Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr

Meandering, amateurish, and plodding

Revisado: 03-21-25

I'm usually much kinder in my reviews, but I couldn't get through this, and the entire time I was just rolling my eyes and shaking my head. The best way I can summarize my impression was that story, writing and performace were all "high-school level", at best. Pretty sure i found this title from someone's recommended-sci-fi list, and now I can't imagine why.

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It's a classic

Revisado: 09-21-24

Just like "I Robot" or "Rendezvous with Rama", this is a classic sci-fi novel that all fans of sci-fi should read. That's not to say that you'll have to force yourself to get through it, like say, Homer's "The Odyssey" or Joyce's "Ulysses".

This is a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable book.

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Like a long bonus episode of the great series!

Revisado: 09-21-24

Hat's off to Chris Barrie -- in addition to all his other talents, an excellent mimic. His impressions of the other actors are so good that I quickly stopped noticing and just settled in to enjoy the ride.

If you love the BBC series, you'll find that this is more of the same excellent writing by Grant and Naylor, along with top notch voices and narration by Chris Barrie (aka Arnold Rimmer).

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A little too "Buck Rogers" for my taste

Revisado: 09-21-24

In sci-fi shows on TV, they can be forgiven for writing a universe where every alien is humanoid, breathes our atmosphere, and speaks English. Actors typically don't want to play long-term roles where their faces are obscured by prosthetics or heavy layers of makeup. Alien puppets and special effects are expensive, and the writers need some device to move past the communication barrier with each new encounter.

Sci-fi NOVEL writing, on the other hand, doesn't really NEED to have humanoid aliens, universal translator devices, etc. Alien physiology and communication are some of the things that make sci-fi interesting in the first place, so I'm always a bit disappointed when a novel veers into the convenient Star-Trek-style universe right away.

I didn't DISLIKE this novel, and Ray Porter is one of my favorite narrators, after all. I will say that some potential may have been wasted here. It was an enjoyable enough listen, but I probably won't remember much about it after a year or two passes.

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Another great (stand-alone) book in the series

Revisado: 09-21-24

Loved each book in this series; great writing, great narrator. Highly recommended.

This author's works remind me of Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep" and "A Deepness in the Sky", in that there are multiple layers of storytelling, switching POV between characters as multiple story threads interact tentatively at first and then build to an intersection at the climax (the authors behind The Expanse series are masters of this as well). The result is masterful, gripping storytelling with great character development, lots of real science/physics, and a good mix of wonder and peril.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Interesting premise with a passable story

Revisado: 09-21-24

Others may enjoy this more than I did -- there's certainly nothing negative that I could say; the writing and narration were good enough that I was lost in the story throughout (something that's not always the case). There's a reveal towards the end that was both surprising and thought-provoking; something that isn't a given with lots of Sci-Fi these days.

Still, I think it's likely that I'll mostly forget this particular story, even if the journey was mildly enjoyable. You could certainly do WORSE than to listen to this, but it seems unlikely (to me, at least) that it's something you'll be thinking about in the years to come.

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An adequate short story

Revisado: 09-21-24

I've been a huge fan of Margaret Atwood since I read The Handmaid's Tale in college back in the late 80s. Oryx and Crake was a more recent standout for me -- just fantastic.

This short story, while comparable to competent efforts by lesser authors, left me unmoved. You may feel differently -- I've been spoiled by her previous works, so I'm trying to be careful not to imply anything specifically lacking; just that there are better choices from this author.

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Loved every second

Revisado: 09-21-24

First, Robert Forster knocks it out of the park with his narration. Can't say enough about how good he is.

Story is really interesting; a nice balance of character-rich storytelling with an overarching insights into just how alien 'alien' could really be when we encounter it.

Having finished the book, I kind of wish it had been a series. Not because it was too short or because it didn't have a satisfying ending, but just because I could have gone on listening to Robert Forster's amazing narration and the great writing style for a long, long time.

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My least favorite of an otherwise good series

Revisado: 09-21-24

I've enjoyed the series so far. This installment fell a little flat for me. In particular, there were two child-characters who (it seemed to me) didn't act, talk, or reason like children at all. That was distracting for me, since a great deal of the story hinged on at least one of them.
I still recommend the series. So far the books have been (mostly) stand-alone, in that you don't need to have read every one to understand the next one. If that remains true, you could skip this one and save it for last.

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Great. Just great.

Revisado: 11-01-21

This is how an autobiography should be done. A frank and thorough account of someone's life/career, warts and all. I've known bits and pieces about her career, e.g. she and her husband wrote The Loco Motion for Little Eva, and a few tunes for the Monkees. She worked and performed with James Taylor, but I didn't know about her interaction with Joni Mitchell or her having met with members of the Beatles.

A great listen -- enjoyable from beginning to end.

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