The Many-Colored Land

Volume 1 of the Saga of Pliocene Exile

By: Julian May

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

This is a spellbinding tale woven of equal parts epic and myth - with a liberal dash of hard science fiction.

When a one-way time tunnel to Earth’s distant past, specifically six million B.C., was discovered by folks on the Galactic Milieu, every misfit for light-years around hurried to pass through it. Each sought his own brand of happiness. But none could have guessed what awaited them. Not even in a million years.

In the early 22nd century, many humans are being born with psychic powers and are linked in a single galactic mind. Those without these psychic powers - the misfits, undesirables, criminals, and radicals - have a choice: mental reprogramming or exile. Exile, voluntary or otherwise, takes them back six million years, to a time between the extinction of dinosaurs and the rise of Homo sapiens, and to a time of exotic surprises and unknown dangers.

Julian May lives in Washington state and has been writing science fiction and fantasy for more than 30 years.

©1981 Julian May (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“ The Many-Colored Land…takes readers on an amazing journey from the distant future to the distant past, using unexpected routes all along the way…A tremendously original premise; fast-paced storytelling that defies predictability; and a sympathetic and well-rendered cast of characters.” (SFReviews.net)

“The Many-Colored Land is the first volume of one of the most impressive science fiction series I have read.” (Reviewers-choice.com)

Good book ... but where's the rest of the series?

If you could sum up The Many-Colored Land in three words, what would they be?

Good book ... but where's the rest of the series? It's a bit of a bummer to not have the rest of the series as audiobooks. This is not a new series, so what's the holdup?

Great story

Love this series. It's too bad there are no other audio books from this author.

Cant wait for the rest of the series.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Many-Colored Land to be better than the print version?

Definately not. How can u compare peas to carrots? Books are great and audibooks are great. Is one better than the other? Who can say. I love both.

What about Bernadette Dunne’s performance did you like?

Bernadette did very well. It would have been nice to have multiple readers, but she did well.

Any additional comments?

Bring on the rest.

Now next book please!

Such an awesome, awesome book and a great narration but where are the rest of these great books guys?

Excellent book!

The book is top notch! A good story, excellent descriptions, and overall a great source of entertainment. The narrator isn't the best but I can't hold that against the book as a whole. I'm hoping the rest of Julian May's metapsychic books become available as audiobooks!

Audible and Blackstone audio, we need more in this series!

Join me is by far one of my favorite writers and I own several of her series around the meta-humans. This version the series, “the many colored land,” mixes all of my favorite elements of science fiction and fantasy. Engaging characters, excellent plot devices, stupendous world building, Smart and accessible dialogue. I was perfectly happy with the narrators rendition of this wonderful work. Please please please, Blackstone audio, please continue with this series on audiobook. We need “the non-born king,““the adversary,“ and the three books in the intervention series, In this fast paced digital world where everyone is moving and driving all the time, please make these wonderful works of Julian and May available to her great many fans!

Every bit as good as I remembered

Top drawer meld of hard science fiction, sword and sorcery, and folktales. Hadn't read it in years, but it lives up to my memory. Brilliant world building, character development, and plotting. How has this never been made into a big budget TV series?

Narrator is excellent - distinct voices for all the main cast, plus supporting characters. Where are the audiobooks for the rest of the series?

classic portal fantasy that holds up

well written, well told story. a supreme scifi twist on the elves/dwarves thing. some might call this scifi, for me backwards time travel goes under fantasy genre.

Right then...

Somewhat interesting - took a long time for the plot to unfold. It felt disorganized. The Tanu and Firvulag were very interesting as it seems they might have been taken from Celtic mythology and twisted to feel nether-worldly? The Tanu being Tuatha De Danaan’ while the Firvulag were the equivalent to an invading race like race called ‘Firbolg’ two factions that were at war with each other.

I'm not sure audible is going to do the next audio in the series and I think this book will suffer because of that, it's sorely needed. The story felt incomplete to me.

Truely enjoyed this audio book!

I had read the hard cover version and this brought back that feeling of awe.