Sam Pagan - Audible Editor

AUDIBLE EDITOR

Sam Danis

Nerdy. particular. curious. Sam is sci-fi & fantasy obsessed—but she also enjoys a healthy dose of memoirs, thrillers, and true crime. Audiobooks are her crutch during long drives and complicated knitting patterns.

Sam's Recent Reviews

Product List
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,028 ratings
    • An immersive, atmospheric journey
    • Fiction podcasts are a relatively new medium to me, but I’ll be listening to a lot more after this one. Cleverly told through two astronauts’ dispatches to Earth, The Sea in the Sky is a sci-fi story that is at turns suspenseful, heartfelt, and haunting—with just enough humor to break up the tense claustrophobia that only a deep-space adventure with such rich, plausible sound design can deliver. It’s a little bit Interstellar with a dash of The Martian, and yet really all its own. I recommend enjoying this one under a clear night sky for maximum effect, but no matter where you listen, prepare to be transported.
    • 08-31-20
    • Donor 9623: Part One
    • Length: 20 mins
    • An emotional investigative story
    • The best true crime walks a fine line between revealing the shocking details and preserving the humanity and dignity of the victims involved. This story—about a prolific sperm donor who biologically fathered 36 children, all while misrepresenting himself to the families who chose his genes—completely hits that mark. Each episode of this compulsive eight-part series builds on the next, revealing the complexity and flaws in a system so many rely on to become parents. Dov Fox’s reporting leaves few stones unturned, examining this strange and shocking story from all angles. A must-listen for any true crime fan, particularly of the podcast variety.
    • By: Micaiah Johnson
    • Narrated by: Nicole Lewis
    • Series: Ashtown, Book 1
    • Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
    • Release date: 08-04-20
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,136 ratings
    • A gripping journey through the multiverse
    • I love a good existential crisis, and no concept guarantees one quite like the concept of multiverses—so naturally I seek out sci-fi that scratches that itch. Micaiah Johnson has imagined a really unique spin on the sub-genre—in this world, extra-dimensional travel is possible, but only to universes where you (or, that universe’s version of you) are already dead. I just started listening to this exciting debut, narrated by the amazing Nicole Lewis (of Such a Fun Age fame), and I’m hooked.
    • By: Martha Wells
    • Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
    • Series: Murderbot Diaries, Book 5
    • Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
    • Release date: 05-05-20
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 8,473 ratings
    • I’ve never related to a robot so hard
    • I’m somewhat of a latecomer to this series, which was introduced in 2017 with the novella All Systems Red. But recently, while looking for a fun, escapist listen, I finally hit play—and I’m an instant convert. This installment in the series is particularly exciting, because it’s the first full-length novel and stands on its own. So even if you, too, haven’t listened to this series yet, you can dive right in. But really, you owe it to yourself to catch up on the other listens—they’re short, fun, smart, and perfectly performed. Murderbot, brilliantly voiced by Kevin R. Free, is a big #mood right now. They just want to be left alone to watch their stories without humans bothering them—and what’s more relatable than that?
    • By: N. K. Jemisin
    • Narrated by: Robin Miles
    • Series: The Great Cities, Book 1
    • Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
    • Release date: 03-24-20
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,711 ratings
    • Don't mess with New York
    • So many writers and creators have attempted and brilliantly succeeded at the city-as-character trope, and New York has been featured heavily in these stories—but how many writers can say they literally made New York a sentient being? Wait—don’t think about that too much: just start listening and experience how Jemisin drops you into this wonderfully weird, wild new fantasy series as if you were arriving for the first time in this bewildering and amazing city itself. I love her ability to adapt her unique voice to any story she tells, and this one—fast-paced, surreal, a little jaded—felt so quintessentially New York, I swear wore a permanent grin for the first few chapters. I didn’t really need a reason to get hyped about this new series beyond the fact that it existed—but as a born-and-raised New Yorker, Jemisin has written the love letter to my city that my weird little nerdy heart didn’t even know it yearned for.