New Reviews: Science Fiction

Kat Cleave grips listeners as she portrays Julia, a no-nonsense rebel, hacker, and off-the-grid survivor. When Julia is forced to abandon what she most values--her privacy--Cleave brings her dangerous world of cybercrime and surveillance to life. In giving only select characters distinct voices, Cleave shows listeners just who matters in this story. Myriad characters who... Read More

The final installment in The Annual Migration of Clouds trilogy is narrated by Jamie Cavanagh and Eva Tavares. Cavanagh tells Henryk's story. Exiled from a community that still enjoys a comfortable existence after a climate apocalypse, Henryk travels to his uncle's village. What he finds is an unfriendly community whose residents lead subsistence lives. Cavanagh's introspective... Read More

Narrator Ray Porter heightens the suspense in this tech-laced thriller. His agile and expressive performance captures physicist Philip Moray's dry wit and growing unease when he's confronted with a suspicious-looking device at work. Porter's portrayal of colleague Celia Hunt adds contrast, offering warmth and grounded skepticism that balances the story's escalating tension.... Read More

Golden Voice Soneela Nankani delivers her usual superb narration. Five centuries after humans, with the assistance of aliens, left the overpopulated Earth, an oppressive empire rules on Newearth. Fen has just learned that her fathers have been killed in prison, so she sets out to do what they tried to: join the rebellion. She pairs up with Alekhai, the sovereign's younger... Read More

In this lavishly produced apocalyptic full-cast chronicle from DC Comics' multiverse, it seems like there are more antiheroes than superheroes. The Justice League has stepped into the shadows, and a new generation of reckless thugs is taking advantage of the mortals they're supposed to protect. When Kansas is decimated by a nuclear disaster, Superman, Wonder Woman, and... Read More

John Pirhalla's narration brings gritty nuances to an intriguing character-driven space opera. Carson Flint--formerly a soldier, now a saloon owner--is bored. But when a spy and a war criminal show up, his life becomes more exciting than he bargained for. Pirhalla's distinct characterizations help listeners track a cast of varied characters. His pacing supports the story's noir... Read More

Two novellas deliver uneven performances. In RED STAR HUSTLE, Jennifer Pickens, portraying bounty hunter Imadi, is spellbinding. Her voice imparts the heft of every emotion involved with tracking Aran, a sex worker wanted for murder. Ali Andre Ali's performance as Aran binds listeners to the humanity in the audiobook through his deft portrayal of the mental dance of addiction.... Read More

Eunice Wong's calm, deliberate narration accentuates what author Yume Kitasei does best--meticulous world-building. In a not-so-distant future, three sisters are growing up in a time when the oceans have risen, food is scarce, and multinational corporations rule the land and islands. When the two younger sisters discover a cryptic message from the older sister, they set off in... Read More

Amy McFadden's determined portrayal of Triss MacKay transports listeners to a flooded future Florida, where the legal and illegal are forced to battle in the mud. Using an array of accents, McFadden brings SALVAGIA's many characters to life. She bestows individuality on even the most inconsequential and elevates those to whom we grow attached. Despite the barrage of injuries,... Read More

Gary Tiedemann's crisp narration takes listeners to the lunar south pole in this science-fiction thriller. A mysterious signal from the Shackleton crater jump-starts a space race between the U.S. and China. Astronauts race to the moon, and intelligence personnel hunt for spies back on Earth. Author Joshua T. Calvert's pacing is strong as he cuts back and forth between the two... Read More

A dynamic ensemble of all-star narrators brings to life these stories assembled--and in one case, published--for the first time. Representing Sanderson's writing experimentation and growth over the course of 25 years, they feature worlds in which reality is unstable and characters move freely through simulations, universes, and bodies. The narrators are impressively well... Read More

A full-cast performance of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS uses immersive soundscapes, realistic effects, and shifting musical tones to heighten the terror of an alien invasion. Voices are distinct and sharply drawn. Keith Burnett imbues his performance with calm authority that fractures into mounting dread, and Noelle Dupuis brings urgent emotional clarity. Supporting actors add texture... Read More