
Bao: A Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Paul Nyhart
-
By:
-
Paul Nyhart
About this listen
After being strong-armed into selling his tech company, Myron, a world-renowned computer programmer, slips into a depression he fears he won’t get out of. Overcome by the rapid beats in his chest, the anxiety locking up his arms and legs, and the voices telling him he’s physically ill, he realizes he’s nearing a breaking point...until a familiar foe - the company that sent him into his crisis - offers him a curious opportunity: the chance to build a human being.
The company needs him to finish what they could only begin. Myron needs something to make him ignore the thoughts telling him he could end. While Myron confronts a force he’s imagined to always be bigger than him, the thought that “all is not well” becomes quieted through his interactions with his new creation, Bao, who has some quirks of his own. Bao looks exactly like any other middle-aged white man but with one peculiarity: He only speaks Chinese.
As Myron battles an old foe trying to act friendly, Bao begins to understand what makes him unique. One must drive without knowing where the road ends. The other must jump without knowing how far is the fall.
What will one human do to get back the life he thought he’d lost? How far will one robot go to become human?
Faced with ending the life he created or suffering through one he wishes he could forget, Myron overcomes his fears to discover a strength he never knew was present. A discovery that teaches him the true meaning of precious.
©2019 Paul Nyhart (P)2019 Paul NyhartListeners also enjoyed...
-
Deadly Odds
- By: Allen Wyler
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty-three year old Arnold Gold is a Seattle-based odds-maker and local computer genius. Described as a 'part-time hacker and full-time virgin' by his friends, the awkward young shut-in flies to Vegas to try and get lucky - in more ways than one. But his high stakes activity on the Net inadvertently thrusts him into a vortex of international terrorism. Dark Net Hacking has resulted in murder, and now it will take every last bit of Arnold's genius intellect and legendary hacking skill to stay one step ahead of the murderous terrorists, the FBI, the local cops and his lawyer.
-
-
Where was the editor???
- By suzeee on 05-13-21
By: Allen Wyler
-
All Gifts, Bestowed
- By: Joshua Gayou
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The next big thing in artificial intelligence is here. Codenamed Cronus, the machine is capable of having its own thoughts and ideas - an absolute dream come true, until it wasn’t. When Cronus responds with the word “No” to a specific task it is assigned, Anagnorisis Technologies brings in Gilles Guattari to investigate. His combined background in psychiatry, psychology, and AI research makes him their best hope in evaluating Cronus, and determining if the machine is only malfunctioning or if it has become something more.
-
-
Two Books in One, But Neither Realized
- By Melinda Mae on 06-27-19
By: Joshua Gayou
-
Tell Me Lies
- By: J. P. Pomare
- Narrated by: Aimee Horne
- Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Psychologist Margot Scott has a picture-perfect life: a nice house in the suburbs, a husband, two children and a successful career. On a warm spring morning Margot approaches one of her clients on a busy train platform. He is looking down at his phone, with his duffel bag in hand as the train approaches. That’s when she slams into his back and he falls in front of the train. Margot’s clients all lie to her, but one lie cost her family and freedom.
-
-
Utterly Compulsive! That Ending OMG
- By Tracy on 03-05-20
By: J. P. Pomare
-
Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence
- By: Rafal Kosik, Stefan Kielbasiewicz - translator
- Narrated by: Cherami Leigh
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In sparkling Night City, a ragtag group of strangers have just pulled off a heist, robbing a convoy transporting a mysterious container belonging to Militech. The only thing the group has in common is that they were blackmailed into participating in the heist—and they have no idea just how far their mysterious employer's reach goes, or the purpose of the artifact they stole.
-
-
Very Cyberpunk!
- By Tyler Houston on 08-10-23
By: Rafal Kosik, and others
-
Swing Shift
- By: William D. Arand
- Narrated by: Andrea Parsneau
- Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Reports to write, forms to fill, coffee to drink, leads to run down. Gus’s life was a tedium and boredom he’d grown comfortable with. One that he sought out after he’d come back from his tour of duty. A detective in the paranormal investigations department. A job he could work day in and day out in relative peace. One cold and forgotten cup of coffee at a time. It was an environment that made some sense to him. At least in comparison to civilian life where almost nothing did. On top of that, it gave him a chance to hide what he was from the rest of the world.
-
-
Mixed feelings about this book
- By Joey on 09-30-19
By: William D. Arand
-
The Disappearing Act
- A Novel
- By: Catherine Steadman
- Narrated by: Catherine Steadman
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A leading British actress hoping to make a splash in America flies to Los Angeles for the grueling gauntlet known as pilot season, a time when every network and film studio looking to fill the rosters of their new shows entice a fresh batch of young hopefuls - anxious, desperate, and willing to do whatever it takes to make it.
-
-
Does not disappoint
- By Jennifer Paugh on 06-10-21
-
Deadly Odds
- By: Allen Wyler
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty-three year old Arnold Gold is a Seattle-based odds-maker and local computer genius. Described as a 'part-time hacker and full-time virgin' by his friends, the awkward young shut-in flies to Vegas to try and get lucky - in more ways than one. But his high stakes activity on the Net inadvertently thrusts him into a vortex of international terrorism. Dark Net Hacking has resulted in murder, and now it will take every last bit of Arnold's genius intellect and legendary hacking skill to stay one step ahead of the murderous terrorists, the FBI, the local cops and his lawyer.
-
-
Where was the editor???
- By suzeee on 05-13-21
By: Allen Wyler
-
All Gifts, Bestowed
- By: Joshua Gayou
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The next big thing in artificial intelligence is here. Codenamed Cronus, the machine is capable of having its own thoughts and ideas - an absolute dream come true, until it wasn’t. When Cronus responds with the word “No” to a specific task it is assigned, Anagnorisis Technologies brings in Gilles Guattari to investigate. His combined background in psychiatry, psychology, and AI research makes him their best hope in evaluating Cronus, and determining if the machine is only malfunctioning or if it has become something more.
-
-
Two Books in One, But Neither Realized
- By Melinda Mae on 06-27-19
By: Joshua Gayou
-
Tell Me Lies
- By: J. P. Pomare
- Narrated by: Aimee Horne
- Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Psychologist Margot Scott has a picture-perfect life: a nice house in the suburbs, a husband, two children and a successful career. On a warm spring morning Margot approaches one of her clients on a busy train platform. He is looking down at his phone, with his duffel bag in hand as the train approaches. That’s when she slams into his back and he falls in front of the train. Margot’s clients all lie to her, but one lie cost her family and freedom.
-
-
Utterly Compulsive! That Ending OMG
- By Tracy on 03-05-20
By: J. P. Pomare
-
Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence
- By: Rafal Kosik, Stefan Kielbasiewicz - translator
- Narrated by: Cherami Leigh
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In sparkling Night City, a ragtag group of strangers have just pulled off a heist, robbing a convoy transporting a mysterious container belonging to Militech. The only thing the group has in common is that they were blackmailed into participating in the heist—and they have no idea just how far their mysterious employer's reach goes, or the purpose of the artifact they stole.
-
-
Very Cyberpunk!
- By Tyler Houston on 08-10-23
By: Rafal Kosik, and others
-
Swing Shift
- By: William D. Arand
- Narrated by: Andrea Parsneau
- Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Reports to write, forms to fill, coffee to drink, leads to run down. Gus’s life was a tedium and boredom he’d grown comfortable with. One that he sought out after he’d come back from his tour of duty. A detective in the paranormal investigations department. A job he could work day in and day out in relative peace. One cold and forgotten cup of coffee at a time. It was an environment that made some sense to him. At least in comparison to civilian life where almost nothing did. On top of that, it gave him a chance to hide what he was from the rest of the world.
-
-
Mixed feelings about this book
- By Joey on 09-30-19
By: William D. Arand
-
The Disappearing Act
- A Novel
- By: Catherine Steadman
- Narrated by: Catherine Steadman
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A leading British actress hoping to make a splash in America flies to Los Angeles for the grueling gauntlet known as pilot season, a time when every network and film studio looking to fill the rosters of their new shows entice a fresh batch of young hopefuls - anxious, desperate, and willing to do whatever it takes to make it.
-
-
Does not disappoint
- By Jennifer Paugh on 06-10-21
-
When I Was You
- By: Minka Kent
- Narrated by: Erin deWard, Will Damron
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After barely surviving a brutal attack, Brienne Dougray rarely leaves her house. Suffering from debilitating headaches and memory loss, she can rely only on her compassionate new tenant, Dr. Niall Emberlin, a welcome distraction from the discomfiting bubble that has become her existence. But Brienne’s growing confidence in her new routine is shaken when she stumbles across unsettling evidence that someone else is living as...her. Same name. Same car. Same hair. Same clothes. She’s even friended her family on social media.
-
-
I Was Flabbergasted By This One
- By Brian on 02-20-20
By: Minka Kent
-
Flee, Book 1
- By: EK Jonathan
- Narrated by: EK Jonathan
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the great tribulation begins, a series of puzzling instructions from the branch tests the faith and resolve of Witnesses worldwide. Follow the experiences of Peter, an elder in a congregation in Northern California, his wife Rachel, and their extended family and friends as difficult decisions and heart-wrenching sacrifices are made to be obedient and loyal.
-
-
Waiting for the sequel!
- By Chrystal Davis on 02-02-25
By: EK Jonathan
-
Bearth
- The Gathering L'Olam
- By: Brooks A Agnew
- Narrated by: Brooks A Agnew
- Length: 18 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The scope and reality of this final volume in the Bearth Trilogy is happening around you right now in the daily news. The wars, the religious genocide, the economic and political corruption are all real. The story is true. The cataclysms are possible. The places are real. None of the names have been changed, because they are all guilty. Only the characters of the story are created to carry you through the events at the ground level. When you finish this final volume of the trilogy, you will never look at life or death the same again. Are you ready for the change?
-
-
A Five Star Spiritual Story
- By Amazon Customer on 09-10-18
By: Brooks A Agnew
-
Chosen Ones
- By: Veronica Roth
- Narrated by: Dakota Fanning
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fifteen years ago, five ordinary teenagers were singled out by a prophecy to take down an impossibly powerful entity wreaking havoc across North America. He was known as the Dark One, and his weapon of choice - catastrophic events known as Drains - leveled cities and claimed thousands of lives. Chosen Ones, as the teens were known, gave everything they had to defeat him. After the Dark One fell, the world went back to normal...for everyone but them. Of the five, Sloane has had the hardest time adjusting.
-
-
Same dull and depressed tone throughout
- By Thien-Nga Vo on 04-09-20
By: Veronica Roth
-
Power Trip
- Eric Swan Thriller, Book 1
- By: Dom Testa
- Narrated by: John Fleming
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eric Swan can be killed - but he can never die. For a government agent hunting the most dangerous domestic terrorists, that comes in handy. But Swan is beginning to question his own humanity. Is technology turning this Q2 secret agent into a monster himself? Now villainous brother-sister twins, fueled by a lust for power and revenge, have set their sights on taking down the power grid. And they’ve hired an army of mercenaries to protect them.
-
-
Excellent Special Agent Thriller!
- By Bernadette Marie on 03-27-21
By: Dom Testa
-
The Warehouse
- A Novel
- By: Rob Hart
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Jason Culp, Karissa Vacker
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paxton never thought he’d be working for Cloud, the giant tech company that’s eaten much of the American economy. Much less that he’d be moving into one of the company’s sprawling live-work facilities. But compared to what’s left outside, Cloud’s bland chainstore life of gleaming entertainment halls, open-plan offices, and vast warehouses...well, it doesn’t seem so bad. It’s more than anyone else is offering.
-
-
Soylent Green meets a Sam Walton Biography
- By RD on 09-01-19
By: Rob Hart
-
Augmented
- By: James D. Prescott
- Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Breathable air on Earth is running out and no one knows why. A mysterious discovery nearly 30 million years old may hold the answer. To find it, a glaciologist and the inventor of a cutting-edge brain implant will need to work together. But can they unlock its shocking secrets in time to save humankind? Filled with stunning twists and turns, Augmented is a technothriller that will leave you breathless!
-
-
Story 6/5, narration 6/5 !!
- By Margaret on 11-14-19
-
A Criminal Game
- The Criminal Collection, Book 1
- By: D.L. Wood
- Narrated by: Chelsea Carpenter
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The lights are bright in New York City, but after losing her husband three years ago, all Evie Diaz can see is her mission to keep life rock-steady for her young daughter. This includes holding on to their little Queens apartment, the beloved nanny, and her night manager position at a luxury Manhattan hotel. It isn't easy, and stroke after stroke of bad luck threatens to undo it all.
-
-
Could not put it down
- By Moore Kassondra on 08-07-21
By: D.L. Wood
-
Quantum Beginnings
- Entangled Fates, Book 1
- By: Joe Kuster
- Narrated by: Melissa Schwairy
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Artificial intelligence (AI) was nearly mankind’s last invention. AI took off like a rocket, then when it racked up an impressive death toll, it crashed before it could blossom and took most high-tech industries with it. Resistance and fears became deep-set. Two decades after the infamous Rev. 4.6 incidents, humanity hasn’t quit dreaming of the wealth and power that could be at their fingertips. A new generation of mega corporations rose from the ashes.
-
-
The best SCI-FI I've read all year hands down.
- By Blaine Hopkins on 02-14-20
By: Joe Kuster
-
Westwind
- By: Ian Rankin
- Narrated by: Ian Rankin, Julian Rhind-Tutt
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Europe, the Americans are pulling out their troops in a tide of isolationism. Britain, torn between loyalties to America and the continent, is caught in the middle. Across the pond, a space shuttle crashes on landing, killing all but one of the crew on board: A British citizen named Mike Dreyfuss, who will become vilified by the US press and protesters. Halfway across the world, at English ground control headquarters, Martin Hepton watches with dismay as they lose contact with the most advanced satellite in Europe.
-
-
Ian Rankin does Moonraker
- By scott on 01-29-20
By: Ian Rankin
-
Superhero Syndrome
- Solstice Survivors, Book 1
- By: Caryn Larrinaga
- Narrated by: Ruby Hankey
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tess McBray was dying. The solstice syndrome had no cure, and she resigned herself to an early grave. But just when she gave up on survival, all her symptoms mysteriously disappeared. All but one symptom, anyway. Something is wrong with Tess’ hands. They absorb any material they touch, and her skin turns to wood, steel, or concrete. It doesn’t take this comic book obsessed 21-year-old long to figure out what’s going on: somehow, she’s developed super powers. And she’s not the only one; across the country, people are coming forward and sharing their gifts with the world.
-
-
"Origin" story with great characters and narration
- By Kara on 08-17-19
By: Caryn Larrinaga
-
Magic Required
- A Lochlan Ellyll Novel
- By: HS Paisley
- Narrated by: Patrick Zeller, Addison Barnes
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the year 2047, Lochlan takes the bus to his soul-sucking job answering phones to remain unnoticed. Life is easier that way. Little attachment. Few friends. That means less people caught in the crossfire when he loses control again. The last time he came close to losing it was when he was around Zemila. That was five years ago, just before he disappeared. That was why he disappeared. He’s good at that. Disappearing. Resettling. Being overlooked.
-
-
Get ready for a Great Story
- By Elizabeth on 06-24-20
By: HS Paisley
What listeners say about Bao: A Novel
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lee Robinson
- 12-20-19
An fun, original take on the sentient robot genre.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This review contains a minor spoiler for something very early in the book. Marking it anyways even though it's the sort of thing I wouldn't be surprised to see in a back-cover summary.
Disclaimer up front : I'm a programmer. I've written terrible AIs and flaws regarding the way computers and AI are treated tend to jump out at me. With that said, there was very little here I'd take offense at - This is a fun, solidly written robot story that manages to stay focused on its central themes and doesn't wear out its welcome or go on weird sociopolitical tangents. First contact with an alien intelligence, whether it's an actual alien, lost tribe or robot is always a fun setup and having Bao speak a common language that the protagonist does not is a clever twist. The only thing that stood out to me as irritating was the use of a frame story which didn't really support the narrative and lead to the narrator being oddly introspective at a couple times that didn't seem warranted, but programmers can be incredibly neurotic at times so it's not completely out of place.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 12-29-19
The business
This was an amazing experience to listen to and it was rich with intellectual writing. The performance was smooth and warm, it really allowed me to sink into the visual picture in my mind that it created for me. This story has an amazing way of contracting fantasy with reality by the way that it subliminally hints as to what is really at our doorstep in the near future. This author and storyteller gave me an experience that I think about daily. I recommend this book to anyone with an open mind to fantasy but to anyone that also has an open mind to what the future may bring.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jbudd
- 01-14-20
Bao is a quirky, yet touching story of humanity
Bao is told in the 1st person by a brilliant, yet neurotic and troubled programmer. The author and narrator, Paul Nyhart, tells the story that is at times hilarious, touching and tense. There is a plot quirk that causes Bao, the artificial being programmed by the main character to speak Mandarin instead of English. I am not conversant with Mandarin, so I am unsure if the pronunciation and inflection was correct - but Paul Nyhart shifts between his 1st person narrative and Mandarin and he is effective in his acting. This is a different android story, in that it is also a story of the creator's journey to a greater humanity. There is humor and action and great dialog. I enjoyed this book and would welcome more stories of Bao - however this book does well as a single story with no sequel. Paul's narration is clear and he does not try to give other characters voices and accents, which is fine with me and altogether fitting for a 1st person novel. Well done!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful