The Atrocity Archives

A Laundry Files Novel

By: Charles Stross

Narrated by: Gideon Emery

Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic. But for some reason, he is.

©2004 Charles Stross (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"In Atrocity, Bob, a low-level computer fix-it guy for the Laundry, a supersecret British agency that defends the world from occult happenings, finds himself promoted to fieldwork after he bravely saves the day during a routine demonstration gone awry. With his Palm, aka his Hand of Glory (a severed hand that, when ignited, renders the holder invisible), and his smarts, he saves the world from a powerful external force seeking to enter our universe to suck it dry....With often hilarious results, the author mixes the occult and the mundane, the truly weird and the petty." ( Publishers Weekly)

Do you love the Dresden Files? You'll like this.

Overall this is an easy listen with a great reader/author combination. The second story drags at points (hence the star taken away from story and overall) but the first story carries it magnificently. Highly recommended if you liked the Dresden Files.

In Depth:

The author is a fan of the Dresden Files, and it shows in his writing. He translates the same quick wit, heavy action, and light mystery of the Dresden Files across the Atlantic to a tech geek in England. The magic has a comp sci/math twist that adds a whole new level of geekiness. Gideon Emery's amazing performance rivals James Marsters' performance of the Dresden Files. Get it and thank me later.

great story + brilliant narration

Would you listen to The Atrocity Archives again? Why?

Most definitely. The story itself has a lot of small and fascinating details which are a pleasure to find when you re-read or re-listen. Stross is a great author if you like sf with overtones of very modern urban fantasy, sly humor, equally sly horror and characters acting and speaking like live real people (swearing included, warning).
Plus an extremely good narration by Gideon Emery which adds a totally new layer of enjoyment to the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Charles Stross himself. It's one of those books when you keep hearing author's voice all the time and you quite like what you hear and would love to meet this person and just listen to them talk.

Which scene was your favorite?

The Newton craddle on Angleton's desk.

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

Mostly laugh -quite often.

Any additional comments?

Gideon Emery does a fantastic job with wonderful voice, perfect timing, great accents and nuances - but thankfully without going all theatrical or over the top. Most definitely added to my so far short list of brilliant narrators.

Let Down

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

For me it was not well spent. I found the book disjointed and dull. I was really looking forward to listening to this one but there were to many problems with this title.

I want to love this book

I want to love this book because the story is exactly what I’ve been searching for. And it is well written and fun at times. I absolutely adore the idea behind it, but I just couldn’t get into the storytelling. I didn’t connect with the characters, I felt like it was kind of cheesy at times, and even though the scientific language was quite sophisticated, it came off as just silly to me. A friend of mine tells me I have to keep reading, and that they get better, but I’m not sure I have the fortitude.

intelligent & fun

I found the writing a bit tech. heavy at times, but it was nonetheless an enjoyable listen. The performance was top notch. I will definitely continue the series.