To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Riverworld Saga, Book 1

By: Philip José Farmer

Narrated by: Paul Hecht

Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

All those who ever lived on Earth have found themselves resurrected—healthy, young, and naked as newborns—on the grassy banks of a mighty river, in a world unknown. Miraculously provided with food, but with no clues to the meaning of their strange new afterlife, billions of people from every period of Earth's history—and prehistory—must start again.

Sir Richard Francis Burton would be the first to glimpse the incredible way-station, a link between worlds. This forbidden sight would spur the renowned 19th century explorer to uncover the truth.

Along with a remarkable group of compatriots, including Alice Liddell Hargreaves (the Victorian girl who was the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland), an English-speaking Neanderthal, a WWII Holocaust survivor, and a wise extraterrestrial, Burton sets sail on the magnificent river. His mission: to confront humankind's mysterious benefactors, and learn the true purpose—innocent or evil—of the Riverworld....

Winner of the Hugo Award

©1971 Philip José Farmer (P)2000 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1972

"One of the most imaginative worlds in science fiction." (Booklist)

the most influential book in my life

When I was 18/40 years ago I read this book I was struggling with the concept of eternal life and salvation. This book gave me an insight I never thought of I often quote it.

Interesting and human

I enjoyed the story and the lead into something darker and more sinister but the lack of vocal range by the narrator made it difficult, at times, to separate the characters.

excellent performance

The narrator delivered this story very well. The cadence was smooth and the voices were performed nicely.

top notch story and narration

love Philip Jose Farmer. excellent narration by Paul Hecht. I read this years ago, but forgot the complexities of the story line, plot and characters.

Fun journey but I’ll stop here

I found this book to be a fun and imaginative sci-fi adventure story, with a very compelling and thought provoking setting. Unfortunately it looks like the next book in the series changes main characters and apparently each book in the series gets progressively worse from there so I think I’ll just stop here. Hopefully someday a writer with more focus can take up the same concept and pull off a spiritual reboot?

Loved it

One of my all time favourites in print and now audio will be my 4th time reading this series

Mildly Entertaining.

If I had borrowed this book I would not have finished it. I paid for it, so I saw it through to the end. It was long winded, over detailed, and lacking in good character building. If condensed, I think it would make a good short story, given more work be applied to building the characters.

Good Classic Sci-Fi

Any additional comments?

This was a interesting Sci-Fi story. It's a classic and ends in a very open way, however I'm not sure if I want to know the answer to the question posed at the end as to me it was more philosophical and rhetorical, however the journey to that point was well written.

The drugs and free love ideas of the book do date it a bit, but they are not too pronounced, so I can live with them.

A fascinating sci fi after life

So what if there is a benevolent afterlife, how could you tell it was good?

Netflix?!?

Great sifi-adventure story. Would love to see a “true to story” adaptation of this book.