Clarence Gardner

Good subject, but really aimed at children/teenage

Revisado: 01-15-25

I was recommended to read this, but it turns out it's a follow on to the book I was recommended. While this book is fine, it's really intended for teenagers. It's constantly talking about how to deal with school, etc.

Also, it assumes that the introverted listener find introversion "a problem" and how to "deal with it".

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Stay away from this narrator

Revisado: 08-14-24

A nice idea, but the characters are flat and the lead comes off as stupider than the real life "operator" he's based on.
The story concludes, but the epilog is useless.

But most of all, the narrator is totally annoying. He seems to need to put false emphasis and breathless pauses on one -- or even two or three -- words in almost every sentence. Like Wil Wheaton (whose performances I like except for this) does, but at least he does it sparingly.

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Lack of video will lose beginners

Revisado: 04-29-24

This is the audio track of a video series (or maybe video recording of in-person lectures).
It's annoying to keep hearing him saying things like "here (pointing) is X and you can see it's next to Y". Much of that I can pretty much follow because I'm familiar with chemistry, but a person who totally isn't needs to be warned against listening to this.

Maybe the PDF helps a bit (I haven't looked at it, at least it probably shows the periodic table), but my warning stands.

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Returning after 1/3 of the way through

Revisado: 03-10-22

I've been listening to this for three hours. So far, the story could be summarized in a short paragraph. I have no idea where it's going but I can't take it anymore. I'm returning it.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Halfway through, and there is no story to speak of

Revisado: 01-24-21

The blurb for the book sounded like a good story. After seven hours of listening, basically nothing has happened. Some people are getting mysterious sickness. Apart from the fact that "people have them implanted", there's virtually nothing regarding the parasite in the story. And this is one of those books that really seem like the author was paid by the word, droning on and on about nothing.
While I abandoned it after the first half, I definitely don't recommend this.

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Can't recommend it

Revisado: 07-07-19

Started as a good take on Singularity, then got boring, and I skipped through hours of it.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Three quarters through and I can't take any more

Revisado: 06-19-18

Yes, the reviews I read before buying this book said that it wasn't real exciting. That's okay, I don't require spaceships or terrorists or kings at war with each other.

But this book has practically no story. I could recap the fifteen hours or so that I've listened to in less than two minutes. And it would be a long two minutes.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Another wonderful "humorous science fiction" autho

Revisado: 01-07-17

Any additional comments?

Rob Dircks definitely joins the stable of humorous sci-fi writers, along with the likes of John Scalzi and Scott Meyer -- and maybe even Douglas Adams? I'll wait for a few more books to see.

This story made me laugh out loud, which makes it rare on that scale. And the author's performance was superb; I'm very glad he did it himself.

I'd give four thumbs and big toes up, if I weren't missing one and the other weren't so furry.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Started okay but got tedious

Revisado: 10-08-16

The first few chapters drew me in, with the basis of the story coming into view. But once out in the world, it just got more and more painful to endure. I gave up after 35 of the 72 chapters.

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Bought all five, finally gave up after three

Revisado: 08-13-16

Would you try another book from Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter and/or Michael Fenton-Stevens?

Pratchett yes, but I'll stick to Discworld

What was most disappointing about Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter ’s story?

The series is incredibly boring. I'd be out for a walk and realize I'd totally missed five minutes.
The starting premise is okay, but it's not developed well at all. And "Datum" is a stupid word for man's origin, unless I'm really missing something.

It is pointed out repeatedly that you can't step while you're underground. After Yellowstone, they mark out the location of Datum buildings on world over. But why does nobody end up in a tree when stepping normally?
The first two books sort of imply that there's a gradient along the long earth, so that things change more and more the further you get from the Datum. That's pretty odd, nobody even questions it, and it's only in book three that it is actually said, in an offhand sentence.
There's plenty more. :(

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narration was fine. Even the sentient wolves.

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