Out of the Dark

By: David Weber

Narrated by: Charles Keating

Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

The launch of a new science-fiction adventure series - by the New York Times best-selling author of the Safehold series and the Honor Harrington series.

The Galactic Hegemony has been around a long time, and it likes stability - the kind of stability that member species like the aggressive, carnivorous Shongairi tend to disturb. So when the Hegemony Survey Force encountered a world whose so-called "sentients" - "humans", they called themselves - were almost as bad as the Shongairi themselves, it seemed reasonable to use the Shongairi to neutralize them before they could become a second threat to galactic peace. And if the Shongairi took a few knocks in the process, all the better.

Now, Earth is conquered. The Shongairi have arrived in force, and humanity’s cities lie in radioactive ruins. In mere minutes, more than half the human race has died.

Master Sergeant Stephen Buchevsky, who thought he was being rotated home from his latest tour in Afghanistan, finds himself instead prowling the back country of the Balkans, dodging alien patrols and trying to organize scattered survivors without getting killed. And in the Southeastern US, firearms instructor and former Marine Dave Dvorak finds himself at the center of a growing network of resistance - putting his extended family at lethal risk, but what else can you do?

On the face of it, Buchevsky's and Dvorak's chances look bleak, as do prospects for the rest of the surviving human race. But it may well be that Shongairi and the Hegemony alike have underestimated the inhabitants of that strange planet called Earth...in David Weber's Out of the Dark.

©2010 David Weber (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Weber pulls off this conceit in audacious style with a focus on military-powered action that will thrill fans of his Honor Harrington series, and he keeps the pedal to the metal right up to the almost unbelievable conclusion." ( Publishers Weekly)

Something new

I almost didn't get this book due to the reviews about the ending. I actually enjoyed the ending a lot. I read a lot of these types of books and the way he did this ending was a different take on it. I like to see well written items that surprise me.

Great, very disappointing ending

The whole book was basically great David Webber story except for the ending. I think he ran out of time and decided to just end it in a very non-believable way to meet a deadline.
Very disappointing

Fascinating synthesis! Well read & well wrote!

thoroughly enjoyable for Classical Liberal Military Veterans. Great attention to details... while many critics frown upon detailed descriptions of real world elements as they are folded into the story ... I love it.

I hope this is the beginning of a long running series, because the author did a great job with establishing a rich universe and a strong forward arc!

Very intriguing.

(No spoilers)
When I had the book recommended to me, I was not expecting what I got. To first address the issues
1.) And probably the hardest one I had to get over, was Charles Keating. He did a fine job, the problem was it was very low energy and deliberate consistently; which lead to moments where I found myself tuning out. Only knocking one star off, as other than that, Keating did very well.
2.) I'm a gun nerd too, but David spends too much time on it though, with muzzle velocities, overpressure, caliber equivalences... it's just a bit too much. Paired with Keating's methodical narration, it can kill the excitement.
Some of the readers may point out that I've omitted something. Something very glaring to some. To be honest, and to get it out of the way, the ending does come from the left field. I rather liked it, however, and found it creative. It does feel a bit out of tune but does make me very excited to read the next book.
Some positives to offset a potential negative tone to the book
1.) The aliens feel alien in a lot of ways.
2.) Very good word choice.
3.) Characters are fun and interesting
4.) Stargate References.
5.) Dave has an excellent knowledge of Geography, and the places he goes varies from North Carolina to Ukraine.

Good story until 40 min left.

Won’t spoil the surprise but really enjoyed until then. Come on, the story did not need it, The character development was good, if basically. The story had a good human angle, until. Ready beware and ready for a good story that goes thump.

Great beginning. Pale ending.

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

No, The end of the book suddenly lost the quality of the rest of the book like Mr. Weber just wanted to finish and get through with it, disappointing.

If you’ve listened to books by David Weber before, how does this one compare?

Fair to poor.

Have you listened to any of Charles Keating’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Don't think so.

Do you think Out of the Dark needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, it could start with all the details left out of the end of the first, then get back on track with the human side of the struggle, preparing to go to war against the Hedgemony.

Any additional comments?

Vampires showing up just in the nick of time to save the earth after man did his best (that struggle and its sacrifices were the best part) magically protecting the earth from alien dogs (maybe he was thinking werewolves?) wasn't was I would call the correct ending. But it's not my book, maybe he wrote it for himself and didn't mean to publish it.

Mr. Weber . . . again!

I'm a teacher, and it's my policy to NOT give any 100%s for work done by anyone especially me. ( I figure there's always room for improvement.) If you want to know more about what I think, check out the review for War Maids Choice. Thank you.

good story

need to read up on how goes works. 1 it would be fine when to destroyed the sattelites . 2. there was no reason to get rid of them. Gps receivers are passive ie no emissions

A strong start, a WTF ending.

The book is fairly strong throughout the majority, with plenty of interesting tactics on both parts. However within the last hour of the book it goes steadily down hill. I've never said WTF out loud at an audio book, but this definitely caused it. I'd say if you go into it with full knowledge of the ending being screwy, it's not a bad purchase.

This was a fun story that kept me engaged

I saw some of the negative reviews about the ending of the story but it did not detract from the story at all for me. I actually quite enjoyed it. The performance was well done and the story was more than interesting enough to keep my attention.