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Alien: Out of the Shadows
- By: Tim Lebbon, Dirk Maggs
- Narrated by: Rutger Hauer, Corey Johnson, Matthew Lewis, Kathryn Drysdale, Andrea Deck, Mac McDonald
- Audible Original Podcast
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Summary
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Dec 7 201829 mins
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Dec 7 201827 mins
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Dec 7 201832 mins
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Editorial review
By Alanna McAuliffe, Audible Editor
ALIEN:OUT OF THE SHADOWS IS A DEEP SPACE SENSORIAL THRILL RIDE
There was a running joke in my household growing up that I was somehow alien. It wasn’t just that I was a quirky child with eyes the size of dinner plates and a mildly conical head, but the fact that I was born precisely as the opening credits of The X-Files blared from the delivery room’s television. It was almost endearing at the time—the extraterrestrials of my youth were cute and cuddly and charming, ranging from Spielberg’s wrinkly, homeward-bound E.T. to the goggle-eyed, triangular faces of the grays plastered on mylar party balloons. But as I grew older, my brother introduced me to an entirely new kind of unearthly life-form when he queued up Ridley Scott’s Alien. Gone were the friendly interstellar critters I’d known—these towering beasties, with their metallic, razor-sharp teeth, eerily coated in frothy saliva, barbed tails, and killer instincts most certainly did not come in peace.
I’d always wondered how I’d fare against such a foe—Would I be headstrong and determined like heroine Ellen Ripley, or would I be doomed from the start like poor Kane? I got my answer when I popped in my earbuds and pressed play on Alien: Out of the Shadows, an audio drama with as much bite as a Xeno’s acidic blood.
When you consider how much suspense, how much horror, is built in 1979’s Alien when the title monster only clocks about four minutes of screen time, it should come as no surprise that the world lends effortlessly to audio. It’s not seeing the stalking Xenomorphs that makes them terrifying—it’s knowing they’re lurking in the shadows, unseen and waiting to strike. Their ominous sounds are vivid—drool spattering down from the rafters above, insectoid skittering through the ship’s air ducts, that unmistakable hiss as a smaller, inner mouth unfurls. And in Out of the Shadows, audio maven Dirk Maggs wields them to a visceral sensorial effect. Paired with a dynamic score and an atmospheric sound design that places listeners firmly in the far reaches of the galaxy, this listen is the very definition of immersive.
Equally impressive throughout this listening experience are the human performances. The full cast—which includes the late acting legend Rutger Hauer, Harry Potter’s Matthew Lewis, and Alien: Isolation’s Andrea Deck—is tremendous. While the performers originating new characters are markedly skilled in their ability to get you invested in their fate nearly immediately, it’s the pair of actors voicing those more familiar that create a deep sense of cohesion in the larger Alienverse. Hauer portrays Ash, the double-crossing synth responsible for the mayhem that erupted aboard the Nostromo, with the same staccato disconnect that Ian Holm initially brought to the character. Like Holm, he conveys a deep understanding of Ash’s motivations and relentless commitment to his directive. Laurel Lefkow, who voices Ellen Ripley, delivers an absolute knockout performance. Taking on a role famously originated by Sigourney Weaver, Lefkow offers a nearly indistinguishable performance, her low tone, dry delivery, and moments of bright brashness mirroring her on-screen counterpart.
Over the years, I’ve come to understand that, despite any resemblance in behavior or physicality, I am in fact just your everyday, run-of-the-mill human being. But the more I think on it after revisiting Out of the Shadows, the more I feel my lack of interstellar ties is something I should be grateful for. After all, I’ve heard what’s out there—and it’s better off left alone.
Continue reading Alanna's review >
Featured Article: The Best Full Cast Audiobooks and Podcasts of All Time
As any audiobook fan knows, the perfect narration can take a listen from good to great. Full cast ensembles in particular are the perfect choice for those times you really want to dive headfirst into a story. A cast of narrators, sometimes accompanied by music or sound effects, craft a unique and immersive listening experience. Unique performances let listeners intimately experience each character’s personality as the story progresses.
What listeners say about Alien: Out of the Shadows
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- Kindle Reader
- 10-09-23
I understand why
I understand WHY the book ended the way it did, but I couldn't help but have a brief hope that it might have taken a strong AU approach with it. Ah well, still a great story and worth the ride :)
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- Bonmot
- 01-15-23
Blown away! Just as good as first 2 "Alien" movies
This was just as great as the first 2 "Alien" films and kept me riveted through all 10 episodes! Be sure to hear all 3 Alien audio dramas: 1. Out of the Shadows, 2. River of Pain, 3. Sea of Sorrows.
Bravo to Tim Lebbon, Dirk Maggs, and all the phenomenal actors and sound effects/music people! I was fully emotionally invested in the fate of Ripley and the rest of the crew! Ash made a fantastic, clever villain. I could imagine a movie beautifully in my head as I listened.
One of the best, most cinematic audio dramas I've ever heard, period! All Alien and sci-fi/horror fans will absolutely love this!
It's based on Tim Lebbon's novel of the same name. "The novel is the first in a new trilogy that ties into the events of the Alien films. According to Lebbon, 'the three novels are very much stand-alone, but they do together form a fascinating, wide-ranging look at the Alien universe, and Weyland-Yutani's scheming place in it.' The novels were written under the supervision of 20th Century Fox, and have been confirmed as part of the film series' canon."
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- Nicolás
- 10-22-21
5 stars all the way!!!
Increíble, realmente espectacular, deberían hacer más auidolibros de alien en este formato, te atrapan de principio a fin y solo queres escuchar más. Totally recommended.
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- G. Swanson
- 02-02-22
Take a few movies, mash them up, make a buck
seriously it just grabbed themes and ideas from multiple movies, smashed them together, and added a C3PO memory wipe to allow it to make sense in the series. And the narration sounded fantastic, but for a single narrator Audio book lover it was over produced with vocal effects on the cast and ambient and action sound effects.
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- Billy SR01
- 08-15-22
Great I guess
Alien trilogy fan here, this story is between Alien and Aliens, I like the performance all sounds like it should have been a movie instead of just an audio. Story was interesting but really didn't like how it ended, felt like the ending was put on in a way I didn't like to lead it towards Aliens. over all I enjoyed it, wish we get more movies tho.
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- NaeNae
- 01-10-23
I love Alien
I really love how they were able to have Ripley in this and still keep the continuity of the films intact. I love Rutger Hauer as Ash and the voice of Ripley was dead on sounding like Sigourney Weaver.
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- JLJ
- 12-05-22
Great story for the Alien Franchise
I haven't been one for reading or listening to audio books until recently. I'm listening to another book series but I am in between books and waiting on a friend to finish the book. ANYWAYS, this audio show dramatization is wonderful and the story is very good. I feel like I'm watching an Alien TV show spinoff or what have you, very good sound affects and voice acting! I would've given 4 stars for story due to personal interests but since the story is SO good, it's a 5!
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- Joe mazza
- 01-31-23
great listen
very well written, great story line and cast of characters. looking forward to a follow up??????
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- Mr. Brown
- 01-25-24
Great listen
This is an n awesome bit of storytelling. The time is well spent. Would recommend
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- Alicia M
- 03-01-24
Like a Movie in your mind!
Outstanding sound design and voice acting, found myself sitting parked outside my home wanting to finish an episode before going inside
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