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The Messengers  By  cover art

The Messengers

By: Lindsay Joelle
Narrated by: Kaliswa Brewster,Ana Reeder,Zoë Winters,Alex Weisman
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Publisher's summary

A mysterious plague ushers in an intergalactic war that ravages the galaxy for decades. A soldier and a pilot are tasked to deliver a package. A messenger and a refugee decide to work together on a dying alien planet. A love letter is lost that could be the key to a new future. A dark comedy about the messages we carry in our bones.

©2019 Lindsay Joelle (P)2020 AO Media LLC

Our favorite moments from The Messengers

Messenger 801 discusses the privacy code of conduct.
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"Curiosity is not an admirable trait for a soldier."
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Xanthos and Briseis talk about scars.
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  • The Messengers
  • Messenger 801 discusses the privacy code of conduct.
  • The Messengers
  • "Curiosity is not an admirable trait for a soldier."
  • The Messengers
  • Xanthos and Briseis talk about scars.

Publisher's summary

A mysterious plague ushers in an intergalactic war that ravages the galaxy for decades. A soldier and a pilot are tasked to deliver a package. A messenger and a refugee decide to work together on a dying alien planet. A love letter is lost that could be the key to a new future. A dark comedy about the messages we carry in our bones.

©2019 Lindsay Joelle (P)2020 AO Media LLC

About the Creator

Lindsay Joelle is a New York-based writer. She holds a BA in English from Columbia University and an MFA in Playwriting from CUNY/Hunter. Her play The Garbologists will premiere at City Theatre in 2021, and TRAYF has played throughout North America since premiering at Theater J in 2018. Joelle has received an Audible Emerging Playwright Commission, Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Commission, National New Play Network grant, and is an alumna of Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Ingram New Works Lab and the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop.

About the Performer

Kaliswa Brewster has recurred on Showtime’s Billions, ABC’s series Time After Time, and The Untitled Joe Penna Project. Film credits include Paterno for HBO Films starring Al Pacino, the feature film Paint directed by Michael Walker, and The Bit Player for PBS. Guest star and other television credits include CBS’ God Friended Me, Blue Bloods, Unforgettable, and Netflix’s Daredevil. She has worked onstage at The Signature Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Hartford Stage, The Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Guthrie Theater, and others. She holds an MFA from American Conservatory Theater and a certificate in Classical Theater from The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.

About the Performer

Ana Reeder holds an MFA from NYU. Ana’s Broadway performances include: The Big Knife; Hedda Gabler; Top Girls; and Sight Unseen. Her New York theater performances include: Queens (LCT3); In The Blood (Signature); When It’s You (Keen); Happy Hour (Atlantic); The Maids (Red Bull); Radiance (LABrynth); Hedda Gabler (NYTW); Living Room in Africa (Edge); The Wooden Breeks (MCC); Small Tragedy (Playwrights Horizons, Obie); Humble Boy and An Experiment with an Air Pump (MTC); The Time of the Cuckoo (Lincoln Center); Some Voices (The New Group); Killers and Other Family (Rattlestick); Maid (Lincoln Center Festival); Macbeth (The Public); and Henry VIII (Delacorte). Ana’s London theater appearances include: The Distance from Here (Almeida). Ana’s regional theater appearances include: A Streetcar Named Desire (Williamstown); A Doll’s House (Long Wharf); The Lady in Question and Night Season (Bay Street); Vera Laughed, Horsedreams, Fire Eater, and Suicide Weather (NY Stage & Film); Carol Mulroney (Huntington); and Unusual Acts of Devotion (Philadelphia Th. Co.). Ana’s TV appearances include: You Don’t Know Jack; Damages; The Jury; Law & Order; SVU: Blue Bloods; and The Affair. Film credits also include: One for the Money; The Locksmith; Diary of a City Priest, Acts of Worship (Independent Spirit Award nomination, Best Actress-Santa Barbara Film Festival); Marie and Bruce; No Country for Old Men; and Lost Girls.

About the Performer

Alex Weisman is an actor and bibliophile living in New York. He recently made his Broadway debut as part of the original cast of the Tony Award-winning Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, brandishing a wand in the ensemble and understudying the role of Scorpius Malfoy. He is a two-time Joseph Jefferson Award winner for his roles in The History Boys at TimeLine Theatre and Hand to God at Victory Gardens. For five years he was seen as Paramedic Chout on NBC’s Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med. Other television credits include: Empire, Living with Yourself, and Inventing Anna. Film credits include: Black Box and An Acceptable Loss. The first book he purchased on Audible was Patti LuPone written and performed by Pattie LuPone.

About the Performer

Zoë Winters' TV appearances include: Succession, Hunters, Instinct, The Good Fight, Madam Secretary, Elementary, and Law & Order. Her film appearances include: Gray Dog and Under, and Giant. She performed at New York theaters in: Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Playwrights Horizons); White Noise and Much Ado About Nothing (The Public Theater); The Last Match (Roundabout); The Harvest, 4000 Miles and Shows for Days (LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater); Small Mouth Sounds (Signature); Red Speedo and Love and Information (NYTW); An Octoroon (Soho Rep); and Love Song (59E59). Zoë is a member of NYTW Usual Suspects and LCT Angels Artists.

What listeners say about The Messengers

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Ouch - couldn't get passed the voices..

The acting was bad in this. I gave it 5 minutes before I quit. The dialogue was okay, but butchered by the acting.

I have no idea if the actual story was good or not.

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90 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Really funny and fresh!

My only complaint is that it’s too short. Audio background was amazing as well as the voice actors. Amazingly written and I love the absurd comedy with an undertone of drama. Would 100% recommend!

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53 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Slow build approval

I was underwhelmed in the beginning (felt the dialogue was very stilted), but it grew on me, and it tied together in the end. In retrospect I'm sold.

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53 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Such a fun story

I didn’t know what to expect with this book. I really enjoyed the performance of the narrators. Didn’t know where this story was going at first, but it all came together well. I enjoyed it. Glad I picked this as one of my free books this month.

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41 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Quick Unique Experience

I haven't heard a story like this before and thoroughly enjoyed each of the narrators. The plot and connections between characters was really cool to unveil. Overall, pretty cool!

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37 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Meh

story was not horrible but not very SF. Actually good narration. True SF fans will be left wanting.

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36 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Thought Provoking and entertaining.

Even though this was a story about the future, I thought this was exceptionally poignant and resonated with the issues of today's immigrants and displaced persons. The author blended humor and pathos that moved the story along at a rapid pace while still effectively communicating a strong message. I am going to search out more works of this writer as I think they have a unique style and talent that tells a story while leaving the reader with thought provoking ideas. I really enjoyed this audible and would like to see this in a movie or play.

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29 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

not bad

not a for such short story. bit cliche at times. and names are random. but i liked the characters. and how everything got wrapped up in the end.

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20 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A very enjoyable short story.

A very enjoyable short story. In had a very surprising ending. Interesting characters, And I injoied the people doing the voices.

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18 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Feels like it was plucked out of a book

Intriguing and established a lot of context in a short story but feels like it was plucked out of the middle of a book. Worth the listen if your a scifi fan.

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15 people found this helpful

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  • Kat Miller
  • 12-14-22

is this it?

I'm so confused, seems like the first chapter of a book, enough that you enjoy it, but also enough that it's annoying being so short

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Atenea Berumen
  • 06-18-22

Strange story

It was a strange little story. I enjoyed the plot twist, I wasn't expecting it, although I thought it was quite a random story with not much to it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Barker8v
  • 06-05-22

Enjoyable and funny

Well written, with a clever story structure, a nice bit of humour mixed in, and good performances throughout. More please!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • EAE
  • 10-13-21

Well paced, funny and great performances.

It’s not long and had enough to say to have been worth developing. That said, as an embryonic allegory rather than a mature one, it’s very well done and the small cast are uniformly excellent. They all have some funny, often poignant lines and they do not waste them.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Hathor
  • 08-20-21

Excellent performances let down by poor storyline

The performances are well done especially as they have to give reality to some pretty clunky lines but overall I just didn't get on with the storyline, finding it superficial and empty. Getting to the end I was left with an overwhelming sense of thank goodness that's over. It didn't inspire me to read/listen to any more but for other listeners it might be exactly what they want - over an hours worth of light entertainment. If so, I heartily recommend.

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