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Natural Selection  By  cover art

Natural Selection

By: Dave Freedman
Narrated by: Brian Emerson
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Publisher's summary

A team of marine scientists is on the verge of making the most stunning discovery in the history of man: a previously unknown predatory species, alive now, evolving just like the dinosaurs, and being forced out of its world and into man's for a violent first encounter.

In their quest for answers, they engage a host of fascinating characters, experts in neurology and deep sea geology, flight-simulation wizards, and evolution historians, and set off together to exotic locales, experiencing love, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal along the way. When people start dying, the real hunt begins.

Weaving science and thriller in a way not seen since Jurassic Park, Natural Selection is that rare blend of intricately layered research, rich characters, and tornado pacing.

©2006 Dave Freedman (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Jaws meets Charles Darwin." (USA Today)
"[An] entertaining debut; possesses all the predatory features to provide maximum chills....An awesome beach read." (Publishers Weekly)

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What listeners say about Natural Selection

Average customer ratings
Overall
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Some editor greenlighted this?

The first half is okay, interesting although the science is a stretch. I could deal with that, I even enjoyed it. Once the critters leave the water though, the book goes off the rails.

First off, can you imagine two-ton rays floating around like butterflies? They do this without wings, just little magical rippling muscles. Boy, imagine if NASA gets a hold of this. Rockets can just float up into space from now on... suspension of disbelief is one thing, but I can't turn my brain off.

Plus the plot becomes ridiculously predictable, the narration is childish, and the dialogue is embarrassing. The author repeats the same phrases in the space of a couple of pages. I can only believe a publisher read the first half and thought it would be a good Crichton clone. He didn't bother reading the second half where the book becomes a slasher flick with writing that a ten-year old could improve on.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Artic Penguins?

Another hit from Audible and Blackstone. I enjoyed this "very tall tale" immensely and would have given it +4 because of all the great visuals it inspires, CGI creators will have fun with the movie. However, with all the research mentioned in the book, the author (Dave Freedman) somehow overlooked the simple fact that there are NO PENGUINS in the Arctic, Walru, Polar Bear and Puffins, YES, but no Penguins. I found this ovesight to be humorous but also dismaying. How could all the editors and the author himself allowed this to go to print?

JD Writer

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Junk science

Although the story is mildly entertaining, I couldn't get past the fact that this is the worst researched book I have ever read. The technical errors are just too glaring to be overlooked. To mention a few:
- As already mentioned, there are no penquins in the arctic, and penguins and polar bears do not coexist anywhere in the world.
- One does not suddenly find oneself out of air at 180 feet deep and just pop up to the surface. Decompression from 180 feet would usually require several spare air tanks.
- True, most fish have a swim bladder, but no cartilaginous fish, and therefore no rays, have one.
These are just a few that stuck out in my mind. I can't help but wonder how this stuff gets published.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

did a 10 year old write the 2nd half

I enjoyed the first half of the book. I agree with other reviewers that the scientific explanations sometimes had very little relevance to the storyline. But I love the Discover channel, so they were barable. But then when I started listening to the second part. AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!

From then on it pretty much drops into sillyness. And it was tough to even finish listening. Too bad, cause it really was interesting for the first half.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Natural Selection

A pretty good idea for a story but the writing is absolutely amateur. Major continuity errors and the author did not do enough research on his subject so that the story, although science fiction, lacked cfedulity. This book stinks.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Ok listen, B Horror feel.

This is like a Sci-Fi channel original movie. Not as bad as everyone else made it out to be but not worth the one credit. If you can get it on sale then worth a listen if you like generic horror.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

I'm not sure

I have listened to many books, but this was one of the hardest to get through. The premis of the book was wonderful, but I'm still not sure if it was the reading or the writing of this book that made it so difficult to listen to. I hope that other's can enjoy this book and not have the same issues as myself.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

incredible story

I loved everything this book had to offer
from the description of the demon Ray's themselves to the way everyone slowly understood it
it had an amazing balance of pseudo science and actual terms
and the characters were so well established, that I actually got attached to them
I hope to god more books are like this

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fun read

A bit ridiculous but a fun read. At times very tense, the science behind it is questionable, but all in all a good read.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Becoming Reality

I absolutely love this audiobook and have listen to the story many times. The deep ocean is a realm that few of us has ever ventured. Do we know what it is really like down there? A new species of manta rays have been discovered and are being monitored by a group of scientists who are realizing the horror these species represent to mankind.

Brian Emerson's narration is spot on and gives this audiobook its life. Dave Freedman's story is fictional yet every time I enter the ocean, I have to wonder if such creatures can really exist. Dinosaurs roamed the land and sea at one time and are thought to be extinct. What if they are here, still evolving?

"Audible 20 Review Sweepstakes Entry"

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1 person found this helpful