METAtropolis: Cascadia

By: Jay Lake, Mary Robinette Kowal, Elizabeth Bear, Ken Scholes, Karl Schroeder, Tobias Buckell

Narrated by: Rene Auberjonois, Kate Mulgrew, Wil Wheaton, Gates McFadden, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Jay Lake

Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

This provocative sequel to the Hugo and Audie Award nominated METAtropolis features interconnected stories by today’s top writers of speculative fiction – performed by a galaxy of Star Trek stars.

As the mid-20th century approaches, the Pacific Northwest has been transformed - politically, economically, and ecologically - into the new reality of Cascadia. Conspiracies and secrets threaten the tenuous threads of society. The End of Days seems nearer than ever. And the legend of the mysterious Tygre Tygre looms large.

METAtropolis: Cascadia is the creation of Hugo and World Fantasy Award nominee Jay Lake; Mary Robinette Kowal, winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer; New York Times best-selling author Tobias S. Buckell; Hugo Award winner Elizabeth Bear; Aurora Award winner Karl Schroeder; and critically acclaimed author Ken Scholes. The team of narrators is any Star Trek fan’s dream: Rene Auberjonois (“Odo”); Kate Mulgrew (“Capt. Kathryn Janeway”); Wil Wheaton (“Wesley Crusher”); Gates McFadden (“Dr. Beverly Crusher”); Jonathan Frakes (“Cmdr. William Riker”); and LeVar Burton (“Geordi La Forge”). Jay Lake, who also served as Project Editor, introduces this stunning sequel, written and produced exclusively for digital audio.

Check out the original METAtropolis here.;Learn more about the narrators and authors at the METAtropolis: Cascadia microsite now.

©2010 Joseph E. Lake, Jr., Mary Robinette Kowal, Tobias S. Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, Karl Schroeder, Ken Scholes (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Original Work, 2012

"Still Crushing It!!!"

Would you listen to METAtropolis: Cascadia again? Why?

Yep! After the inital METAtropolis book, I slammed through 'Cascadia' at the same speed. I love how the authors take time to set up the cities and places that these stories take places in. I guess that is a big selling point for me: literature that takes the time to create a descriptive setting for the characters to interact with and exist in.

What did you like best about this story?

Definitely the setting. I have never lived anywhere near the pacific northwest, and so the sum total of my conceptual experiences stem from Twin Peaks. I enjoyed the rich portrayals of what I assume to be a beautiful part of the US. And as always the characters and plots are outstanding.

Forget the politics

The introduction used to grind a political axe (pointlessly). I enjoyed the stories but strongly disagree with the politics. Back to nature would be wonderful for a world with under 1 billion people - we are rapidly approaching 7 billion. We either need technology (something the characters in the book use) or we need a euthanasia program.

I was expecting better after METAtropolis

I bought this on the strength of the first book, METAtropolis, which I found very good in conception and narration, although there was some unevenness in the actual stories.

I wasn't wowed by M:Cascadia as much as by its predecessor. Although the concentration on Cascadia in this sequel might be considered a weakness, the stories had enough variety to keep my interest in spite of the quality of the narration, which was not up to the standard of the first METAtropolis. Jonathan Frakes attempt at a Slavic accent was at best uneven, and his pronunciation of several key names in the story made me wonder at the quality of the production and the change of narrator from Stefan Rudnicki for this part of the sequel.

LeVar Burton was OK, but I kept thinking that Scott Brick could have brought more depth to the presentation. Wil Wheaton's work just didn't make an impression on me. Not every actor makes a good narrator, no matter what TV series they performed in.

It's a book of short stories

The A-list performances are simply outstanding. The environmental messages are glaring but not in your face.

A book of stories of one possible future was worth the time.

It didn't make me feel like I grew when I listened. It didn't make me feel bad, it simply left me...how do you say...

Maybe leave it like that.

Interesting

Some of these stories are good, some not so much. But overall an interesting read. If you are a dyed in the wool sci-fi fan, you may want to pass on this series. Most of these stories don't rate as sci-fi, and are primarily intended as thought-provokers with underlying social commentary.
If you are seeking good science based sci-fy I would suggest not spending the time (or credits).

I really wish they'd make a fourth book

I've been a fan of the book since they made the first one and it's been a great series hopefully they make another

Excellent sequel to METAtropolis

Even tho' a Sci-Fi fan, I had found METAtropolis disjointed, difficult to follow, and had to listen to the story 2x to establish a foothold on what Jay Lake was trying to accomplish. NOT SO with Cascadia.

I found Cascadia entertaining, easy to follow (with the exception of Bull Dancers), most of the narration well done, even tho' for some of the narrators this is not a primary occupation, but most of all, the characters thoroughly engaging, realistic, so much so that I sort of hated to see some of the short stories stop. There was good interplay between the stories, but not so obvious that it felt like one long novel. It seemed clear that the authors had worked well together, with Jay Lake accomplishing some good coordination. It also takes place primarily in the geographic area where I live. .

I heartily recommend the book to any Sci-Fi fan; it will probably appeal to most people interested in our country's future.

Not quite the original

This does not quite live up to the original Metatropolis. The individual stories are not linked together as well. There are a couple of novellas that are harder to get into, and a few are not read as well. That being said, it is still very enjoyable. If you are a fan of Metatropplis, then this will be a welcome continuation. Just do not expect quite the same level of writing or performance.

Good sequel, but needs a fix in time displacement

While this is a great sequel for the METAtropolis series, 2 stories seem to have missed the discussion of when the stories were to take place. In the intro, Jay Lake says that, "though no particular date was given in the first book, most of the stories take place around the date 2030."... "METAtropolis: Cascadia picks up the threads about 4 decades later." With this in mind, the stories "Byways" and "Deodand" take place in what is roughly guessed as a year or two after the origin stories in METAtropolis.

For someone who is paying attention (Read: OCD), this causes a minor head scratch.

If this much time has based, how in the world is Gennady in "Deodand" still be stuck in immigration limbo after the events in "To Hie from Far Cilenia"?

"Byways" doesn't blatantly tell you that the origin story was just a few years ago.

This small, and only noticeable because I have listened through this and the first anthology more times than I feel comfortable admitting to, does not diminish the works in this anthology.

Some awesome stories and a superb shared world

I especially liked the last story (not Carl Schraeder's), that worked in the story of a priest's deconversion along with strong central women characters, that leaves the Bechdel test way in the rear. Heck, ALL the stories are very good, and I enjoy seeing continuing character arcs over multiple story lines.