New Reviews: Science Fiction

Narrator Dion Graham takes a complex story involving Earth's premiere superhero team, the Avengers, and gives each character--from the alien space gods to good old Captain America--a distinctive voice. The work takes the most complex Avengers storyline in a decade and combines it with a new one involving Thanos, making them both understandable. This is an edge-of-your-seat... Read More

Joe Jameson, an adept narrator of the genre, highlights his characterization skills masterfully in this sci-fi audiobook. The second in the Protectorate series, the story is a slow burn of politics and interpersonal relationships. The plot, as conspiracy-filled as the first installment, thickens as Sanda strives to figure out where the coordinates in her mind lead and what they... Read More

Daredevil is not a Marvel Comics superhero heavy hitter like Thor or Iron Man, and he doesn't want to be. As narrator Dion Graham makes clear, Daredevil is content with keeping his New York neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen as safe as he can. Graham conjures up the gritty New York scenes in this audiobook without the need for distracting sound effects. He uses just his powerful... Read More

Narrator Sophie Aldred successfully meets the many challenges of this unique sci-fi action-adventure. The story opens with Lee, who has spent years searching for alien creatures, though without much hope. But when cracks between alternative Earths allow different sentient beings to intermingle, she becomes entangled with a variety of life forms. Aldred gives each creature a... Read More

Scott Brick narrates a prequel to the Dune series centered on House Atreides one year before the events of the original book. Primarily aimed at die-hard fans, the story incorporates the political maneuvering, thundering action, and unusual magic that are the hallmarks of the series. Brick's narration struggles to elevate the uneven prose but injects a precise intensity.... Read More

Stop everything and listen to this stunning eco-thriller, first published as a BBC podcast. Narrator Pearl Mackie's earnest, affable portrayal of a librarian who is lured by a recording of a rainforest that her government inexplicably deems dangerous will immerse listeners. Tanya Moody, in turn, offers a chilling, and quite sultry, performance as a villain. Pippa Haywood's tone... Read More

This series retells the Star Wars movies through the perspectives of various supporting characters. In this second entry, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is presented as 40 short stories by a rotating cast of talented audiobook narrators. Listeners may benefit from rewatching the movie in order to fully visualize the stories, especially those featuring aliens, droids, and other Star... Read More

Nicole Poole narrates this space opera with fairy-tale elements. After renouncing her title of princess and departing to become a privateer at the edge of space, Rory Thorne and her crew unexpectedly encounter both a sentient bioweapon and an unknown, hostile xeno species. Now that the story has shifted focus, Poole has a range of new, nonhuman species who require new vocal... Read More

Rebecca Mozo impressively introduces life in Maxwell City, on Mars, along with the array of international citizens who make up the settlement. Listeners will meet founder Nicolau Aames and his wife, police chief Rosalia Morais, and learn about the city's everyday life, food, unique gardening, restaurants, and stores. Characters sound realistic as Morais's job becomes more... Read More

This intriguing audiobook tells the multilayered story of a mutiny in space in which nothing is simple. The production uses an ensemble of eight narrators, most of whom play characters who lend their perspective on events. The accused mutineer is Nicolai Aames, controversial captain of the Earth-Mars vessel ALDRIN, who is beloved by his crew but hated by politicians and fellow... Read More

Narrator Micah Mason introduces Kyron, an aging robot who was among a group designed to wipe out humanity during several failed Robot Revolutions. Kyron now has a job in pizza delivery--along with the occasional assassination assignment. As exuberantly portrayed by Mason, he is a believable mix of sarcasm toward humans and kindness toward his beloved cats. His latest mission is... Read More

Something's terribly wrong in Turner Falls, Oregon. Narrator Inés del Castillo gets this audiobook off to a quick start with an excerpt from a conspiracy-laden podcast. She introduces a class of students who are counting down their final days of high school. The story focuses on Lucy and her best friend, Bucket, who have the taint of being brown-skinned in a white school. As... Read More

Narrator Adjoa Andoh is a true storyteller. She has a natural, engaging manner as Dr. Jens, a trauma rescue specialist who tends to people, aliens, and androids. When the doctor is confronted with more than 10,000 humans who have been in cryogenic suspension for 600 years, the situation raises a lot of questions. Andoh depicts Dr. Jen as a person who creates a fast rapport with... Read More

Narrator Wil Wheaton returns in this much anticipated sci-fi sequel full of nostalgic romps through 1980s pop culture. Wade Watts has just discovered James Halliday's greatest invention yet, which has the potential to make the virtual utopia called the Oasis even more addictive. With its release comes a new quest involving the catalog of John Hughes movies, Tolkien's... Read More

Narrator John Lee gives the poignant conclusion of the Salvation Sequence trilogy an action-packed performance. The stars hold a sinister threat for humanity in the 23rd century as a previously benign alien race begins a crusade. Following messages from the distant future, the Olyix start abducting thousands of humans and preparing them for sacrifice. Lee's precise voice sweeps... Read More

Nathan Fillion narrates this science fiction adventure detailing the escapades of a hopelessly outmatched crew that encounters hostile forces on a distant planet. With animation and wry humor, Fillion introduces listeners to OC, an artificially intelligent yet poetic overseer who supervises a motley crew that is assigned to explore the planet Urmahon Beta. From the moment they... Read More

Christina Traister takes listeners on a wild ride across the galaxy as she narrates this space opera. A motley crew of resistance fighters is trying to free the galaxy from the bloodthirsty Tholosian Empire. The five primary crew members include a fugitive warrior princess, a hothead pilot, a former concubine, a soldier, and a tech prodigy. It's a lot of big personalities to... Read More

Ten talented narrators perform a collection of award-winning short stories from one of China's most prolific and lauded science fiction authors. The stories run the gamut from a rural mountain village holding off an alien invasion to a future in which humanity's every move is predicted by computers. The narrators are well suited to their stories, with each bringing a personal... Read More