The Sheriff of Yrnameer

By: Michael Rubens

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's Summary

Meet Cole: hapless space rogue, part-time smuggler, on a path to being full-time dead. His sidekick just stole his girlfriend. The galaxy's most hideous and feared bounty hunter wants to lay eggs in his brain. And the luxury space yacht Cole just hijacked turns out of be filled with interstellar do-gooders, one especially loathsome stowaway, and a cargo of freeze-dried orphans.

Reluctantly compelled to deliver these defenseless, fluidless children to safety, Cole gathers a misfit crew for a desperate journey to the far reaches of the galaxy. Their destination: the mysterious world of Yrnameer, the very last of the your-name-heres---planets without corporate sponsors. But little does Cole know that this legendary utopia is home to a murderous band of outlaws bent on destroying the planet's tiny, peaceful community.

Follow Cole's adventures through a delightfully absurd science-fiction universe, where the artificial intelligence is stupid, dust motes carry branding messages, and middle-management zombies have overrun a corporate training satellite.

In the spirit of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, The Sheriff of Yrnameer is sci-fi comedy at its best---mordant, raucously funny, and a thrilling must-listen.

©2009 Michael Rubens; (P)2009 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"A science fiction book your grandmother will love - if she's a lustful, violent lady." (Stephen Colbert)

The reader makes this great

Put aside the inevitable comparisons to Douglas Adams. Though this is a comic novel, Michael Rubens has a different sensibility, and presents more of an emphasis on the adventure, and most jokes are on the hero, rather than the rest of the universe. Along the way, he also pokes fun at commercialism, heroics, and business meetings as part of his broad adventure comedy. Little made me laugh out loud, but I was consistently amused.

Transcending the novel, however, is the production. Man, this is what audio books were made for - William Dufris acts every part, with some subtle sound effects for backing. Along with Gaiman's Anansi Boys, this is the best read out of some 200 audio books I have listened to. So, though the novel is 3.5 stars, the 5+ star production makes it an easy purchase.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Fun, Light-hearted SF

This is a fun, well-read book that is refreshing for its silly yet endearing tone. The style of writing is reminiscent of early Douglas Adams books, but it doesn't wind up feeling derivative. The story moves at a good pace, the characters are goofy but lovable, and while this probably won't take home a pulitzer, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a reprieve from the grim, gritty SF that seems to dominate these days.

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

William Dufris is awesome

I have no idea who this voice actor is, but I'm going to listen to any book he narrates. The writing is very sharp, and the story is a ton of fun (think Blazing Saddles meets Discworld), but the voice actor threw a lot of energy into his performance and made it a joy to listen to. I hope Rubens has written some more novels set in this universe, it is a blast.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

great story and affects

They really went over and above with the voice acting and sound affects to bring this story to life.
It's really quite good and very funny!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I wish I could give 10 stars

What did you love best about The Sheriff of Yrnameer?

This is difficult to answer. The narrator was beyond perfect. The writing was such fun...I guess the whole darned thing is what I love best about it.

What did you like best about this story?

The main character was far from perfect, yet he was still a hero. He grows as a person, and remains true to himself. It was very satisfying. There were quite a few scenes that were tense and funny- quite an achievement.

Which character – as performed by William Dufris – was your favorite?

Kenneth is hands-down the best character Mr. Dufris voiced. And he did such a great job with all the characters. There was never a moment when I was not absolutely positive which person was speaking. Bravo, William!

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

I was delighted with this book. I read the synopsis, listened to the snippet and knew that if it lived up to my expectations it was going to become a favorite. It surpassed my expectations and is most definitely a favorite I will listen to repeatedly.

Any additional comments?

It's hard not to draw a comparison with Douglas Adams. Perhaps because it has quirky humor, space ships, great dialogue and unforgettable characters.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Light, and fun.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes. The book was easy to follow with little in the way of a deep plot. The main character was a cross between Han Solo and Born Looser. You just had to laugh at times and wonder how this person ever survived long enough to reach adulthood. This is also his charm and quickly becomes a much liked, if no loved, character in the book.

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

No, this was the first. Very well read, easy to follow.

Any additional comments?

A great tongue-in-cheek story with very lovable characters. How often do you absolutely enjoy waiting to hear what the bounty hunter (bad guy) will say next?

I rated this story 3 starts since it was a one time listen with no real depth to it. It passes the time well... but I will most likely not listen to it again any time soon. That being said, I gave it three stars with a lack of depth because it made me laugh and smile several times.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

very good

while the main the story does sound familiar (you will be thinking of Han Solo when introduced to Cole) the plot is varied enough and clever enough that you wont mind and will probably forget anyway and become completely immersed in the adventures of the sheriff of yrnameer. the narration makes the book, it is perfect! a thoroughly enjoyable romp across the galaxy, well worth a credit.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A bit hard to follow...

It was a little hard to get into this book, but after I did it was really enjoyable. I love nothing more than a reluctant hero! I would definitely recommend this book to any science fiction fan.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Great space sitcom-like book

The comparisons are inevitable to Douglas Adams, but let's face it, I can compare almost every fantasy series to J.R.R. Tolkien so it's a moot point to me. Just enjoy the ride.

This is definitely a book you're going to want to listen closely. The production is top notch with multi-voiced in-book jingles for space adverts, modulated voices for intercoms and radios and various vocal tweaks to really give you the sense of a world were every planet is named for a sponsor and the world is filled with non-stop marketing.

The jokes are never so over the top that it feels like the author is trying too hard although they come often.

If you like shows or movies like Spaced, The IT Crowd, Galaxy Quest, Monty Python and the Holy Grail or the Daily Show, you'll most likely love this one.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Excellent Production

The story is funny and light hearted but the narration production is what makes this a premier choice. The narrator is charming and talented. This was quite an unexpected find! What a gem!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful