The Apocalypse Codex

By: Charles Stross

Narrated by: Gideon Emery

Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

The winner of multiple Hugo Awards, Charles Stross is one of the most highly regarded science fiction writers of his time. In The Apocalypse Codex, occasionally hapless British agent Bob Howard tackles a case involving an American televangelist and a supernatural threat of global proportions.

©2012 Charles Stross (P)2012 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

“Stross gives readers a British superspy with a long-term girlfriend, no fashion sense, and an aversion to martinis.” ( San Francisco Chronicle)

Best of Series--So Far

This is one series that keeps getting better and better. You can tell that it's building up to something big, but it just hasn't come yet. My only complaint about the story is that it left me hungry for Bob Howard's next adventure. I want more and there isn't any more yet.

I' also have to comment on Gideon Emery's narration in the series. He is wonderful. Both this book and The Fuller Memorandum had some important American characters. I thought Emery' did a flawless job with the American accents. He's one of the few British narrators who can do American accents well. He even gets the o's right.

Even at its Worse, A Great Series

Any additional comments?

Even when this book is easily the worst in the series, it is still a great book.

If you have been following my reviews on this series, you know I prefer the times when Stross is making satire or spoofing workplaces. The second book, Jennifer Morgue, wasn't as good because it was just a typical action book with a great protagonist. This book returns to the template of Jennifer Morgue. There is just action in this book and effectively only a nod to his asinine workplace.

Actually, as I write this I'm more and more frustrated with The Apocalypse Codex. I enjoyed it, but there were just so many dull parts. The first book was 100% first person following Bob. After that, multiple perspectives have been creeping in, and they reached a peak in this novel. The Bob parts are an oasis in a vast desert that spanned the spectrum from boring and pointless to frustrating and insulting. So a solid quarter or so of the book I zoned out on.

Humor is still here, I laughed a good amount and looked forward to continuing the book when I had put it down. As such, I recommend you continue this series, especially since the next one is supposed to return it to its glory.

The series as a whole is still an easy recommend to anyone, but frankly this book is a very low 4 stars.

Bob takes on an American televangelist

3.5 stars, Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.

Charles Stross continues to entertain with The Apocalypse Codex, the fourth novel in his LAUNDRY FILES series. I suppose you could read this without reading the first three books, but it’d be better to start with book one, The Atrocity Archives. For this review, I’ll assume you’re familiar with the story so far.

Bob has been unintentionally working his way up in the Laundry, the secret British agency where computer scientists, mathematicians, and physicists have, by accident, become sorcerers. For every case he’s been on, Bob has sort of bumbled his way into a successful outcome just by using his brains and creativity. Now he’s being groomed for a leadership position, so he needs some people skills. A lot of his preparation involves sitting in boring management training classes and seminars where he has to use role-playing to learn how to navigate the upper levels of the British government’s bureaucracy. This is not fun for Bob.

He’s also learning more about how the Laundry functions and he’s surprised to discover that the agency uses “External Assets” when they need something done that is too politically sensitive for a government agency. In this case, the delicate issue is that the Prime Minister has become chummy with a wacky TV evangelist from Colorado Springs. Why is Pastor Schiller trying to get in with the PM? The Laundry suspects something fishy is going on, so they dispatch Persephone Hazard, an External Asset with an unsettling past. Bob is sent to Colorado Springs to monitor her activities and make sure she doesn’t embarrass the Crown… and, of course, he discovers that the something fishy is more than fishy; it’s tentacled, too.

If you’ve read the previous LAUNDRY FILES novels, you know what to expect here. The Apocalypse Codex is fast-moving, has a unique and unpredictable plot, has a great supporting cast (including some new characters who we’ll hope to see again), and is clever and full of silly nerd in-jokes (if you don’t like nerd in-jokes, stay away from THE LAUNDRY FILES).

All of this is fun, as usual, but it would be nice at this point in the series to see a little more development of Bob. Even though he’s moving up in the Laundry, it’s not due to any motivation or intention on his part. He’s essentially the same person he’s been all along, though he’s aged several years since The Atrocity Archives. For someone who has learned the secrets of the multiverse and who has nearly died several times while facing eldritch horrors, you’d think we’d see a little more character development. (Or maybe Bob should start going mad, because that’s what usually happens when humans encounter the Elder Gods).

Stross takes a huge swipe at American fundamentalist Christianity in The Apocalypse Codex. It’s not pretty (it actually sounds like a long angry rant) and is likely to offend some readers. I wonder if Stross really thinks that most American evangelical Christians reject science, believe the earth is only a few thousand years old, dress their daughters in maxi-dresses, and are trying to take over the world with “full quivers.” I hope he knows that what he describes in this story is a CULT, not Christianity. I’d like him to know that there are plenty of American Christians (including myself) who practice science, accept evolution (it’s a theory about how life on Earth has developed, not how it was created), like to hang out with people who have different worldviews, and sneer at televangelists.

Interestingly, Stross introduces an Anglican Vicar in this novel — he’s Bob’s friend who will be dragged into the Laundry in the next novel. It will be interesting to see what Stross does with him. I’ll let you know…

The audio versions of THE LAUNDRY FILES, narrated by Gideon Emery, continue to be excellent.

Good story

Would you listen to The Apocalypse Codex again? Why?

Yes. It was solid Landry files story. Still lots to learn about the Landry.

What did you like best about this story?

The ending is the one or the best twists yet for our tech dermatologist Mr howard

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

First book I think I have that he was the reader on. He did a fine job

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh in a couple places.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the next book. Please Mr stross get it out soon

good part of the series

I enjoyed this. slightly repetitive at times but was a decent reminder of what has happened in the previous books. overall i enjoyed it and look forward to the next book. one review said to skip over this book and I'm glad I didn't. this is a great series!

Another Great Story.

I read some reviews about this book and I must say I disagree with the anti religious aspect of the reviews.

I found it more plausible that the view points from the characters - very in character for their specific reactions to the situations encountered.

Excellent over all story arc that brings in past books very nicely and the tech geek in me wants that bloody camera. If only to take pictures :-))

Laundry Universe steadily expands

More Bob? Yes please! Filled with loads of geeky references that had me grinning as I read them, the Laundry series is one in which I get really excited about a new book. And this one pays off. Continuing right off the back of the last novel (like another series I like, the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry, Bob is having a right bad year.. Of course the implication in this series is that things are only going to get worse as the world steady heads toward Code Nightmare Green, which is basically the Apocalypse) Bob is continuing on his track up the management trail at the Laundry. After being selected for management training he is quickly detailed to a previously unknown organization, External Affairs.

Bob and the contractors that he is assigned as oversight have to deal with the latest problem that has concerned the denizens of Mahagony Row, a tele-evangalist who is getting far too cozy with the upper echelons of British Government. So off to America (Colorado) they go. And not too shortly after that everything goes to shit. Turns out the preacher is being mislead and is working with the big scary things on the other plane and Bob and team have shown up near the end game.

A lot more of the underlying world is dribbled out in this book, giving us a better view of the how the Laundry fits into the world (hint, it isn't as important as it thinks it is...).

Another excellent Laundry Files outing

Strong story that expanded our knowledge of the workings of the Laundry, and introduced two characters that I quickly came to very much enjoy. Narration was excellent, loved the accents and intonation used for the American preacher and aforementioned pair. Overall very pleased and kept me hooked.

Advanced computational demonology

Any book that actually contains the phrase that titles this review deserves to be read. This book is, by the way, the sequel to "The Atrocity Archives," and that book must be read before this one, so if you haven't read that one, stop reading now to avoid possible spoilers and go get the first book.

Stross, normally known for his very hard science fiction, has decided to reboot Lovecraft's view of our universe as a place that horrible monsters from other worlds/dimensions/universes are just waiting to invade for all sorts of terrifying reasons. And the keys to such invasion are certain kinds of advanced mathematical routines that, if run or activated or invoked by either a person or the right kind of electronics, will open the doors to these other universes and let the monsters in. All of those intelligence agencies like the CIA and MI6 are really just covers for the true bulwarks against these monsters -- agents who understand this threat and use a combination of technology and intuitive mathematics ("magic") to fight the good fight. It's all great fun, has a strong tongue in cheek element, and is built around a strong story with lots of interesting plot twists and clever surprises. One warning: Stross takes a particularly hostile view of certain flavors of Christianity here, so if you find such attitudes off-putting, you probably won't enjoy this. Gideon Emery does a really solid job with the narration.

great read with lots of potential

love the absolute new look on magic and application of mythology in modern times with a relatable cast of ppl.