Podiobookin': Science Fiction Edition

Earthcore by Scott Sigler

I told you about Scott Sigler in a previous post, but just in case you didn't listen the first time, here's another title of his that should catch your dark-fiction eye: Earthcore. Earthcore grew on me not only because it's a fantastic story, but because I also got the sense that Sigler really kicked back and had some fun. I never got the impression that he was struggling here. In any event, here's the story premiss in a nutshell (I don't want to give anything away):

A treasure-trove of platinum has been discovered below a bare and forgotten Utah mountain, the largest platinum deposit ever, in fact. This billion-dollar deposit is some three miles under the earth, but that doesn't deter Earthcore, a company with the technology and resources to drill down and, if all goes as planned, swim in the profits.

All does not go as planned. But you knew that already, right?

What Earthcore hasn't anticipated, couldn't have anticipated, is that the platinum motherload is being guarded by something terrible and terribly adept at keeping the platinum cache right where it is. Earthcore and it employees are about to discover that their road to riches does indeed run right through Hades.

7th Son by J.C. Hutchins

With nearly 40,000 listeners and 2 million downloads worldwide, it's hard to deny that J.C. Hutchins has some game. With Descent, J.C. launches his 7th Son series with a bang, literally.

The President has just been shot dead; his assassin is a four-year-old boy. This event triggers the assembling of seven men, but not just any seven, as it appears that these men are all identical. They are clones of a man, the original John Michael Smith, known covertly as John Alpha and the leading suspect in the presidential assassination plot. But they quickly discover that John Alpha has even more ambitious plans and the further down the rabbit hole they go, the greater the conspiracy becomes.

If you're into books with hooks, the kinds that employ cliffhangers, twists, and turns, then 7th Son belongs at the top of your audiobook list. Just don't expect to get much else done once you start listening. You've been warned...

Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow has one of those imaginations I wish I could crawl inside. I'm not sure I'd stay too long, but it'd be fun to submerge myself there. In this book, Doctorow crafts a story using dual narratives from the same character, Art Berry, interface engineer.

It's some time in the (potentially) near-future and instant wireless communication is all the rage. But, because you can only really communicate effectively with other people who are awake at the same time you are, people are coming to associate themselves as members of a tribes that represent their timezone.

Art is good at what he does, ensuring that his software is some of the most confounding ever to be seen (or unseen) by human eyes. But Art is living a double life, he isn't a dedicated employee or a major European tech company, he is actually a saboteur, secretly working to ensure success for his true tribe, the Eastern Standard Tribe, and the failure of the Greenwich Mean Tribe.

Unfortunately for Art, his life is about to take a rough turn. When he develops an idea to benefit the EST, his co-worker friend and his girlfriend hatch a plan to sell it to another tribe behind Art's back. And how do they get Art out of the way? They have him committed to a mental asylum.

As mentioned before, the book is told from two of Art's points of view: there's the pre-asylum account and the inside-the-asylum account. The book is a pretty quick listen, but an absorbing one.

Singularity by Bill DeSmedt

Lots of writers include blurbs from other writers or reviewers about how wonderful their books are. Among those listed for Bill DeSmedt's Singularity are Kip Thorne, Jacob D. Bekenstein, and Scott A. Hughes.

So what sets them apart? Messrs. Thorne, Bekenstein, and Hughes are all respected physicists and they praise not only his storytelling ability, but how often he gets the science and theories right. This book is truly a postulater's pleasure.

Also, there's some guys named Greg Bear and David Brin who've apparently written a few books.

In a nutshell--and I'm really paraphrasing here--the book postulates that the Tunguska explosion of 1908 was not caused by a meteor, but by a microscopic black hole (there are others who believe this to be the case and you can read more about it by clicking here). This black hole is still alive and well, swirling around inside the Earth and slowly eating it.

As will happen when things like this are discovered, a plan is developed to harness the black hole for darker deeds, like changing history or ending the world. Of course, part of your problem is the person who has hatched the plot, the other part is the fact that you have a black hole eating your planet.

If you like a good sci-fi action tale and a heaping helping of black hole physics, then Singularity ought to be at the top of your download list.

Space Casey by Christiana Ellis

If you're looking for something a little more lighthearted, perhaps something channeling the late, great Douglas Adams, then I present to you: Space Casey, winner of the 2007 Gold Mark Time Award for best Science Fiction audio production.

I'm listening to this one now and enjoying it quite a bit. The story in a nutshell is that a young woman more adept at picking your pocket than playing damsel in distress steals a space ship and heads into space. And of course, from this point on, nothing goes quite as she would have planned. She ends up stranded out in the depths of space and must use her wits to get back home.

Our hero, of a sort, is Casey, a witty young woman just trying to make her own destiny out in space. She's a strong character with a great voice and someone with whom you are immediately comfortable.

And that audio production award is well deserved. Space Casey sounds like it would be right at home on an evening radio hour program...if, you know, those things existed anymore. It's been very carefully crafted, and that dedication shines through to your ears.

The story is light and humorous; you could almost call it laid back. So if you're heading out on a trip, just finished a heavy novel, or are just looking for a fun story to load into your digital music player of choice, give Christiana Ellis's Space Casey a long hard look. You'll be glad you did.