Foreigner

Foreigner Sequence 1, Book 1

By: C. J. Cherryh

Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May

Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

The first book in C.J.Cherryh's eponymous series, Foreigner begins an epic tale of the survivors of a lost spacecraft who crash-land on a planet inhabited by a hostile, sentient alien race. From its beginnings as a human-alien story of first contact, the Foreigner series has become a true science fiction odyssey, following a civilization from the age of steam through early space flight to confrontations with other alien species in distant sectors of space. It is the masterwork of a truly remarkable author.

©1994 C.J. Cherryh (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

A classic.

No one writes emotional first person sci Fi like cherryh. Any one claiming to be a science fiction connoisseur has to have read at least the first book of the series.

Fresh, deep, & intriguing

Everybody's on the brink of war: humans against atevi, atevi against atevi, even humans against humans (small surprise). And trying to balance on that brink is Bren Cameron, a human/atevi language expert plunged into politics and violence.

He's struggling to understand alien motives, to find decent answers to explosive problems, to advise and explain without betrayal, and to hang onto his humanity while submersed in alien culture. Oh--and while Bren dodges lies and bullets, his mom is ill, his brother's marriage is on the rocks, and he himself is dangerously attracted to the younger of his alien bodyguards.

Daniel Thomas May does an outstanding job narrating this fresh, in-depth, and fascinating look at the dangers and rewards of alien contact.

A world I never want to leave

For the last several weeks I have been absorbed in the audiobook world of Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh. I am now on book 13 of 15. This series is so very compelling. It's mostly concerned with the activities of a human envoy to an alien species, and a lengthy expose of detailed diplomatic negotiations with forays into action and warfare. It is surprisingly interesting, to the point that I must listen at all times and not give attention to anything else. I worry about what I will do when the last book is done.

A Credible Scenario of a First Encounter

Would you consider the audio edition of Foreigner to be better than the print version?

Yes, the audio version allowed me to just sink into the story whereas reading it had distractions such as varied lighting, eyes that got tired, etc. The audio version went around all that.

What did you like best about this story?

How very credible the scenario was...thinking about what would happen if stranded space travelers were forced to land on a planet that already had its own population and cultures and what would happen when the two very different peoples made contact.

What does Daniel Thomas May bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The reader brought the background motivations of emotion or lack thereof, to the forefront in the characters as they walked through the story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Imagine if this were you.....

Any additional comments?

I love this series and have read it via hard copy but I'm enjoying a far richer experience in hearing the stories told...I must be a good Celt after alll, we all love good tales told well and this series satisfies that trait.

The. Narrator. Sounds. Like. A. Robot.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I wouldn't change a word, no even during the "slow part".

What did you like best about this story?

The exploration of foreign minds, feelings and instincts.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Now I object; the narrator sounds like a robot. A bored robot.

Could you see Foreigner being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Absolutely! I've even imagined the trailers. I'd love to see Michael Clarke Duncan as Banichi, Sigourney Weaver as Jago and Ben Browder as Bren Cameron.

Any additional comments?

Where is Robertson Dean when you need him?!? His voice would have been perfect for this novel. I love his deep voice, acting and pace.

Boring

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

It put me to sleep. In fact one night when I couldn't sleep I put this on and drifted off.

My favorite author of all time!

Rarely do you find a book that makes you forget what world your in; CJ does it yet again with the Foreigner series.

Very solid performance of brilliant soft SF

I'd first read Foreigner when it was first published 20 years ago. It's lost none of its "charm" for me. It's a complex tense political chiller with a human attempting to navigate the tides of politics of another sentient species. Cherryh does a great job of portraying the Atevi as alien, yet nearly understandable. The narrator did a good job.

First in great series

I love a long series because I can "hang out" with the characters for a long time. Also, this narrator does a fabulous job with distinguishing between characters and giving a great feeling for different-ness when speaking alien's lines.

#greatnarrator #characterdevelopment #longseries #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

The best one so far.

Drops you right in. And it's sink or swim. You'll either love it or not. I like writer's who's thoughts jump out at you from the bushes. And you have to ask yourself. "Did I see that coming?"