New Reviews: Science Fiction

Sura Siu's and Emily Tremaine's alternating narrations plunge listeners into the events surrounding a government-sanctioned human-extinction event. Siu's performance shifts in tone and cadence as the AI called "Storyworker" tells the story of Sen, a teenage "Witness" to the end of humankind. The initially straightforward account merges with journals and surveillance footage of... Read More

Part detective novel, part fairy tale, this complex story about the hunt for a book that disappears after one has read it is expertly delivered by a trinity of talent. Stefan Rudnicki takes on the majestic tones of mysterious celestial beings that interject their commentary throughout the narrative. Mathematician Delia Welegtabit first discovers the disappearing book; her... Read More

This high-stakes military sci-fi audio original features exciting music, immersive sound effects, and a fantastic full-cast performance. In the near future, Russia's military strives to achieve total Russian supremacy, and NATO responds by creating a new operation called Earthlight. The world's best pilots are gathered to fly the first planes capable of operating in both the... Read More

Once a narrator captures a protagonist's voice and the ambiance of her world, an audiobook is off to a great start. Narrator Suzy Jackson does just that while portraying Juliet, who has become a cog in a dystopian corporate Arizona. Almost overnight, she goes from working as a welder to becoming a mercenary. Jackson smoothly expresses Juliet's amazement and anxiety over the... Read More

Braden Wright confidently narrates this charming space adventure. In an increasingly authoritarian galactic empire, the Grand Abeona Hotel is a beacon for weary travelers and offbeat employees alike. As this aging starliner plays host to a quirky academic conference, a pair of lovebirds, and a series of imperial spies, the crew race to decode the mysteries at the heart of a... Read More

David Cui Cui once again becomes Murderbot as he performs the sixth book in the series. When a body is found on Preservation Station, Murderbot must assist investigators, who include no-nonsense, unflappable Indah, portrayed by Gail Shalan. There's also human trafficking afoot. Amid witty comments and wry asides, listeners learn all about the smuggling on space stations, along... Read More

Various narrators bring some of Harlan Ellison's short stories to life in this new anthology compiled by the Harlan and Susan Ellison Foundation. With science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other reality-bending tales, this collection of more than 25 works will be a treat for both Ellison's fans and new listeners. Each narrator provides their own interpretation of a story,... Read More

Anastacia-Reneé is "out of this world" in this collection of poetry, flash fiction, and Afrofuturistic sci-fi. Her works focus on time-warping, place and family, and alternative ways of thinking. Her bold voice is rhythmic and slow, punching in a soft, poignant way. The narration starts at the beginning with Lucille, mother of humanity. From there, Anastacia-Reneé takes... Read More

Catherine Ho is an excellent storyteller for this first installment in the Folding Universe series. Set in 2080, this space thriller is steeped in Chinese philosophy. Archaeologist Yun Fan, military researcher Qi Fei, and astronomer Jiang Liu realize an alien race is returning to Earth. The trio join forces to meet the aliens in space before the organized governments of Earth... Read More

It's a family affair with father, mother, and daughter--Jim, Tamra, and Taylor Meskimen--sharing the narrative duties in this inventive collection of Writers of the Future Contest-winning science fiction and fantasy short stories. The works are by established and first-time authors from around the globe. Taylor brings a wistful gentleness to an AI cat in "The Edge of Where My... Read More

Adjoa Andoh narrates a short story collection by Ann Leckie that includes 18 works set in the worlds of the Imperial Radch and the Raven Tower, as well as several stand-alone pieces. Andoh's stellar skills are on display in every piece, making the stories of gods, humans, and other assorted beings incredibly compelling. Standouts include "The Sad History of the Tearless Onion,"... Read More

Narrators Allyson Johnson and Diontae Black enchant listeners with this stellar follow-up to the award-winning earlier anthology NEW SUNS: ORIGINAL SPECULATIVE FICTION BY PEOPLE OF COLOR. This collection of 18 stories from authors such as Tananarive Due, Nghi Vo, and John Chu covers monsters, aliens, space flight, interplanetary relations, and more. Running through the... Read More

Judy Alice Lee narrates this action-packed space opera with skill, shifting between three very different perspectives. Ocean is a talented pilot and a wicked shot who is working for the Korean space agency on the OHNEUL. She's tough but loyal to her loved ones, including her best friend, Teo. Teo's ease and flirtatiousness shine in Lee's narration but shift into desperation... Read More

Narrators Richard Rohan and Danny Gavigan take on the lion's share of this spine-tingling sci-fi thriller. U.S. secret agent David Vale, portrayed by Jonathan David Bullock, and somewhat naïve, sharp-tongued genetics scientist Kate Warner, portrayed by Stephanie Németh-Parker, join forces to take down an organization that will stop at nothing to learn the secret of human... Read More

Natalie Naudus guides listeners through this high-intensity audiobook featuring a polyamorous trio. The setting is a postapocalyptic world in which a person's worth is measured by their talent for magic. Jin's career as a mage bike courier sees her traversing a dangerous and stormy wasteland, delivering love letters between the talented princess Yi-Nereen and the talentless... Read More

In this full-cast production, narrator David Cui Cui takes the role of antisocial SecUnit, Murderbot. Cui Cui never makes Murderbot sound robotic; in truth, its subtle sense of humor while on its self-directed mission sounds human. As the SecUnit searches for evidence of GreyCris Corporation's crimes on planet Milu, it tasks itself with protecting quiet-voiced Abene, portrayed... Read More

Vico Ortiz narrates a raucous space adventure rom-com with infectious energy. It's 2061, and Cleo and her three best friends--all scientists--sneak aboard to explore the neglected rocket PROVIDENCE I. The friends grew up fascinated with the story of its failed launch 20 years earlier, when its 203-person crew mysteriously vanished. But when Cleo inadvertently starts the dark... Read More

Brian Nishii narrates this science fiction collection, which contains compelling short stories, articles, and interviews by and with the author. Nishii draws listeners into the various fictional stories with his emotional range. In one story, he delivers the evil laugh of a drug lord who is smuggling drugs with the assistance of a whale; in another, he embodies a child who... Read More