-
The Death of Captain Future
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor, Allen Steele
- Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
pick 2 free titles with trial.
The Death of Captain Future
Buy for $8.65
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
When they receive a distress call from a nearby space station, Furland and the first officer blend the dangers of reality into the captain's fantasy world.
BONUS AUDIO: Author Allen Steele talks about his love of pulp fiction, and its direct influence on this Hugo Award-winning novella.
Critic Reviews
- Hugo Award, Best Novella, 1996
More from the same
Author
Narrator
What listeners say about The Death of Captain Future
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Mitch
- 09-23-08
Melodramatic Fun
I've downloaded many Audible books, and this is the first that has motivated me to write a review.
This title is lots of fun. When I heard the characterization of the captain of the Comet (aka Captain Future), I laughed and then I laughed some more after I rewound the audio, and laughed even more after rewinding again. It is one of the funniest and most memorable characterizations in SF literature.
The story is campy, told in an "over the top" way, and it was pure joy.
I received two happy hours form this title. I can see why it won a Hugo award for best novella.
Ripping good fun! Great satire.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Katherine
- 06-13-12
Old SF adventure story
To get the fastest transport to a rendezvous with his new job, spacer Rohr Furland decides to take a position on The Comet. Rohr doesn???t listen to gossip, so he isn???t aware that the captain of The Comet, who styles himself Captain Future, is a nut case who can???t find a crew because nobody else will work for him. Nobody, that is, except for Jeri, a bioengineered ???Superior??? human who Rohr develops a crush on.Why is Jeri, who is a wonderful person and an excellent First Officer, willing to put up with this awful job?
Captain Future, obsessed with 1960s American pulp science fiction, turns out to be a tyrant. His father bought him The Comet and now he???s living out all his boyhood fantasies as the captain of a spaceship. Rohr can???t stand Captain Future, but all he has to do is make it to their next stop, where Rohr will be disembarking. But when a distress signal comes in from a spaceship that???s in trouble, The Comet is obliged to change course and go to its aid. Now, with potential danger ahead, Captain Future is really in his element!
The Death of Captain Future, by Allen Steele, is a short fun story that???s bound to please fans of old science fiction heroic adventures. I listened to it in audio format and it kept me happily entertained for two hours. Audible Frontier???s version was read by Marc Vietor, who is perfect for this sort of role. This version has an introduction by Allen Steele (read by Allen Steele) in which he talks about how Edmond Hamilton???s CAPTAIN FUTURE stories, which Steele read when he was a young boy, inspired this story. He even includes excerpts from the CAPTAIN FUTURE books in the text. Allen Steele also explains how Jeri was inspired by the girl he had a crush on in sixth grade.
The Death of Captain Future appeared in the October 1995 issue of Asimov???s Science Fiction and won both a Hugo Award and a Seiun Award. It was also nominated for a Nebula and a Locus Poll Award.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Kirk
- 12-08-08
Very good narration. Good story, very funny.
Very good narration. Good story, very funny.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lady Pamela
- 07-17-15
Funny...That
A short fun story that’s fun for fans of old science fiction heroic adventures. Very good narration. Prologue by the author was quite illustrative for the listener.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Darryl
- 11-04-12
excellent pastiche of pulp scifi adventure
this was flat out excellent. i love the world weary noirish voice of the protagonist and the narrator hits it perfect. the story is initially hilarious with the play on the old pulp style story and later gets creepy and finishes poignantly. a new favorite and i would definitely listen to it again.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Old Hippy
- 09-29-09
It had its moments
Not a bad tale. Downloaded it for something cheap to listen to before getting next months credits. It was worthwhile, but not the gut-buster other reviewers seemed to think.
-
Overallout of 5 stars
- Marc Vietor
- 01-16-09
Hilarious send-up
Great fun.
Related to this topic
-
Project Hail Mary
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 155,340
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 142,005
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 141,455
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Pure Science Fiction
- By Leif on 05-04-21
By: Andy Weir
-
He Who Fights with Monsters: A LitRPG Adventure
- He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 1
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 28 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 30,294
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 27,245
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 27,164
It’s not easy making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer. At least, Jason tries to be heroic, but it's hard to be good when all your powers are evil. He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters...and that’s just on the first day. He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit, and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great!
- By tb3 on 03-10-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
-
He Who Fights with Monsters 2
- A LitRPG Adventure (He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 2)
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 23,023
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 20,474
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 20,419
But Jason Asano is settling into his new life. Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone to compete for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer. While the young adventurers are caught up in competition, the city leaders deal with revelations of betrayal as a vast and terrible enemy is revealed. Although Jason seems uninvolved, he has unknowingly crossed the enemy’s path before.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Contrary to common reviews
- By Karen on 05-21-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
-
Columbus Day
- Expeditionary Force, Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45,891
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 42,522
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42,418
We were fighting on the wrong side of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news. The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits. When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-04-17
By: Craig Alanson
-
Seaborn
- The Seaborn Cycle, Book 1
- By: Michael Livingston
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 330
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 292
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 291
The seven houses of the matriarchal Seaborn have plied the seas of the Fair Isles for centuries, trading among the islands and fending off the attacks by the fearsome Bone Pirate. But suddenly, out of the night sky, a common enemy appears - the Windborn, who come without warning to raid, burn, and kill.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A fresh take on fantasy and pirates.
- By Amazon Customer on 08-02-20
-
We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
- Bobiverse, Book 1
- By: Dennis E. Taylor
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 100,587
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 92,679
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 92,443
There's a reason We Are Legion was named Audible's Best Science Fiction Book of 2016: Its irresistibly irreverent wit! Bob Johansson has just sold his software company for a small fortune and is looking forward to a life of leisure. The first item on his to-do list: Spending his newfound windfall. On an urge to splurge, he signs up to have his head cryogenically preserved in case of death. Then he gets himself killed crossing the street. Waking up 117 years later, Bob discovers his mind has been uploaded into a sentient space probe with the ability to replicate itself.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ignore the Publisher's Summary! This is Amazing!
- By PW on 04-12-17
By: Dennis E. Taylor
-
Project Hail Mary
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 155,340
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 142,005
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 141,455
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Pure Science Fiction
- By Leif on 05-04-21
By: Andy Weir
-
He Who Fights with Monsters: A LitRPG Adventure
- He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 1
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 28 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 30,294
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 27,245
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 27,164
It’s not easy making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer. At least, Jason tries to be heroic, but it's hard to be good when all your powers are evil. He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters...and that’s just on the first day. He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit, and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great!
- By tb3 on 03-10-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
-
He Who Fights with Monsters 2
- A LitRPG Adventure (He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 2)
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 23,023
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 20,474
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 20,419
But Jason Asano is settling into his new life. Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone to compete for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer. While the young adventurers are caught up in competition, the city leaders deal with revelations of betrayal as a vast and terrible enemy is revealed. Although Jason seems uninvolved, he has unknowingly crossed the enemy’s path before.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Contrary to common reviews
- By Karen on 05-21-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
-
Columbus Day
- Expeditionary Force, Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45,891
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 42,522
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42,418
We were fighting on the wrong side of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news. The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits. When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-04-17
By: Craig Alanson
-
Seaborn
- The Seaborn Cycle, Book 1
- By: Michael Livingston
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 330
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 292
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 291
The seven houses of the matriarchal Seaborn have plied the seas of the Fair Isles for centuries, trading among the islands and fending off the attacks by the fearsome Bone Pirate. But suddenly, out of the night sky, a common enemy appears - the Windborn, who come without warning to raid, burn, and kill.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A fresh take on fantasy and pirates.
- By Amazon Customer on 08-02-20
-
We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
- Bobiverse, Book 1
- By: Dennis E. Taylor
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 100,587
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 92,679
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 92,443
There's a reason We Are Legion was named Audible's Best Science Fiction Book of 2016: Its irresistibly irreverent wit! Bob Johansson has just sold his software company for a small fortune and is looking forward to a life of leisure. The first item on his to-do list: Spending his newfound windfall. On an urge to splurge, he signs up to have his head cryogenically preserved in case of death. Then he gets himself killed crossing the street. Waking up 117 years later, Bob discovers his mind has been uploaded into a sentient space probe with the ability to replicate itself.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ignore the Publisher's Summary! This is Amazing!
- By PW on 04-12-17
By: Dennis E. Taylor
-
Reckless Magic
- By: Rachel Higginson
- Narrated by: Bailey Carr
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,794
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,409
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 4,394
Sixteen-year-old Eden Matthews has been in and out of private schools for the last two years. She can't seem to stop herself from closing them down. Kingsley is her last chance to finish high school. Only Kingsley isn't like the other schools she's been to. The students are different. But, then again, so is she. After meeting Kiran Kendrick, the mysterious boy who seems to be the source of all her problems, she is suddenly in a world that feels more make-believe than reality.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
The Main Character is an Absolute Idiot.
- By Elizabeth on 03-04-20
By: Rachel Higginson
-
Children of Time
- By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: Mel Hudson
- Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36,261
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33,172
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33,100
Adrian Tchaikovksy's critically acclaimed stand-alone novel Children of Time is the epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet. Who will inherit this new Earth? The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age - a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A very pleasant surprise
- By Simon on 06-17-17
-
Morgan Is My Name
- By: Sophie Keetch
- Narrated by: Vanessa Kirby
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,488
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,280
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,264
Even as a girl Morgan has always been wild, like the seas which batter the cliffs beneath her home, Tintagel Castle. But she has always been safe, too. Then one day her father is called away to a war from which he does not return. In his place comes the High King, Uther Pendragon, with the sorcerer Merlin lurking in his wake. Uther claims Morgan’s mother, the Lady Igraine as his queen.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bravo!!
- By Belle Barrell on 10-16-22
By: Sophie Keetch
-
Steel World
- Undying Mercenaries, Book 1
- By: B. V. Larson
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11,587
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10,616
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10,616
In the 20th century Earth sent probes, transmissions, and welcoming messages to the stars. Unfortunately, someone noticed. The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined their vast Empire. Swearing allegiance to our distant alien overlords wasn't the only requirement for survival. We also had to have something of value to trade, something that neighboring planets would pay their hard-earned credits to buy. As most of the local worlds were too civilized to have a proper army, the only valuable service Earth could provide came in the form of soldiers....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A 14 year old boy’s idea of a “Real Man”
- By C. Brown on 04-16-19
By: B. V. Larson
-
The Sandman
- By: Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
- Narrated by: Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 51,627
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 45,530
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 45,351
When The Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus - the immortal king of dreams, stories and the imagination - is pulled from his realm and imprisoned on Earth by a nefarious cult, he languishes for decades before finally escaping. Once free, he must retrieve the three “tools” that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has deteriorated in his absence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
absolutely Epic!
- By Victor @ theAudiobookBlog dot com on 07-16-20
By: Neil Gaiman, and others
-
Dragon Blood - Omnibus
- By: Lindsay Buroker
- Narrated by: Caitlin Davies
- Length: 27 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15,605
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14,330
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 14,270
A thousand years have passed since a dragon has been seen in the world. Science and technology have replaced magic, which has dwindled until it has become little more than an element of myth and legend. There are those who still have dragon blood flowing through their veins, distant descendants of the mighty creatures of old. These rare humans have the power to cast magic, the power to heal, and the power to craft alchemical weapons capable of starting wars...or ending them.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A YA romance story with a little magic thrown in.
- By Patrick Jaynes on 06-11-17
By: Lindsay Buroker
-
The Martian
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 33,842
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 30,325
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 30,226
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
I love Wil Wheaton but why not R. C. Bray?
- By L. Newman on 01-11-20
By: Andy Weir
-
Unsouled
- By: Will Wight
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10,468
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8,966
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8,953
Sacred artists follow a thousand Paths to power, using their souls to control the forces of the natural world. Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan. When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must rise beyond anything he's ever known...and forge his own Path.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazingly Addictive and Oddly Cleaver
- By ronnito on 05-31-19
By: Will Wight
-
Artemis
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Rosario Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 91,613
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84,136
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 83,933
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A ferrari with no motor
- By will on 11-18-17
By: Andy Weir
-
The Dispatcher
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Zachary Quinto
- Length: 2 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 81,017
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 74,390
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 74,168
Zachary Quinto - best known for his role as the Nimoy-approved Spock in the recent Star Trek reboot and the menacing, power-stealing serial killer, Sylar, in Heroes - brings his well-earned sci-fi credentials and simmering intensity to this audio-exclusive novella from master storyteller John Scalzi. One day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone - 999 times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We don't know.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
IT'S HARD TO GET MYSTICAL ABOUT YOUR JOB
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 10-05-16
By: John Scalzi
-
Outland
- Quantum Earth, Book 1
- By: Dennis E. Taylor
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 16,471
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 15,131
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15,073
When an experiment to study quantum uncertainty goes spectacularly wrong, physics student Bill Rustad and his friends find that they have accidentally created an inter-dimensional portal. They connect to Outland - an alternate Earth with identical geology, but where humans never evolved. The group races to establish control of the portal before the government, the military, or evildoers can take it away. Then everything changes when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts in an explosion large enough to destroy civilization and kill half the planet.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
I made myself finish. Glad I did.
- By RJPF on 05-26-19
By: Dennis E. Taylor
-
The Will of the Many
- Hierarchy, Book 1
- By: James Islington
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 28 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world now, but they do not know everything. I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilized society in allowing my strength, my drive, and my focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great
- By chris on 05-26-23
By: James Islington