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  • The Kraken Wakes

  • Written by: John Wyndham
  • Narrated by: Alex Jennings
  • Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (9 ratings)

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The Kraken Wakes

Written by: John Wyndham
Narrated by: Alex Jennings
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Publisher's Summary

Journalist Mike Watson and his wife, Phyllis, trace it back to the strange showering lights they noticed on the final day of their honeymoon cruise; lights which appeared to land and disappear into the water. Reports mount of similar sightings all over the world. Governments embark on missions to investigate the sea, but ships disappear and diving crews never return to the surface. Something deep in the ocean does not want to be disturbed.

The Kraken Wakes is a tale of humanity’s efforts to resist alien invasion, narrated by Mike who unfolds the story as experienced by the couple - from the earliest signs of trouble, to the conflict between the sea-dwelling creatures and the human world. John Wyndham’s classic science-fiction masterpiece is powerfully brought to life in this unabridged production. His other titles - The Midwich Cuckoos and The Day Of the Triffids - are also published as audiobooks by CSA Word.

©1953 CSA Word (P)2011 CSA Word

What listeners say about The Kraken Wakes

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Very relevant despite its vintage

Not John Wyndham’s best but still a good story full of interesting thoughts that are pertinent to our current situation.

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Required reading for climate deniers!

I first read this book when I was a teenagers in the 1960s. John Wyndham was considered edgy future dystopian science fiction in those days. After having listened to “The Chrysalids” on Audible, I decided to revisit Wyndham’s other works in order of publication.

The first time around, the notion of climate change wasn’t really much of a thing for a young lad in his teens. I just remember my geography teacher saying that if the ice caps were to melt, the flooding in London would be so bad that Nelson’s column would disappear below the floodwaters.

Here we are in the 2020s, and the spectre of climate change is here and very present. This book should be required reading for climate deniers. Yes, the premise of this book is very different, with the notion that the climate conditions are brought on by extraterrestrial invaders, but the outcome is the same, and this time, we’ve done it to ourselves! A very powerful reminder of the power of nature and humankind’s inability to manage a climate gone rogue.

The narrator does a very good job throughout, and his vocal variety keeps the story going very well, although there are sometimes some lapses in his foreign accents that grate on the listener, but all in all, it’s a compelling listen - the musical interludes, however, quickly become tiresome and repetitive.

Considering the book was written in the mid-1950s, one could almost consider John Wyndham to have been a prophet of sorts. He really must have done a lot of research to be able to transport us into this post apocalyptic drowned world, where the apocalypse, such as it is, is more of a whimper than a big bang.

Great work, Audible!

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A veritable page turner so to speak

This is a fine example of a literary work that is also classic sci-fi. If the quality of writing means something to you and you enjoy sci-fi you might like to try this book. Alex Jennings has accomplished an easy to listen to reading and has developed the main characters of the narrator and his wife thoroughly. The story is exciting. Totally enjoyed it.

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