Unexplained

Real-Life Supernatural Stories for Uncertain Times

By: Richard MacLean Smith

Narrated by: Bruce Mann

Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

In every corner of this earth there are secrets. They are hidden in the dark edge of the woods, nestled in the cold stars, and staring out from a stranger's eyes. And whether they be demonic possession or an unsolved murder, the unknown has always haunted our dreams.

From the hit podcast Unexplained comes a volume perfectly crafted for the curious, the cynical, and the not-easily frightened. Richard MacLean Smith is the expert in the unknown and humbly offers up 10 tales of real-life events that continue to evade explanation. With these chilling stories comes the missing key: a connection to our own beliefs in science, superstition, and perception.

What can a case of demonic possession teach us about free will? What can a cursed box show us about the act of storytelling? What can a supposed instance of reincarnation tell us about developing a concept of the self?

Perhaps some things are just better left unexplained....

©2019 Richard MacLean Smith (P)2020 Tantor

Something is wrong with the narration.

Tl/dr: I mean, just listen to the sample and tell me that something doesn't sound right?

First off, I absolutely LOVE this podcast. I was waiting, literally counting down the days for its release. When I finally got it, I was so disappointed with the disjointed narration. I couldn't even finish the 1st chapter. And I eventually returned the purchase...

Its almost as if the producers tried to cut the silence in the pauses between every word,, and every sentence.

Its very "jarring".
There is zero flow to the narration. It almost sounds like a replay of a bad "text to speech" computer program. He emphasizes words that should be emphasized and reads as if he has no idea where anything is going...

Which is crazy - because the author and podcast creator RMS has an amazing voice and would have done a much better job narrating. Hell..., I could do a better job, and I'm not exaggerating.

Hopefully they can "re-do" the audio... but until then, support the podcast...but don't buy this book until it's fixed.

And I dont even blame the audiobooks narrator, I've heard him on other audiobooks, and he sounds completely different - and most importantly.... listenable.

Don't know what happened. Please fix it Audible.

Brutal

His podcast is one of the best I have ever found, just well written and extremely intriguing. One of the best parts of the podcast is the narration, I could only listen to about 5 minutes of this book. I’ve listened to about 45 books on this app and this is the worst I’ve ever heard. It’s a shame because I’ve been waiting for years for this book to finally listen to it, and the end result is disappointing.

Where is Richard MacLean...Smith?

I don't know who this narrator is, but he's like the UK version of David Lynch's voice. Unpleasant to listen to. I've decided to read the text on my own and hear MacLean Smith's voice in my head.

Awful Narration

As the title states, the narration on this is awful. It’s very slow and disjointed. It’s almost like an automated voice.

Impossible to listen to

RMS doesn’t narrate, and the guy who does is awful! Wish it sounded like the podcast.

Why not use the original recording?

I'm completely baffled by this release. I've been a fan of Unexplained since the first season of the podcast and was extremely excited for the audio book version of his first book. After waiting nearly a year after the UK release I was stunned to hear this version, narrated by a completely different person. The version available on Audible in the UK is narrated by Richard MacLean Smith himself, with his music as well as added sound effects and voice actors. The version we're made to suffer through in the US sounds like a disinterested uncle trying to get his nephews to fall asleep. Don't buy this version if you're a fan of Unexplained the podcast. Actually just don't buy this version at all. Buy a print or ebook version of the book and do your best to get your hands on a copy of the real audiobook recording.

make or break with great narration

please re-read the stories utilizing same individual in podcast! I'm sure the stories are great, just cannot listen to tone, pace, etc of narrator , therfore stopped prior to really getting started

Too bad about the robot narrator

I love Richard McLean Smith. He is a brilliant storyteller, but hiring a robot to read these great stories makes no sense. Please re-record with RMS or another human.

Narrator

Did you get this guy off of Craigslist? I’ve never heard a worse narrator on any of my 300- some audiobooks.

Disappointed

The narration in this book is horrible and it makes some interesting stories very flat and uninteresting. There is nothing new in this book if you are familiar with cryptozoology or the paranormal. I was really hoping for obscure cases that I hadn’t heard of already so this was a let down. Additionally, the author shares his social justice views on some of these topics and it just isn’t the right place or time. Pass on this one, listen to the “Bedtime Stories” podcast instead.