VENUS

After his brother, Alex, perishes on an expedition to the surface of Venus, Van Humphries takes up his cruel father’s $10 billion challenge to bring Alex’s body back to Earth. When things go terribly wrong with Van’s spaceship, he must hope to be rescued by a rival in competition for the prize money. Narrator Stefan Rudnicki’s voice is deep and resonant but unvaried. Still, his narration works well for this book. With its stately pacing, technology-heavy setting, and detailed descriptions, Bova’s story is an old-fashioned space opera, and Rudnicki’s narration is reminiscent of a 1930s radio announcer performing a Buck Rogers serial. G.D. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2011]