SPEC OPS: Expeditionary Force Book 2 by Craig Alanson

Narrated by R.C. Bray

Smug and Snappy, Skippy is Back! And He is in Rare Form

Continuing the story of Skippy the Magnificent from book 1,  this is a worthy sequel providing plenty of air time for Skippy to act up while the job of saving Earth from superior hostile aliens is underway. Alanson’s strong suit is likeable characters provided with snappy dialog.

 R.C. Bray is just great in delivering the lines with appropriate smugness and humor making for an wonderful time.. 

LEAP; Book 2 in the Breakthrough Series by Michael C. Grumley

Narrated by Megan Wolf

An Unexpected Excursion into the Jungle

Listeners to the first book in this series will, like me, expect to find an extension of the storyline involving first contact with the alien, but human, race discovered on the bottom of the ocean. To my surprise, and increasing puzzlement, there is only the most incidental indirect reference to this other race for the great bulk of this book. For a while I thought that Grumley was going for a variation on a theme sort of effort; you know, the same characters in a similar situation but with a different result. But no, this is indeed a true sequel. It seems that Grumley has a much larger story to tell and the stage is still being set for that tale. In the meantime, I found Leap to have another strong plot and the characters, the same group from Breakthrough for the most part, are more engaging, due in part to the familiarity I had from recently listening to their exploits in the earlier book. Seeing as these are Grumley’s first two novels he has shown me that he already has a fine grasp on the Science Fiction genre, able to interest the listener with nerdy gadget science and also write believable characters that the follower can begin to care about. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Megan Wolfe is a pleasant narrator for the series. She gives a yeoman’s effort in relaying the words on the page to my ear. I encourage her to step outside her comfort zone and stretch her creative legs by inserting more emotion to the character lines. I get the feeling that she is holding back, not wanting to put her own stamp on the story with a performance that is too energetic. Let it loose the listeners will thank you, or at least I will.

P.S. If you are a fan of Michael C. Grumley you owe it to yourself to go to his website (address given in Grumley’s author comment recorded at the end of Breakthrough) and request a free download of the e-book version of his short story “Genesis,” being a prequel to the entire series. It relays the beginning of the attempt to communicate with the intelligent animal species, a theme that is central to all of Grumlay’s work to date.

FIELDS OF FIRE: Book 6 of the Frontlines series by Marko Kloos

Narrated by Luke Daniels

More of the Same…Fantastic Story-Telling!

I am a big fan of this series. Being book six there’s not much that I can tell you. If you make it this far in the series you are a fan as well, I guess. Suffice to say that it is a fitting addition to the series. Oh, as if I need to say, Luke Daniels is fantastic. 

FULL DARK NO STARS by Stephen King

Narrated by Craig Wasson, Jessica Hecht

Truth in Advertising

Stephen King has written four very dark novellas—as the title indicates. The first “1922” is from the point of view of a wife-killer trying to justify his crime. Truly horrific. It is so bleak that I had to set it aside for a while until my sanity returned. I finished it because Craig Wasson is simply fantastic.

The second entry “Fair Extension” is King’s entry in the “China-man Button story.” But, true to form, King explores the depths of the character as he spirals into deeper cynicism embracing his hatred.

“Big Driver” is my favorite; starting as a brutal assault and then finishes with an ending worthy of Vigilante Force. Jessica Hecht narrates this story expertly.

“A Good Marriage” is a wry excursion into the “two wrongs make a right” philosophy. Amusing.  

All four stories exemplify Stephen King’s strong suit: his characters are fascinating. You just want to go along with them and see what they are up to. I don’t like it when King reels me in and them drags me down the sewer. I like the stories where the people are good hearted in a bad situation better than those with black hearts in a blacker darkness.

SIMON SAYS by Ryssa Walker

Narrated by Nick Podehl

Chronos Files Side Story

Yes this is a brief detour from the Chronos Files series main storyline, but for fans it is an interesting diversion.

Nick Podehl doesn’t have much to work with here being a short first person narrative. If you want to hear him at his best try The Kingkiller Chronicles. 

BREAKTHROUGH by Michael C. Grumley

Narrated by Megan Wolf

Guided Day-Dream

Michael Grumley delivers a modern example of classic extrapolative science fiction. He takes an idea and imagines the implications. There is something about this type of story that appeals to me, always has. It is like a guided day-dream. It hearkens back to my first discoveries in science fiction: that sense-of-wonder that the revelation of new ideas can produce in the child-like mind. Breakthrough takes a few ideas—like translating Dolphin language using computer processing power, or finding aliens living unobserved among us—and builds a fair amount of tension and interest in playing with those ideas to drive the plot. I found the characters to be adequate place-holders for the roles they play in advancing the story but never quite found my way to actually becoming friends with them.  You know, that feeling of a favorite character that you don’t much care what they are doing you just enjoy being with them doing it? But that is no hindrance here. For me the story is the thing and this is a swell story. The other books in the series may show other dimensions of Michael Grumley’s developing ability. Perhaps the characters will become people I will want to hang out with? The reviews seem to say as much.

Without giving too much away I can say that familiarity with the Intelligent Design works of Michael Denton, especially Nature’s Destiny and Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis will be of great advantage to the listener. Denton’s books advocate the theory that the nature of matter itself is tailored to produce the very organisms we see on earth, including intelligent bipedal humanoids. The listener having these concepts under his belt will take Breakthrough more seriously. And, make no mistake, Breakthroughs is a book to be taken seriously.

Megan Wolf reads clearly and with excellent and precise diction–every word clearly enunciated. Her voice is pleasant and sonorous and blends into the background unobtrusively allowing the listener to simulate the book reading experience where all the inflection and emotion is supplied by the listener’s imagination. This may be damming with faint praise, but I do want to be kind here. Wolf’s approach is a popular one: delivering a straight read without introducing much emotion—leaving that to the listener’s imagination. Some prefer this over the more emotional and dramatic approach. I do not.

Classic Science Fiction stories featuring talking Dolphins

WORLD OF PTAVVS by Larry Niven

STARTIDE RISING by David Brin

COLUMBUS DAY: Expeditionary Force Book 1 by Craig Alanson

Narrated by R.C. Bray

Smooth as a Fresh Jar of Skippy

The first half of this novel is decently plotted, humorously self-deprecating, but basically standard fare for military science fiction. Enter Skippy the ancient Artificial Intelligence being (AI) and it immediately becomes laugh out loud funny. Honestly I was liking the book well enough but was not sure about continuing with the second volume of this series when I was at the half-way mark. But with Skippy in the mix I find myself wanting more of the irreverent, snarky, insulting and yet somehow endearing beer-can sized AI from the distant past.

 R.C. Bray has a great resonant voice that easily varies the authority of gung-ho military types and also the condescending voice of the aforementioned Skippy. Oh and by the way, he gives Joe the protagonist and all the other characters excellent voices as well. His is one of those narrator voices that I can enjoy listening to—all on his own—no matter what is going on in the story.