New Reviews: Science Fiction

Three narrators guide listeners through a story that intertwines family drama, spiritual mystery, and scientific inquiry. In 2068 AD, another pandemic has Earth's inhabitants worried about the future of humanity. In response, the Centauri Project sends a scientist into the future, where he searches an empty wilderness for evidence of Earth's former population. Bradford... Read More

Saskia Maarleveld narrates this audiobook, which is part science fiction, part social commentary. Considered dangerous and inconvenient on their home planet, three giants--Alba, Stanley, and Drew--are forced into the largest room of a spaceship called AUDITION. If the three talk, the spaceship moves forward, but if they remain silent, they'll continue to grow and be crushed.... 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

R.C. Bray's narration transforms this Machine War prequel into a visceral audio experience. Bray distinguishes Tyron Red, Sergeant Rodriguez, and Corporal Pepper with subtly varied tones and inflections, making each character instantly recognizable. Action scenes resonate through precise timing and tonal variation, while exposition is clear and digestible. The stark contrast... 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

Narrator Christian Leatherman takes listeners through the convoluted story of Preble Jefferson, a man who can see five seconds into the future. A filmed encounter with the police on a New York subway sees Preble dodge a bullet, only to have that bullet strike another officer and lead to a massive police shoot-out. Now aware of Preble's abilities, multiple government agencies... Read More

Jamie Renell's narration of this science fiction is primarily told from the points of view of two characters: Christer Johannsen, a UN data analysis specialist, and Dr. Rachel Fereira, a linguist. On Earth a solar flare takes out the power everywhere but in Jakara, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter starts transmitting images of Mars. NASA heads an international task force to... Read More

Benjamin Fife narrates this first installment of the Turrim Archive. Two friends, Grayden and Wynn, have won scholarships to a prestigious military academy. A mysterious old man, Dalmir, comes down from his tower to accompany them to the academy. When Marik, a pirate, attacks their airship, the adventure begins. Fife does an expert job delivering the distinct personalities of... 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

Golden Voice Dion Graham narrates the conclusion to the Convergence Saga trilogy. Almost two years have elapsed since anti-monster riots have occurred in Boston, but the multiverse hasn't become any safer for monsters. In the monster settlement in Moon, the residents are facing a big decision: remain hidden or fight to preserve their right to survive. Many individual stories... 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

You'd have to be insane to work at a dangerous research outpost in the middle of the desert, but for Kinsey, the scientist and team leader voiced by Xe Sands, it's paradise. This erotic female-centered story of body horror grabs listeners into its feverish grip and doesn't let go. Sands's subtle inflections for each member of the team give believable familiarity to the diverse... Read More

The dark, intense cold of space is warmed by the emotional connections in this novel and by Lindsey Dorcus's expert narration. Courier Tova Lir, captain of the NEEDLE and loving foster parent of a juvenile AI, is on a routine mission when a lunar disaster upends everything. Suddenly, she's got an assassin onboard, and not one, but two, of her bot children are in lethal danger.... 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