Out of the Soylent Planet: A Rex Nihilo Adventure

Starship Grifters, Book 0

By: Robert Kroese

Narrated by: J.D. Ledford

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

Interstellar con man Rex Nihilo has a price tag on his head. Railroaded into smuggling a shipment of contraband corn to a planet short on food, Rex finds himself on the run from an insidious corporation named Ubiqorp, which reaps obscene profits by keeping the planet dependent on shipments of synthetic rations.

When Rex and his long-suffering robot companion Sasha are sentenced to work as slave labor on a massive Ubiqorp plantation, they learn the terrible secret behind the corporation's products. To escape, Rex and Sasha team up with a mis-programmed combat drone and an intelligent mutant plant to lead a rebellion against their merciless corporate overlords.

Out of the Soylent Planet is a novel-length prequel to Starship Grifters, the book New York Times best-selling author Hugh Howey called "one of my favorite space romps of all time".

©2017 Robert Kroese (P)2018 Robert Kroese

Most I’ve laughed in a long time

This is my first exposure to both Kroese’s writing and Ledford’s performance, and my biggest regret is that I didn’t pick up the Rex Nihilo series sooner. I’ve been listening during the work day, and SASHA’s narration of Rex’s misadventures had me in stitches all week. Kroese’s sense of punny humor reminds me of Piers Anthony, and the narration by Ledford was brilliantly delivered.

the Narrator is amazing

If you are considering a Robert Kroese book, you are already moving in the right direction. They are hilarious and smart on many levels. For me, what makes these books even more amazing is the narrator, who magnifies the satire, silliness, and absurdity of the characters, the situations, and the story. If there were a nobel prize for narrating silly audio books, I would nominate J.D. Ledford without hesitation. She does what every great narrator does- take the book to a different level.

Best of the Sasha-Rex books

An origin story, how Sasha, the robot with acting pretensions meets Rex Nihilo, the goofy interstellar conman. Wacky fun, terrific story, hilarious characters. Enjoyed it a lot, and J. D. Ledford is outstanding as she tells the tale from Sasha’s POV. Hope the series has a long life.

Terrific narration and hilarious story!

Out of the Soylent Planet: A Rex Nihilo Adventure
Starship Grifters, Book 0
By: Robert Kroese
Narrated by: J.D. Ledford

I have the book and the audio version! The audio is so good thanks to the wonderful and talented performance of this narrator! She can do any voice or sound effect! Amazing! She makes an already hilarious book even funnier with her timing and voice inflections.

The book tells how Rex and Sasha, an android/robot, get together. There first adventures which land them in plenty of trouble which Sasha should get use to if she is going to stay with the crazy nut! Rex has nothing but dangerous and hair brain schemes to get money and he doesn't seem to care if he runs afoul the mob, the law, crooked agents, or other con men.

In this adventure they end up making friends with a crippled military robot and a sentient plant. They are almost executed a couple of times. Slaves for a while. Sasha losses an eye for a while and so much more fun! This was hilarious as the others I have read have been. I am glad to know how the two got together.
Now, on to the next book!

Hilarious antics, wonderfully told.

There are several stellar match ups of narrator to story, and this is one of them. J.D. Ledford does an outstanding job of reading this series. She brings the characters to life with unique voices, pacing, and pitch. (and no, she's not pitchy!). Not only that, her delivery is consistent across the series. The match up is on par with:

Jennifer Van Dyck and Seeker.
Mark Boyett and the Undying Mercenaries series.
Jay Snyder and the Gray Man series.

The Rex Nihilo / SASHA series is some fumy stuff. Not the same as the hilarious puns of Piers Anthony in the Xanth series, more of the humor you'd get from Jasper Fforde's Fourth Bear or Michael Rubens The Sheriff of Yrnameer. Light hearted, occasional groans, hilarious over the top characters. impossibly humorous situations, etc.

And did I mention ... Sp'ossels? You will just have to dig in to know who they are...

Good stuff

Man, J.D. Ledford was HILARIOUS as Rex Nihilo. She did such a good job. I can't tell you how many times i laughed out loud at her presentation.

As for the story, the Rex Nihilo adventures very silly, and are well written and entertaining. I will be listening to the whole series, and am looking forward to Ms Ledford's reading.

Surprisingly hilarious

The premise of the story (and an audible sale) was interesting enough for me to buy the book(it had languished on my wish list for some time), but when it started I though from the narrators speech it was going to be serious torture to make it through to the end but oh how wrong I was. Once I got used to Sasha's monotone and diction(she's a humanoid Robot/android, the author was'nt entirely clear), the story came alive with the hilarious misadventures of the duo, completely drawing me in. Kudos to the author and narrator both, I'm off to get the next in the series stat!

I almost never give 5 stars

I can easily see an either I Love Rex Nihilo stories or hate them, no in between. If you are a Mel brooks fan, like me, you will probably love them.

Hilarious

I thoroughly enjoy the Rex Nihilo series. Clever word play and references with a laugh almost every page. This one's the origin story for Rex and it's the best in the series yet.

SASHA rules! High Re-readability

Great space opera with strong female lead. SO FUNNY!! seems like I've been waiting for more FOREVER (and I usually hate it when whiners bitch at authors! Now you have made me one...LOL:) Honestly as funny as Space Team, Phule's and Caverns And Creatures! My husband and I check every day for more adventures of Rex and SASCHA. Perfectly performed. My only complaint is I need more, please ;)