Black Swan Planet
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Narrated by:
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David Swanson
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By:
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James Peters
About this listen
Raka Varoule is a second-rate investigative reporter, traveling between the 27 worlds of the Galactic Empire exposing minor scandals. His big break comes when he weasels his way onto the emperor’s personal star-cruiser to report live, across the galaxy, how the emperor is celebrating his birthday.
When he exposes the biggest scandal in galactic history, he narrowly escapes with the help of a drug runner, a dominatrix, and a monkey wearing assless chaps. Together, they search for an escape from the empire, a barbarian world outside Imperial control. Then things get weird.
Black Swan Planet is a rare treat of a novel. A satirical science-fiction story told in a unique way, utilizing a variety of perspectives. This story will make both laugh out loud and keep you guessing what will happen next. James Peters has woven a story you’ll never forget, even if you lack mnemonic implants or prescription vibrating undergarments.
“As funny as Hitchhiker’s Guide, but with a plot.” (Agent M.)
“I laughed. I cried. I peed my pants.” (Homeless Guy #2)
“You peed your pants before even picking up the book.” (Homeless Guy #1)
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When linguist Andrew Dennison is yanked from his bed by the Secret Service and taken to a top secret facility in the desert, he has no idea he's been brought there to translate the words of an ancient demon. He joins pretty but cold veterinarian Sun Jones, eccentric molecular biologist Dr. Frank Belgium, and a hodge-podge of religious, military, and science personnel to try and figure out if the creature is, indeed, Satan. But things quickly go bad, and very soon Andy isn't just fighting for his life, but the lives of everyone on earth…
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Making My Beelzebubble Burst
- By Carol on 01-01-14
By: J. A. Konrath
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Patient Zero
- The Joe Ledger Novels, Book 1
- By: Jonathan Maberry
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there’s either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills - and there’s nothing wrong with Joe Ledger’s skills. And that’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s good because he’s a Baltimore detective who has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new task force created to deal with the problems that Homeland Security can’t handle....
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Yes! It IS that good. Five stars and more.
- By Kim Venatries on 10-05-12
By: Jonathan Maberry
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The Event
- By: Nathan Hystad
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Cities all around the world reported strange alien vessels descending. Some saw them as the heralds of a new age; others fired everything they had at them. All were taken as the beams lashed down and drew them into the sky. Dean was left behind, seemingly the last man on Earth. A trail of clues left by his dead wife guides Dean on a perilous journey across America and beyond to learn the truth behind the mysterious ships and save humanity from its doom.
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Did not inspire me to get the next book.
- By MD on 12-13-18
By: Nathan Hystad
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The Rise of Io
- By: Wesley Chu
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Ella Patel, thief, con-artist and smuggler, is in the wrong place at the wrong time. One night, she happens upon a man and woman being attacked. The man freezes, leaving the woman to fight off five attackers at once, before succumbing. As she dies, to both Ella and the man's surprise, the sparkling light that rises from the woman enters Ella, instead of the man. She soon realizes she's been inhabited by Io, a low-ranking Quasing. Now Ella must help the alien presence to complete her mission.
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14 plus hours that I'll never get back.
- By Pachypanchax on 11-08-17
By: Wesley Chu
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Mutineer
- Kris Longknife, Book 1
- By: Mike Shepherd
- Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Kris Longknife is a daughter of privilege, born to money and power. Her father is the prime minister of her home planet, her mother the consummate politician's wife. She's been raised only to be beautiful and marry well. But the heritage of the military Longknifes courses through Kris' blood - and, against her parents' objections, she enlists in the Marines.
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Harsh reviews seem undeserved to me
- By Jeffery on 09-29-10
By: Mike Shepherd
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Empty Space
- By: Alan Black
- Narrated by: Todd Haberkorn
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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York August Sixteen was abandoned as a baby, abused and molested as a child, and beaten and harassed as a teen and had his rightful place in the Republic's Space Navy stolen from him. Fighting back against huge government systems was useless. Dispensing justice on an individual, case-by-case basis was more to his liking, yet even that was taken away when he was stationed on a lonely communication space station. York's life would change when he decided to seek justice for people even less fortunate than him.
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In space, no one can hear you kill
- By Michael G Kurilla on 07-31-15
By: Alan Black
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Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds
- The First Adventure of Alacrity Fitzhugh & Hobart Floyt
- By: Brian Daley
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Mankind was beginning its third leap into the Galaxy, but Old Earth had so long kept to herself that her people were unable to travel safely among the rough-and-tumble cultures that had evolved on distant worlds. That annoyed Earth's rulers, for Hobart Floyt--a minor Terran bureaucrat-- had been left a mysterious inheritance by the deceased ruler of a small but wealthy interstellar empire.
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Best Sci Fi Fun anywhere!
- By A. Foxter on 07-07-15
By: Brian Daley
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The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad
- By: Felix R. Savage
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Fletcher Connolly hasn't got a lot to lose. Since he and half the galaxy signed on to the rat race of the technological relics trade, Fletch has come to terms with the idea that he will join the ranks of unlucky explorers that perish light years from home without a dime to his name. But bankruptcy is a great motivator. With friends and family counting on him to strike it rich, Fletch embarks on an unwilling quest for alien treasure.
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I wanted to love this book, but I did like it
- By wag more on 07-26-18
By: Felix R. Savage
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Unwind
- Unwind Dystology, Book 1
- By: Neal Shusterman
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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After America’s Second Civil War, the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life armies came to an agreement. According to their Bill of Life, human life may not be terminated from the moment of conception until the age of thirteen. But between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, the child may be gotten rid of by their parent through a process called “unwinding.”
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Chilling, Scary, Difficult to Read
- By Joe on 11-11-20
By: Neal Shusterman
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SEAL Team 666
- A Novel
- By: Weston Ochse
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Halfway through SEAL training, Cadet Jack Walker, still green but showing incredible promise, is whisked away to join four SEALs and their dog for a special-ops mission. Walker soon finds himself in a whirlwind of otherworldly creatures and events as he discovers the true nature of SEAL Team 666. Battling demons, possessed humans, mass-murdering cults, and evil in its darkest and most and ancient form, the members of SEAL Team 666 have their work cut out for them. And it’s not long before they realize that the threat isn’t directed against the US alone....
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Enjoyable way to spend some downtime.
- By Dan on 01-02-13
By: Weston Ochse
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Almost Infamous
- A Supervillain Novel
- By: Matt Carter
- Narrated by: Nicholas Techosky
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Eighteen-year-old Aidan Salt isn't a superhero. With his powerful (and unpredictable) telekinetic abilities, he could be one if he wanted to, but he doesn't. He's unambitious, selfish, and cowardly, and he doesn't want to have to deal with all the paperwork required to become a professional superhero. But since the money, fame, and women that come with wearing the cape are appealing, he decides to become the first supervillain the world has seen in more than 20 years: Apex Strike.
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I DIDN'T WAKE UP DEAD, THAT WAS A GOOD START
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-13-17
By: Matt Carter
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The Sheriff of Yrnameer
- A Novel
- By: Michael Rubens
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Meet Cole: hapless space rogue, part-time smuggler, on a path to being full-time dead. His sidekick just stole his girlfriend. The galaxy's most hideous and feared bounty hunter wants to lay eggs in his brain. And the luxury space yacht Cole just hijacked turns out of be filled with interstellar do-gooders, one especially loathsome stowaway, and a cargo of freeze-dried orphans.
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Fun, Light-hearted SF
- By Martin Moore on 08-30-09
By: Michael Rubens
What listeners say about Black Swan Planet
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Mario L.
- 06-06-18
Unusual but highly entertaining
Quite colorful and It s not for evrey one but II Loved the humor, the clever plot and did not see it coming how earth got tangled in the story. great narration !!!!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Caleb
- 04-19-18
Absurd, but in a good way (mostly)
When I first started 'Black Swan Planet,' I was worried. The narration was odd, and it seemed like it was going to be eight hours of crude humor, drug abuse, and trying-too-hard-zaniness.
But then it surprised me.
Peters found his groove, and the story took some unexpected turns that were both interesting and deeper than the opening of the book had led me to assume. I found myself laughing out loud more than once, and stopping to go tell my wife about what had just happened (which made her laugh as well). David Swanson's narration smoothed out considerably as well, which made it all the more enjoyable.
Now, this isn't to say the book isn't without flaws. The plotting is uneven and occasionally seems to only be concerned with setting up funny/outrageous scenes (not all of which pay off), and the dialogue quality is a mixed bag. Swanson's attempts at doing voices are also a bit hit and miss (although part of this could be that fake Jamaican accents are hard to take seriously at the best of times).
This isn't the greatest book, but it is entertaining, funny, and wildly unpredictable. Despite my initial reservations, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I received this a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kingsley
- 05-27-18
Backwater planets and space travelling monkeys
When Raka Varoule gatecrashes a party held by the Emperor, broadcasting something he shouldn't, he has to go into hiding on a backwater planet. That planet is 1960's era Earth. But something is wrong, as the technology on this planet it advancing quicker than it should - someone is illegally bringing alien tech to the planet, and Raka wants to know why. Also, unbeknownst to Raka, the Empire is trying to pull itself because of his actions. He has set in motion something that will have a huge impact for Earth, the empire, and himself.
Black Swan Planet is a fun, if not slightly juvenile in humor, romp across the galaxy. It's engaging and entertaining throughout, keeping up a high pace, and providing some fun satire.
Narration by David Swanson is really good. He provides a large number of character voices, filled with emotion and excitement. He brings the book and the characters to life. He is well paced, clear and enjoyable to listen to.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
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- Christian C.
- 05-12-18
Satirical romp through space and time.
The first thing that grabbed my attention was the cover art: a blunt-smoking chimp wearing an astronaut's helmet who appeared to mock me with a sly, poo-slinging grin. Needless to say I was intrigued. It turns out to be a fantastically funny romp through space and time -- a satire full of adventure that entertained me from start to finish. Well developed characters have plenty of attitude and some surprising secrets! David Swanson lends this story a unique voice with his narration. Definitely glad I picked this one up and recommend it to anyone looking for a jolly good time!
(I requested this free review copy audiobook and voluntarily posted this unbiased review.)
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- Daniel Luiken
- 05-16-18
Excellent narrator...odd eccentric crazy story
Swanson does an excellent job narrating this crazy adrenaline laced story. He captures the essence of dozens of characters and is amazing with voices.
The story is a wild one. From drug binges to busty space pirates it is always evolving. I enjoyed it, but you gotta have a weird sense of humor. I recommend this book if you want an intense humor filled action book.
I was able to receive this book for free and am gladly leaving this review willingly.
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- Keith LaDue
- 04-19-18
Fantastic, hilarious romp through the galaxey.
This book is so well written, I'll have to listen to it at least one more time to "get" all of it. It reminds me of the movie "Neigbors" with John Belushi. I will defiantly be looking for more books by James Peters. I believe he is a literary genius. I whole heartily recommend this book. I received the audible version (damn glad I got the audible), and now for the obligatory: This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
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- swyrlgirl
- 10-09-18
Excellent Space Opera!!
It's a cross between Hunter Thompson and Craig Alanson. A hilarious trip for all monkey lovin space adventurers...its absurd, awesome and more from this author and reader please!!
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- Christopher Blakley
- 03-31-18
Good book, horrible Jamaican accent.
Most of the other reviews cover the book, but I had to say something about the narrator's attempt at a Jamaican accent. It sounds vaguely Scottish and only recognisable when he says "mon" instead of "man". It really took me out of the story and made it difficult to concentrate on what was going on in the story.
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- Hudson the Basset
- 04-19-18
Wierd, but OK in the End
I don't always understand satire and this is a satirical science fiction story. Some satire is so forced that you loose any thread of relatability. I was afraid that Black Swan Planet would fall into this category. It did not. Midway through the book I was rooting for the monkey. Who would have guessed? I don't think Black Swan Planet is for everyone, but if you like a little absurdity in fiction you might like this.
David Swanson did a good job narrating.
I was given a free copy of this book for an unbiased review.
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- Alexander Peters
- 08-31-18
Great book
I definitely suggest this book if you enjoy satire and scifi. The characters that the author created are hilarious, and the author does a great job of putting them in interesting predicaments. Overall, I would suggest this book if you want to read something laid back and funny.
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