Graffiti on the Wall of the Universe

Sorrow Falls, Book 3

By: Gene Doucette

Narrated by: Steve Carlson

Annie Collins emerged from the wreckage of the last invasion of Sorrow Falls with a spaceship in her garden, a loud alien idea in her head, and—because returning to college was out of the question—a lot of free time.
What she chose to do with the idea, the spaceship, and all that free time, kickstarted a worldwide technological boom. Now, nine years later, it seems as if not a day passes without the announcement of a new breakthrough in something, be it quantum computing, nuclear energy, neurobiology, or some other esoteric corner of cutting-edge science.

The world is in the middle of a revolution of ideas, and the best part? Hardly anyone knows Annie’s involved at all.

Yes, everything seems to be working out just great...until the day another spaceship shows up in Sorrow Falls.

This new visitor seems just like the one buried in Annie’s garden: same design, same matte black hull, sitting in the same spot in the same empty field. But there are important differences.

For starters, if it’s truly a spaceship at all, it didn’t come from space; it just...appeared. Also, this one didn’t arrive alone. On the same day Sorrow Falls acquired a new spaceship, identical versions manifested in over a dozen locations across the world. All of them just sitting there, not doing anything.

At first.

Who sent these new ships? Why did they send them? What do they want? Annie—with Ed, and Violet, and the rest of the Sorrow Falls survivors—are going to have to figure that out, and fast. Because this time around, they don’t have three years to work with; they barely have three months before the end of the world.

Graffiti on the Wall of the Universe is the exciting follow-up to The Spaceship Next Door and The Frequency of Aliens.

©2023 Eugene Doucette (P)2023 Eugene Doucette

Waiting impatiently for book 4

Loved it. To me there are many threads that seem to call for a Book 4. I hope Gene Doucette is up to writing it. "Graffiti..." is unique. It skillfully combined science, philosophy, the human condition, violence, fantasy, humor, in a descriptive understated manner that kept the narrative moving without hitting me over the head. It left me thinking, needing to look up quantum explanations and laughing at times all at once. Steve Carlson's narration captured the tone of the book, like someone was sitting in a rocking chair on a back porch, looking at the sky and pondering the universe as if he was talking about going to the grocery store. The one drawback was his female voices. I sometimes cringed listening to Annie, who sounded like a 200 year old person (male or female) who had dropped out of grade school in his/her childhood, then picked up a lot of knowledge along the way. However, I can't think of a narrator who would capture the overall tone so well and I can't really think of how I would have wanted her to sound, so that did not keep me from wanting Book 4, far from it.

Easy Listening SF

Good story and series, Fun listen because characters give a sense of modest understatement throughout.

Good 3rd book in series... I need more

Good 3rd book. I need more in this series and maybe less end of world stuff, I really like just the day to day setup in the first with a slow build up to the mystery.

Absolutely loved it!

I really, really hope we get another addition to the Sorrow Falls Series. I just love Annie Collins and all her friends. I was so happy when this one came out. Instead of listening to it all at once I made myself wait for my errand runs and other times I normally listen to my audio books so I could stretch it out because I didn’t want it to end too quickly.

These books + Steve Carlson=Excellent

Just love these stories!
Annie is one of my favorite people, and the rest of the cast of players is excellent as well!!

Creative and original trilogy, narrator not so good

I loved the creative and original story, even though some characters could have had more character and maybe fewer of them could have been named a name not starting with the letter D.

I enjoyed it, but in the last book I have really had it with the narrator which I at first thought was kinda funny in this layed back bored old mans voice. But after two books the narrator just sounded bored and spoiled the otherwise funny story for me.

I didn’t want it to end!

I completely enjoyed this book. Returning to Sorrow Falls, and Annie Collins was worth the wait. So many interesting ideas! I liked the ending as well. The author wrapped it up nicely, without cheap cliff hangers, yet also left the door cracked. I’d love to visit Annie again. Anywhere, any time! Great series with great narration.

Love my Annie!

Please make more Annie books!! Shippey needs to continue the quest. Also it wouldn’t be the same with out steve reading to us.

I loved the series!!

This was a great 3rd installment, and perhaps there will be more?! The only down side was from the editing department, but book and narrator are fantastic!

another enjoyable read of one of my fave characters

Annie Collins is one of my top 3, if not top, fave characters of all time. The author has built a world around this pragmatic quirky human who finds herself at the center of various shipstorms of adventure and chaos. This 3rd book in the series continues to explore and expand the collection of characters in Annie’s life and her relationship with her space that used to be next door.

There’s a couple plot holes (though i need to re-read to make to ensure it’s not me misreading it) but they are not fatal flaws by any stretch and easily passed over with a mild suspension of disbelief for needed to enjoy fiction in general,

The narrator continues to do a superb job; tho a couple of the minor character voices can be difficult to distinguish the shift absent knowing when characters present in the scene/story and not. Though again this is a very minor criticism especially compared to the life and voice the narrator gives to the main characters with the tones, inflections, and cadence. I cannot emphasize enough the life the narrator brings to Annie and Ed, along with Sam, Dougie, Violet, Una, Laura, Cora, and the other characters that have appeared through the series thus far.

4.8/5 - highly recommend this series.