EMERGENCY SKIN Forward Collection

Narrator Jason Isaacs’s voice is the perfect mix of insistent, pedantic, and scornful as he portrays the AI inside the head of an “instrument” that is sent on a mission to gather valuable biological materials on what’s left of Tellus—or Earth. Listeners are directly addressed by Isaacs as if they, too, are on this mission. They too experience alarm and curiosity as the AI discovers that Tellus isn’t a dead planet at all, but is full of people with a thriving ecology. Isaacs smoothly transitions between the AI’s cool British tones and the charming Southern accents of the humans who address the “instrument,” leading it to question everything it’s been taught about technological advancement and society. This brief but clever tale is truly best enjoyed on audio. E.E.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2020 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2019]