Utopia

By: Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 18 hrs

Publisher's summary

Fasten your seat belts - the white-knuckle thrills at Utopia, the world’s most fantastic theme park, escalate to nightmare proportions in this intricately imagined techno-thriller by New York Times best-selling author Lincoln Child.

Rising out of the stony canyons of Nevada, Utopia is a world on the cutting edge of technology. A theme park attracting 65,000 visitors each day, its dazzling array of robots and futuristic holograms make it a worldwide sensation. But ominous mishaps are beginning to disrupt the once flawless technology. A friendly robot goes haywire, causing panic, and a popular roller coaster malfunctions, nearly killing a teenage rider. Dr. Andrew Warne, the brilliant computer engineer who designed much of the park’s robotics, is summoned from the East Coast to get things back on track.

On the day Warne arrives, however, Utopia is caught in the grip of something far more sinister. A group of ruthless criminals has infiltrated the park’s computerized infrastructure, giving them complete access to all of Utopia’s attractions and systems. Their communication begins with a simple and dire warning: If their demands are met, none of the 65,000 people in the park that day will ever know they were there; if not, chaos will descend, and every man, woman, and child will become a target.

As one of the brains behind Utopia, Warne finds himself thrust into a role he never imagined - trying to save the lives of thousands of innocent people. And as the minutes tick away, Warne’s struggle to outsmart his opponents grows ever more urgent, for his only daughter is among the unsuspecting crowds in the park.

Lincoln Child evokes the technological wonders of Utopia with such skill and precision it is hard to believe the park exists only in the chapters of this extraordinary book. Like Jurassic Park, Utopia sweeps listeners into a make-believe world of riveting suspense, technology, and adventure.

Utopia - where technology dazzles - and then turns deadly!

©2002 Lincoln Child (P)2002 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Child proves he is capable of fireworks (literally) at the rousing conclusion." (Publishers Weekly)
"The blend of technological jargon and suspense results in a real thrill-a-minute read." (Booklist)

Add this to your library right now!

Who would have thought you could combine science fiction with a theme park and make a thriller worth listening to? Answer: Lincoln Child. Growing up, I remember movies called Westworld and Futureworld in the seventies. These were cheesy second-rate movies and they did have a theme park in the plot line – so this combo has been used before. But, that is where the similarities end. Utopia is a theme park, true enough; but the plot is about human nature and not technology. The tech is the background. And the story will keep you enthralled. You’ll be listening and say, “What? I’m at work already. Maybe I should sit here just a little longer.”

Scott Brick narrates. A true professional performance – enough said.

This has all of the elements that you could want for young teens, teen, and mature adult listeners. It appeals along a very big listener spectrum. Though released in 2002, the tech is fresh even ten years later. I give this a big thumbs up.

A good read

So how do you write an entire story about an amusement park being taken over? I was a bit skeptical at first but really enjoyed listening to the story and never got bored with the plot. As with a lot of Lincoln Child books a bit too much detail at times but if you are a fan you can look past it and maybe even learn something. A good book and highly reccommended.

Scott Brick does it again!

Scott Brick is a gem! BY FAR the best narrator of books I have heard!

interesting read

I really enjoyed the story. the details of all the science stuff, fiction or not, really helped create a world that is rich and real. I really enjoyed being shown the world.

Terrific

Easily the best book I have listened to this year. Story and performance were great.

Great Thriller

Not sure how I missed this book but I’m glad I finally found it. It has a great plot and the narrator does a great job.
I recommend this to anyone who likes Sci-Fi thrillers.

Tricked

It's funny how I came to listen to this particular audiobook. I mistakenly thought I was downloading "Utopia" by Thomas More, a book written in 1516 about an ideal world. I generally don't listen to thrillers, so this was a somewhat new experience for me. That being said, I really enjoyed the book. Although the foreshadowing was (in my opinion) a bit overdone, cluing the reader into major plot elements to come, there were enough new plot elements introduced every minute to keep you excited. The narrator does a fine job, even if the chief of security does end up sounding a bit like Christopher Walkin. I don't regret getting this book, and I enjoyed listening the entire time, but it didn't end up teaching me as much about life as I'd hoped.

A must listen

I will never look at an amusement park the same way again. We all know there must be a “behind the curtain” where the magic is made. However, the thought of evils lurking there has never crossed my mind. This book is better than a roller costar. You will love the build to the top, the screaming plunges and the twists and turns are to die for…yes die for.

An enjoyable trip into another world...

...or so it seems. Well written to have you imagine what if this type of place could exist and what it could be like if it did. I only wish I knew how a few characters faired in the end. #thriller #mystery #suspense #tagsgiving #sweepstakes #series

Best yet

Would you consider the audio edition of Utopia to be better than the print version?

N/A

What other book might you compare Utopia to and why?

Return of the king

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Peel

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The epilogue

Any additional comments?

It was wonderously vacant of the sexualization Mr. Child has in most of his books. Though predictable in the outcome, it was exciting to see how he got from point A to point B without melodrama. Truly the most enjoyable solo book. I even learn a few things about computer coding.