THE VOICELESS

Faye Kellerman imagines the human future without speech in her short story for Mulholland Books’s Strand Originals series. While the people in her story don't talk with their vocal chords, narrator Kristin Kalbli does. She depicts the world of computerized communication that has replaced physical speaking—that is, until an epidemic breaks out, leaving the voiceless humans blind as well. Kalbli's reading is a resounding reminder of the beauty of human articulation: inflection, pitch, tone, volume, all the variations that carry meaning and emotion, develop intrigue and suspense, express time and place. The juxtaposition of her performance and the computerized rendition of her voice heightens that awareness, making this a brief celebration of a well-performed audiobook as well as an intriguing sci-fi tale. J.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2016]