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The Brains of Rats
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 09-12-17
- Language: English
- Publisher: Valancourt Books
- Whispersync for Voice-ready
Regular price: $19.95
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UNUSUAL PREMISE, COULDN'T STOP LISTENING
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"What are the possibilities of my strength? That is a thought I have never had before. What if some morning as the old woman stood at the head of the staircase she were suddenly to feel a weight thrusting against the back of her legs? What if she were to lunge forward, grasping at the air, striking her thin skull against the edge of a stair? What would become of me if she were found unmoving at the bottom of the stairway?" Such are the thoughts of Baxter, a sociopathic bull terrier on the hunt for the perfect master.
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The inner dialogue
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OMG A Western Horror!
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4 out of 5 stars
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I need more synonyms for *creepy*
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Mass Hysteria
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 22
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Carried to Earth in a freak meteor shower, an alien virus has infected the animals. Pets and wildlife have turned rabid, attacking without warning. Dogs and cats terrorize their owners, while deer and wolves from the neighboring woods hunt in packs, stalking and killing their human prey without mercy. As the town comes under siege, Lauren searches for her boyfriend, while her policeman father fights to restore some semblance of order. The natural order has been upended completely, and nowhere is it safe - and it is spreading.
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5 out of 5 stars
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True Horror
- By Big Cheese on 11-06-17
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The Island of Dr. Moreau
- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
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- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,078
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 981
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Written by H.G. Wells, the great visionary author, this legendary novel is both timeless and thought provoking. Listeners will thrill to this chilling masterpiece as man boldly takes evolution into his own hands for the first time. Dr. Moreau, a scientist expelled from his homeland for his cruel experiments, continues his transplantations on a small South Pacific island, creating hideous creatures with manlike intelligence.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An Oldie but a Goodie
- By David Thomas on 01-19-15
Publisher's Summary
When Michael Blumlein's debut collection The Brains of Rats first appeared, it marked the arrival of a major new talent, earning widespread acclaim from mainstream critics as well as genre stalwarts Peter Straub, Harlan Ellison, Pat Cadigan and many others.
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- Big Cheese
- New York
- 11-28-17
Odd Collection
If you like short, bizarre stories, then this collection is for you! While some were definitely more satisfying than others, none seemed amazing or terrible - all pretty middling for me. The one that really sticks with me is the wetsuit story. I remember it because I was loving it until the end where I felt robbed of a good ending. This wasn't my favorite collection of stories but absolutely anything narrated by Travis Baldree is worth listening to!
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- TU
- 10-13-17
great collection of psychological horror stories
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
So, this was a collection of short stories full of dark and visceral brooding. Michael Blumlein is apparently an MD, and some stories are very clinical, if creepy, and focus on a lot of the medical jargon while talking about the patient's perspective... The narrator was fantastic. He had a great voice for these psychological horror stories. All in all, this was a good experience.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Christine Newton
- 10-20-17
3..5* - great narration, different short stories
This collection of short stories gets rave reviews by other reviewers. I agree with some other reviewers who mentioned that 'Brain of Rats' and 'Tissue Ablation' were interesting. I also enjoyed the premise of 'The Domino Master' - I think it might be a neat idea to expand into a longer story. I preferred some of the stories more than others but my enjoyment seemed to be clinical, distanced, and somewhat muted. I didn't get pulled into some of the stories - which I admit is challenging for me when it comes to short stories.
I've reviewed other audiobooks narrated by Travis Baldree (in different genres) and I continue to be impressed by him.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Eric Hunley
- Hampton, VA USA
- 10-18-17
Well written and weird
This book was hard for me. The author has a crazy imagination and is a very descriptive and talented writer. However, the stories are not my cup of tea. It reminds me of Clive Barker. Crazy weird stories. Some I enjoy, some I don't.
I also want to give praise to Travis Baldree for the narration. Spot on. He really worked it and put a ton of energy into the performance.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bill
- 09-22-17
A dark and brooding 4.5 Stars
I listened to this one on audio.
What a disturbingly strange and oddly enjoyable collection of shorts. I am rarely at a loss for words when reviewing a work. This was good. Maybe even better than that.
The narration for this one was excellent. Seemed to fit the stories perfectly and I think really added to the dark and brooding atmosphere. Well done.
*I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mark P.
- 01-14-18
Harrowing medical horror and more
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I have already recommended this to friends of mine with similar taste. It's quite a diverse collection ranging from jaw dropping body horror to heart warming (and heart breaking) dark fantasy.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The narrator of the final story, "Bestseller", a writer who struggles to earn a living and feed his family (including a sick child), until he discovers a way to generate income that most people would find utterly unthinkable and horrifying. You can't help but sympathize with his plight, even if you're disgusted by the way he ends up.
Which scene was your favorite?
"Tissue Ablation" is one of the very best horror short stories I've read, and I've read many of them. A tale of a truly heinous surgical procedure, told in a detached, emotionless academic medical style. It's the most stomach turning story here, and also one that will draw you into the reality it creates and leave you completely dumbfounded when you realize what is happening."Keeping House" was another one I enjoyed, a Shirley Jackson-esque tale about a woman being driven to madness by a house. Great stuff.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
No idea. I just know that I would want it to be directed by David Cronenberg.
Any additional comments?
A fantastic collection. I didn't love every story as much as the ones I mentioned above, but everything here is well written. Blumlein has a knack for temporarily rearranging your reality and drawing you into the worlds he creates with his stories.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jason Begly
- 10-19-17
The Brains of Rats
I wasn't able to get into this book. Each story was really well written and performed, but it wasn't for me. Maybe I was distracted by the fact that it was an audio book and I could not get into the rhythm of each story. I don't know for sure. My favorite tales were The Promise of Warmth and Bestseller. My least liked were The Brains of Rats and The Wet Suit.
This book was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.