Earth

By: David Brin

Narrated by: David DeVries, Kristin Kalbli

Length: 26 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

The long-awaited new novel by the award-winning, best-selling author of Startide Rising and The Uplift War- an epic novel set 50 years from tomorrow, a carefully-reasoned, scientifically faithful tale of the fate of our world.

©1990 David Brin (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"One hell of a novel.... has what sci-fi readers want these days; intelligence, action, and an epic scale" ( Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine)

"The prime attraction of Earth is the author's unfailing resourcefulness in extrapolating a post-greenhouse-effect future that is plausible, dismaying, and amazing in equal parts…. Brin's prose ranges from regular to high octant…. His characters have vivid intellectual lives." ( Entertainment Weekly)

"Brin has conceived his story on a supremely ambitious scale, and executed it with all the skills at this command." ( Chicago Sun-Times)

what an amazing prescient and exquisite story!

I have listened to this fascinating book twice now...and it is so filled with thoughtful insights and exciting plotlines I may listen to it annually!

David Brin has grown hugely as an author and storyteller. This book is so much richer than all the typical dystopian novels littering the sci fi landscape I wish everyone could consume this book... as it deliciously depicts the unfolding future on many levels. It will cause you to think and reflect on where we are and where we are headed all wrapped neatly in a mystery filled with intrigue and emotion.

The narrator's are wonderful, adding to the rich depictions and extrapolations which combine to bring this story alive and give any thinking human a reason to pause and reflect on all we are doing and how things might unfold.

while the plotlines are fun and unique, it is the world Brin depicts that is the true beauty of this majestic adventure... do not miss it!

and I must add...absolutely the best endings ever... you get three... all connected and wonderful... the main story, Brian's discussion, and a lovely postscript... each of which it's absolutely marvelous

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

David has an inside line on the future

What made the experience of listening to Earth the most enjoyable?

The narration was great the characters came alive.

What other book might you compare Earth to and why?

Accelerando by Charles Stross, it's a strong view of a possible future.

Any additional comments?

I'm just got done re-reading David Brin's "Earth" written in 1989 after a 15 year break to see how well it holds (the Audible version with a nice short story at the end that takes place in the same universe). In some of the sub-plot lines, he talks about the leaders with Swiss bank accounts? Check A world linked by computers and camera's recording everything done by the people? Check. Ice melting? Check. Earthquakes next to the coast taking out nuclear power plant? Check. The cost of connecting to the world wide web dropping to less then the cost of gas and food? Soon. Clearly he has a good inner line on projecting what could go on in the near future, check him out of you're looking for a good read.

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

always surprised

I'm always surprised by how early David Brin's books were written after I've read them. I think that they must be written after 2010 to find out they were written before 1990

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

long but good it drags at times....the ideas prese

this book drags a bit however the ideas presented are worth the listen and the performance is excellent

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good work!

This is my first David Brin novel... Wow. Great work fleshing out the constraints of a world 50 years in the future.

Two readers

The female reader is excellent. The male readers is sometimes distracting with his accents. The one he did for one of the main female characters was particularly bad. But the story and other reader is excellent

preachy

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I love David Brin and I am sympathetic to the message but it makes for a super boring and preachy book. Skip this one, its a stinker.

What was most disappointing about David Brin’s story?

Very heavy ecological message.

disjointed story line, not meant for audio format

disjointed story line, not meant for audio format. I struggled to finish the book .

great science fiction, characters and facts

What did you love best about Earth?

the connections it made for me about how the world works; social; economic and physical

What other book might you compare Earth to and why?

Kim Stanley Robinson "2312" except on a universal palette

Have you listened to any of David DeVries and Kristin Calbley ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Any additional comments?

wish it wasn't over.....

1 of 3 people found this review helpful

Almost 30 hours of static

OK, admittedly I could only stomach the first 17 hours of this book... Which I feel is more than a valiant effort to persevere through what ended up being .... Well.... Nothing at all. Let me give you a detailed breakdown of at least the 17 hours I survived... A scientist creates a mini black hole, and drops it by accident, it sinks down into the earth's core and threatens to destroy the world... He gets help to try find it, and discovers a second black hole along with his own... He then tries to figure out who made the second one, and also, how to destroy it and... Here's where I gave up... But, I assume he does and saves the world... But that's it... That's the sum total of the first 2/3s of this drawn out clump of pseudo-science drivel. Save yourself a credit, listen to something else.... Anything else, listen to radio static for 30 hours... It'll still be more entertaining than this bumf.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Such an interesting book, David Brin is awesome.

I really love the way he deals with the big issues of the time with realistic plots, yet is optimistic. His characters can be a bit too wonderful, a bit too exceptional, and he's certainly US-centric. On the whole very thought provoking and inspiring

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Let down

The narrators are not bad, but I just couldn't get into the story. Stopped listening half way through.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Just could not get into it. Tried twice.

This is one of my favourite subjects but this book seems too disjointed and lacks something.

loved it<br />

Great read. I think I'll start it again I liked it so much. That was a year ago so it's second time around.