Written in 1949, RED PLANET shows its age with some sexism and anachronistic phrases. Still, the tale is fast and action-packed. Among the first colonists on Mars are teens Jim and Pete and their families. The human colonists live in peace with the mysterious Martians but have a conflict with their government. Narrator William Dufris holds all the excitement together. The actors for Jim and Pete have bright, energetic voices and move things right along. The rest of the cast fills things in nicely, voicing crotchety doctors, noble parents, duplicitous bureaucrats, impatient men of action, and mysterious Martians. In this full-cast treatment, the production would be an excellent choice for a family car trip.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2008
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: Full Cast 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: 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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