Post by Kestrel on Apr 24, 2021 1:40:40 GMT
Or: Benny and the Space Nazis.
Okay, so this is my first "real" (fiction) audiobook! (The short story collections don't count!) As such I put this one off for a while, due to the runtime--I was concerned taking breaks with an audiobook would result in making the story hard to follow. Not really an issue here, thankfully, as the story is written like a sequence of novelettes, not dissimilar to the serial fiction that used to be popular--from the likes of Dickens, Yoshikawa, and so on. I didn't think I'd enjoy the audiobooks as much as the short stories, but I was wrong--this one, at least, was excellent!
Really a fantastic story from start to finish. I don't think there was a single part I didn't like. Each chapter was interesting and engaging and perfectly read by Bowerman--to the extent that I often forget I'm listening to an audiobook and not a full-cast drama. She's truly a master of the voice-acting craft. I'm at the point where, I think, I'd be down to listen to just about anything she records.
That said, there were two aspects of the story that I felt were kinda weak: Jason's "death" just doesn't land well, and not just because I'm assuming he's not really dead (what a Gordian Knit Benny continuity is)--rather, Benny's grief feels a little too contrived with how it's written. And, secondly, Benny and Brax are way too quick to accept, to.erase and trust the space Nazi. Remember, he's not just a space Nazi, but a high-ranking space Nazi officer who is also, you know, demonstrably guilty of espionage and murder. The novel glosses over it entirely, but Benny and Brax are both absolutely culpable for everyone the space Nazi murders after they depart the Collection.
I also think it's a testament to the storytelling and vocal performances that my impression of the audiobook is so positive, given the above.
Also, wow, really love how the whole time travel thing was misdirection. I'm never going to understand even half of Benny's continuity, let alone Brax's, but do either of them have access to time travel tech? Does this Braxiatel have a TARDIS? Does Benny even know he's a Time Lord?
Anyway, a lot of times the BTS tracks are pretty disposable, but I quite enjoyed listening to Bowerman just read off "mean" (and good) review excerpts. She also misspoke and the beginning, and now I'd quite .Ike to see her read off "mean tweets," too. Hm.....
Well, such are my thoughts. I hope The Doomsday Manuscript isn't exceptional, because I'm very eager to try out the rest of the Benny audiobooks. I do wonder how much of connective narrative there is between them, though. I'm looking at another audiobook where Benny gets imprisoned by the same space Nazis as were present here, so at the very least they appear to be a recurring villain.
So: anyone else listen to The Doomsday Manuscript recently? If so, what'd you think of it?
Okay, so this is my first "real" (fiction) audiobook! (The short story collections don't count!) As such I put this one off for a while, due to the runtime--I was concerned taking breaks with an audiobook would result in making the story hard to follow. Not really an issue here, thankfully, as the story is written like a sequence of novelettes, not dissimilar to the serial fiction that used to be popular--from the likes of Dickens, Yoshikawa, and so on. I didn't think I'd enjoy the audiobooks as much as the short stories, but I was wrong--this one, at least, was excellent!
Really a fantastic story from start to finish. I don't think there was a single part I didn't like. Each chapter was interesting and engaging and perfectly read by Bowerman--to the extent that I often forget I'm listening to an audiobook and not a full-cast drama. She's truly a master of the voice-acting craft. I'm at the point where, I think, I'd be down to listen to just about anything she records.
That said, there were two aspects of the story that I felt were kinda weak: Jason's "death" just doesn't land well, and not just because I'm assuming he's not really dead (what a Gordian Knit Benny continuity is)--rather, Benny's grief feels a little too contrived with how it's written. And, secondly, Benny and Brax are way too quick to accept, to.erase and trust the space Nazi. Remember, he's not just a space Nazi, but a high-ranking space Nazi officer who is also, you know, demonstrably guilty of espionage and murder. The novel glosses over it entirely, but Benny and Brax are both absolutely culpable for everyone the space Nazi murders after they depart the Collection.
I also think it's a testament to the storytelling and vocal performances that my impression of the audiobook is so positive, given the above.
Also, wow, really love how the whole time travel thing was misdirection. I'm never going to understand even half of Benny's continuity, let alone Brax's, but do either of them have access to time travel tech? Does this Braxiatel have a TARDIS? Does Benny even know he's a Time Lord?
Anyway, a lot of times the BTS tracks are pretty disposable, but I quite enjoyed listening to Bowerman just read off "mean" (and good) review excerpts. She also misspoke and the beginning, and now I'd quite .Ike to see her read off "mean tweets," too. Hm.....
Well, such are my thoughts. I hope The Doomsday Manuscript isn't exceptional, because I'm very eager to try out the rest of the Benny audiobooks. I do wonder how much of connective narrative there is between them, though. I'm looking at another audiobook where Benny gets imprisoned by the same space Nazis as were present here, so at the very least they appear to be a recurring villain.
So: anyone else listen to The Doomsday Manuscript recently? If so, what'd you think of it?