The Incrementalists

By: Skyler White, Steven Brust

Narrated by: Ray Porter, Mary Robinette Kowal

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

The Incrementalists - a secret society of 200 people with an unbroken lineage reaching back 40,000 years. They cheat death, share lives and memories, and communicate with one another across nations, races, and time. They have an epic history, an almost magical memory, and a very modest mission: to make the world better, just a little bit at a time. Their ongoing argument about how to do this is older than most of their individual memories. Phil, whose personality has stayed stable through more incarnations than anyone else’s, has loved Celeste - and argued with her - for most of the last 400 years. But now Celeste, recently dead, embittered, and very unstable, has changed the rules - not incrementally, and not for the better. Now the heart of the group must gather in Las Vegas to save the Incrementalists, and maybe the world.

Editors Select, September 2013 - There are two reasons I’m excited about The Incrementalists. The first is that it’s about a secret, ancient organization that manipulates individuals in order to make the world just a little bit better. The second is that it’s co-narrated by Ray Porter, whose performance made Peter Cline’s 14 the insta-classic it turned out to be. Splitting the narration duties with Mary Robinette Kowal makes perfect sense, as the book’s perspective shifts between Phil, a member of the organization, and Renee, a new recruit. This is just the kind of quirky, contemporary sci-fi I look forward to. —Chris, Audible Editor

©2013 Steven Brust and Skyler White (P)2013 Audible Inc.

Critic reviews

"Secret societies, immortality, murder mysteries, and Las Vegas all in one book? Shut up and take my money." (John Scalzi)

"Watch Steven Brust. He's good. He moves fast. He surprises you. Watching him untangle the diverse threads of intrigue, honor, character, and mayhem from amid the gears of a world as intricately constructed as a Swiss watch is a rare pleasure." (Roger Zelazny)

great story, meh narration

If two narrators are sharing the work, please coordinate your accents for the various characters. It was really distracting.

Almost Speechless

Please find this complete review and many others at audiobookreviewer dot com

I really enjoyed The Incrementalists, was it action packed, no; was it a heart pounding thriller, no; was it anything that I usually look for in an audiobook, no. But still I found myself fully engulfed within the story I could not stop listening. I really wanted the meddlers to meddle more and really change the world. This was an examination of personality, how they evolve or not over long periods of time and how one can lose them selves if they do not embrace who they are. Paradoxically it is a study of how ones personality must change if they are going to save the ones they love. Part science fiction, part love story, part mystery, adds up to a truly unique story of an equally unique secret society. At the end I did feel a bit like I got snookered, The Incrementalists did not live up to my expectation of what I was getting into by any means, even though I wanted so much more. I did not feel like I wasted my time, I found myself, once it was over, saying to my self "Wow".

Delightfully original story

I love the dialogue among the characters. The two lead characters are especially wonderful.

There's a tiny bit of unexplained stuff around the way reincarnation works and how Celeste breaks the rules but largely it's self consistent and a whole bunch of fun.

There are two narrators and it's great fun to hear each of them interpret the voices of the same characters. I've listened to this one more times than any other audio book I "own" and still enjoy it tremendously.

Not what I expected, but not in a good way

I would have preferred to learn more about the secret society of Incrementalists and their history. That's what drew me in about the description, but you get surprisingly little about that. Mostly it's about a crisis the Incrementalists face, and quite frankly, since I didn't really know who they were or what exactly they did, I didn't care very much. I hate to say it, but I wanted a bit more of the Harry Potter structure, where we'd learn about this secret society while being educated in the traditions, etc. There really wasn't any of that AT ALL, aside from a mention of signs going without quotations for emphasis in the very beginning. (And that's a cause that is near & dear to my heart!)

In any case, if you're looking for something in the Potter tradition (even if you're a grown-up and sort of hate to have to admit that), this isn't it. The narration is great, and the story might honestly be fine, but I didn't feel like it delivered on what it promised, so I walked away disappointed.

Good performance of a complicated tale

Where does The Incrementalists rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The book is in the middle of the pack of all the books that I have heard. Despite that, the story, although complicated, intrigued me. The performers portrayed the story and the characters very well.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Incrementalists?

Getting staked, shot, and the conclusion.

What about Ray Porter and Mary Robinette Kowal ’s performance did you like?

I thought their portraits of the characters were very well done. They did the normal rendering of different characters by inflection, accents and tonal quality. They had a good range of styles to perform from two different actors.

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

At times I was lost. The story is complicated, using logic to create tension between the plot and listener. I didn't cry or laugh, but was frustrated at times that I had to go back and think about what the performers said and consider the logic.

Any additional comments?

The story isn't a beach read, nor a dark and miserable tale. It can be brooding and incomprehensible with references to mathematics, logic and poker strategies. I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. It is more than cerebral and requires much thought and consideration to get through with some understanding.

Worth hanging in there..

Would you listen to The Incrementalists again? Why?

Probably wont listen again, by the end of the book i wanted more..but not more of the same again. There's a cool short story available on Tor if you want a touch more though.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Incrementalists?

Oh by far fav moment were the early talks between Phil and Renee..when he unpacks the basic pitch of the incrementalists.. that was fun!

What does Ray Porter and Mary Robinette Kowal bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It was my first audiobook, so the experience of having a woman narrating when it was from Renee's perspective was just really fitting. Ive never heard either narrator before though.. so i have nothing to compare them to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Probably the part of the story where Phil realises he's been 'meddled' with and as the scope and size of that realisation hit him.. I couldnt help but feel gutted for this guy!

Any additional comments?

At first..i didnt like how disoriented i felt at the begining of the story. Reading time/date stamps on emails, the disjointed switches between narrators..it all seemed like a bit of a dud. The lingo of the incrementalists takes some getting used to as well..since it's all in use right from the begining. SO persevere up until Phil and Renee meet. If by then you hav'nt picked up on whats going on..then bail. If you're like me.. and you are curious..get ready!

good story bad production

i really enjoyed this book but there are serious production flaws with syncing the narrators.

I Wanted More "Meddling"

The Incrementalists authors had a great concept but I would have liked more "meddling' (changing the feelings & beliefs of one person at a time). Sadly the book spent more time on a mystery surrounding a member and a love story instead of what drew me in to purchasing the book: "They cheat death, share lives and memories, and communicate with one another across nations, races, and time. They have an epic history, an almost magical memory, and a very modest mission: to make the world better, just a little bit at a time"

The descriptions of the very individualized storage area where each keeps their memories & reasonings was fascinating and you did get some insight into the owner's personality and thought patterns but I would have liked them to take this a bit further with more examples in the present & past.

Does a great book justice

Would you listen to The Incrementalists again? Why?

Yes. I thought both performers did a magnificent job embodying the characters.

Which character – as performed by Ray Porter and Mary Robinette Kowal – was your favorite?

I have to say, I thought Mary Robinette Kowal did a wonderful job with her male voices, especially Phil. Ray Porter was a phenomenal Phil, but Mary managed to capture some of Ray's cadences for Phil with nothing but technique and talent.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Tag Line would be: "Saving the world a little bit at a time."

I understand the mixed reviews...but I ADORED this

What did you love best about The Incrementalists?

Great story..there were times when I felt like I missed an explanation but I still got it

Who was your favorite character and why?

Phil of course...oh and Oscar...Phil should be jaded but he still manages to be
awed a few times.

Which scene was your favorite?

Phil meeting Ren for the first time

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

A few..when Phil was having ephinanies

Any additional comments?

It's a super fun story..a bit of love story and I think thats what throws people off.
But I just spent 20 minutes looking for a part 2. Gutted that there is none.