The Spirit Phone

By: Arthur Shattuck O'Keefe

Narrated by: Daniel Penz

Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

"O'Keefe's debut novel certainly serves up a unique blend of elements.... Perhaps most rewarding is his evocation of this time and place...a world made magical and strange, an ideal setting for such a strange tale." (Booklist)

Aleister Crowley and Nikola Tesla confront the enigma of Thomas Edison's new invention: a phone to communicate with the dead.

It is August 1899, and Thomas Edison proclaims his most amazing invention yet: the Spirit Phone Model SP-1. At nearly the same time, a cocksure young mage named Aleister Crowley inexplicably teleports into the home of Edison's archrival, renowned inventor Nikola Tesla.

As insanity and suicide multiply among spirit phone users, Crowley and Tesla combine their respective skills in "magick" and technology to investigate the device's actual origin and ultimate purpose.

Embarking upon an adventure of astral travel, demonic invocations, and high-speed airship journeys, they are soon embroiled in a desperate race to stop the spirit phone's use by an unknown adversary to inaugurate a hell on earth from which none shall escape.

©2022 Arthur Shattuck O'Keefe & BHC Press (P)2023 Arthur Shattuck O'Keefe & BHC Press

Fantastic experience in audiobooks!

It's hard not to include spoilers in the review of this book. It was a "just one more chapter" experience to say the least! Every time you think "what the heck" there is another resolution and twist. The details woven into the story perspective create images that unfold like a well scripted movie where each new reveal continue that roller coaster of "aha" moments. That effect is undoubtedly achieved by the narrator and the use of distinct individual voices which brings life to each character within the story. While I am sure the printed volume would be just as delightful, I am so glad I chose to enjoy this piece in audiobook format.

For the love of Chocolate

“The Spirit Phone” is a unique journey with unusual participants in the hopes of chasing an amazing invention where the living appear to be able to speak with the dead; or are they? However, what starts off as one simply trying to get their hands on this invention, there has always been competition between Tesla and Edison, the spirit phone blossoms into a rather in depth and tangled expedition involving time travel and quite a few out of body experiences. For Mr. O'Keefe’s debut novel, clocking in at just under 12 hours of audio, there is plenty of fun, adventure, and delving into the world of spirits. The audiobook is incredibly narrated by Daniel Penz. His amazing voicing and knowledge of the material really made this book all that more enjoyable. If you are a person drawn to the idea of a spirit world or if you like having famous, or infamous, people placed in different situations then expected, I think you will find this premiere novel to be just that. What I liked about this audiobook was that it not only felt like a 1900s procedural (think Sherlock Holms), but it also wet the appetite of my science fiction side by blending in many elements that fall into that genre as well.

The audiobook opens with what looks to be a simple robbery of this wonderful invention and it quickly grows into a full-fledged tale ultimately questioning what the spirit world is made up of. Are these spirits which the living are speaking with really their dead relatives or are they something more sinister? This is where things begin to take a turn and our main characters find that they have opened a Pandora’s box which may not be able to be closed. Not only is Tesla and Edison front and center, but a character which many would not expect at first also appears, Mr. Aleister Crowley, a man well-known for his work in the occult. It was rather intriguing to have these characters as a part of the story, and one can tell that the author did research into the characters actual lives based on their actions. I found the audiobook provided a rollercoaster ride of emotions as well. You had humor, bantering, and times of sorrow. I find books that not only take the listener on an audio journey worth listening to, but also include an emotional one as well. There were even splashes of a Twilight Zone feel sprinkled throughout with plenty of darker tones underlying it.

One of the things that often annoys me when listening to an audiobook like this one is the use of modern-day vernacular when the piece is historic in nature and takes place a century earlier than today. It is something that I can often shrug off, but for others like me, just note that it is found here in this story a few times. I did like that the author included a few hooks that were dropped and continued throughout the story and resolved near its end. It always makes one wonder what the reasoning for such an event makes to the overall tale. Take all of this and include aspects of the quantum realm along with time travel and this all makes for a rather unique feel, in a good way. There were a few times the author also leveraged flashbacks to fill in some of the missing pieces, and I felt that they were a welcomed addition. I have to say that for a premier novel, this one hit many of the high notes of a great work. I will say that a few times it felt longer than it needed to be, but at no time did it drag out or did I want to skip ahead.

About the audiobook’s narration, Mr. Penz’s work is always exceptional, and his voice is pleasant to listen to no matter the genre. This audiobook seemed to have some additional special effects that helped to bring the story to life. I understand there are some that dislike audio effects, but I can say that the ones in this audiobook were not overly utilized. They felt more like an add on and not something that took over the voicing of characters. The narration included the use of many varied accents, and these were maintained throughout the story. I do not recall any audio plugs, artifacts, of other issues with the narration while listening. Solid narration from a solid narrator.

For parents and younger listeners, this audiobook does deal with some mature themes of the occult and includes some profanity throughout, but it is not heavily used. Because of the more mature themes, I would recommend this to older listeners only.

In summary, the Spirit Phone has a unique premise with some unique individuals who need to come together to solve the one thing that may destroy the world. There is mystery, fun, and emotional times that keep the listener engaged. The narration was solid, and the consistent character voicing was professionally done. There were areas where the story could have been trimmed down some, but overall, it was well worth the listen.

Unlike anything I’ve heard on Audible

The story is thrilling and unpredictable- it didn’t follow a monomyth pattern but it all comes together to Ann interesting conclusion in the end.

Honestly the Tesla and Crowley characters just seemed like characters to me and I didn’t think of the historical figures that much through the book.

This is some interesting voice work- it sounds almost like an old radio drama! Truly nothing like I’ve heard on Audible.

Amazing story told so well I got lost in it!

The story is about the unlikely friendship of Aleister Crowley and Nikolai Tesla. It was read by one person who sounded like an entire cast. What a fun ride.