Cyteen

Cyteen, Books 1-3

By: C. J. Cherryh

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Jonathan Davis

The saga of two young friends trapped in an endless nightmare of suspicion and surveillance, of cyber-programmed servants and a ruling class with century-long lives - and the enigmatic woman who dominates them all. Narrators Jonathan Davis and Gabra Zackman skillfully split up this sweeping sci-fi epic that is "at once a psychological novel, a murder mystery, and an examination of power on a grand scale." (Locus)

©1988 C.J. Cherryh (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1989

“Strongly recommended…. A future as detailed as that of Herbert’s Dune, with dozens of complex characters…. all the paranoid tension of a spy thriller.” (Newsday)

“A massive, multifaceted novel that tackles a variety of ethical, social, and political issues…. Cherryh’s worldbuilding is ambitious and her main characterizations are well-individualized…. Ultimately fascinating in concept and detail. Decidedly a major work.” (Booklist)

OMG, I was so excited to see a C.J. Cherryh book!

What did you love best about Cyteen?

It's hard to say what I like best about this wonderful book. I had already read it, but was as swept up in the incredible tension of the psychological drama as I was when I read it. Cherryh is my absolute favorite SciFi author and I've read about 3/4 of her books. This one is one of my all time favorites. It blends bioengineering and psych management with wonderful characters, drama, political intrigue into an un-put-downable story.

Now all Audible needs to do is add Regenesis and all of the Foreigner series and I will be in seventh heaven.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved Arianne Emory and Justin Warrick best. Their complex relationship makes for great drama. The politics and ethical issues of bioengineering are fascinating and the behind the scenes power struggles are superbly wrought.

Have you listened to any of Gabra Zackman and Jonathan Davis ???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've listened to Gabra Zackman before and it was when I did a search for books she's narrated that I found Cyteen. She's a superb narrator. I'm sure I've also listened to Jonathan Davis' narrations, but I don't remember. He played a minor role in this one, only reading the introductions to each chapter.

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

Yes! It made my heart pound and touched me both.

Any additional comments?

Please, please, Audible: give us more Cherryh!

An Alternative Universe's Alternative Universe

One of the joys of sci-fi is the ability to imagine and inhabit other universes and ways to live. It's something that the best writers do with intriguing stories and imagination.
This book is a departure in one important way. It's analog, not digital.
By that , I not only mean the dated technology of "tapes" and paper printouts. I mean the whole idea of creating a future built on the manipulation of minds and creating artificial humans- not from mechanical robots and supercomputers, but from biology and psychology. The interesting thing is that the development of digital technologies that has defined the era after this book was written is only one way it could have gone.
Imagine a world where biology and medical advances came at the same rate as digital advances came in our own world. A world where the actions of the mind are as well understood as the actions of electronic circuits are in our time.
That's Cyteen.
Granted, you could also look upon these advances as a new form of slavery, and that subtext animates this work. Where does advancement become control, and when does safety equate to subjugation.
A very interesting story, well worth exploring and thinking about.
Bravo!

Great book & narrator. Wish they'd do the sequel!

I loved this book with it's unique premise of what if human behavior could be programmed from birth and the character of Ari. The narrator has a great voice that really gave the book depth. I wish there was an audiobook for the sequel, Regenesis. I read that on Kindle but I really missed Gabra Zachman's performance!

Because even written by a women, sci-fi isn’t free from child date rape.

Would it have made the story one iota worse if he had been 18? Would it have made the story one iota worse if it had been consensual?

surprisingly good to listen to.

Much better the second time round to listen to. When the plots made more sense.

ToI Deep Scientically

Too repetitive and some of the words didn't make sense the way they used them. I just couldn't really get into it.

reader wonderful

took a while to get into the story but the reader drew me in wonderfully

Great Author, Solid Science Fiction

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

Cyteen won multiple award when it came out because it explored the future of a humanity that could shape itself and how the limits of the universe, time, and distance would change humanity. It is a great and DEEP novel.

Having said this, I don't consider it her best work. The book lumbers through detail and the first third of the book has not real main character, until the woman who dies at the beginning starts to grow up. To me Cyteen is not as tightly written as Cherryh's later work. But Cyteen does a good job of exploring the effects of genetics, environmental control, and human evolutional limitations.

This book is not among my top 10 audio books, though it was an thought provoking book. I am glad I listened to it.

I love C. J. Cherryh books. I wish they had started with any of her other series like the Chanur and Foreigner series. I love her exploration of human/alien relations.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cyteen?

When you realize the Hindu religion may have been truly started with control of human genetics and rebuild of a life.

What about Gabra Zackman and Jonathan Davis ’s performance did you like?

I liked the use of the male voice in a dry archivist manner. Those passages were a more academic exposure to the books underlying theme. However, the author and original editors should have shortened and tightened these passages. BUT Jonathan's voice acting went well with the material.

Gabra did better with the women's voices. The main male character sounded too whiney in the voice she gave him. It portrayed him more as a childish whiner than as a troubled "special". But I liked her voice very much and would love to here it in other strong female lead sci fi. I loved her portrayal of the main female older self.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It was too slow in the first third and too long at 36 hours.

Any additional comments?

If you are not one to explore deep subjects, then avoid this book. If you want to hear thoughts on a very deep subject we are just starting into, this is a good listen, not a great one, but solid.

Excellent Representation of the Book

Would you listen to Cyteen again? Why?

I would absolutely listen to this again. I've read my hardcopy so many times that the binding is starting to wear out.

I love C. J. Cherryh's writing and Gabra Zackman and Jonathan Davis did an excellent job in splitting the narration of the piece and bringing it to life.

It's a very cerebral novel, so I have to be doing something that lets me focus on the story while my hands work, or driving, that sort of thing. This isn't Harry Potter - it's not a light read. It gets you thinking. If you were to go into it expecting light fare, you'll be disappointed. If you want a sociological, psychological, reflective novel that really gets your noodle baking, something to stretch your mind, this is the book for you.

What other book might you compare Cyteen to and why?

Cyteen, to me, falls into the class of books, like George Orwell's 1984. It's a book that can get you thinking, make you pause and reflect on your views of society. If you think about the book, and about yourself, you can start to dig in and understand what makes you YOU. It also helps you take a wider view of the world we live in, trying to understand the different sociological inputs that create your local blend of culture.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did want to listen to it all in one sitting, but it's so rich and in depth it was pleasurable to use it on my way into and out of work, something to definitively shift gears and get me focused elsewhere.

Any additional comments?

Highly, highly recommended, but remember - this isn't something light and trivial. If you're looking for that, go elsewhere.There's a reason that C. J. Cherryh has won the Hugo, and Locus Awards for Cyteen.

As good as, or better than, reading it.

I've read this book probably two dozen times, but the performance was even better.