BORDERS OF INFINITY

Michael Hanson and Carol Cowan read three novellas in this character-driven space opera. Miles Vorkosigan is a military academy graduate, a prince, an outlaw, and a hero. Newly graduated from the academy, Miles solves a murder in one story, puts down a mad plot, and saves his father from a conspiracy. This MP3 CD version is broken into 52 scenes, ranging in length from two minutes to three-quarters of an hour. The reading is good but not terribly memorable. Dual voices are intended to provide the program with added realism: a woman to read the female parts and a man to read the males'. But Hanson reads all the narration as well as male parts, giving him the lion's share. His voice is expressive but not quite evocative enough to maintain the listener's attention or decipher the impenetrable plot. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 01]