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Tau Zero cover art

Tau Zero

By: Poul Anderson
Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
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Summary

This science fiction novel describes the epic voyage of the spacecraft Leonora Christine, which will take a 40-strong crew to a planet some 30 light years distant.

From practically the very first minute, Tau Zero sets scientific realities in dramatic tension with the very real emotional and psychological states of the travelers, exploring the effect of time contraction due to traveling at near-light speed on the human psyche. This tension is a dynamic that Anderson explores with great success over the course of the novel, as 50 crewmembers settle in for the long journey together. While they are a highly trained team of scientists and researchers and therefore professionals, they are also a community of individuals, each of them trying to create for him or herself a life in a whole new space - or, literally, in space.

It isn't long, however, before the voyage takes a turn for the worse. The ship passes through a small, uncharted nebula that makes it impossible to decelerate the ship. Their only hope is to do the opposite and speed up. But acceleration towards and within the speed of light means that time outside the spaceship passes even more rapidly, sending the crew deeper into space and further into an unknown future.

©2016 Poul Anderson (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Tau Zero

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Worst narrator ever

I was looking forward to this but couldn't get past a chapter or so as the narrator was so so bad. It sounds like he recorded each line individually and the end of each sentence finished weirdly abruptly. I never leave reviews and love audible and Sci fi but this drove me crazy!!! Please re record so I can listen to what seems to be a really interesting story! The author would be furious if he heard this narration

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

How to salvage this great story

This is a great story, horribly read!
The narrator is going for some rushed teeth-clenshed angry approach, giving the impression that every single sentence ends in an exclamation mark and all characters are just a breath away from a rampant murder spree.
This is one of my favourite SciFi stories, but the narration was like nails on a blackboard for me.
HOWEVER!
if you bring the speed down to 0.9, or maybe even 0.8, it actually becomes pretty decent (leading me to ponder if the original upload might have been made at a wrong tempo setting).

So if you do decide to give this book a try (and it really is a great story if you're more inclined towards technical rather than action-packed SciFi), be aware that you'll have to do some initial tinkering to get it right.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

Decent story, not sure about the narration

As with the other reviewers, I'm not a fan of the narration. He doesn't seem to be reading it as a story, with the pace flowing as the situations change, it's just a handful of words at a time for 7 straight hours. it's hard to pick up when some sentences/ paragraphs start and finish and the tone of some conversations are twisted. I found I had to re-read the words in my head in the way an actual human would speak.

As the for the story, I think it has aged a little, particularly with the role of women within the various personal relationships. It is a book from 1970 though, so this is to be expected to a degree. From a sci-fi perspective it is great, and asks good questions about how such a journey would pan out, with a good climactic ending.

Enjoyed the book, would probably recommend that you just read it yourself rather than listen to this.

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1 person found this helpful

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The narrator has drunk too much coffee

It’s an amazing book. Read by someone that seems to have drunk too much coffee. It’s such a an easy book to read. So why is this narrator so intense. Spoils it.

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Awful narration

I am normalt more patient… but the narrations really got to me. Broken up and with no real flavor it got in the way of the story.

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disappointed

I have to agree with everybody, the narration is dreadful! Nothing to add on the topic, it's all been said.
I really like the premise of the story but the characters are terrible! Sure, the narration doesn't help, but still, they are judgy, condescending and get angry all the time for no reason. And then whingy because they are sad and miserable. No sympathy buddy, you're an awful person. I listened to the whole book because I wanted to find out what was going to happen, but I struggled.

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Amazing story

Fabulous story but I agree with others that the narration does not suit the tone of the book.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

Listen to the sample narration before you purchase

I am unable to listen to this book due to the awful narration. It totally ruins the novel. If it was a mechanical device like a fridge and it performed as poorly, you would demand your money back as the item was defective. The telling of a story is not just reading words through gritted teeth pretending you are a 1950s private eye with a predilection for speaking in clipped Al Pacino short sentences and no emotion.

Avoid this version of the book is my only advice :(

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    5 out of 5 stars

awful narrator

very very disappointed with the narrator of this great scifi, makes this audiobook unlistenable,

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • C
  • 21-08-19

the narration ruins it

get the book. a must read novel. but the narration is crap, terrible sorry no appalling.

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1 person found this helpful