Space Team

By: Barry J Hutchison

Narrated by: Phil Thron

Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

A hilarious, fast-paced space adventure from the author the Independent calls "the new Terry Pratchett".

Cal Carver is having a bad day. Imprisoned and forced to share a cell with a cannibalistic serial killer, Cal thinks things can't possibly get any worse.

He is wrong.

It's not until two-thirds of the human race is wiped out and Cal is abducted by aliens that his day really starts to go downhill.

Whisked across the galaxy, Cal is thrown into a team of some of the sector's most notorious villains and scumbags. Their mission should be simple enough, but as one screw-up leads to another, they find themselves in a frantic battle to save an entire alien civilization - and its god - from total annihilation.

©2016 Barry Hutchison (P)2016 Barry Hutchison

Fonkin’ Terrific

A fantastically hilarious, silly, and irreverent read... Quick moving story that will have you laughing on practically every page... I was slightly dubious, but got over that in about a second after I started reading this delightful story... Think Hitchhiker's meets Guardians of the Galaxy and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect... If you're looking for something serious, deeply moving, or thought provoking then move along, nothing to see here;). If you want some solid entertainment that amuses while telling an engaging yarn then grab this one fast... You'll thank me... Great characters and great narration only elevates... Some awesome shizz, and is going to be a fantastic space series;)

17 of 18 people found this review helpful

The most solid new work I've heard in ages

A team effort by newer author and narrator alike, Space Team is a light hearted, well paced romp. While many readers will recognize elements familiar to sci-fi here, most are offered up with a literary wink of mutual recognition one would expect from a seasoned pro.

Thron's performance is perfectly paced, well voiced, and pleasantly reminds one of James Marsters or Bronson Pinchot in terms of talent and enthusiasm.

highly recommended.

13 of 14 people found this review helpful

Eh

Not bad and better than I could do but the plot was predictable , the characters 2 dimensional and the phrasing was that of a child. If this is a young adult book then it’s on me for having the wrong expectation but I didn’t see that anywhere

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Narration 5 stars, story only 2 stars

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I want to be clear, this is not a very good story. It's very slow to develop and very light on actual plot. Keeping those things in mind, Phil Thron's narration is highly entertaining and is the reason I have listened all the way through. I would listen to more books he has narrated without hesitation, whereas I might give a pass to another Barry Hutchison. Call it a 3.5 star rating.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Audible reviews are exaggerated<br />

This was a stunningly average book. So how is it rated so highly? The performance was good though and I don't want to rated it lower than I consider it but I'm just not trusting high reviews anymore.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Good narrator, okay story

My first time listening to this narrator and I thought he did a good job. I've already looked for other books narrated by him. The story was ok. It wasn't strong enough to draw me in and Cal (the main character) was hard to identify with and his personality was annoying. The story was not strong enough to draw me into buying any of his other works.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Wheeeee!

Any additional comments?

This is just one of those stupid forgettable but fun books.

Basically, you know Guardians of the Galaxy? You know just those bits that are funny? Yep, that is this book pretty much. Does it make a compelling novel? Nah. But does it make me smile? Yeah.

That's this book, a smile. There are other comedic space science fiction books, they are probably better too, but this one? This one was short and funny and I will continue the series.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes Hard Luck Hank, Guardians of the Galaxy, Willful Child, or any other light hearted scifi.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

bit of satire, humor, engagement

very good performance, first person, satire, doesn't take itself too serious, but is engaging enough. yes, there are plenty of plot holes, but just shut up and enjoy the ride. looking forward to more in the series.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

good escape

This was a fun, enjoyable book. It made me smile and it made me happy to listen to it. The narrator did an excellent job of portraying the characters. Sometimes a book is just a book and we enjoy it despite knowing that it doesn't aspire to win "novel of the year." It's nice to listen to something lighthearted in a time when the world seems particularly mean and crazy.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Absolutely AMAZING!

From the start this book had me laughing and wanting more! I cant wait till Phil Thron narrates more of Barry J Hutchison's brilliant work! KEEP ME POSTED!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fun times in space

This was a very entertaining listen. The story was a lot of fun. I found myself laughing out loud many times, which is never a good thing when you're traveling on a busy train.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Funking good read

Well written & read, I would say closer to the style of Douglas Adams than Mr Pratchett. A good story with some goods laughs (some out loud chuckles). I for one will be reading more in the series.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Best Sci fi story I've heard in ages!

Very well written and narrated - consistent and simply a joy. A bit like guardians of the galaxy but in my view this is better.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

brilliant

thoroughly enjoyed this book. we bought it because we had an 8 hour drive. so pleased we did! brilliantly narrated. we have bought book 2 for the return journey.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

really good.

fabtastic story, great adventure, great comedy and great narration. well done a nice surprise. thanks.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Deja vue

Good comical story, very well read. But bits and pieces of it I seem to remember from various sources on TV or movies

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Universal fun

Excellent performer, brilliant writing and lots of laughs. Barry J Hutchinson clearly knows what he's doing. A great book packed with both familiar and original ideas.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good listen hate the silence before the chapters

It goes very quiet for a good couple of seconds before it says chapter. and I really don't like spider man. but this was a good listen

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

narrator ruins it(for me anyway)

What did you like most about Space Team?

Excellent character development by the author, it's Red-Dwarf meets Suicide Squad.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I found the voice very difficult to follow; I'm used to Brian Blessed and Stephen Fry so maybe I should be more forgiving.

Any additional comments?

I will be reading paper copies in future.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

It's okay, certainly not the funniest book ever

I got this book based on a facebook adverts saying "funniest book ever" and "Pratchett meets hitchhikers guide to the galaxy", neither of which i felt accurately described this book. Being a big fan of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams perhaps its an unfair comparison, but it certainly lacked the laugh out loud moments of that book, or rather, had one or two but no where near the quoted comparisons.
What it is, however, is a good solid book, with a humorous undertone that does get a little repetitive, a slightly predictable story but well told. Doesn't come close to We Are Legion, We Are Bob or the Rivers of London series, but if you've listened to them, this could be a good easy listen.