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: yesterday
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
Asimov's sweeping tale of the disintegration and fall of the Galactic Empire has never been more relevant or poignant. McKeever reads rapidly, but he also manages to identify individuals, if minimally, and the main characters are voiced consistently. His voice for the aging professor, in fact, is quite charming. Narrative passages are read competently with appropriate emotional expression. Technical and editorial problems plague the title. Intermittent fade-outs on one channel; inconsistencies when switching sides; and low, rumbling background noise mar the sound quality.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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