Koban, Volume 1

By: Stephen W. Bennett

Narrated by: Patrick Freeman

Length: 25 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

All new narration adds sound effects and eliminates issues noted in reviews. To obtain new version, remove old one from device, download new copy at no charge.

We colonized seven hundred planets. Humankind enjoyed the benefits of expansion and the end of wars. We disbanded our military.

Then the Krall found us.

The Krall have used thousands of years of combat to select the genes of the strongest and fastest warriors. They are a species determined to dominate the galaxy, through annihilation or enslavement of every opponent.

Koban is an uninhabited high gravity planet with impossibly fast savage animals, which employ organic superconducting nerves. This deadly world is where the Krall are testing humans for fighting capability. We are useful only if we can fight well. If not, they will destroy us swiftly, as they have other species. They have slaves, and we’re poor tasting meat animals, so we fight or die. The Krall will use us, if worthy, seeking physical perfection through attrition of war, one planet at a time.

Growing weary of our failures in testing, the ruthless Krall are on the verge of a decision to eliminate our species. A ship carrying bio-scientists is captured for combat testing. The choice for Captain Mirikami and the scientists is simple: Prove we can produce better, smarter fighters quickly, or humanity is doomed to rapid extermination.

But the Krall are only half the problem. We must survive Koban's gravity and superfast animals. The tiger-like rippers with skin contact telepathy are predators too fast and powerful for the Krall to face. Our solution is genetic: If you can't beat them as you are, become human rippers.

The Krall will learn another species can bypass natural selection.

©2012 Stephen W Bennett (P)2013 Stephen W Bennett

Fun story

Nice take on survival of the fittest and it stimulates a bit of thought on the gen mod discussion, but mostly it's a fun scifi story. The narration was good but at times the production quality was lower than many other books I have received here. All in all, I would recommend this.

Here it goes

Koban was a good book, I took a chance on it. Never been into sifi like books. There are some things I didn't like, like some dialogue or how the author switched roles for men and women. But the overall story is good and I want to listen to the next book.

Good, though predictable and overly detailed

Though I ultimately enjoyed the story of Koban, I was repeatedly frustrated with how little faith Bennett places in his readers to interpret context clues. On numerous occasions, the narratives and dialogues are halted to explain why a character asked a particular question or how they felt about a statement, even though their response or reaction would imply the answer already. This leads to an annoying amount of redundancy when a character's action is narrated, and then immediately illustrated. For example, "[Character] had a counter-proposal: 'I think we should do this instead,'" instead of simply carrying on the dialogue with "I think we should do this instead."

Another complaint is the complete lack of character development. Although all of the characters have obvious physical changes throughout the course of the story, not one of them confronts a serious ethical dilemma and has to stress over coming to a decision. Each of them thinks and acts the same way throughout the story. Finally, the foreshadowing is handled very poorly. The outcomes of major events are obvious to the reader because they are either so mundane as to be a foregone conclusion, or are foreshadowed to such an extreme that one can easily anticipate the outcome.

Those criticisms aside, I did enjoy the book. It is a fairly good exploration of humanity's first contact with a superior alien race and how humanity adapts to survive. If you are looking for a straightforward space story of humanity's attempts to outwit a superior foe, then this may be for you. If you're looking for something with a good deal more intrigue, suspense, and character development, look elsewhere.

Good aliens vs. puny humanity space plot

Good story line, but some of the descriptive phrasing seems too long or wordy, almost as if the books audience is meant for teenagers. Unfortunately the narration matched this by a slow measured narration style, that seems to lack pep. I will get the next book to see how the story develops.

Better than other reviewers indicate.

The story is great to listen to. The reader has a few issues but once I let myself get past those it was a good listen.

GREAT BOOK

Where does Koban, Book 1 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I like the narrator and the book. This is a fun story and I can't wait till his next two books are available.

Great Story/Deadly Narration

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

To put it mildly: no. I read all the reviews here before I bought this eagerly-awaited audiobook. After seeing opposing reactions to the narrator, I decided to accept him in the spirit of the positive reviews. I listened several times to the sample and thought I could live with any imperfections. But it didn't take long before I had to stop listening simply to escape surprising extremes of mental suffering.The narrator reads this excellent story in the gruesome meaningless cadences one would employ for doggerel.

There are indications of a very nice speaking voice and an intelligent mind behind the voice. So...how can this happen? Did the narrator never listen to a decent reader? Has he never listened to himself, made extensive comparisons, and asked a selection of people to respond with useful criticisms? I believe that the problems of chronic tonal and rhythmic meaninglessness can be fixed. And they had better be. Somewhere within himself, the narrator has the makings of actually being good at his job. Meanwhile however, he is very far from inadequate- and well into the realm of downright excruciating.

What did you like best about this story?

I didn't get far enough to know what I will like best. But right from the beginning, I found the quality of the writing and thinking behind the story intriguing, creative, and original.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

He strangled this worthy book, one bizarrely contorted paragraph after another. Other than that...

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

I wouldn't. In my view there has never yet been a film better than a very good book.
In theory of course, it should be possible.

Any additional comments?

Yes. The world needs more good audiobook narrators.

Started out slow.....

By the end I was enjoying the story. I was really annoyed by several of the audio voice, but stuck with it. I will download book 2 and give it another chance. In truth I listen during exercise and the annoying vocal performance distracted me from the pain of exercise. Kind of like hitting you thumb with a hammer to distract from your broken leg.

Still has narration quirks but what a fun book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This really is an enjoyable book once you get into it. the characters do however seem a little one dimensional and the plot is basically Battlefield Earth meets Swarm by BV Larson.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Writting this makes me realize the characters are surprisingly weak. There is the oddly arrogant gal who hits guys in the package in every scene she is in, the captain who talks aliens into stuff, selfish prideful foolish brute aliens who are all exactly alike, and the guy who laughs at everything uncomfortably. You decide who your favorite is.

What aspect of Patrick Freeman’s performance would you have changed?

"Exscape, debrisss, macabray, despit, all coupled over and over with odd emphasis on the wrong words. This narration still makes me wonder how this guy AND his editor got the job. It's really weird.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The story is enjoyable despite the odd narration and unessassary sound effects. Even with the criticisms I've made I've already purchased the next in the series. I see it has a new narrator and I look forward to a little payback on the Krall.

Any additional comments?

At least he doesn't pronounce stinger with a hard G.

Pronunciation counts

Woulda done more stars had the narrators pronounced things better. Debris ha a SILENT s sound at the end. Escape is NOT pronounced ecscape. Please get it right. Love the story, will get the series.... I just hope the narration is better!