Homecoming

By: Roma Gray

Narrated by: Terry F. Self

Length: 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Aliens have seized the Earth's star cruisers, claiming they have committed war crimes against other worlds. Four senior women, life-long friends who refer to their group as the "Four-ever Club", watch the television reports as the aliens announce a very bizarre punishment for the people of the Earth. Two of the women are baffled by the punishment, while the other two are terrified and seem to know more than they are saying.

As the horrific truth about the Earth's military is revealed, lies and betrayals within the group of women also emerge.

©2017 Roma Gray (P)2018 Roma Gray

Well written gem

This is a well read and very well written short story. Science fiction with that disturbing hint of reality and truth. A Hugo quality gem.

Loved this story!

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

I've listened to many audiobooks up till now and enjoy doing so most of the time. If there are issues, usually they involve the narrator, thankfully the narrator in this story has grown on me. I've also listened to several stories by this author/narrator and I swear there just get better and better. This was such a great short story to add to the mix.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Homecoming?

The most memorable moment of this story was finding out that the majority of the military consisted of prisoners.

Have you listened to any of Terry F. Self’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

All of Roma Gray's audiobooks have been narrated by Terry F. Self. The first time I listened to him, I describe him as sounding more like a newscaster as opposed to a narrator or someone reading a story. Thankfully, though, he's grown on me and does a pretty good job overall.

Offworld offspring

I had a bit of a tough time orienting myself in this story, partly because I didn’t read the synopsis. I like immersing myself in the story and I was able to figure things out pretty quickly, understanding the narrative and the four main characters.

All the women who are part of the “Four-ever Club” have sons who have become embroiled in the intergalactic war. The issue of war crimes is touched on, but it is the personal that brings home the seriousness of the war. The end wasn’t something I would have predicted, which is why I love Roma Gray and her stories.

Hats off to Terry F. Self who differentiated voices for all four women. He is good at helping build the suspense, and I enjoyed the book.

Surprisingly good sci-fi!

I’m used to Roma Gray’s short horror pieces, but this was sci-fi and extremely good!

So much in just a half hour !!!!

Any additional comments?

I didn’t know that I could feel so much in such a small amount of time. First curiousity,then suspense, and also shock. All in a perfect half hour package. Terry Self did a great job with the different voices and tones needed for the narration.

Coming home isn't easy

Sometimes coming home is harder on those who were left behind.

Homecoming is a brilliant litle piece by Gray. I really enjoyed how she turns the whole aliens have defeated us thing on its side. It's clear that she knows the human condition pretty well, and how people act, from the ones who make the big decisions, to the ones tat have to live with the ripples those decisions have caused. Only she could make the real monsters stand out in a story like this. This is not a tale you will be expecting, and it is directions like this that set apart great writers from mediocre ones. Her conclusions on humanity itself are chilling, but horribly realistic.

Self does a fine job narrating and holds his ground well playing several women. I enjoyed his work. Even though I did receive a promo code for this review it in no way influenced my considerations of the material, and in fact, inspired me to be more honest. In fact, getting a code generally makes me harsher as a reviewer as I am more often concerned what someone like Me will decide based on my review.

One Giant Leap

I've read a lot of Roma's pieces and never really thought about her writing Science Fiction. However, this book proves that she can pretty much write anything.

Red wine and marijuana:self medicating

Roma Gray pulls off another surprise ending.
A short story that pulls you in.
Ladies self medicating with red wine and marijuana (and whiskey) before.....well you will see!!
....
I received this as a review copy-and glad I did