’re launched into a seven-year mission to Proxima Centauri B with only Billie, the prickly holographic computer, to guide them. Ortiz’s considerable acting talents bring each character—human and otherwise—to life. They bounce between each voice with skill, especially shining in scenes packed with banter. This lively story of friendship and queer romance is full of interdimensional danger and is heaps of fun on audio.
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063320833
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Baker’s warm voice is an excellent companion to this SF mystery series.
Blair Baker returns to narrate the second novella in the Dorothy Gentleman series. Ship’s detective Dorothy is tasked with solving the mystery of a baby abandoned aboard the HMS Fairweather—an inconceivable presence on a ship where fertility has, supposedly, been suspended. Baker’s mature voice suits semiretired Dorothy, and her warm narration perfectly fits the cozy atmosphere, especially as Dorothy’s nephew, Ruthie, lovingly cares for the baby. Baker voices shipmind Ferry, the spaceship’s AI, with a tone of charming wonder that is sure to endear it to listeners as it tries to assist Dorothy in uncovering the baby’s parentage. But solving that piece of the mystery only leads to more questions.
Baker’s warm voice is an excellent companion to this SF mystery series.Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 27 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250436047
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
A queer fever dream made real by committed narration.
Charli Anne Delores manifests a nameless narrator with a self-destructive streak in this SF reimagining of Moby-Dick. This narrator isn’t particularly great at anything: She’s impulsive, self-damaging, and resistant to love, and her path has inexplicably landed her aboard the Pequod. As she and her shipmates hunt down an enormous leviathan swimming around the planet Jupiter, the narrator grows closer to a harpooner named Q and the ship’s captain, who’s obsessed with hunting the white whale. The story is as much about the horrors of space-monster hunting as it is a rumination on religion, sex, and connection. Delores brings an entire interstellar melting pot to life, sharply voicing characters who represent a range of genders, cultures, and species. While the story stifles at times, Delores keeps listeners on the edge.
A queer fever dream made real by committed narration.Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 18 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250411624
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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