SHAT by S. Lawrence Parrish

Official Blurb

In a post-plague world where plants have suffered as much as animals, a colony of human survivors has gathered in a fortified former-luxury condominium complex they call “The Park”. These remnants of humanity are inextricably bound to their domestic cats, from which Dose (a temporary plague vaccine) is derived.
A forager army is rumored to be heading toward The Park. The Park people must prepare to defend themselves and all they have worked for, because they have made a discovery: not all cats are created equal; while regular Dose only staves off plague symptoms, the dose derived from Simon, The Park’s only Siamese cat, can be refined into SHAT, a super-dose that rejuvenates the growth of plant life. . . and which also may hold the secret to a permanent plague-cure. Problem: Simon is a neuter. If he should die, so, too, dies humanity’s one hope for survival.
Enter Sasha, a purebred female Balinese of breeding age that also produces SHAT. With the sky-rocketing tensions of increasing militarization, Sasha’s humans want to take their cat and leave The Park. But The Park people will use whatever means necessary to make them stay.

My Review

I found this story when I was trawling Podiobooks looking for new sci fi books, and when I saw this revolved around cats I HAD to listen to it.

I was hooked almost from the first instant. Being a cat owner, I found the cat P.O.V. used in some segments totally absorbing.  And that was a major part of the appeal throughout the book.  It seemed like every third chapter or so was told from the a cat's perspective. The animals relationships to one another was anthropomorphic, even to the point of them "speaking" to each other. However by making sure this never crossed over into talking to humans, it didn't ruin the mood of the piece.

Don't get me wrong this is not all about the cats, it has very strong characters who all come across as individuals with their own motivations. They are believeable people in a weird world and I wanted a happy ending for all of them.

A warning of sorts for cat lovers. Cats get torn up in hideous ways in this book. When I was considering this review, I asked myself, who was this book aimed at, not cat-lovers as the poor beasts suffer, nor was it aimed at cat-haters because the cat characters are appealing. Then it hit me. The cats in this book are treated no worse than the human characters who also get torn up in the same way. What the author's done here, is to create a post apocalyptic world that is as horrid to cats as it is to people and we the reader get to see just how horrid it is to everyone.

The book kept me hooked all the way through, the tension kept building towards the finale in just the way you want a book to.  It was a very good reading too,with a neat use of sound effects to help bring the whole thing to life.

Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 9/9

Listen to the first chapter 

Download it from the Podiobooks

Dark Currents by Lindsay Buroker

Official Blurb

It’s been three months since former enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon and the notorious assassin Sicarius thwarted kidnappers and saved the emperor’s life. The problem? Nobody knows they were responsible for this good deed. Worse, they’re being blamed for the entire scheme. With enforcers and bounty hunters stalking them, and the emperor nursing a personal hatred for Sicarius, it’s going to be hard to earn exoneration.

My Review

This book is a sequel to "Emperors Edge", which I've previously reviewed. This book continues the story. It's the same great narrator presenting the continuing adventures of the same heroes.

The story develops with an opening investigation that leads to the discovery of a nefarious plot bound up with a magician creating magical artifacts that threaten the whole city.

Like the first book, it's a sword and musket romp through a pseudo Japanese realm that has a lot of western mores and tendencies, and all with a steam punky feel.

I do feel that the plot suffered for having no character development. There were no new characters  to be introduced and no growth or change in those that remained, it was really more of the same.

During one underground scene, that should have been full of dread and fear, the characters were laughing jauntily and poking fun at each other, which kind of destroyed the scene. It removed any sense of real danger.

I mention these two points because I didn't notice anything like them during the first book. the author seems to have dropped the ball, or if not dropped it, perhaps fumbled a little.

That may sound like I didn't like it. That's not the case. I did like it, and I've already queued up the third book in the series ready to start listening. So that recommends it, even if it did have some minor disappointments.

Reading 2/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from the Podiobooks

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The Emperors Edge by Lindsay Buroker

Official Blurb

Imperial law enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon is good at her job: she can deter thieves and pacify thugs, if not with a blade, then by toppling an eight-foot pile of coffee canisters onto their heads.

But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed.

Worse, Sicarius, the empire's most notorious assassin, is in town. He's tied in with the chaos somehow, but Amaranthe would be a fool to cross his path. Unfortunately, her superiors order her to hunt him down.
Either they have an unprecedented belief in her skills... or someone wants her dead.

My Review

I hadn't read the blurb when I first started listening to this so I went through all of the "that's odd" moments you might expect when the story starts off feeling as a feudal Japan/samurai story, evolves into a buddy cop story, then a political intrigue and then in wafts the early steam age.

Sound odd?  It is. But it is good. It's a fun adventure based in a Japan-like steam-punk world. Oh and just a enough magic to keep things interesting.

The narrator is not the author on this book, which is quite unusual for books on Podiobooks, but the reader does a wonderful professional job.

As a bonus this is the first part of a series, but stands very well on its own.

Reading 2/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from the Podiobooks

Listen to the first chapter.

The Secret Of The Ninth Planet by Donald Wollheim

Official Blurb

An alien race has put a station on Earth and other planets in order to steal the rays of the sun, possible causing the sun to nova within two years. Burl Denning, a high school student, is the only person who has the power to stop the alien project. Can he and the crew of the experimental space ship Magellan act in time to save the earth?

My Review

This a classic pulp style sci fi adventure where as the blurb suggests the protagonist is young chap who just happens to be in the right place at the right time... oh and he's a bit of a hero.

This is not a serious sci fi story, it take some facts such as the vast distances between the planets and uses them within the story, but these are sprinkled in with the "super science" of the 50's era.

It's a good yarn, an adventure in space, where the bad guys are not criminals but aliens. It has a dramatic finale that I really enjoyed.

Keep in mind the stories low-sci-fi take on things and that it's a pulp story and you'll have a good time with it, like I did.  Great reading, and a fun listen.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 6/9

Download it from the Librivox

Listen to the first chapter.

Police Your Planet by Lester Del Rey

Official Blurb

Bruce Gordon looked at his ticket, grimaced at the ONE WAY stamped on it, then tore it into bits and let the pieces scatter over the floor. He counted them as they fell; thirty pieces in all, one for each year of his life. Little ones for the two years he'd wasted as a cop. Shreds for the four years as a kid in the ring before that--he'd never made the top. Bigger bits for two years also wasted in trying his hand at professional gambling; and the six final pieces that spelled his rise from special reporter helping out with a police shake-up coverage, through a regular leg-man turning up rackets, and on up like a meteor until.... He'd made his big scoop, all right. He'd dug up enough about the Mercury scandals to double circulation. And the government had explained what a fool he'd been for printing half of a story that was never supposed to be printed until all could be revealed. They'd given Bruce Gordon his final assignment... 

My Review

Bruce is sent to Mars, supposedly as part of an undercover operation, but he doesn't want the job, doesn't believe they mean it, it's just an excuse to git rid of him. Mars is a hell hole. Corruption and gang-life run rampant. The cops steal what the gangs don't and people live in a misery of hand to mouth existence.

This is a brutal story of life at Mars port where beatings and muggings are the norm and our hero, or perhaps I should say protagonist, is beating and fighting his way through life. In the "dome" the thugs carry clubs instead of guns, because even they realize a stray bullet could puncture the dome. So the copy carry a shield and club!

I really enjoyed this story. It's well written and well narrated and if you love sci fi you'll like this. 


Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from the Librivox

Listen to the first chapter.

The Chapter Ends by Poul Anderson

Official Blurb

Far, far in the future the Earth is still spinning around the Sun, on the edge of the galaxy, dozing in obscurity, forgotten by it's trillions of progeny and completely irrelevant. But this doesn't matter to the few millions who still live there in simplicity and quiet happiness. But then interstellar politics dictates that they must all leave Earth because ... well, listen to the story as told by the great Poul Anderson as he explores what the Earth means to humans and to one man in particular. 

My Review

A short story in four parts running for about an hour. There really isn't a lot I can tell you about the story without spoiling the whole thing. It's sci fi, but is really a character-play. As the blurb says everyone has to leave Earth but the story revolves around the last few, as they are rounded up and encouraged to get on board ship.

I listened to the end, but it didn't really grab me. Also I found the ending a bit weak. I don't think Poul quite pulled off the effect he was after.

The reader was good. So in summary, its a easy unchallenging listen but don't expect to be wowed.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3

Total Score 5/9

Download it from the Librivox

Listen to the first chapter.

The Lucky Strike by Seeing Ear Theatre

Official Blurb

None

My Review

You've heard of the Enola Gay?  What! Go Google it now!  Right, now you know. This story starts with the Enola Gay crashing on a training mission, which of course means that another machine and another crew has to take on the big mission.

It's an interesting proposition, what if it were a different crew, and what if they were having second thoughts about bombing that Japanese city. That's what this story does, its focus is on the man who has his finger on the trigger.

If you have any interest in WWII you will find this interesting. Even if that is not an interest, of yours, I'm sure you'll find the character based focus of this story as fascinating and thought provoking as I did.

Full cast audio drama, in two parts, top notch quality all round.

Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 9/9

Download it from the Internet Archive

Listen to the first chapter.

Carnacki, The Ghost Finder by William Hope Hodgson

Official Blurb

Thomas Carnacki was a detective of the supernatural, created for a series of short stories by Wiliam Hope Hodgson. Hodsgon, also a noted photographer and bodybuilder, might have created more stories for this intrepid sleuth of the occult, but he unfortunately died at the youthful age of 40 in World War I.

My Review

This collection of short stories was a real pleasure to listen to.  William Hope Hodgson  is a master of creating a creepy suspense, and he manages to do that in each of these short stories.

Each story is told from the point of view of someone listening to a Carnacki as he relates one of his investigations. Carnacki it turns out, is a well known ghost hunter and people around the country ask him to investigate and deal with ghosts that are troubling them. Generally speaking these ghosts are not the sort of ghost that shouts boo, or rattles chains in the night. The ghosts in these stories are the story that rip off you head, then use it as a football, and then stuff your corpse with fish...beause its fun...for them. So yes, there are some ghastly story moments.

Sometimes the ghosts are real, sometime they're not, sometimes it turns out that to be the nephew trying to kill his uncle to get the inheritence, thus Carnacki never knows exactly what he has to deal with, and that's half the fun of these stories.

Each story is self contained, and each one is very good.The reader does a great job his voice is near perfect for the style of story.


Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter.

Beyond the Black River by Robert E. Howard

Official Blurb

Conan the Barbarian in this exciting story is selling his sword to one of the civilized countries to help in it's push to claim lands from the primitive Picts. The Picts are not excited about the idea however. Old gods and mythical creatures are called up by the Pict witches to contest the invading army and Conan finds himself battling for his life amid the blood thirsty hordes that include saber-toothed tigers, 40 foot long venomous snakes and a demon from another dimension who is intent on crushing him. The huge dog Slasher makes an appearance here and distinguishes himself so well in a desperate battle to delay the onrushing Picts that Conan openly praises his courage and pledges 7 Pict heads in his honor. 

My Review

I believe that this is the first Conan audiobook I have listened to. It was a real pleasure to hear one of the original stories that started this character on his journey to myth-dom...is that a word?

I read a lot of Conan books in my youth and I remember him to be a fairly uncaring kick-ass good good-guy-ish. This story backs that up. Conan is doing good, but in the end it's only because he's a sword for hire not because he's a super hero.

As the official blurb says, Conan and friends are pitched against all kind of enemies that require liberal application of hard steel and the spilled blood of foes. It's high action adventure almost from the get-go and throughly thrilling. Yeah, I loved it. 

I enjoyed the reading by Phil Chenevert. He has a sing-song voice that lilts its way through the story and I found it really very easy on the ears.


Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter.

The Creature from Beyond Infinity by Henry Kuttner

Official Blurb

A lone space traveler arrives on Earth seeking a new planet to colonize, his own world dead. At the same time a mysterious plague has infected Earth that will wipe out all life. Can a lone scientist stop the plague and save the world? Or will the alien find himself on another doomed planet?

My Review

This is a classic age Science Fiction story. It starts rather unusually in ancient times before humans even exist on Earth.  An alien space ship crashes on Earth and two human like aliens are the only survivors...Now you're already starting to think Adam and Eve aren't you! It's not like that, these survivors are both male. They are the only survivors of their entire race, and one of them is mortally wounded.

So starts this story, where an alien puts himself to sleep to await the rise of intelligent human life. The author makes an odd presumption here, that Human life will always arise, it being the only way intelligent life forms.

I like the way this story works, the Alien wakes up and interacts with humans a number of times and the stories of these visits are interwoven with the main story about chap living at the time the story was written. It's a super-science story where super geniuses can make anything at the drop of hat. I like these stories! This adventure is a blast and even has touching moment or two to give you contrast.

The reader is the marvelous Mark Nelson who never disapoints.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox

Listen to the first chapter.

The Ghost Pirates by William Hope Hodgson

Official Blurb

The Ghost Pirates is a powerful account of a doomed and haunted ship on its last voyage, and of the terrible sea-devils (of quasi-human aspect, and perhaps the spirits of bygone buccaneers) that besiege it and finally drag it down to an unknown fate. With its command of maritime knowledge, and its clever selection of hints and incidents suggestive of latent horrors in nature, this book at times reaches enviable peaks of power.

My Review

This is a great story, read by a great narrator. The story is creepy and the authentic ship board terminology really helps to give the story a feeling of reality. It's set in the age of sail, on board  a ship that has a history of ghosts. But when a strange mist starts appearing and then ships appear and disappear a feeling of mistrust and fear is bread in the ship. When one of the able seamen seems to go mad the peril of the situation starts to come to light!

This story is told from the point of view of a single character trying to survive in a desperate situation. It feels very Lovecraftian, but without Lovecraft's mythos, and instead relying on the creepiness being achieved by a simple ghost story.

The audiobook is read by the marvelous Mark Nelson, who never disapoints.


Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 9/9

Download it from Librivox.

Listen to the first chapter.

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The Flying Saucers are Real by Donald Keyhoe

Official Blurb

The Flying Saucers are Real is a book that investigates numerous encounters between USAF fighters, personnel, and other aircraft, and UFOs between 1947 and 1950. Keyhoe contended that the Air Force was actively investigating these cases of close encounter, with a policy of concealing their existence from the public until 1949. He stated that this policy was then replaced by one of cautious, progressive revelation. Keyhoe further stated that Earth had been visited by extraterrestrials for two centuries, with the frequency of these visits increasing sharply after the first atomic weapon test in 1945. Citing anecdotal evidence, he intimated the Air Force may have attained and adapted some aspect of the alien technology: its method of propulsion and perhaps its source of power. He believed the Air Force or the US Government would eventually reveal these technologies to the public when the Soviet Union was no longer a threat.

Donald E. Keyhoe, who relates here his investigation of the flying saucers, writes with twenty-five years of experience in observing aeronautical developments. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. He flew in active service with the Marine Corps, managed the tour of the historic plane in which Bennett and Byrd made their North Pole flight, was aide to Charles Lindbergh after the famous Paris flight, and was chief of information for the Aeronautics Branch, Department of Commerce. 

My Review

This audobook is narrated by Roger Melin, one of my faves over at Librivox.  This is not a novel ( or at least it purports itself as investigative journalism. It follows the writers investigation into the "truth" about all of the flying saucer incident that took place after the end of WWII.

I found the whole book fascinating. The details of the cases involved, the investigative process and the reactions of those being interviewed were very well presented. I felt my own curiosity woken up by the questions the author put forwards, and  I ended up as doubtful of the official position as he did himself.

There are a number of UFO theories put forwards here that are still floating around today. I also found the assumptions and the thoughts he had about space travel were made even more interesting because they were written before we actually had space travel.

Well written, well read, totally absorbing.  If you have any interest in ufology, this is a must-listen.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from Librivox.

Listen to the first chapter.

Black Canoes

Official Blurb

None.

My Review

This is another full cast audio drama from the Seeing Eye Theater that runs for about a hour.

A potter dissatisfied with his art and being unable to replicate an ancient glazing technique flips and  ends up destroying the work of months of a rampage of pot smashing. A visiting trainee potter takes his hand and leads him on an adventure.

This one is a bit "out there". The story is cohesive but it is definitely one that tries to stretch your brain. Think of it as modern urban fantasy. The woman who takes the potter on the adventure inhabits a world different from his (and ours) and she leads him on a path of discovery, mystery, adventure and sacrifice.

It's very well done, the acting believeable, the sound effects and music perfectly blended to create the atmosphere. Not really my sort of thing, but in the end I did enjoy it.

Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 2/3

Total Score 8/9

Download it from the Internet Archive

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Official Blurb

None.

My Review

In this full cast audio drama from the Seeing Ear Theater we get a real treat.

When Dana is surprised by being sacked from her job, it's just the start of the strange and weird things about to happen. This is a historical sci fi drama, that might sound a bit weird, but when the story is based around time travel it has to be sci fi, right? But when that time travel keeps the main characters in the past, during the age of slavery in the southern states of america it kind of becomes historical.

This story is about a modern black woman who falls through time into the 1800's. As the story evolves, she finds that she has a mission to accomplish, although it's not one she asked for nor volunteered for.

The white slave-owners treat her as a slave and she has to deal with the culture shock that this produces.

It's very well written, well acted and the story drew me in and kept me hooked for all two hours.  It was fun, exciting and intriguing all at the same time.

Once again, this is a not-safe-for-work story that contains in-character racism of the lowest order, it shouldn't be played to an unsuspecting audience.

Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 9/9

Download it from the Internet Archive
Listen to the first part

Snow Glass Apples by Neil Gaiman

Official Blurb

None.

My Review

I've just finished listening to a dramatisation of Snow Glass Apples by the Seeing Ear Theater. I was really impressed.  It's a full cast drama and very well written and acted. Just like the previous presentation from them.

This is a new look at the Snow White story. All the elements seem to be in the story, Snow White, the dwarves, the poisoned apple, the magic mirrow, yet they are not arranged in the way you remember!

This is plain and simple a monster story, and the monster is not the queen. This is a harsh, horrid story that's not safe for work. It's more Brothers-Grim than Disney.

I really enjoyed the story, despite its dark and horrific nature. Half the pleasure was finding out how the classic story had been twisted!


Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 9/9

Download it from the Internet Archive
Listen to the first part

History of the Devil by Clive Barker

Official Blurb

None.

My Review

I've just finished listening to a dramtisation of History of the Devil by the Seeing Ear Theater. I was really impressed.  It's a full cast drama and very well written and acted.

The story is based around a court case in which the devil is on trial. If the devil is found innocent of corrupting mankind he will go back to heaven. It's filled with flash back scenes to events throughout history where the devil was involved, from the original garden through to events around WWII.

As you might expect with a Clive Barker story things get horrific at times and I don't think the producers of this show held back. The prose is quite belly-churning at times, the brutalness is very raw at times.

The devil himself is no simple one-dimensional character in this story, you tend to hear a lot of story from his own lips and the actor chosen to play him actually makes him appealing to the listener.

As stated above, this is full cast audio drama with music, sound effects etc. It's very well produced although I found this recording a little muddy.

In summary, I really enjoyed this, not safe for public listening, you'll get a few funny looks if you do!

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3 (would have been 3, but this recording was a bit muddy)
Story 3/3

Total Score 8/9

Download it from the Internet Archive
Listen to the first part

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Captain Blackwell's Prize by V.E. Ulett

Official Blurb

A romantic adventure from the days of wooden ships and iron men, CAPTAIN BLACKWELL’S PRIZE is a story of honor, duty, social class and the bond of sexual love.

In 1802 Captain James Blackwell attacks and takes La Trinidad, a Spanish frigate aboard which Blackwell finds 35,000 gold dollars and the American woman Mercedes de Aragon. On putting into Gibraltar with his treasure and his new mistress Blackwell is informed by his irate evangelical admiral of the Treaty of Amiens, denying him prize money earned by the capture and setting Mercedes at liberty. But the self-possessed American has formed a strong attachment to lusty Captain Blackwell. When she journeys with the captain to the North African coast and is taken into the Dey of Oran’s harem, Captain Blackwell must follow his own code of morality and honor to rescue the woman on whom his future happiness depends.

CAPTAIN BLACKWELL’S PRIZE is historical fiction where sword fights and sea battles are depicted alongside the manners, ideas, and prejudices of men and women from the time of Nelson and Napoleon.

My Review

Oh dear...

Well, I suppose that's not enough of a review.  Actually, now I think about it, it's unfair.

When I saw this title on Podiobooks I was flooded with hope and delight. I've long been a fan of the historical drama afloat, I've read all of the Bolitho, Aubrey and Hornblower books, I love the genre.

This book opened just as I wanted, with the drama and excitement of a boarding action, cannons were fired, swords unsheathed and blood was spilt. Excellent stuff, and well written too.

But then it fell from grace.  Rather than simply being a romance at sea, it fell into simple erotica and every chapter then started having a sex scene in all it's gory detail.  I tried skipping the scenes as it really didn't interest me, but found that I ended up missing vast sections.

In the end it wasn't worth the effort and I quit listening.

Now I have said that it was well written, and I truly believe that. The prose and the dialogue was good. I thought that the "romance" was played through too quickly, in a they-meet-they-sleep-together kind of way.  Not a lot actual romance or will-they-wont-they tension.

And so my disappointment leaves me writing a review where I can't actually give it a rating because I didn't finish it.

Reading ?/?
Production ?/?
Story ?/?

Total Score ?/9

Download it from the Podiobooks
Listen to the first part

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Origin of Legends: Crush Depth by Jeff Lane

Official Blurb


A novella by Jeff lane called Crush Depth starts off his Origins of Legends series:

Marylou Kelsum is a young scientist about to embark on the journey of a lifetime on-board a first-of its-kind research submarine on its maiden voyage to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean.

But not long after they get under way, Marylou’s professional dream come true turns into a nightmare. A face appears, looking into her cabin porthole at the impossible depth of 5,000 meters below the ocean’s surface. And worse, she thinks she recognizes the face as that of a fellow crew member.

Crush Depth is narrated by the author and brought to life with a full cast.

My Review

This is a fun little sci fi story set not in space, but under the sea.  It has a little bit of mystery, a little bit of horror, a little bit of sci fi geekery and the mix is just right.  I really enjoyed the story.  I can't say too much without giving away a lot, it being a novella doesn't leave a lot for me to tell you about without despoiling the whole thing.  Story wise this is great, sound production wise, ahhh, that's another story.

The opening/closing credits and the narration are fine, the acting by the full cast is also pretty good. Where this falls down is the sound work. I get the impression that whoever put this together was doing their first audio drama/podcast because the actors keep either breathing on the microphones or on some occasions blowing the levels.  The levels have been calmed down so you won't lose an ear drum but sadly that doesn't fix the sound where half the vocal tones are missing. It seems a real shame that this little little problem has slipped through. As I said great story, and I really hope they make a second version, with all the same people but with a little more attention to mic' work.


Reading 3/3
Production 1/3
Story 3/3

Total Score 7/9

Download it from the Podiobooks
Listen to the first part

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