A cosmic cataclysm hits the moon and shatters it into seven chunks, spelling doom for Earth in two years. The only hope for the future of humankind is a makeshift ark created from orbiting space stations. Narrators Mary Robinette Kowal and Will Damron effectively tell the story of a group of people who know they’re the last hope of humanity. The narrators make it clear how hard the characters work to keep panic and despair at bay, even though their emotions bubble under the surface. If the characters seem untouched by the horror of knowing their planet faces destruction, it's because they know they must succeed in their mission--or all is lost. The writing is outstanding, the acting perfect. This is one of Neal Stephenson's best.
Pub Date: 2015
Duration: 32 hrs
DD ISBN:
Publisher: Brilliance 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:
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:
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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