New Reviews: Science Fiction

Narrator Nneka Okoye takes listeners on a journey with this sprawling science-fiction tale, which is both epic and intimate. Haimey Dz just wants to get by--to stay safe onboard a salvage ship with her partner, Connla, and their sarcastic AI, Singer. But her visit to a potentially valuable wreck kicks off a galaxy-spanning adventure involving alien parasites, space pirates, and... Read More

Narrator Channie Waites's voice and Cajun accent transport the listener to the streets of a steampunk post-Confederate version of New Orleans, neutral territory in a world in which the South has won the Civil War and slavery still exists. Creeper, a black girl living on the streets, only dreams of getting away in one of the airships visiting the city. By chance, she hears about... Read More

Narrators Jennifer O'Donnell and Laura Knight Keating's alternating voices work in tandem to create a complex portrait of life on the harsh planet of January. O'Donnell and Keating communicate the tense urgency of the planet's inhabitants, who live a precarious existence balanced between dangerous extremes of blazing light and frigid darkness. Conveying the perfect amount of... Read More

R.C. Bray narrates the legendary Coilhunter's adventures through the Wild North in an engrossing omnibus. Nox patrols the desolate wastes of the land as an unofficial lawman meting out justice with lead and violence as he seeks his family's murderer. Bray juggles several distinct voices throughout the three books but none so distinguished as Nox's. The Coilhunter speaks with a... Read More

Narrator Ray Porter actually catches a break with this gruesome science-fiction audiobook. Much of this thriller's cast is composed of thousands of silent zombies, so Porter doesn't have to differentiate much among them. Set in the year 2243, the story takes place on the moon, which serves as a cemetery for the overpopulated earth. Escaping her life on earth, Cali Washington... Read More

Listening to this sci-fi classic is a must to be able to enjoy all aspects of the story. Published in 1953 and winner of the first Hugo Award, the title is now an intriguing and compelling listen. Motivated by professional rivalry, Ben Reich decides to murder his opponent in a world where Espers, or telepaths, are common. But because of them, there has not been a successful... Read More

Narrator Ben Onwukwe's satiny bass voice is perfect for this dense and erudite sci-fi thriller. In a near-future dystopia, the System watches and records every movement, thought, and memory of every citizen. This policing structure works perfectly until a mysterious artist suspected of a crime dies in custody. When the investigators delve into the woman's stored memories, they... Read More

Nancy Wu narrates this time-bending, genre-hopping story. This audiobook is set in a future in which people can travel through time, live underground, and might just as easily have six tentacles in place of two legs. The two female leads, Minh and Kiki, are polar opposites, and Wu differentiates them perfectly. Kiki, the younger of the two, is full of verve and passion. Wu... Read More

This audiobook is a twist on the Mark Twain classic A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT, and narrator Danielle Cohen is comfortable delivering his flowery style. Arthur's sister, Morgan le Fay, time travels for the purpose of preventing "Sir Boss" from coming to her time and turning her world upside down. But she overshoots her mark, landing in Washington, DC, in 2079.... Read More

A riveting story of character interplay and politics, this audiobook features the cool, calm narration of Amy Landon. The political space opera follows Mahit Dzmare, a mining station colonist who is sent as an ambassador to the world-consuming alien empire of Teixcalaan. Her first order of business is to investigate the untimely death of her predecessor. Incredibly... Read More

Listeners will be instantly transported to Metropolis, a city of tomorrow full of promise, technological advancement, and imagination. Narrator Robert Petkoff pulls listeners right in, introducing Harry, a lifelong employee of the U.S. Municipal Service who is dedicated to improving infrastructure, and Owen, a projection of the agency's supercomputer "who" represents artificial... Read More

The sequel to ONE WAY, narrated by William Hope, will take the listener's breath away. Frank Kitteridge is the sole survivor of an expedition to Mars organized by XO, and he intends to keep on living. Back on Earth, Frank murdered his son's drug dealer, but now, instead of prison, he has been offered a second chance on another planet. His job is to keep six NASA experts safe... Read More

Narrator Alyssa Bresnahan catches the spirit of this first installment in a new trilogy set on Donovan, a mining colony of Earth. Only the smart and tough have survived this harsh world, which has not received supplies or reinforcements for many years. When a ship manages to get through from Earth, the clash between doing things the "corporate way" and doing them the "Donovan... Read More

If the mix of amazing writing talent like N.K. Jemisin, Charles Yu, and Seanan McGuire doesn't convince listeners to devour this futuristic audio anthology, then the overflow of narrator talent should. LaValle and Adams's anthology of complex technological futures features characters who are marginalized people and even some silver linings. The narrators include talented folks... Read More

This first book in a new romantic sci-fi series is perfect for listeners who like their love stories spiced with a little action. Far in the future, Ada von Hasenberg, whose father is part of the power elite who rule the universe, seeks to escape a planned arranged marriage. In doing so, she joins forces with outlaw Marcus Loch. Narrator Emily Woo Zeller performs the majority... Read More

A sprawling and intricate fantasy world is brought to life by narrator Liyah Summers. A queen, a mage, and a dragonrider must work together to save humanity from destruction, despite numerous forces opposing them. Summers creates nearly a dozen distinct accents for the characters populating the various nations in the story, in addition to portraying several types of... Read More

Cory Doctorow's four futuristic novellas are aided by four well-chosen narrators who each capture the essence of their given story. The works reflect today's issues and come to life through Doctorow's usual insightful and critical lens. Each novella offers something interesting-- from Poe's classic story reimagined as a tale of a modern apocalypse ("Masque of the Red Death") to... Read More

This fantastical audiobook features an everyman who stumbles onto a labyrinthian conspiracy. Narrator Graham Winton smoothly inhabits Canadian Barry Simcoe, who has grown up in a world in which humans are subjugated by robot rulers. The wise-ass yet cunning Simcoe starts out as an innocent who gets caught up in a rebel attack during a business trip to Chicago. He soon hooks up... Read More

Percy Frobisher is a stranger in a high-tech land, and listeners are learning the new rules with him. Narrator Euan Morton depicts the story's futuristic setting in a sterile voice that helps listeners picture the highly controlled environment. He is a precise narrator who delivers all the intensity of Percy's surprise at each revelation. Morton gives us Percy's thoughts and... Read More

In this second installment, Clare Corbett reprises her dynamic narration of the Revenger series opener. Sisters Adrana and Fura Ness struggle to reconcile who they've become in the aftermath of their ordeal with the notorious criminal Bosa Sennen. Alongside a hardy and well-characterized crew, they chart a course through hostile intergalactic space toward redemption and... Read More

Tanis Parenteau's spellbinding narration evokes the rugged authenticity of the postapocalyptic Navajo homeland of Dinétah. Her confident voice with its touch of snark deftly embodies the gritty charm of Diné bounty hunter Maggie Hoskie, who's trying really hard not to kill anyone. Parenteau's flawless narration builds with the story's dramatic tension as the White Locus rises... Read More

Providing memorable, distinct, and believable voices for every character, narrator Neil Shah creates the atmosphere of the live stage for this chilling dystopian story. A third-world immigrant who believes he's taking a British citizenship test so that he and his family can safely stay in England soon finds himself plunged into a nightmarish world. Shah is especially adept at... Read More

Following 35 editions of THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION, the newest compilation includes choice pieces from Charles Stross, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Greg Egan, Stephen Baxter, Pat Cadigan, and many others. This behemoth collection clocks in at nearly 40 hours, and narrators Vivienne Leheny and Will Damron take turns with the works, sharing notes on these accomplished... Read More

Narrator Mark Boyett reads with a newscaster's authority that makes this audiobook even more frightening. If Robert Jackson Bennett wanted to write something that would give people nightmares, he succeeded. The most frightening thing about the story is the feeling that it actually could happen. A cell-phone-addicted public has become desensitized to videos of real-life... Read More

Narrator Will Poulter takes on the role of Private Kavanagh, who reluctantly serves on the Wall. In this dystopia, the United Kingdom has built a wall to keep out rising sea levels as well as those who seek to escape "the change." Poulter's dispassionate narration tells the first-person story of a young man who is trained to be a protector of the wall. Poulter makes the right... Read More

Narrator Gerry O'Brien stretches out the word "fear" to emphasize the shock on planet Earth when Martians arrive. The story is perfect for an audiobook as it lets O'Brien express a range of emotions as the protagonist describes the horrific invasion and his desperate fight for survival. Few other characters speak, but O'Brien conjures a memorable, harder voice for the monologue... Read More

With this audiobook, the Black Star Renegades return for more rip-roaring adventures. Narrator Dan Bittner is back as well, bringing his full array of fantastic character voices. The story's focus moves between the two main characters as Cade Sura and Kira Sen continue to battle the forces of the Praxis Empire. Cade struggles to gain control of the legendary Rokura, while Kira... Read More

Narrators Annie Aldington and David Thorpe enrich this fantasy set in England in 2022. John Woodruff, portrayed by Thorpe, is skeptical when he learns that the care home where Margaret, his mother, resides is adding robot caregivers. As Margaret, Aldington projects confusion until Winifred, her new carer, vastly improves her life. Margaret is soon movingly trying to explain... Read More