LOST IN SPACE

This is an undistinguished reading of an abridged version of a disappointing story by an otherwise well-regarded science fiction author. The main gripe of reviewers is that Vinge has injected dysfunctional family elements into the familial paradise of the insipid 1960's TV series. Narrator Mimi Rogers, who portrayed Maureen Robinson in the movie, reads smoothly enough but makes almost no attempt to distinguish the characters. Only the bad guy and the little boy are recognizable, the former by an unclassifiable accent and the latter by minor shrillness. What praise the movie garnered was for special effects, and there aren't any in this audio version. D.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 99]