• City of the Chasch

  • The Tschai, Planet of Adventure, Book 1
  • By: Jack Vance
  • Narrated by: Elijah Alexander
  • Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (111 ratings)

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City of the Chasch

By: Jack Vance
Narrated by: Elijah Alexander
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Publisher's summary

When someone sent distress signals to outer space from the planet Tschai, it was Adam Reith's misfortune to be sent from Earth to investigate. Because when his ship came close to Tschai, it was torpedoed - and Adam escaped to the surface with his life and nothing else.

On Tschai, a vast, previously unexplored planet, Adam is taken as a slave by humans and learns that there are four other intelligent but nonhuman races dominant on this strange world. To solve the mystery of the distress call and the vicious attack on his ship, he must first gain his freedom, then find safe passage by the city and the alien Chasch and their treacherous cousins, the Blue Chasch.

Jack Vance's Tschai novels are considered his masterwork, a constantly changing epic canvas of weird peoples, exotic lands, and surprising extraterrestrial adventures.

©2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2015 Blackstone Audio

What listeners say about City of the Chasch

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful!

What made the experience of listening to City of the Chasch the most enjoyable?

This is a really great book, the first of an amazing series. I'm so happy it is now available as an audiobook. I agree with SYFI-Ed that all the books by Jack Vance should be made into audiobooks, and some of the should definitely be read by Elijah Alexander. He is great. I think he would be perfect for the Demon Prince books. Other books, like Night Lamp for example would also work, but for that one I would like to hear Kevin T. Collins (who narrates the Lyonesse books so amazingly wonderful), and for the Cadwal series I would like to hear Simon Vance, who has actually narrated the first book, Araminta Station, but this book is strangely enough not available on audible. Listen up Audible! Make Araminta Station available for all the listeners out there who love Jack Vance and for those who still have the joy of discovering him still in front of them! And have Simon Vance read the sequels Ecce and Old Earth and Throy!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Amazing Planet and Depth of Alien Life

Would you listen to City of the Chasch again? Why?

Yes, great alien encounter fantasy, by the master Jack Vance. Ill be buying all these books.

What did you like best about this story?

Elijah Alexander was great, the book started a little slow, but I can understand, there is allot of races of human and aliens on the Planet of Adventure. I like it, its not today's space opera, its yesterdays. If you can get past some of that, its a great read, one of my favorite science fiction writers of the golden age.

Have you listened to any of Elijah Alexander’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, the Brother Initiate was great too. Great performance as before. I like Elijah Alexander and seek out more of this readings.

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

No, I always want the full book, NO ABRIDGED BOOKS! In my opinion ABRIDGED books are butchers work, and I will not purchase any of them. I buy allot of audio books, but NO cut up books.

Any additional comments?

Great read, hopefully, they'll come out with all of Jack VANCE'S works with Elijah Alexander. I would buy all of them.

Give Mr. Vance's works his due respect,

Jack Vance + Elijah Alexander + UNABRIDGED + (maybe some bells and whistles)

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

thumbs up

the character voices were at times to similar but the story line made up for it I liked this book

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Agree with Others

The story was fun, however, it is heavily "inspired" by the Mars Chronicals. Unfortunately, decades later this author does not rise beyond the original's colonial shortcomings. Would prefer ACD's books, if looking for similar narratives.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great first part of an adventure on Tschai, a planet where several alien species (one being humans) interact with each other. Each with it's own characteristics, culture, vividly imagined. Entertaining, interesting, gripping, engaging.
The performance is really good too.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Elija Alexander Rocks Jack Vance!

Amazing narrator, great story. This guy needs to narrate more Jack Vance. He really brings Jack Vance's characters to life.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Edgar Rice Burroughs re-hash

Would you try another book from Jack Vance and/or Elijah Alexander?

Yes

Would you ever listen to anything by Jack Vance again?

Yes/maybe

Any additional comments?

Hero meets girl, hero rescues girl, hero rescues girl again, hero gets captured and enslaved, escapes and has to rescue girl again. Seems to me I read a couple of these books back in the '70s. OK book in the pattern of Pellucidar, Mars and the other Burroughs books.

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