METAtropolis

By: Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, John Scalzi, Karl Schroeder

Narrated by: Michael Hogan, Scott Brick, Kandyse McClure, Alessandro Juliani, Stefan Rudnicki, John Scalzi

Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Welcome to a world where big cities are dying, dead - or transformed into technological megastructures. Where once-thriving suburbs are now treacherous Wilds. Where those who live for technology battle those who would die rather than embrace it. It is a world of zero-footprint cities, virtual nations, and armed camps of eco-survivalists.

Welcome to the dawn of uncivilization.

METAtropolis is an intelligent and stunning creation of five of today's cutting-edge science-fiction writers: 2008 Hugo Award winners John Scalzi and Elizabeth Bear; Campbell Award winner Jay Lake; plus fan favorites Tobias Buckell and Karl Schroeder. Together they set the ground rules and developed the parameters of this "shared universe", then wrote five original novellas - all linked, but each a separate tale.

Bringing this audiobook to life is a dream team of performers: Battlestar Galactica's Michael Hogan ("Saul Tigh"); Alessandro Juliani ("Felix Gaeta"); and Kandyse McClure ("Anastasia 'Dee' Dualla"); plus legendary audiobook narrators Scott Brick (Dune) and Stefan Rudnicki (Ender's Game).

John Scalzi, who served as Project Editor, introduces each story, offering insight into how the METAtropolis team created this unique project exclusively for digital audio.

©2008 Joseph E. Lake, Jr., Tobias S. Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, John Scalzi, Karl Schroeder (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• 2009 Hugo Award nominee, Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

• 2009 Audie Award nominee, Original Work

“Each story shines on its own; as a group they reinforce one another, building a multifaceted view of a realistic and hopeful urban future.” (Publishers Weekly)
“Scalzi and his contributors/collaborators have created a fascinating shared urban future that each of them evokes with his or her particular strengths.... This stellar collection is a fascinating example of shared world-building.” (Booklist)
"This impressive group of writers imagines what happens when the world moves beyond cities as a locus of human civilization. The range of narrators...brings a unique narrative style to the production. Of the five narrators, all well chosen for the stories, Allessandro Juliani proves to be the best with his rendering of Scalzi's piece." (AudioFile)

A very intriguing post-ap future

Short stories in a shared universe are just like novelizations of stories from commercial universes, be they Star Wars, Star Trek, or Battlestar Galactica, so delving into this new world wasn't so hard even though I knew absolutely nothing about its history before I started listening to the stories. Some try to be very deep, some are better than others, some are easier to understand than others, but that is something to be expected from sci-fi/post-ap stories; the authors try to make their stories analogies of something great, or just interesting adventures in a wide, unexplored world. Or multiple worlds as was the case in one story. While some reviewers call it hippie, tree-hugger, or politically-motivated crap, I see it as just how the world turned out after who-knows-what happened to it. Is it preachy? I can see where that complaint originates, but that sort of thing is commonly found in sci-fi. What, you didn't expect to be some near-political-preachy-agenda to be featured in stories read by BSG actors?

Some of the stories were better than others (John Scalzi's was the funniest), and some of the readings were better than other (Kandyse McClure was AMAZING even though I didn't enjoy the story that much), but I liked it enough to give it 3 and a half stars if I could, but I'll just leave the rating at three stars.

Not my cup of tea

To much modern day lifestyle references that did nothing to enhance the story lines.
Otherwise good stories

Very Enjoyable

Every story was interesting and they wove together rather well. The first story was probably the weakest in my opinion, because it never really explains itself to the listener very well. Still, even that story was fun to listen to.

I'd really like to see more stories written in this alternate future world.

Imaginative

I'm not a big short story reader, but this collection -- with its common themes -- was an exception. I liked the fact that there were different voices and styles (including one I would classify as a comedy). My favorite was definitely the last one. I wished that story was a full-blown novel. I hated to leave its concepts explored only at a surface level. The anthology's editor conceded that the final story's author was the most prolific in the idea dept and you can definitely see that in his story.
This is for you if you like sci fi -- not the stories set in space, but the ones that really get you thinking about the sociology and the human condition. Plus it's got some good geek stuff in it too.

More story, less soapbox

The world building in this collective work was both extensive and creative. However, the world is suppose to be the backdrop. Too often the world itself was center stage instead of the plot or the characters.
I am a big fan of speculative fiction, and where authors think society will be in the not to distant future. I feel the authors went too far with the whole "Evils of the Eco footprint" bit. After a while it was really preachy and worn out.

I gave this audio a four largely based on the works by Buckell and Scalzi. They created great characters and put them in situations I could relate to, regardless of the world around them. Brick and Rudnicki did their usual brilliant job with the narration of their stories. All in all this was a well presented project, but I was left wanting more from this great world the authors built.

Interesting

Interesting collaborative approach to writing. Provides a worrisome glimpse into stark and very imaginable future, albeit with a silver lining. I could have done without the editors narrative between the stories- the explanation at the beginning was helpful but beyond that I wish he had just let the stories speak for themselves.

Great SciFi

The stories really aren't based on the characters. Instead they are driven by the idea that each story is exploring. This book really looks at the future of society and the green movement after humanity moves towards a carbon neutral footprint.

Poetry

I really loved this. I started off intrigued by the shared story concept, then part way through Jay Lake's story I found my self feeling like this was a poem and I stopped trying to figure out how the characters got where they are or what was happening to them but started to feel the moment they were in. I loved it. Definitely had to put my conservative nature to the side for the moment and willfully suspend a little bit of economic and human nature disbelief, but I really enjoyed it.

Here is the future for your pleasure.

Would you listen to METAtropolis again? Why?

Yes, because it point directly to what were going through now.

What other book might you compare METAtropolis to and why?

1984, Animal farm, CSPAN.

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

When you listen to a story that follows the book brings it alive and believable.

Any additional comments?

It's ranks with 'The Road' where your captured without needing to know the entire back story.

Leave the politics out

If you are the slightest bit conservative, you’ll find these stories steeped in leftist propaganda. I’d appreciate it if the writers would leave their political views out of the stories. I read and listen to be entertained, when I want to be educated I’ll get a nonfiction book. This was very disappointing.