Zero Point

The Owner, Book 2

By: Neal Asher

Narrated by: John Mawson, Steve West

Length: 17 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Earth’s Zero Asset citizens no longer face extermination from orbit. Thanks to Alan Saul, the Committee’s network of control is a smoking ruin and its robotic enforcers lie dormant. But power abhors a vacuum and, scrambling from the wreckage, comes the ruthless Serene Galahad. She must act while the last vestiges of Committee infrastructure remain intact and she has the means to ensure command is hers.

On Mars, Var Delex fights for the survival of Antares Base, while the Argus Space Station hurls towards the red planet. And she knows whomever, or whatever, trashed Earth is still aboard. Var must save the base, while also dealing with the first signs of rebellion. And aboard Argus Station, Alan Saul’s mind has expanded into the local computer network. In the process, he uncovers the ghastly experiments of the Humanoid Unit Development, the possibility of eternal life, and a madman who may hold the keys to interstellar flight. But Earth’s agents are closer than Saul thinks, and the killing will soon begin.

©2013 Neal Asher (P)2013 Audible Inc.

Intense and complex

Great reader with terrific ability to switch voices. Everything is thrilling and stimulating. Sometimes though I had to reply sections due to confusion.

Much improved

Much more enjoyable than the first book in the series. The writing is more smoothed in this one and rapidly catching up to the quality of the story.

Truely outstanding Sci-Fi

This entire series of books is incredible. Wow -what an adventure. A dynasty of progressive outcomes are related and exposed as the eugenics programs that the are.

The best scifi I've read in some time.

If you could sum up Zero Point in three words, what would they be?

Exciting, creative sci fi

What did you like best about this story?

I felt immersed in a gritty, scary future with real future tech innovation.

What about John Mawson and Steve West ’s performance did you like?

I got lost in the story and did not think about the narration, except to appreciate how professional their performances are.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Heart stopping thrill ride to survive the long reach of Earth's tyrannical leader

Any additional comments?

Wow! Asher is among the most complicated, mature and creative science fiction authors out there today.

Edge of Your Seat Story

This his was such a riveting story. The narrator does a fantastic job with the different voices and the way the story switches between different characters, it really left me guessing what would happen next.

Great science fiction saga

Neal Asher is easily becoming one of my favorite authors. Zero point is an amazing continuation to book one of The Owners Trilogy, just when I thought he couldn't do any better, Asher outdoes himself again. Well written and full of action from beginning to end. Well narrated by West and Mawson. Worth it.

reader

just a bit slow in the reading takes a while to get to the point 👉 👈 but a great listen

S Kaye

I’m impressed at how all these stories interact! Has made for a very interesting future story line. Thanks Neal Asher!
Narrative is very pro!

The meat grinder continues

Impressively, Neal Asher has managed to up both the quantity as well as quality of the violence in this second installment to his near-future dystopian ‘Owner’ trilogy. Like a hydra, the ruthless ‘Committee’ of Earth’s rulers, quickly sprouts new leadership in the wake of anti-hero Alan Saul’s one-man revolution in ’The Departure’. Chief among these is Serene Galahad, whose Committee bloodletting efficiently secures her role as supreme ruler of Earth. For a genocidal tyrant, this character is surprisingly understandable in Asher’s hands. His first person segments taken from her POV connect the dots of her atrocities believably, while illustrating the progression of her stomach for violence. In order to level the playing field and restore dramatic parity, Asher contrives to incapacitate and diminish Saul’s abilities, which also allows some of his satellite characters to step out from his shadow a bit. Three or four other narratives alternate with these, and all of them overflow with yet more gruesome death. Delightfully, adolescent wish fulfillment comes via some new techno-tricks Saul has learned, and almost everyone gets their comeuppance, although enough loose threads remain to provide ample material for a third installment.

enjoyed

good read
kept me up & alert the whole way... important whilst driving . saul is an excellent protagonist, who actually is absent for most of this book