Johnny Heller's youthful voice and spirited characterizations are a perfect match for Barry di Hoa and his story of being hijacked from his job on the moon to a colony planet 18 light-years from Earth. Barry finds he has a lot to deal with in his new home: coping with his manic-depression without the drugs available on the moon; living with religious zealots who believe that an early death is the way to salvation; and coming to understand the leps, the caterpillar-like intelligent beings native to the colony planet. Heller captures Barry's frustration with his new life, as well as his grudging interest in the planet and the leps, and is a master at conveying shades of emotion with the slightest change of tone. His narration is fresh and focused throughout. Anyone who likes a captivating story will be loath to push the stop button on this one.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 11 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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