The Rock

By: Robert Doherty, Bob Mayer

Narrated by: Martin Gollery

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's Summary

In Australia... a U.S. Air Force computer operator receives a terrifying radio transmission out of Ayers Rock that knocks out the world's communications.

In New Mexico... a boozy college engineering professor is suddenly escorted into a waiting car by two armed military men.

In New York... a tall, slender woman leaves her husband a note on the refrigerator saying that she's leaving - but can't tell him where she's going.

In Colombia... a Special Forces officer breaks into a drug kinpin's bedroom and puts a bullet into a woman's brain before running to a waiting helicopter.

And in England... a beautiful 23-year-old mathematician prepares for a journey that will change her life forever.

The team assembles in Australia on a mission that can save the world. But first, they must figure out who is the message coming from? What are they trying to tell mankind? And can it be deciphered in time before Armageddon overtakes the world?

It's about a bomb, it's about a world about to be shattered. It's about the last few days they have to save us all.

©2010 Bob Mayer (P)2011 Bob Mayer

Critic Reviews

"Fascinating, imaginative and nerve-wracking.... A crackling science thriller in the vein of Crichton that mixes action with science fiction." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"The best combination of science fiction and technothriller this year." ( Publishers Weekly)

bad bad bad

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book was painful to say the least, I have listened to twenty five books this fall and this one was not worth the time it took to hear it.

What didn’t you like about Martin Gollery’s performance?

Martin gollery needs to find another line of work he is NOT audible.com quality. My nine year old son reads better.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Both anger and disappointment. Anger for having spent money on trash and disappointment in audible for selling trash. Did anyone review this book before you started to sell it.

Read the book instead

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The reader was horrible. A good (or maybe even just competent) narrator could have done much more for this book.

Would you recommend The Rock to your friends? Why or why not?

No. Painful to listen too.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Martin Gollery?

Scott Brick would have done this story well.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. The story is somewhat interesting, but the bad narration was so distracting it was hard to concentrate on the story.

the absolute worst voice performance.

What disappointed you about The Rock?

The vocal performance was terrible.it was read as if the guy was just worried about enunciating.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Jane Austen.

What didn’t you like about Martin Gollery’s performance?

Wooden. Staccato. Flat affect. Didn't edit mispronounced and stumbled words. He just corrected himself and went on. No emotion. No voice change for dialog or characterization. If I ever am tempted to purchase an audiobook and discover it's performed by Martin Gollery, I will firmly decide NOT to buy it.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Rock?

I didn't finish listening. It was too painful. The story failed to compensate for the performance shortcomings.

Any additional comments?

I'm sorry I bought it.

Bad narrator

I may have to read this one in book form, I didn’t like the narrator at all! He sounded like a machine and it was to annoying and distracting....

interesting precept!

I really enjoyed the story-matter, but found the reading to be a little monotonous. Perhaps it was a part of the story, and I missed it. Beyond that, I enjoyed the book immensely!

Narration is everything in an audiobook

Although the story is interesting with several surprising twists, I didn't care for the narration at all. Mr Gollery has a monotonous voice with very little emotional content and an over-emphasis on speak-ing-each-word-dis-tinct-ly. Perhaps he was told to read the words as though he was a soldier reading a dispatch. If so, he followed his instructions very well, much to the detriment of the suspense of the story.

Disappointing

I am not a big fan of science fiction, but nevertheless I did not find this a convincing story. I was also disappointed by the robotic nature of the narrators voice.