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Fluency
- Narrated by: Susanna Burney
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
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Publisher's summary
NASA discovered the alien ship lurking in the asteroid belt in the 1960's. They kept the Target under intense surveillance for decades, letting the public believe they were exploring the solar system, while they worked feverishly to refine the technology needed to reach it.
The ship itself remained silent, drifting.
Dr. Jane Holloway is content documenting nearly-extinct languages and had never contemplated becoming an astronaut. But when NASA recruits her to join a team of military scientists for an expedition to the Target, it's an adventure she can't refuse.
The ship isn't vacant, as they presumed.
A disembodied voice rumbles inside Jane's head, "You are home".
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Tantalus Depths
- By: Evan Graham
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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The Tantalus 13 survey expedition went off the rails as soon as Mary Ketch and the crew of the Diamelen learned that the thing beneath their feet wasn’t a planet. An impossibly vast and ancient artificial structure lies below, hidden from the universe under a façade of cratered stone. SCARAB arrived on Tantalus 13 two years ago. An artificially intelligent, self-constructing factory, it was supposed to aid the crew in their mission, to meet their every need.
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Good primer for Young Adults new to sci-fi!
- By Philip Maddox on 10-09-22
By: Evan Graham
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Dark Horse
- Class 5 Series, Book 1
- By: Michelle Diener
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Rose McKenzie may be far from Earth with no way back, but she's made a powerful ally - a fellow prisoner with whom she's formed a strong bond. Sazo's an artificial intelligence. He's saved her from captivity and torture, but he's also put her in the middle of a conflict, leaving Rose with her loyalties divided. Captain Dav Jallan doesn't know why he and his crew have stumbled across an almost legendary Class 5 battleship, but he's not going to complain. The only problem is, all its crew are dead - all except for one strange, new alien being.
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A Perfect Sci Fi / Romance Series You'll Love!
- By bluestategirl on 12-02-16
By: Michelle Diener
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War of the Spheres
- By: James Millington, B. V. Larson
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
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When humanity reaches for the stars, our probes are destroyed. They crash into an incredibly advanced piece of technology: a massive force-field. Unknown beings have placed a barrier around our star and planets, enclosing us within. We’re locked inside a Great Sphere. Was this invisible obstacle built to imprison us - or to protect us? No one knows the truth, but it soon becomes clear the barrier has leaks. Aliens infiltrate and try to sabotage our efforts to escape our cage.
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misleading summary...
- By Neil Kresl on 04-04-19
By: James Millington, and others
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Unremembered
- By: Jessica Brody
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the 16-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage - alive - is making headlines across the globe. Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn't on the passenger manifest.
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Invested In the Tale
- By UnreliableHeart on 09-17-15
By: Jessica Brody
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The Last Bastion of the Living
- A Futuristic Zombie Novel
- By: Rhiannon Frater
- Narrated by: Kristin Allison
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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A walled city surrounded by lush land, protected by high mountain summits, and fortified by a massive gate to secure the only pass into the valley, The Bastion remained humanity's last hope against the fearsome undead creatures known as the Inferi Scourge. On one fateful day, the valley gate failed and the Inferi Scourge overran and destroyed the human settlements outside the walls, trapping the remaining survivors inside the city. Now, decades later, the last remaining humans are struggling to survive....
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A breath of fresh air in the Zombie genre
- By sarah on 09-16-12
By: Rhiannon Frater
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Legacy
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Three hundred years ago, Earth suffered a mass extinction event. The last humans fled to the stars in search of a new home. In the darkness, they fought to survive. Now the fleet decays, and their hope of finding a better world is fading. Era Corinth works to preserve the archives, but viewing them herself would be treason. When she's faced with the possibility that her unborn child may be aborted due to a genetic defect, her fascination with ancient secrets escalates to obsession.
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Review of legacy
- By Stephen Bergquist on 03-20-17
By: Autumn Kalquist
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Fool's War
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In this New York Times Notable Book of the Year, a strange new life form threatens all of humanity, and only a fool would stand in its way. Katmer Al Shei has done well with the starship Pasadena, cutting corners where necessary to keep her crew paid and her journeys profitable. But there are two things she will never skimp on: her crew - and her fool. For a long space journey, a certified Fool’s Guild clown is essential, to amuse, excite, and otherwise distract the crew from the drudgeries of interstellar flight.
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Amazing characters. Amazing story. I loved it.
- By E. Brown on 12-08-18
By: Sarah Zettel
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Recon
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Eli knows corruption runs deep within the compound. It's a reality he's forced to confront every year on Bid Day. But when your job is to go out into the radiation-soaked Fringe so that others can live in peace, you don't ask too many questions. For Harper, the bid system works just fine. She's the best developer in her year, and she's confident she'll find a place among the wealthy, respected Systems workers. But when an upset in the bidding changes the course of Harper's future, she'll be forced to rely on an unlikely ally.
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Really fun listen
- By Cate on 05-23-16
By: Tarah Benner
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Titanborn
- By: Rhett C. Bruno
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
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After decades hunting wanted offworlders throughout the solar system, Corporate Bounty Hunter Malcolm Graves doesn't bother asking questions. So long as the pay is right, he's the man for the job. And he always works alone. But when a high-profile bombing on Earth has Pervenio Corp clamoring for answers, they force him to team up with a strange, cyber-augmented partner. A young man more interested in statistics than instinct. Their assignment: Track down a suspected group of extremists from Titan who will go to any length to free their moon from the grip of Earth's corporations.
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Great Mystery Sci-fi
- By Bryan on 02-08-19
By: Rhett C. Bruno
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The Disasters
- By: M. K. England
- Narrated by: James Fouhey
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than 24 hours. But Nax’s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy. Nax and three other washouts escape - barely - but they’re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats. On the run, Nax and his fellow failures plan to pull off a dangerous heist to spread the truth.
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Fabulous!
- By Maria W on 07-01-19
By: M. K. England
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Gabriel’s Ghost
- The Dock Five Universe Series, Book 1
- By: Linnea Sinclair
- Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
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After a decade of piloting interstellar patrol ships, former captain Chasidah Bergren, onetime pride of the Sixth Fleet, finds herself court-martialed for a crime she didn't commit and shipped off to a remote prison planet from which no one ever escapes. But when she kills a brutal guard in an act of self-defense, someone even more dangerous emerges from the shadows. Gabriel Sullivan alpha mercenary, smuggler, and rogue is supposed to be dead.
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Gray Fuzzy Soft Laser Pulse Rifle
- By Paul on 06-06-11
By: Linnea Sinclair
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Inquisitor
- By: Mitchell Hogan
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
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To Inquisitor Angel Xia, it was just another corporate killing on a backwater planet. But as the bodies begin to pile up and she finds herself a target, she realizes she's stepped on one toe too many. Barely escaping attempts on her life by powerful agents with seemingly limitless reach and influence, Angel senses even her co-Inquisitors can't be trusted. But as the web tightens, she receives a cryptic message from a computer program claiming to be a little girl in desperate need of her help.
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meh
- By James Cross on 08-17-15
By: Mitchell Hogan
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What listeners say about Fluency
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- Striker
- 10-30-14
Great Concept, Loved the Story... I Want More!
I went into this book already loving the concept of the story. I was pleasantly surprised that even though I thought I knew where the story would go, but there were plenty of twists, turns, and surprises in store.
Summary with very, very minor spoilers (How else can I describe the storyline):
The book focuses around a female linguist with extensive experience in field and emergency situations (although she tries to suppress those life experiences). As an expert in the field of languages and communication, a former leader of a team in a first-contact situation with an isolated human tribe, and possessing a demonstrated ability to manage stress and react to emergencies, she is the first candidate chosen by NASA for a top secret mission.
As part of the story, it is revealed that the Roswell crash was actually a shuttle from a much larger ship located in the asteroid belt. The huge ship has been seemingly abandoned for decades, now floating dead in space. After recently discovering that a comet is on a direct path for the ship, NASA sends a mission to the ship before the comet can destroy it. The mission is meant to be the first of two. The first is to survey what is there and report back so that the second mission will be prepared. The main character is along to take charge in the event of a first contact situation with anyone still left on the ship.
After arrival, a single survivor makes contact with our linguist... in a rather unconventional way. We also come to find that the entire crew was killed by some kind of bio-weapon. Only the navigator, a somewhat different being than the rest of the aliens, survived alone for the past several decades.
Without giving too much of the storyline away, we also eventually learn that the aliens in question are members of a coalition of intelligent life that are united against a single threat, and had originally visited earth in search of allies.
The book did end, as I expected, with a cliffhanger... It is definitely set up for another book to follow. Although I am always irritated when there is more story to be told past the end of a book, but it will make me look forward to the next one (PLEASE let there be a next one!).
As I said, I went through the book thinking I knew what was around the next turn, only to be gladly proven wrong.
The narrator does a pretty good job as well. While isn't the best narrator ever, the narration felt believable enough for a 5-star rating, although I probably would have given a 4.5 if possible.
I think that there were a few issues in writing style and execution in a few small places, but I loved the rest of the book so much that I couldn't warrant giving anything less than 5 stars. I almost couldn't stop listening, and that's what I want in an audiobook.
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42 people found this helpful
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- Aurochs
- 08-10-16
I "drug" myself away as quickly as possible.
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
Someone who knows little about SF and doesn't mind horrible grammar.
What was most disappointing about Jennifer Foehner Wells’s story?
The hero, Jane, is supposed to be a linguist. Apparently, Foehner doesn't know that linguistics is an analytical, structural science, not a savant talent. Jane is not a linguist; she is a polyglot. The concept is old: a linguist on a first-contact mission who translates and empathizes with the aliens. But in Foehner's novel, the alien AI communicates psychically--in English! So, a linguist--Jane--is useless; any other character could have filled the hero role. At one point, a character "drug his eyes away from" an instrument panel. I "drug" myself away from this novel by the end of chapter 4, and wish that Audible still allowed returns and refunds.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
Yes.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
An old, but excellent concept. Many SF writers have used linguists for first contact and made the stories exciting. Perhaps Foehner should have read more of them, especially H. Beam Piper who investigated the possibilities of General Semantics for solving human-alien communication problems.
Any additional comments?
I won't be buying the sequels. How could other listeners think that this novel is 5 stars?
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38 people found this helpful
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- SciFi Kindle
- 12-24-14
Hindered by romance angle, entertaining though
When NASA’s secret small team of specialist experts reach the derelict alien BDO (Big Dumb Object) in Arthur C. Clarke’s “Rendezvous with Rama”, the reader got a fabulous tour of soaring wonder and possibility. When it happens here, we instead get the inner monologue of an adolescent girl-crush which is frequently interrupted by some space opera. There is a heavy dose of romance in this debut novel, and a lot of wish-fullfillment that makes far too much of the plot predictable as our protagonist, expert (and civilian) linguist Dr. Jane Holloway, overcomes a series of challenges that stem from the less capable (and military) men that accompany her. I found parallels with Gary Gibson’s “Stealing Light", which also features a heroine in psychic possession of an alien derelict starship, as well as James Cameron’s “Aliens”, which had similar survival-horror action scenes. Here in “Fluency”, Jane is too consistently successful for the dramatic tension to build sufficiently, and the other characters seem accessory. The pacing is greatly improved by a second flashback narrative alternating with the main one, providing both exposition into the mission as well as depth for the character. I felt like the opportunity was missed to create a wildly alien culture, finding instead a slightly varied flavor of humanoid Star Trek style beings, although a wider field of cosmic players is alluded to. Foehner Wells’ forthcoming follow-up novel, “Remanence”, will hopefully delve into these more imaginative possibilities, and downplay or even forego the romance altogether.
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- sci-fi nerd
- 07-15-17
Fluency is anything but fluent
I'm not the kind of person who will rate a book badly if I hate a character, find it too gory, or didn't like the ending. My sensibilities are not easily offended, and I understand not every book is for every person. However, I do rate books badly when they don't work. Fluency is a fine example of a book that does not work, for a number of reasons.
Do you remember the Hyperion series? I appreciated, but didn't love, Hyperion, because when it comes to sci-fi adventure novels, I'm in the "don’t tell me, show me" camp. Long, drawn out histories of peoples or characters I've never met and have no investment in? No. Just no. Give me space exploration, with some real-time and compelling action, maybe with some solid science as a foundation, and I'm good. Spend chapters spinning millennia of tragedy for random civilizations, and you're guaranteed to lose me.
Thus was the case in Fluency. The writing was off, the intensity fell flat, and the character development was charicaturish. There were back stories, but they were unbelievable and seemed to come from a 14-year-old's hero fantasies. And the telepathy-as-a-tool-for-telling-half-the-novel thing was B.O.R.I.N.G. It's hard to craft a compelling story when it's mostly one lonesome and whiny being revealing everything in one woman's mind. There were so many devices used in this book that didn't work, I can't and won't list them all.
Fair warning to those looking at the description: this is not hard science fiction. I live for good hard sci-fi, and this in NO WAY resembles it. I kept having to talk myself into returning to the book, and finally at halfway I remembered I have 200 books with actual potential waiting. Abandoning this meh of a novel was then a no brainer.
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20 people found this helpful
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- Kathy in CA
- 12-15-14
Mysogynists, Beware!
Misogynists, beware! This is a sci-fi story written by a female with a female narrator and two major female characters. If you find that threatening, just skip the book and save yourself having to write a scathing review.
That said, on to my review. I really enjoyed Foehner Wells' first book. I am always looking for a great first contact story, and so many seem to disappoint me for one reason or another. This one had an entirely different feel to it and it gave me much to think about in between listening sessions. The storyline has been well-summarized in the book description and in other reviews. I will forgo doing it again.
While this story has some flaws, I feel that I can forgive these, as it is Wells' first book. With its current success, I feel she will read her critical reviews and acquire some more knowledgeable go-to folks for more detailed scientific and maybe even weapons info. I tend to give a fiction story a bit of leeway and don't get really picky, if I really enjoy the story line and come away satisfied. After all, it is FICTION.
Some reviews have warned of an abrupt, unsatisfying ending but oddly enough, I really liked the ending and the twist that came with it. I am certainly open to a sequel! I also want to add that I did not find an exceptional amount of swearing, as some reviewers did. As for the sexual thoughts, at first I was a bit put off. But I began thinking of what a two-year space mission would be like. I just cannot imagine folks turning off their sexual feelings and needs for that period of time. So after some thought, I realized this was pretty realistic. For me, it did not add to or detract from the story. As for the other characters, I would have liked to see a tad more character development and am hoping it will come with the author's next book.
The narrator did a good job and gave me no complaints. All in all, I found this an enjoyable, satisfying listen and I look forward to a lot more from this author.
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- Mark Vyner-Smith
- 02-05-15
This is barely sci-fi.
First up, I liked the narrator. Good work, good voice.
Spoilers ahead.
The story, however, I found really annoying. Poorly researched. Irrational and petty characters. Throw in a few cliches. Tech introduced merely as a story convenience rather than with any coherent planning. I wanted to see them all die in an explosion, but unfortunately I missed out.
This is a romance, mills and boon, bodice ripper, that happens to be set in space. But only 1 sex scene.
This is a story of trained astronauts who break rules and act like dicks. And then get infected with a virus that makes them act like dicks.
This is a race with scheming enemies who use nanotechnology to kill. But they only program their sneaky bots to kill 1/2 the species on board ship.
It's okay if you suspend disbelief and don't think too hard I suppose. This story just annoys me.
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- Midwestbonsai
- 01-06-15
If you are looking for a cerebral science fiction
This has happened to me in the pas and still I have no good reason why. The cover artwork caught my eye and then I had to listen, quickly adding to my audible wishlist. Then a couple weeks later Jennifer Foehner Wells decided to have me review it. I took it as a sign that this is going to be an amazing low tech science fiction spaceship exploration.
Fluency started off great. A NASA mission, sending modern astronauts to explore an alien spacecraft that they are hiding from the public. So many thing could be on the ship, awe inspiring technology, not to mention strange new life forms.
The summary says “The ship isn’t vacant, as they presumed.”, but really it almost is. There is one being, the ships navigator who just happens to be integrated into the ship, that only communicates via “telepathy”. Through this we learn of the alien race and why they have come looking for Earth.
If you are looking for a cerebral science fiction story, Fluency will be right up your alley. However if you are seeking a story full of fantastical technology and action, this will fall short.
All in all Fluency is story full of fully vetted characters. A little love, a little intrigue, and a lot of introspection. While I wasn’t full engaged throughout I am interested enough to see where the author will take this alien journey.
Susanna Burney’s performance left me wanting more. Characterizations were done, but barely different than the narration. I would have enjoyed it more if there would have been more distinct voices for everyone involved. Along with that it needed some emotions injected to everything. While this is a perfectly ok was to present an audiobook, I prefer more depth to the performances.
Even with all of that I look forward to hearing more from Burney. From the search I did on Audible it would seem that she is fairly new to the audiobook world. I have found, through listening to a ridiculous amount of audiobooks, that it sometimes takes a while for a narrator to find a solid voice or for my initial opinion to change.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
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- Matthew
- 11-19-14
Time to learn a new language!
If you could sum up Fluency in three words, what would they be?
Fascinating
Rich
Engaging
What other book might you compare Fluency to and why?
This was a unique take. Maybe some of Ben Bova's or Alistair Reynolds work. Why unique? Well, the proantagonist is a female, which is unusual in speculative fiction, generally speaking. Her take on the story line was certainly unusual as well.
Which character – as performed by Susanna Burney – was your favorite?
The alien was unique, and well crafted. A difficult character to bring to life, and she did it well.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Not extreme, but it certainly made me think about some of the issues raised in the back story.
Any additional comments?
This is one of those stories that really does both grow on you, and sticks with you. It is also seems to set up a sequel, which would definitely be welcome. It was a credit well worth spending, and as long as you are into alien oriented scifi, I recommend this with no hesitation.
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- V P
- 12-15-14
Embarrassing
Would you try another book from Jennifer Foehner Wells and/or Susanna Burney?
Based on the characters of this book, no.
Would you ever listen to anything by Jennifer Foehner Wells again?
Unlikely. The synopsis would have to be VERY compelling.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
The voice performed did a fine job, I have nothing negative to say regarding this aspect.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
The general concept was stimulating.
Any additional comments?
Most of the characters were paper thin story props with little or no depth. Character reactions were easily predictable and more often than not, simply embarrassing.
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- Eric
- 12-23-14
There better be a book 2
loved the story and concept of it. well written and entertaining. The narrative was done excellently
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