The Sheep Look Up

By: John Brunner

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 13 hrs

Publisher's summary

In a near future, the air pollution is so bad that everyone wears gas masks. The infant mortality rate is soaring, and birth defects, new diseases, and physical ailments of all kinds abound. The water is undrinkable - unless you're poor and have no choice. Large corporations fighting over profits from gas masks, drinking water, and clean food tower over an ineffectual, corrupt government.

Environmentalist Austin Train is on the run. The "trainites", a group of violent environmental activists, want him to lead their movement; the government wants him dead; and the media demands amusement. But Train just wants to survive.

More than a novel of science fiction, The Sheep Look Up is a skillful and frightening political and social commentary that takes its place next to other remarkable works of dystopian literature, such as Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and George Orwell's 1984.

©2014 John Brunner (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc., and Skyboat Media, Inc.

interesting listen for 2021

maybe I'm biased because I like dystopia stories but this was well written and I liked the performance. Funny how we have cycled back and after 2020 this story is sort of timely

Audiobook was awkward

I agree with the other reviewers. This was difficult to follow as an audiobook. There were a long sections in particular with so many interruptions that I felt like I was listening to the radio on "search". I understand that the author wrote the book with such interruptions intentionally, but it was difficult for me to follow as an audiobook.

Confusing

Interesting read, but confusing to follow. Don't know if it's the reader, or the lack of clear chapters. The readers' baritone voice, at times, makes it difficult to hear clearly. It may be 40+ years old, but resonant for today.

Old timey feel

It was obvious this was written in the past, but I honestly figured it for the 50's or 60's. A lot of things that are in this novel were just fringe ideas about the affects of chemicals and pollution on the world when it was written in 1972. In 1972, Love Canal hadn't even happened yet, much less some of the other chemical disasters that happened in the late 70's and into current times. It's kind of scary that someone looked into our future and got some of the stuff correct'ish including some of the political issues. This was a hard read for several reasons: 1) the author broke out into really old quotes from the oddest places which broke the flow of the story, 2) the content was a bit disturbing in the discussion of racism, intolerance, rabid nationalism, and the depiction of other awful traits that people can show. I'm not sure if I'm glad I read this or sorry I read this. It was disturbing, but there was a well narrated story that kept me listening.

the ones who NEED to hear this won't

this is an OBVIOUS cautionary tale that should be required reading for everyone. our addiction to consumerism and antipathy toward intellectualism is killing us. We are, indeed, sheep.

Prescient Story for 2022

John Brunner’s “The Sheep Look Up” could have been written yesterday. A world full of mega-corporations, destroying the world and the people who live there. Celebrity presidents worth no more than a glib sound byte. Misplaced patriotism. Any positive movement is destroyed, any well-meaning leaders killed. All in the name of profit and production.
The story has a Burroughs-like quality, short vignettes and scenes, some terrifying, some thought provoking, weave together the end of the world just as we expect it. Great reading by Stefan Rudnicki.
Excellent story.

where's the story?

Three hours in and there's still no story or plot. It's just a pessimistic narrative of all the worst case scenarios for climate change and a lot of insinuating that anyone with even a modicum of success is evil. Disappointing because the writing is good and Stephen Rudnicki gives an excellent performance as always.

Near Future Dystopia, but from 50 year old Future

In the style of John Dos Passos, it's hard to follow in audio. Fascinating.

Added Relevance Today

John Bruner missed some things, but he got a lot of stuff right.
Especially in these times of the COVID Pandemic.

Grapes of Wrath for the future

if Steinbeck has taught us anything by reliving the past, Brunner is teaching us by showing us a world that may come to present.
I found the initial listening a little hard to follow but all in all a good listen once I caught a few hours in.
I reccomend it for anyone looking for anything in the dystopia genre.