Brute Orbits
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Brute Orbits
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
William Dufris
-
By:
-
George Zebrowski
About this listen
High crimes call for high punishment.
It is the 21st century. Convicts are sentenced to asteroids that move in ever-widening solar orbits, timed to return when their terms run out. But a few ambitious administrators discover that small "errors" in velocity can rid them of selected groups altogether: the hardcore violent, the mentally defective, and especially the political dissidents.
Enduring the black vise of interstellar space-time, these human rejects - men and women mixed together - create their own Darwinian societies, struggling to survive. Back on Earth, a handful of sympathetic and curious scientists have not forgotten these lost citizens.
When a technological breakthrough makes it possible to overtake these scattered asteroids, a courageous team sets out to go where none has willingly gone before. What they discover in these "brute orbits" is both provocative and moving - a startling vision of humanity you will never forget.
©1998 George Zebrowski (P)2012 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Killing Star
- By: George Zebrowski, Charles Pellegrino
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 437
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 379
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 379
The opening chapter of an incredible adventure that includes the destruction of Earth by ten thousand relativistic bombs launched by an alien race. This science fiction thriller follows the desperate struggles of the remnants of humankind to survive in a hostile universe.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely terrifying!
- By Josh on 11-14-19
By: George Zebrowski, and others
-
Hyperion
- By: Dan Simmons
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor, Allyson Johnson, Kevin Pariseau, and others
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25,118
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21,360
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21,400
On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The Shrike Awaits. Enter The Time Tombs...
- By Michael on 10-13-12
By: Dan Simmons
-
Lord of Light
- By: Roger Zelazny
- Narrated by: Matt Godfrey
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 230
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 209
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 209
Earth is long since dead. On a colony planet, a band of men has gained control of technology, made themselves immortal, and now rule their world as the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Only one dares oppose them: he who was once Siddhartha and is now Mahasamatman. Binder of Demons, Lord of Light.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
How could a performance be so wrong?
- By 1st World Problems on 05-29-22
By: Roger Zelazny
-
Children of Time
- By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: Mel Hudson
- Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39,739
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36,194
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36,123
Adrian Tchaikovksy's critically acclaimed stand-alone novel Children of Time is the epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet. Who will inherit this new Earth? The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age - a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A very pleasant surprise
- By Simon on 06-17-17
-
The Three-Body Problem
- By: Cixin Liu, Ken Liu - translator
- Narrated by: Rosalind Chao
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 715
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 643
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 643
Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Why Rosalamd Chao?
- By Erin on 02-29-24
By: Cixin Liu, and others
-
Blindsight
- By: Peter Watts
- Narrated by: T. Ryder Smith
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,751
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,223
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 3,216
Set in 2082, Peter Watts' Blindsight is fast-moving, hard SF that pulls readers into a futuristic world where a mind-bending alien encounter is about to unfold. After the Firefall, all eyes are locked heavenward as a team of specialists aboard the self-piloted spaceship Theseus hurtles outbound to intercept an unknown intelligence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gothic Horror Hard Science Fiction
- By Doug D. Eigsti on 06-24-15
By: Peter Watts
-
The Killing Star
- By: George Zebrowski, Charles Pellegrino
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 437
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 379
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 379
The opening chapter of an incredible adventure that includes the destruction of Earth by ten thousand relativistic bombs launched by an alien race. This science fiction thriller follows the desperate struggles of the remnants of humankind to survive in a hostile universe.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely terrifying!
- By Josh on 11-14-19
By: George Zebrowski, and others
-
Hyperion
- By: Dan Simmons
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor, Allyson Johnson, Kevin Pariseau, and others
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25,118
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21,360
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21,400
On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The Shrike Awaits. Enter The Time Tombs...
- By Michael on 10-13-12
By: Dan Simmons
-
Lord of Light
- By: Roger Zelazny
- Narrated by: Matt Godfrey
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 230
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 209
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 209
Earth is long since dead. On a colony planet, a band of men has gained control of technology, made themselves immortal, and now rule their world as the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Only one dares oppose them: he who was once Siddhartha and is now Mahasamatman. Binder of Demons, Lord of Light.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
How could a performance be so wrong?
- By 1st World Problems on 05-29-22
By: Roger Zelazny
-
Children of Time
- By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: Mel Hudson
- Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39,739
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36,194
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36,123
Adrian Tchaikovksy's critically acclaimed stand-alone novel Children of Time is the epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet. Who will inherit this new Earth? The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age - a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A very pleasant surprise
- By Simon on 06-17-17
-
The Three-Body Problem
- By: Cixin Liu, Ken Liu - translator
- Narrated by: Rosalind Chao
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 715
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 643
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 643
Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Why Rosalamd Chao?
- By Erin on 02-29-24
By: Cixin Liu, and others
-
Blindsight
- By: Peter Watts
- Narrated by: T. Ryder Smith
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,751
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,223
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 3,216
Set in 2082, Peter Watts' Blindsight is fast-moving, hard SF that pulls readers into a futuristic world where a mind-bending alien encounter is about to unfold. After the Firefall, all eyes are locked heavenward as a team of specialists aboard the self-piloted spaceship Theseus hurtles outbound to intercept an unknown intelligence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gothic Horror Hard Science Fiction
- By Doug D. Eigsti on 06-24-15
By: Peter Watts
-
Cage of Souls
- By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 23 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 682
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 610
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 609
The sun is bloated, diseased, dying perhaps. Beneath its baneful light, Shadrapar, last of all cities, harbours fewer than 100,000 human souls. Built on the ruins of countless civilisations, Shadrapar is a museum, a midden, an asylum, a prison on a world that is ever more alien to humanity. Bearing witness to the desperate struggle for existence between life old and new is Stefan Advani: rebel, outlaw, prisoner, survivor.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Slow Start, Strong Finish
- By Jacob McCollum on 05-01-23
-
Ringworld
- By: Larry Niven
- Narrated by: Tom Parker
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 8,713
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,741
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 6,765
Welcome to Ringworld, an intermediate step between Dyson Spheres and planets. The gravitational force created by a rotation on its axis of 770 miles per second means no need for a roof. Walls 1,000 miles high at each rim will let in the sun and prevent much air from escaping. Larry Niven's novel, Ringworld, is the winner of the 1970 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the 1970 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the 1972 Ditmars, an Australian award for Best International Science Fiction.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Genuinely Creative
- By Kennet on 05-25-03
By: Larry Niven
-
Peace Warrior
- By: Steven L. Hawk
- Narrated by: Mike Ortego
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 64
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 55
It's the mid-21st century when Sergeant First Class Grant Justice is killed during an ambush on an enemy tank column. Six hundred years later, his body is retrieved from the frozen, arctic lake where he perished. Re-animated by a team of scientists, Grant awakens to a civilization that has abolished war. A civilization that has outlawed violence and cherishes Peace above all else. A civilization that has been enslaved by an alien race called the Minith.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Peace Warrior
- By MeDi on 11-06-14
By: Steven L. Hawk
-
Scythe
- By: Neal Shusterman
- Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 22,631
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 20,286
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20,263
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: Humanity has conquered all those things and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life - and they are commanded to do so in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe - a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Teenage Thumbs up
- By Lila R on 04-01-17
By: Neal Shusterman
-
Ender's Game
- Special 20th Anniversary Edition
- By: Orson Scott Card
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Harlan Ellison, Gabrielle de Cuir
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 44,379
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33,389
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33,633
Why we think it’s a great listen: It’s easy to say that when it comes to sci-fi you either love it or you hate it. But with Ender’s Game, it seems to be you either love it or you love it.... The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Enter Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, the result of decades of genetic experimentation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
6 titles in the series so far
- By Kapila Wimalaratne on 01-29-03
By: Orson Scott Card
-
Echopraxia
- By: Peter Watts
- Narrated by: Adam J Rough
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 672
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 579
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 583
It's the eve of the 22nd century: a world where the dearly departed send postcards back from Heaven and evangelicals make scientific breakthroughs by speaking in tongues; where genetically engineered vampires solve problems intractable to baseline humans. And it's all under surveillance by an alien presence. Daniel Bruks is a field biologist in a world where biology has turned computational.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Must Read
- By Taylor Lewis on 12-21-15
By: Peter Watts
-
Atlas Shrugged
- By: Ayn Rand
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 62 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19,089
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15,765
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15,814
In a scrap heap within an abandoned factory, the greatest invention in history lies dormant and unused. By what fatal error of judgment has its value gone unrecognized, its brilliant inventor punished rather than rewarded for his efforts? In defense of those greatest of human qualities that have made civilization possible, one man sets out to show what would happen to the world if all the heroes of innovation and industry went on strike.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Hurt version decidedly superior
- By Mica on 03-24-09
By: Ayn Rand
-
I, Robot
- By: Isaac Asimov
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,231
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,414
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,427
This classic science fiction masterwork by Isaac Asimov weaves stories about robots, humanity, and the deep questions of existence into a novel of shocking intelligence and heart.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Thank you
- By Fredrik on 06-11-04
By: Isaac Asimov
-
Worlds of Exile and Illusion
- Three Complete Novels of the Hainish Series in One Volume—Rocannon's World; Planet of Exile; City of Illusions
- By: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch, Alyssa Bresnahan
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
Three remarkable journeys into the stars: Worlds of Exile and Illusion includes Rocannon's World, Planet of Exile, and City of Illusions. These three spacefaring adventures mark the beginning of grand master Ursula K. Le Guin’s remarkable career. Set in the same universe as Le Guin’s groundbreaking classics The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed, these first three books of the celebrated Hainish series follow travelers of many worlds and civilizations in the depths of space.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well and Beautifully Told
- By K.E.H. on 04-07-25
-
Pathfinder
- Pathfinder, Book 1
- By: Orson Scott Card
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Kirby Heyborne, Don Leslie, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,706
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,750
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,760
Rigg is well trained at keeping secrets. Only his father knows the truth about Rigg’s strange talent for seeing the paths of people’s pasts. But when his father dies, Rigg is stunned to learn just how many secrets Father had kept from him - secrets about Rigg’s own past, his identity, and his destiny. And when Rigg discovers that he has the power not only to see the past, but also to change it, his future suddenly becomes anything but certain.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Entertaining and Irritating.
- By DJM on 01-06-11
By: Orson Scott Card
-
The Sparrow
- By: Mary Doria Russell
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 15 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 4,128
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,584
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,588
A visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry, The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: To make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Superbly Written and Thought-provoking
- By Jim N on 08-15-12
-
The Memory of Earth
- Homecoming, Volume 1
- By: Orson Scott Card
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,488
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,825
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,834
High above the planet Harmony, the Oversoul watches. Its task, programmed so many millennia ago, is to guard the human settlement on this planet, to protect this fragile remnant of Earth from all threats...to protect them, most of all, from themselves.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
I keep hoping, but, alas, ...
- By Ole Hippie on 02-22-10
By: Orson Scott Card
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Brute Orbits
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 09-24-14
Alcatraz in Orbit
Would you consider the audio edition of Brute Orbits to be better than the print version?
Earth dumps its prison population in space in hollow asteroids without guards and eventually without hope. Initial premise is that the asteroid would return after the sentence is served. After consideration, why bring them back?
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful