HIDDEN EMPIRE

The ever reliable George Guidall immerses himself in Anderson's new science fiction series, creatively voicing a variety of characters that includes humans, aliens, and robots. Guidall's relaxed, understated style nevertheless offers a wide range of well-drawn vocal characterizations that complement but never distract from the action at hand. The story itself, about a mysterious alien species suddenly attacking from nowhere and forcing the human and nonhuman species of the future to work together to repel the invaders, is a sort of user-friendlier DUNE. That is, it has much of the same complexity in its anthropological details but moves along at a much zippier pace. J.P.M. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 03]