BENEATH

Although it’s pulpier than a paper mill, BENEATH was an ebook exclusive until this rendition by narrator Jeffrey Kafer. There’s life on the Jupiter moon Europa, and a multicultural crew of scientists must brave a nuclear-bomb-powered space flight to study it. Chases and explosions ensue. It's familiar territory, but Kafer's fast, enthusiastic reading makes it new. Instead of bombast, Kafer opts for nuanced immersion. Dialogue usually sounds better when spoken, and here there’s a lot. All the characters have subtle and instantly recognizable vocal quirks—from a slight Southern twang to the clipped, deep cadence of a naval officer. The result could be dubbed to animation and released theatrically—it’s that good. A.Z.W. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2010]