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Dead Astronauts  By  cover art

Dead Astronauts

By: Jeff VanderMeer
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
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Publisher's summary

A messianic blue fox who slips through warrens of time and space on a mysterious mission. A homeless woman haunted by a demon who finds the key to all things in a strange journal. A giant leviathan of a fish, centuries old, who hides a secret, remembering a past that may not be its own.

Three ragtag rebels waging an endless war for the fate of the world against an all-powerful corporation. A raving madman who wanders the desert lost in the past, haunted by his own creation: an invisible monster whose name he has forgotten and whose purpose remains hidden.

Jeff VanderMeer's Dead Astronauts presents a city with no name of its own where, in the shadow of the all-powerful Company, lives - human and otherwise - converge in terrifying and miraculous ways. At stake: the fate of the future, the fate of Earth - all the Earths.

©2019 VanderMeer Creative, Inc. (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Critic reviews

"Narrator Emily Woo Zeller reprises her role as the listener's guide through the beguiling postapocalyptic 'Borne' world. While part of a series, the story is accessible as a stand-alone with its own protagonists.... Zeller's low register and unhurried pace depict ever-present menace, simmering resentment, and indestructible personal bonds between friend and foe alike.... Attuned vocal characterizations of nonhuman characters - including an isolated behemoth, a dark bird, and a mysterious blue fox - facilitate entry into this mesmerizing realm." (AudioFile Magazine)

What listeners say about Dead Astronauts

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Edgar Allen Poe + Angela Carter = VanderMeer’s World

Just finished Dead Astronauts, I loved it so much! I’ll be reading it a second time here soon. I finished all 3 novels in the span of a few days, reading all 3 of them back to back was one of the best literary experiences of my life. You NEED to read Borne & The Strange Bird to fully grasp what’s going on. Everything ties together, I’m so excited to reread all 3 novels again. This book is not for everyone, if you loved Borne & The Strange Bird you need to read this. Borne starts off as more reader friendly but somewhat complex, The Strange Bird dives a little deeper and by Dead Astronauts it’s just totally all in “VanderMeerism” “Weird Science” which honestly is why we read his incredible work. I loved the southern reach trilogy but this Borne trilogy is by far his best work and is my absolute favorite trilogy.

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6 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Worst dto far

This is by far the worst JV book I've read. No story, repeating random gibberish, no direction, incoherent rambling.

I'm not sure what he was trying to accomplish here, but it's garbage in comparison to the Southern Reach or Borne.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Meditation incognito

His works will transcend you into the state as described. He is a genius. I have never read or heard since was audible any other writer portray a moment to moment flow ,with dark undertones and deep understanding some will never admit even too themselves. He keeps you guessing like you do every moment of the day. You are the story. hypnotizing oneself has never been so fun or brilliant. He can make one meaning into 1000 and 1000 meanings lead to one.
It wouldn’t be the same if anyone other than Emily woo zeller narrates. She makes it even more seductive for your mind from your emotions.

Summer d

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3 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Missing something...

...like a plot, cohesion, characterization. Perhaps many words and sentences were accidentally misplaced during production. I very much enjoyed the trilogy and Borne. Would a reader who had not read the preceding works be able to make sense out of this? Not likely. Dead Astronauts needed a heavy edit before publication. I respect Mr. VanderMeer's body of work, but this piece is best left with the broken Lego blocks.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Not his best work

I love Jeff Vandermeer usually, but this one just didn't land for me. The narrator did a great job again, but the story is so disjointed. I found the shifting between perspectives jarring. In "Acceptance," it was clearly three different interconnected stories but in this one, it just didn't quite work.

It may be that this is a book you should not try to listen to. Maybe it works better on the page. I still love Vandermeer but I don't expect I'll listen to this book ever again.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

This should not be an audiobook

The actual paper book has all kinds of notes, drawings, and scribbles in the margins and the author intended the reader to actually *see* these things. In the audiobook, these notes are simply read aloud, so you’re left with the reader spouting random numbers from time to time and it gets super confusing. There really needs to be a disclaimer on this stating that by going the audiobook route, you’ll miss the whole point of the book. It should also tell you to read Borne and Strange Bird first. I gave it 3 stars because the performance is great and I do love anything VanderMeer.

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Yikes

What was this? I love everythingthing else I’ve read from this author, but this is just nonsense.

Just finished the audiobook, and I could not tell you with certainty one thing that transpired in this story.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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What?

Yeah I’m too dumb for this book. I thought it was a fluke with Strange Bird, but no, I’m too dumb. I highly suggest reading along and listening to this. Or more importantly, listening in LARGE chunks. It’s the epitome of “wibbly wobbly timey whimey space stuff”. Coincidentally it’s the second finale to a series of his I just don’t understand. But maybe that’s because every time I heard leviathan/tide pools I kept thinking of Acceptance. Good luck.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wasted 7hrs of my life

What a horrible, horrible book. It contributes nothing to the Borne story. I kept listening in hope that the book will take a turn and will finally make sense, but it never did.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Better Read than Listened To

Though a fascinating and interesting artwork, the audiobook is a jumble of nearly incomprehensible thoughts. I loved Bourne, and this return to the world is truly nothing like it. Unless you are specifically looking to have your brain tumble-dried in the serotonin-less stomach of a wandering madman, skip the audiobook. Written, this is a fascinating piece of artwork that briefly explores concepts that are as fluid and difficult to grasp as a greased up rhinoceros with the face of a monkey.

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