From 1947 through 1958, Heinlein wrote a baker’s dozen of young adult science fiction novels of the finest quality, accurate in the science of the day, with vivid characters (including the aliens) and a near-future slant. A general theme throughout: A young fellow enlists, survives training, and becomes a man. The cast, particularly Matt‚ the lead character, carries the story with great verisimilitude. Co-cadet Tex, for example, is a big guy from Texas who sounds both big and Texan. Officers sound authoritative, and the voices of dropouts have a whiny edge. Snippets of music punctuate the chapters; the whole thing is a masterful job all around.
Ages 10+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2012
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
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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