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)

Meh

Got to the second section and nothing is really happening so I quit. Not grabbing my attention and seems to have been written by folks wearing skinny jeans.

Some of the stories are great. Other's are not.

Some of the stories in this set are great explorations into what a different world would be like. This set of stories though is very hit and miss. When it hits, like with the story "Utere nihil non extra quiritationem suis" and "Stochasti-city", it hits hard and well telling a grounded but gripping story of simply living in this strange new world and really painting what life is like from an expansion perspective. When it misses, which I'm sad to say is with every other story, it misses the audience the book is for, i feel. The "miss" stories feel like they are written for an audience that already knows this world, and does little to keep me invested in their issues or accomplishments. It, unfortunately, became a lot of noise to me.

So immersive!!!

Amazing vocal performance by Mike Hogan. The BSTG alum brings the first story to life and the other readers continue the excelling with each story.

Fascinating and fun

Metatropolis is like nothing I experienced in the past because it is not so far in the future that is intangible but also not the immediate present technology. It is a clever arrangement of political, social and biological changes caused by our current needs of zero carbon emissions, new inclusive job markets, and the lack of meaning in a ever growing economy and self centered society.

Some were better than others.

I struggled with this collection of stories overall. I love the concept, but didn’t realize how much I would dislike certain authors execution. The first story jumped around so much that I got lost and zoned out for most of it. The ones in the middle were pretty good, but only one of the five stories would I actually classify as “engaging.”

My other issue was that none of the stories lasted long enough to get any real depth with the characters. Listening to this collection of short stories made me realize how much I appreciate a rich, detailed, and long form story. I just didn’t find the same connection with these. Of course this worked in my favor when I really disliked a story. At least then I was put out of my misery in about two hours.

Other listeners may enjoy a new style and perspective every two hours, but for me, I think I’ll stick to single author books for now.

So, there is some relation between stories.

This compilation has a couple of good stories, but the first one bored me to tears. The last couple were interesting, but I really had to struggle in the beginning. I would suggest listening to this if you have no more books in your wish list and nothing else suits your interests.

Woke

Interesting stories but too much politics. Will probably read a sequel anyway Thanks for reading.

Insufferably Naive

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes, the simplistic idea that the world collapsed because of capitalism, oil and evil industrialists and that open source genomes, bicycles, eco-terror and husbanding gazillions of pigs is where sustainable living answers exist.

Would you ever listen to anything by the authors again?

I've purchased 5 other Scalzi novels and after finishing METAtropolis as the first, I'm strongly questioning the wisdom of my other purchases.

Would you listen to another book narrated by the narrators?

Absolutely, the narrations were well performed.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I would avoid it like a foreboding superstition.

Great collaboration

A longtime fan of science fiction, I was wary about a collaborative piece that brought together very different authors. I bought it because I liked the readers -- and they didn't disappoint.

I came to admire the authors for their incredible continuity throughout the stories, for the depth of these short stories, and for writing stories that have stayed with me long after I first listened (and I will listen again). I will definitely listen to more from each of these authors.

It is understandable why it was nominated for the Hugo.

Eco in the future

Very good group of short stories. I do not think that civilization will go that way but I love the argument. I liked the use of the stereo types of the people in each region, NW, S. Cal and the Mid West.
A lost of good ideas that give you things to think about. I recommend it.