Paradise

Expeditionary Force, Book 3

By: Craig Alanson

Narrated by: R.C. Bray

Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's Summary

While the crew of the starship Flying Dutchman have been trying to assure that hostile aliens do not have access to Earth, the UN Expeditionary Force has been stranded on the planet they nicknamed "Paradise".

The Flying Dutchman is headed back out on another mission, and the UN wants the ship to find out the status of the humans on Paradise. But Colonel Joe Bishop warns that they might not like what they find, and they can't do anything about it without endangering Earth.

©2016 Craig Alanson (P)2017 Podium Publishing

running out of ideas...

Loved book 1, book 2 seemed long winded but still had me and this book leaves me wondering if this saga is done with me. I enjoy skippy but he has become very meh... same old same old and Bishop's interactions with him have become underwhelming. Perhaps some more drama between the two...? Idk... I guess I want more elders... or introduce the superior species.

Performance is in my opinion the best around. I Really enjoy Bray's work. He brings characters to life.

I'm a fan of both Alanson and Bray. But book 1 is still the best by far.

R C Bray never disappoints.

the overall story was a 3.5 stars for me. There is a good bit of action, some interesting and unique scenarios, but the dialogue between Skippy and Joe gets a little old. It just follows the same and repetitive formula; There's a sticky situation, Skippy the super duper artificial intelligence can't find a solution, Joe a monkey brain human comes up with a clever solution, Skippy hates himself and bemoans his existence. repeat this 1000 times and you have a book. That said the banter and scenarios are interesting, the characters are fun, and I found the book to just be a great listen in the background while doing other things.

Better than Book 2

I wrote a review for Book 2 of the Expeditionary Force that basically said it was terrible, and that I hoped Book 3 would be better. I don't know why I bought this book, to be honest. I had low expectations. But I did buy it, and listened to it. My expectations were slightly exceeded.

First, R.C. Bray is excellent. I think that's a given at this point, but I'm still perfectly happy to listen to him for long periods of time.

Otherwise, this one was better than the second Expeditionary Force book, but not drastically so. Alanson still repeats the same jokes over and over. His problem solving usually involves introducing solutions that are impossible according to modern physics, and then uses hand-waving/"you monkeys aren't smart enough" to explain why it worked. It's poorly done science fiction by any measure. And his books feel too long, as if he is purposefully adding material to extend the length of the novels.

I think three stars is accurate for an overall score, with the performance being what keeps bringing me back.

Slowing down but still great

This series is full of laughs and Joe and Skippy share an entertaining relationship but it may be time to come up some new dynamics for the two. Grrr Joe how did you out smart me again is getting a little old.

This is a bridge Novel

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

While the reading by R.C.Bray was excellent, I can't say that I enjoyed this story as I had enjoyed the first two books in the series. It bounces about from Paradise to Joe, To Paradise to Joe every few minutes. The first 5 hours was a chore to get through.

Has Paradise turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not at all. All series sometimes takes you in directions, or just seem to stall on certain events as the author gets his bearings.

Any additional comments?

I don't want to give away anything here, and I certainly do encourage readers to give this series serious consideration, but Alanson could have made this into a shorter story, and I hope the next book in the series will not stall out and become so repetitious as this one was.

These books are so much fun

Let me just get it out there. I'd read anything that had Skippy and Col. Joe at the heart. Their relationship grows in this installment, but the humor and wit are still at its core.
The story picks up where book 2 ended. There's a brief period back on earth, but the real begins once the Flying Dutchman is back in space.
This plot has some good twists and turns, but in the end the plot is just the way that we get to ride along with Skippy and Joe. And what a fun ride it is.

And the end sets up book 4.

Finally, RC Bray is absolutely perfect for this book. He's an awesome reader. He gives each character unique, memorable voices. But it is more than that. RC captures the essence of the story. He didn't miss a beat. I don't know if the book would be as good as it is without his talent at telling the story.

Repetitive

Narrator and story are great. I absolutely loved the first book and immediately bought the second because of it. The second was a bit too much arguing between Joe and Skippy and what seemed (in my opinion) to be a lot of added filler that did very little for the story. Because of this I was fairly hesitant to listen to the third but I really wanted to know what happens and unfortunately it is quite similar to the second book.

I did enjoy how the book jumped to different perspectives of characters and even alien races however, I feel as though it was just filler for very mild plot influences. still way too much Skippy and Joe arguing about predictable crap that could be reduced quite a bit so the author could add more to the story. it's makes you want to scream get to the point several times

I was really hoping the author would reach a point of the elders/Skippy making some headway. instead the whole book seemed to come to a disappointing end and a cliff hanger that doesn't really entice me to want to listen further. I really like the story I just wish there was as much action as there is talking/arguing.


I just finished the first book of the Fear the Sky saga which is a kind of similar story line (minus the space travel) but I enjoyed that book much more and recommend it.

Great writing and reading

I have been waiting for this third book and it didn't disappoint! I have loved this whole series so far. Many times I literally laughed out loud.

Best Sci-Fi trilogy I have heard to date and the reading and interactions between characters are done to perfection! Bravo

Not as good as the first two

This book wasn't as good at the first two books. But maybe it is because there wasn't that much that was new. More dealing with the same aliens and technology. A few new characters but for the most part Joe and the beer can. The narration was good as usual so that helped. I hope the author is lining up some good stuff, with some of the tedium in this story, for later on.

Very original and entertaining - a classic story!

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

I have not read the book versions but very much enjoy the audio versions while driving. My twenty minute daily commute is spent listening to a wide variety of books and I have this series at the top of my list. I can't wait to get back in the car so that I can listen to this tale of high adventure across the galaxy.

What did you like best about this story?

This is a very original story line that is very entertaining to listen to while doing other things.

Have you listened to any of R.C. Bray’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. I have listened to all three books in this series narrated by R. C. Bray and intend to get the others as they are available. His narration is "just right" for this series.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book is a classic and varies from high drama to making you laugh out loud.

Any additional comments?

I listen to and read quite a bit of science fiction and have found this series one of the best so far. The story line is original and timely (set in current time today). However, it engages technology left behind by the Ancient Elder Race who have mysteriously disappeared from the Milky Way Galaxy along with the technology of competing ET's who fight over and claim other planets (including Earth). The competition among the various races for who controls the area of space around Earth as well as the other planets visited in this series is well thought out and destined to make this series a classic. Being a retired Colonel myself who rose through the ranks I identify with the characters in these books very much. The strategies, politics and tactics are correctly explained (I'm picky about that). R. C. Bray's narration is outstanding and brings to light a fascinating storyline that I have heard nowhere else. This series has me hooked and I can't wait for Book 4.

its skippy time

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

Craig Alanson is the master of sarcasm especially when its delivered by R C Bray, this is the third in a series which just gets better and better, the story keeps you going but its the interaction between Col Joe and his omnipotent little beer can is superb and when delivered with R C Brays dulcet tones brings everything to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

has to be Skippy the magnificent, no other character can be so sarcastic yet with a roguish quality.

What about R.C. Bray’s performance did you like?

i have listened to a lot of R C Brays work and this narrator is the best.

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

how can you get moved by a beer can calling you a dumb monkey all the time lol

Any additional comments?

superb work by craig and R C dont keep us waiting for the other books.

To similar

The boss need to progress more, introducing the other alien races. It is constant problem, joe comes up with idea skippy couldn't think off and they carry it out, anything that is impossible is done by skippy magic and done. This was the same in the other book the story needs to move on with the more advanced alien races and what happened to the elders etc

an alright space opera story

the constant repetitive smack talk from the elder AI spoils an otherwise relatively entertaining story.

Still a lot of fun

Definitely a fun series with plenty of likable characters, but we need to ease off on Joe having ideas Skippy hadn't thought of. This has been taken to a knowing level in the third book and is a little overused.

Doesn't stop it being fun.

Even a stinky monkey can be clever. If not genius.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes from R C Bray`s great delivery to the writer`s character driven story line. Makes this another great addition to the sci-fi genre. I have recommended this to dear friends I believe would appreciate the pop culture and story driver narrative.

What did you like best about this story?

The character interaction and personalities are well rounded and lend themselves to the story. The verbal comedy is fluid and well scripted.

Which character – as performed by R.C. Bray – was your favourite?

He does "Skippy" like no one else could and pulls it off brilliantly!!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I fought for my right to listen to audio books whilst at work and great books and delivery like this vindicate my conviction.Even if my colleges just don`t get the audio book buzz.But all they care about is golf and football. Good luck with that.

Any additional comments?

I found this series through the narrator rather than the author. Just shows the power of a great voice actor on the right story can drawn fans to new authors. The writing deserves credit for a top notch story to. Loved every adventure minute of it.

too many references to not guessing monkey ideas

the repeated lines where Skippy gets angry for not having the ideas that the human 'monkey' characters had gets a bit grinding after a while. plus there seems to be a bit too much lag in telling the story in the middle of this book. possibly due to a lack of a real story.

Dumb monkey!

If you could sum up Paradise in three words, what would they be?
Skippy
Skippy
Skippy!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Paradise?
All of the Skippy moments, just brilliant.

What does R.C. Bray bring to the story that you would not experience if you had only read the book?
It's R C Bray! What more can I say, the man is brilliant, I would listen to him reading the dictionary and enjoy every moment!

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I laughed so much I cried

Any additional comments?
Amazing book and the series is my new favourite.

A Story that tried too hard!

I have listened to the few two books. this one was written for the sake of it and destroyed the expectations I had, the laughter I enjoyed in the first with the humour being the repetition of the old and the story becoming predictable. on the plus side some of the similes and mostly metaphors were excellent. can't recommend this unless you are reading it to follow the story.

No Fluff, No Compromise

Craig Alanson has done it again! I waited for this third book in the excellent Expeditionary Force series and was not disappointed. Yet again Alanson has delivered a fast paced, funny and clever story and has shown amazing consistency with these 3 books. I've seen other writers start a new series strongly but fade with each successive book to finish with a lacklustre effort but Alanson has bucked this trend and this third instalment is every bit as good as the previous two in my opinion.

Alanson has such a natural writing ability that it's as if he's transcribed real conversations the flow of the dialogue and narrative is so good. Not one part of this book is dull or irrelevant and this is again where the author has excelled as even the best writers have failed in this respect from time to time. Perhaps this shows a clear and well planned story arc prior to the actual writing process, I don't know but what I do know is that this is an entertaining and enthralling book that is perfectly paced.

Unlike a lot of science fiction stories I've read where the characters do silly things or miss seemingly obvious ways of dealing with situations, Alanson has crafted a character in Joe Bishop that is able to come up with truly clever plans from time to time and I end up wondering why I didn't think of that as opposed to wondering why the main character didn't think of it.

Part of this book deals with the events on the planet known as "Paradise" in the time Bishop escaped that world until now and fills us in on the plight of his friends he left behind which is also a nice touch as it brings back into the fold those characters seen mainly back in the first book and are seamlessly re-integrated into the current plot.

The great writing of Craig Alanson is half the story when it comes to the audio book release as the superb R.C. Bray forms the other half of this wonderfully told tale. I cannot think of any other narrator here on Audible that could pull off such naturally delivered narration to the point where you wonder if he's actually reading this or being spontaneous. His voice, method of delivery and fluid cadence make for a wonderful listening experience that truly completes this book. I would go so far as to say that the audio version of these books has to be the definitive version and the best way to experience the story.

Alanson also manages to very cleverly weave recaps into the narrative to remind us all where things were left as well as the state of play with respect to other key elements. This is much appreciated as important details can get rather fuzzy after waiting several months for the next in the series and so I did appreciate the natural way the reader was reminded of the key points.

The only big issue I have is the fact that I am now left having to wait far too long for what is sure to be another book as we are left on somewhat of a cliff hanger.

Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

Oh, and finally a mention of my favourite American import, Fluff!!

Skippy De Doo Da!

My oh my what a wonderful book. These are just such great fun. Powered by the thoroughbred that is RC Bray there are likeable characters, plenty of action and actually some reasonably clever popcorn sci-fi ideas.

Of course there is also Skippy the vastly intelligent alien AI beer can through which most of the delicious humour is delivered. Highlights in this one include him giving Joe some "live" relationship advice and a little fashion parade including a false moustache which had me genuinely laughing out loud.

At some point I have to believe that this might start to seem repetitive . . . no sign of it yet though!