All Hope of Becoming Human

De: Lonnie Busch

Narrado por: Patricia Shade

The world is about to change in unimaginable ways…

Earthquakes rock the planet, revealing massive metallic objects and vast subterranean graveyards. One such location is in the Arizona desert. Scientists believe this incredible discovery may hold answers to the origins of man, but when the site is suddenly shut down due to seismic activity, one researcher knows she must return. Assistant archaeologist Rebecca Duccati sneaks into the compound alone, and will have to dig deep to find clues in these strange underground caves and tunnels. The work is dangerous and frightening, but she feels a connection to this bizarre phenomenon that even she isn’t fully aware of yet.

FBI Special Agent Demzey knows nothing about archaeology; his specialty— anomalous crimes, the fringe edge of the aberrant and the unknown. Demzey is investigating a recent rash of vicious and brutal murders, the clues surrounding the killings both disturbing and inexplicable. He and his assistant Connie Wegman catch a break when they discover remains of two monstrous creatures unknown to science, believed to be a race of aliens responsible for attacks on humans across the globe.

With the death toll ticking ever higher, scientists and intelligence agencies on every continent search for the source of these vicious creatures, until the combined efforts of Duccati and Demzey begin to unravel the mystery, though what they uncover could spell the end for the human race.

For fans of Douglas E. Richards and Jeremy Robinson.

©2023 Lonnie Busch (P)2024 Lonnie Busch

Reseñas de la Crítica

“This absorbing, realistic near-future tale brims with unrelenting mystery and tension.” —Kirkus Reviews

Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction page-turner!

Across the world strange phenomena is happening. Bodies are being found with their heads severed clear off or split wide open with surgical precision. Large cavities in the Earth seem to be opening, revealing large metallic objects buried within them. In particular, one such location in Arizona near the four corners, is subject to a classified archeological study, under the close watchful eye of the United States military.

Concurrently, Special Agent Demzey is investigating these odd occurrences and the beings seemingly behind them. As part of a special government branch that explores the abnormal and mysterious. Agent Demzey is no stranger to the paranormal, but even he is having trouble rationalizing what may be behind this.

As the archeological dig site near the four corners is shut down due to tremors and safety concerns, assistant archologist, Rebecca Duccati seems oddly drawn back to it. The hundreds of bones uncovered within, both humanoid and something else, as well as the unidentified metal object (UMO) leave her feeling a strange sort of attraction. Risking it all, Dr. Duccati and Agent Demzey are determined to find answers.

We’ve all seen the movies and TV shows depicting aliens, other life forms, and extraterrestrial beings, but we’ve never seen anything like this. From the United States to Japan, India, and beyond, the world is experiencing the unexplainable. Chasms are opening up, superhuman beings are inflicting violence, and the media is feeding the public more lines regarding acts of terrorism.

Author Lonnie Busch delivers a post-apocalyptic, science fiction page-turner like you’ve never seen before. Absolutely captivating, readers will find themselves simultaneously repulsed and fascinated, drawn in and ready to run for cover.

Pseudo pandemic, pseudo George Floyd...

I read books to detach from reality. This book has a really cool premise but the rest is close to home but not quite. Like they are always worried about PPE gear and there is a reference in it basically George Floyd but with names changed. This really takes me out of the story. Like I am so tired on getting every author's take on how they viewed these times. I am not going to give this a bad score simply because of that, the performance is top notch, but I am having a hard time getting through this one I keep rolling my eyes.

Another note is that some of this content feels almost written by AI. It doesn't affect the story as much as the flow. How many times can you describe different things jouncing ya know?

Terrifying! A must hear!

Rebecca Duccati, an assistant archaeologist, finds herself working at a site in Arizona. The site is filled with skeletons, underground caves and tunnels, and a massive metal object that was revealed during a massive earthquake. However, when it becomes clear that this is not the only site to reveal these specific items or experience deadly attacks by vicious creatures, the military moves in and shuts everything down. What Duccati and her fellow scientists discover is terrifying!

The author, Lonnie Busch, weaves a masterful thriller filled with action, rich characters, and plot twists that will leave you on the edge of your chair! Busch takes his time building the storyline, however, given his vivid and detailed descriptions it does not take long before he shifts into high gear and the action becomes non-stop. The character development of the main characters is smooth and well done. The sense of singular focus of some characters that were affected especially behaviorally was masterfully captured. The plot twists, from the first until the end are amazingly shocking and unexpected. The dialogue was also well done and fluid. Busch avoided overwhelming his listeners with technical terminology, making the book more straightforward and concise.

The narrator, Patricia Shade spoke clearly. Although she didn’t employ distinct voices for each character, she adjusted her delivery style to match the character’s persona. She paced the dialogue’s delivery authentically so that it was easy to keep track of who was speaking. Her speaking was charged with energy to match the storyline action as well. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Patricia Shade’s performance.

Overall, this is a truly terrifying book in so many ways! This book has stayed with me for a bit as it is on a small degree reminiscent of the movies “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Men in Black.” A must-listen!

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

A Thinking Existential Scifi Horror

This was better than I expected, it's a clever scifi thriller with a twisted premise. The book has a easily digested message that at best is philosophical and at worse only occasionally a little obvious (not quite preachy). It reminded me of the 1980s wave of scifi alien television looking at the oddities among us or horrors lurking in every day - how the far out and mundane meld in places like a camping trip or Central Park. The stuff here is weird and gnarly hooking me in from the bladed creature at the introduction to a more global menace with a twist that defies all the rules. There were times it belabored it's points (stuff like evoking COVID as part of a metaphor / parallel more than twice). Sometimes this gels nicely into a vibe, a tone beyond the plot of nostalgic whatif and the best of potential. There were some moments I wish the plot had hit harder or delved into schlocky thrills, of which there are scenes of bodies everywhere so it doesn't shy, and on this note I found the conclusion a little unsatisfying (point on in tone and resonance; but maybe I wanted gore and tentacles - your mileage may vary). The narration is serious minded and took me a little getting use to; flawless easy dictation but a little less flavored.

engaging

This book was a fresh take on the post-apocalyptic genre and really kept me guessing. There were several twists I didn’t see coming, which made it hard to stop listening. I also really enjoyed the narrator—her performance was engaging, and her character switches were clear and natural, making it easy to follow along. Overall, this was an entertaining and surprisingly original listen.