SWEET HARMONY

Narrator Lucy Rayner clearly differentiates dialogue, narrative, and recorded voices in this novella, which explores technology, credit, and ambition in a future England. In Harmony's world, success and relationships depend on the enhancements (nanobots) a person buys; for example, a dental nano provides a perfect smile and fresh breath for only a few pounds a month. Rayner's performance underscores Harmony's slow decline as she loses the battle to balance the purchase of upgrades with her deepening debt. Rayner helps listeners feel Harmony's distress as unpaid bills trigger her nanos to stop working, her boss fires her, and her fiancé walks away. When Harmony begins to see a way out of her troubles, Rayner's tone perfectly conveys an addict's justification for doing what's needed for just one more enhancement. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2020]