The Fold

By: Peter Clines

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Step into the fold. It's perfectly safe.

The folks in Mike Erikson's small New England town would say he's just your average, everyday guy. And that's exactly how Mike likes it. Sure, the life he's chosen isn't much of a challenge to someone with his unique gifts, but he's content with his quiet and peaceful existence. That is until an old friend presents him with an irresistible mystery, one that Mike is uniquely qualified to solve.

Far out in the California desert, a team of DARPA scientists has invented a device they affectionately call the Albuquerque Door. Using a cryptic computer equation and magnetic fields to "fold" dimensions, it shrinks distances so a traveler can travel hundreds of feet with a single step. The invention promises to make mankind's dreams of teleportation a reality. And, the scientists insist, traveling through the door is completely safe. Yet evidence is mounting that this miraculous machine isn't quite what it seems - and that its creators are harboring a dangerous secret.

As his investigations draw him deeper into the puzzle, Mike begins to fear there's only one answer that makes sense. And if he's right, it may be only a matter of time before the project destroys...everything. A cunningly inventive mystery featuring a hero worthy of Sherlock Holmes and a terrifying final twist you'll never see coming, The Fold is that rarest of things: a genuine pause-resister science-fiction thriller. Step inside its audio and learn why author Peter Clines has already won legions of loyal fans.

©2015 Peter Clines (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Narrator Ray Porter deftly captures the emotions of a group of people who are caught up in a force they don't understand.... Porter ably voices a wide range of characters--from the gruff team leader to the foul-mouthed female engineer and the stammering alien leader. Porter is an affable travel guide on this thrilling trip to a frightening world." ( AudioFile)

Loved it

Tele tranportation is the stuff this book is made of. This sci-fi, horror/thriller by Peter Clines pulled me in immediately.

For a sci-fi novel, it's fairly low tech. Cline focuses more on the characters, events, and the thrills of transporting, and less on making sure he could support the novel scientifically. This was apparent to me, because I understood it and was able to keep up. And keep up I did.. I listened straight through.

Our protagonist Mike is a genius who would rather teach high school than show off his eidetic memory. This character is really well developed and original, and his interactions with others are funny and magnetic Mike is pulled in the Albuquerque Door project.

Ray Porter is much more of a narrator than I realized. He did an excellent job.

This is a fairly easy read, but very engaging.

I wish I hadn't read it yet.

Binge Listen!

I listened to 14, stalked this book, and then binge listened to the whole thing. So fabulous!! Now write more Peter Clines, Write, Write!
Now here's what's even better, if you haven't read 14, this book stands alone and could possibly even be more fabulous!

Dumb towards the end.

Too many stupid monsters, didn't quite like the ending.
It started out pretty nicely, but then the ending sucked.

Brilliant! In the style of Fringe and Sherlock.

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

Being an audiobook fan, I haven't picked up the print version, so no comparsion can be made by me.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Fold?

The moment when you realize what the Fold really sends the mind spinning.

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

I've listened to Ray Porters performance of "14" (also by Peter Clines). In both these books he really brings to front Peter Clines' excellent dialogue and believeable characters. He also "acts" the roles in a better way than most other narrators I have listened to.

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

No, but being a big fan of Peter Clines' "14", I was thrilled to see the connection between the two books. Won't spoil anything, though.

Any additional comments?

If you like tv shows like Fringe, Sherlock, get this. If you like books by Stephen King, get this. You won't be disappointed.
And get "14" while you're at it too. :D

Delicious Dialogue

Clines and Porter are a perfect pairing. Clines's greatest strength as a writer is dialogue--and especially the witty banter of clever, pop-culturally savvy Americans of the current decade. And Porter is about as good with dialogue as any narrator I've encountered. That this dialogue advances the plot generated by some aggressively silly pseudo-Lovecraftian steampunk premises is not actually a problem. Both "The Fold" and "14" (Clines's previous novel) are entirely without pretense. Even the fact that much of the plot of this book appears to be recycled from that of its predecessor shouldn't really bother anyone. The quirks of the main character make up for it, and in any case the issue is slyly addressed with a cute intertextual ploy (I can't say more without a spoiler).

Clines Has Done it Again!

When an author publishes a stand-out, exceptional novel I always wonder about what will happen next. Will they imitate Harper Lee and release nothing for several decades? Will they put out the same story set in a different time/place and with different characters? Will they be able to write a sequel? Or will they be able to pull off another fascinating story about something else?

Peter Clines not only was able to avoid the traps waiting ahead for his second book, but he not only wrote a grab-your-attention novel - "The Fold" is also a sleeper sequel. I find it magnificent.

The protagonist of this book is a man (I believe he's in his 30's). He is an unmarried high school English Literature teacher (and a very good one at that). The one person he is closest to is a childhood friend. A childhood friend who wields a great deal of government power and handles an amazing amount of money. A childhood friend who knows his innermost, deepest secret - he is a gifted genius with an eidetic memory.

What do I mean by this? Isn't the phrase "gifted genius" redundant? If you define "gifted" they way I do, it isn't. He is not only incredibly intelligent, but they way he thinks about problems or ideas is very different from the way most people think. He's not an autistic man, like Dustin Hoffman played in "Rainman," but the way he manages thought processes is somewhat similar to that character.

As I said before, also has an eidetic memory. Now, I always thought a person with an eidetic memory could remember certain things in certain categories in impeccable clarity. Not here. He perfectly remembers every event in his life from early childhood. How does he store all this information? It's a lot - he remembers every conversation, every face, every page of print he's only glanced at - it's all there, available to be pulled out and used.

I don't think I'm going to tell you that. I don't want to give out a lot of spoilers. All I'll tell you is that his childhood friend needs information about a project in which he has invested a large amount of government, as well as personal, money. He doesn't fully understand what it is they are doing out there in the western desert, and those working on the project aren't telling.

Enjoy!

Wow!

What a ride! Any person who can appreciate a creative and active imagination would benefit from reading this book. It's had to pull yourself away to do the simple activities of life.

So-so

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Peter Clines is a great author. His last book "14" was awesome. The Fold, was poor. What drove me insane is that the main character has this great memory because he can remember "everything", which you the reader are reminded of every chapter. His memory does not appear to be any different then any person I already know... And with his almost perfect memory he could not figure out what hedge clippers, were called.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Don't know something great I hope

What does Ray Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Ray Porter brings like to the characters.. He does awesome.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

Book was okay, not as a good as Clines previous works.

Ray Porter is an amazing narrator.

This book had a great plot that carried well. Lots of action, suspense, scifi and laughs. Ray Porter's voices were natural and enjoyable. Two thumbs up!

Interesting and engaging...pleasantly surprised it was a sequel of sorts

I happened upon "14" a year ago and loved the story. Original and engaging the whole way through. Tried this book by the same author and was pleasantly surprised by how he tied the two books together. A good listen.