LIBERATION DAY Stories

George Saunders has won many awards for his writing. His skill as an author and as a narrator is on display here. He delivers the first and last stories in this audio collection, bookending an excellent cast. All nine of the stories focus on people with problematic identities, and each narrator embodies his or her protagonist's particular problem in an appropriate and evocative way. There are elements of science fiction and fantasy, but they never lose touch with relatable human experience, even in (so far) completely impossible circumstances. The stories in which the protagonists' humanity is mostly absent still manage to elicit empathy. These are excellent performances of excellent stories. D.M.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2022]