Space Opera
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Space Opera
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Narrated by:
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Heath Miller
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Written by:
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Catherynne M. Valente
About this listen
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets Eurovision in an over-the-top galactic science fiction spectacle from best-selling author Catherynne Valente where sentient races compete for glory in a universe-wide musical contest - where the stakes are as high as the fate of planet Earth.
A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented - something to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding.
Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix - part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete.
This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick, and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny - they must sing.
A band of human musicians, dancers, and roadies have been chosen to represent Earth on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of their species lies in their ability to rock.
©2018 Catherynne M. Valente (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded BooksWhat the critics say
"Heath Miller narrates a story that is equal parts scathing social commentary and hilarious send-up of music competitions.... Miller shines as the sarcastic and sardonic narrator who guides listeners through the byzantine galactic history that led to this confusing state of affairs. He also does an outstanding job creating a range of convincing alien personas, as well as bringing the human characters to life.... Those who enjoy intelligent satire will be richly rewarded." (AudioFile)
Featured Article: 20 Best Sci-Fi Audiobooks for Exploring New Worlds
There is no genre that lends itself better to audio narrative than Science Fiction does. There is a magic that transports listeners to new worlds of wonder and mystery that is heightened by expert voice actors and narrators. A great writer can create an imaginative new world or dystopian civilisation, but it is up to the narrator to bring this world to life around you. We’ve gathered together 20 of the top science fiction audiobooks ranked not only for their stories but for the emotive and compelling narrative performances. Let these award winning tales and voices carry you away to worlds unknown.
What listeners say about Space Opera
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Andrew
- 2024-03-22
Glib without being funny
I had high hopes, having loved Douglas Adams “Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy”, and I think the author did a decent impression, but the story never caught me, and I just found it glib and unfunny. The three narration is quite good, but doesn’t save this story enough that I want to finish it. Maybe it’s too much “been there, done that already”.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dan G
- 2019-06-13
Life is beautiful, and life is stupid.
It's not often that a story can move me to tears of laughter one minute, and tears of emotion another. If you ever enjoyed anything remotely similar to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you will love Space Opera.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- aLex
- 2024-04-08
Trying a Bit Too Hard
Narrator was lovely as always. The story was trying to be a bit Hitch Hikers Guide but not exactly finding its footing. Parts were lovely and you could tell the author was having a great time. Worth the read.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Barbara Scutt
- 2018-06-28
book saved by narrator Heath Miller
Horrible writing! The author found a thesaurus and used all the words. Each new concept and idea was explained ad nauseam. I was hoping for a fun light-hearted science fiction comedy but instead got an encyclopedia of alien creatures, their worlds, and cultures. This is not a story. I am very impressed by Heath Miller and his ability to read and portray all the characters without screaming in horror.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Robert W Stilwell
- 2018-10-20
good narrator, awful story.
i liked the narrator, his reading gives the feeling of a broad range of authentic emotions carried over a great range of character voices. Unfortunately he couldn't help the story.
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