Listen free for 30 days
-
Alien 3
- The Official Movie Novelization
- Narrated by: Peter Guinness
- Series: Alien: The Novelizations, Book 5, Alien, Book 8
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
People who bought this also bought...
-
Alien: Covenant Origins
- The Official Prequel to the Blockbuster Film
- By: Alan Dean Foster
- Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Covenant mission is the most ambitious endeavor in the history of Weyland-Yutani. A ship bound for Origae-6, carrying 2,000 colonists beyond the limits of known space, this is a make-or-break investment for the corporation - and for the future of all mankind. Yet there are those who would die to stop the mission. As the colony ship hovers in Earth orbit, several violent events reveal a deadly conspiracy to sabotage the launch.
-
-
No Aliens here - and very little else
- By Jane on 24-10-17
-
Predator: Incursion
- The Rage War, Book 1
- By: Tim Lebbon
- Narrated by: John Chancer
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Predator ships stream into human space in unprecedented numbers. The Colonial Marines, controlled by Weyland-Yutani, respond to the incursion, thus entering the Rage War. This terrifying assault by the Yautja cannot go unchallenged, yet the cost of combat is high. Predators are master combatants, and each encounter yields a high body count. Then, when Lt. Johnny Mains and his marines - the VoidLarks - enter the fray, they discover an enemy deadlier than any could imagine.
-
-
In Space No One Can Hear You Yawn
- By S. Morris on 04-03-18
-
Alien: Out of the Shadows
- By: Tim Lebbon
- Narrated by: Jeff Harding
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a child Chris Hooper dreamed of monsters. But in deep space, he found only darkness and isolation. Then, on planet LV178, he and his fellow miners discovered a storm-scoured, sand-blasted hell - and trimonite, the hardest material known to man. When a shuttle crashes into the mining ship Marion, the miners learn that there was more than trimonite deep in the caverns. There was evil, hibernating - and waiting for suitable prey.
-
-
Guys voice
- By Lewis MacDonald on 19-07-16
-
Will Save the Galaxy for Food
- By: Yahtzee Croshaw
- Narrated by: Yahtzee Croshaw
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Space travel just isn't what it used to be. With the invention of quantum teleportation, space heroes aren't needed anymore. When one particularly unlucky ex-adventurer masquerades as famous pilot and hate figure Jacques McKeown, he's sucked into an ever-deepening corporate and political intrigue. Between space pirates, adorable deadly creatures, and a missing fortune in royalties, saving the universe was never this difficult!
-
-
Stumbled across this 'plying' beauty
- By M.Brad on 11-04-17
-
Locke & Key
- By: Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez
- Narrated by: Haley Joel Osment, Tatiana Maslany, Kate Mulgrew, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on the best-selling, award-winning graphic novel series Locke & Key - written by acclaimed suspense novelist Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Horns) and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez - this multicast, fully dramatized audio production brings the images and words to life.
-
-
Absolutely incredible
- By MsRanPan on 05-12-15
-
The Undead: Part 1
- By: R. R. Haywood
- Narrated by: Dan Morgan
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A deadly infection spreads across Europe. The Undead series: a terrifying account of one man desperately struggling to survive this harrowing event day by day. Part one - days one to three. Howie is at home on a rare Friday night off work when an infection which has rapidly spread across Europe hits his hometown on the South Coast of England. Luck sees him through the first night when many others are taken down and infected, only to rise again as the undead.
-
-
This review relates to book 11 onwards
- By PAE on 19-11-18
-
Alien: Covenant Origins
- The Official Prequel to the Blockbuster Film
- By: Alan Dean Foster
- Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Covenant mission is the most ambitious endeavor in the history of Weyland-Yutani. A ship bound for Origae-6, carrying 2,000 colonists beyond the limits of known space, this is a make-or-break investment for the corporation - and for the future of all mankind. Yet there are those who would die to stop the mission. As the colony ship hovers in Earth orbit, several violent events reveal a deadly conspiracy to sabotage the launch.
-
-
No Aliens here - and very little else
- By Jane on 24-10-17
-
Predator: Incursion
- The Rage War, Book 1
- By: Tim Lebbon
- Narrated by: John Chancer
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Predator ships stream into human space in unprecedented numbers. The Colonial Marines, controlled by Weyland-Yutani, respond to the incursion, thus entering the Rage War. This terrifying assault by the Yautja cannot go unchallenged, yet the cost of combat is high. Predators are master combatants, and each encounter yields a high body count. Then, when Lt. Johnny Mains and his marines - the VoidLarks - enter the fray, they discover an enemy deadlier than any could imagine.
-
-
In Space No One Can Hear You Yawn
- By S. Morris on 04-03-18
-
Alien: Out of the Shadows
- By: Tim Lebbon
- Narrated by: Jeff Harding
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a child Chris Hooper dreamed of monsters. But in deep space, he found only darkness and isolation. Then, on planet LV178, he and his fellow miners discovered a storm-scoured, sand-blasted hell - and trimonite, the hardest material known to man. When a shuttle crashes into the mining ship Marion, the miners learn that there was more than trimonite deep in the caverns. There was evil, hibernating - and waiting for suitable prey.
-
-
Guys voice
- By Lewis MacDonald on 19-07-16
-
Will Save the Galaxy for Food
- By: Yahtzee Croshaw
- Narrated by: Yahtzee Croshaw
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Space travel just isn't what it used to be. With the invention of quantum teleportation, space heroes aren't needed anymore. When one particularly unlucky ex-adventurer masquerades as famous pilot and hate figure Jacques McKeown, he's sucked into an ever-deepening corporate and political intrigue. Between space pirates, adorable deadly creatures, and a missing fortune in royalties, saving the universe was never this difficult!
-
-
Stumbled across this 'plying' beauty
- By M.Brad on 11-04-17
-
Locke & Key
- By: Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez
- Narrated by: Haley Joel Osment, Tatiana Maslany, Kate Mulgrew, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on the best-selling, award-winning graphic novel series Locke & Key - written by acclaimed suspense novelist Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Horns) and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez - this multicast, fully dramatized audio production brings the images and words to life.
-
-
Absolutely incredible
- By MsRanPan on 05-12-15
-
The Undead: Part 1
- By: R. R. Haywood
- Narrated by: Dan Morgan
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A deadly infection spreads across Europe. The Undead series: a terrifying account of one man desperately struggling to survive this harrowing event day by day. Part one - days one to three. Howie is at home on a rare Friday night off work when an infection which has rapidly spread across Europe hits his hometown on the South Coast of England. Luck sees him through the first night when many others are taken down and infected, only to rise again as the undead.
-
-
This review relates to book 11 onwards
- By PAE on 19-11-18
-
The Complete Short Stories
- By: J. G. Ballard
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrrom, William Gaminara, Sean Barrett, and others
- Length: 63 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A collection of 98 enthralling and pulse-quickening stories, spanning five decades, venerates the remarkable imagination of J. G. Ballard. With a body of work unparalleled in twentieth-century literature, J. G. Ballard is recognized as one of the greatest and most prophetic writers in the world. With the much-hailed release of The Complete Stories of J. G. Ballard, readers now have a means to celebrate the unmatched range and mesmerizing cadences of a literary genius.
-
-
Excellent but badly put together
- By Lester Gabang on 10-02-17
-
Alien: River of Pain
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Christopher Golden, Dirk Maggs
- Narrated by: Anna Friel, Philip Glenister, Colin Salmon, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ellen Ripley finally returns to Earth, only to discover that LV-426 — where the crew of the Nostromo first came into contact with the deadly xenomorphs — has been renamed Acheron. Protected by Colonial Marines, the colonists seek to terraform the storm-swept planet against all the odds. But in the face of brutal living conditions and the daily struggles of a new world, there is humanity and hope.
-
-
What happened on Planet LV-426?
- By Becks on 26-04-17
-
Albion: The Legend of Arthur
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Robert Valentine
- Narrated by: Lois Chimimba, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Gruffudd Glyn, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We arrive in Albion, AD 490. Once spirits of both light and darkness ruled the land, now tribes of Britons stand alone as Saxon invaders threaten the vulnerable shores. But that’s the least of their worries, the Old Gods are returning from the shadows, bringing their magic with them. Albion: The Legend of Arthur pushes friendships and family loyalties to the test in a world of warlords, witchcraft, heroism and betrayal as we join Arthur on an adventure like no other and witness the birth of one of our greatest legends.
-
-
Worth Your Full Attention!
- By Simon on 07-05-20
-
Forever and a Day
- By: Anthony Horowitz
- Narrated by: Matthew Goode
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
M laid down his pipe and stared at it tetchily. 'We have no choice. We're just going to bring forward this other chap you've been preparing. But you didn't tell me his name.' 'It's Bond, sir,' the Chief of Staff replied. 'James Bond.' One body. Three bullets. 007 floats in the waters of Marseille, killed by an unknown hand. It's time for a new agent to step up. Time for a new weapon in the war against organised crime. It's time for James Bond to earn his licence to kill.
-
-
An Iconic Legend is Born
- By Simon on 02-06-18
-
Agent to the Stars
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just one problem: They're hideously ugly and they smell like rotting fish. So getting humanity's trust is a challenge. The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal. Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He's one of Hollywood's hottest young agents.
-
-
One of the most unusual stories you will ever read
- By Laura on 17-11-13
-
Assassin's Creed: Gold
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Anthony Del Col
- Narrated by: Riz Ahmed, John Chancer, Ray Fearon, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Assassin’s Creed: Gold follows Aliyah Khan, a card shark and hustler who’s been dealt a rough hand in life. Surviving through her smarts and street scams, Aliyah struggles to get by until she loses big time to a mysterious older man, Gavin Banks. Her only option to repay Banks is to become an Assassin. During her training, Banks tells Aliyah of the centuries-old battle between the Assassins and Templars, imploring her to help him decode a secret message inscribed on an illegal form of currency during the Great Recoinage of 1696.
-
-
Maybe just not my thing!
- By Annick on 28-02-20
-
Mr Midshipman Hornblower
- By: C. S. Forester
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shaking off this label, a shy and lonely 17-year-old, Horatio Hornblower, embarks on a memorable career in Nelson's navy on HMS Justinian. In action, adventure, and battle he is forged into one of the most formidable junior officers in the service.
-
-
Absolutely superb!
- By Ben on 13-01-17
-
Fire and Blood
- 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones (A Targaryen History) (A Song of Ice and Fire)
- By: George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 27 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set 300 years before the events in A Song of Ice and Fire, Fire and Blood is the definitive history of the Targaryens in Westeros as told by Archmaester Gyldayn, and chronicles the conquest that united the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule through to the Dance of the Dragons: the Targaryen civil war that nearly ended their dynasty forever.
-
-
pretty bad actually
- By jamesg on 07-04-19
-
SAS Great Escapes
- Seven Great Escapes Made by Real Second World War Heroes
- By: Damien Lewis
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The finest fighting force in the world. Escape. Evade. Survive. Repeat. Seven gripping tales of overcoming the impossible. Arguably the finest special forces troops of the Second World War, the SAS was the jewel in the British military crown. But the near-impossible nature of their heroic missions sometimes left them trapped behind enemy lines, the enemy closing and forced to endure the unendurable. But the unendurable is all in a day’s work for these magnificent seven. Incredible odds. Outstanding bravery. Real adventure.
-
-
A Remarkable Narrative - well performed
- By Killian iPad on 28-05-20
-
The Angel's Mark
- By: S. W. Perry
- Narrated by: Kris Dyer
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
LONDON, 1590. Queen Elizabeth I's control over her kingdom is wavering. Amidst a tumultuous backdrop of Spanish plotters, Catholic heretics and foreign wars threatening the country's fragile stability, the body of a small boy is found in the City of London, with strange marks that no one can explain. When idealistic physician Nicholas Shelby finds another body displaying the same marks only days later, he becomes convinced that a killer is at work, preying on the weak and destitute of London.
-
-
Excellent book
- By Kate on 28-10-18
-
Storm Glass
- Harbinger, Book 1
- By: Jeff Wheeler
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Theirs is a world of opposites. The privileged live in sky manors held aloft by a secretive magic known only as the Mysteries. Below, the earthbound poor are forced into factory work to maintain the engine of commerce. Only the wealthy can afford to learn the Mysteries, and they use their knowledge to further lock their hold on society. Cettie Pratt is a waif doomed to the world below, until an admiral attempts to adopt her. But in her new home in the clouds, not everyone treats her as one of the family.
-
-
Absolutely loved this!!
- By Jummai on 24-06-18
-
The Collected Stories
- By: Arthur C. Clarke
- Narrated by: Ben Onwukwe, Mike Grady, Nick Boulton, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arthur C Clarke is without question the world's best-known and most celebrated science-fiction writer. His career, spanning more than 60 years, is one of unequalled success. Clarke has always been celebrated for his clear prophetic vision, which is fully on display in this audiobook, but there are also many stories that show his imagination in full flight, to the distant future and to far-flung star systems.
-
-
Inventive Early Work
- By Jeremy on 08-05-11
Summary
Fury 161 is a wretched planet - a penal colony and an industrial complex manned by violent prisoners. When an escape pod from the USS Sulaco crash-lands there, Ellen Ripley appears to be the only passenger left alive.
Then inmates begin to die, all at the hands of another survivor - a creature which encounters Ripley and spares her life! Desperate to know why, she seeks out an answer - and discovers terror unlike any she's ever known.
Science fiction master Alan Dean Foster returns to the Alien universe to reveal the ultimate destinies of Ellen Ripley and her eternal foe, the xenomorph known as the Alien.
More from the same
Author
What listeners say about Alien 3
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- dee
- 18-09-20
Tense and exciting!
This is based on the Alien 3 screenplay, so no real surprises, but it is still exciting.
The narrator struggled with Ripley's voice and when attempting male US voices. However, he was ok when sticking to a variety of male English voices.
I enjoyed this, but not much as the dramatised Alien stories on Audible.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jon
- 22-09-17
Beats the film...
I hate a lot of Alien3. It doesn't help it that I love Aliens. And my favourite character's role is, well, marginalised. No spoilers here.
But, the book makes a lot more sense as to why Paul McGann's character gets top billing in the film, as well as offering more of the motivations to what people are thinking.
That said, it does remind you that the two most interesting characters are removed from the plot too soon, and Ripley does feel a little bit of an afterthought until the finale, which feels a little bit undercooked compared to the screen.
Worth your time though.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sue
- 17-06-16
Really Enjoyed It.
It's nice to get that little bit of extra narrative to support the pictures in your head. Alan Dean Foster does a great job. I loved the phrase "Inimical simultaneity" very much.
Peter Guiness is particularly excellent narrating and a perfect choice as he played Gregor in the film. He has a wonderful voice and a beautiful rhythm. Perfect diction, I could listen to him reading the phone book.
I wonder how he felt narrating his own demise?
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Paul Sampson
- 09-07-20
Faithful Rendition of the Movie
I love a Movie adaption audio book that fleshes out the characters and adds to the backstop, unfortunately this audio book does neither.
Having said that it is a faithful rendition of the movie and the performance of the narrator is really, very good.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lupine 99
- 29-10-19
Stasis interrupted, fire in cryogenic compartment.
As a long time fan of Alien 3, i've watched the movie dozens of times and read the book several times too, so naturally I was curious to see how the audiobook held up.
Overall, it was good - my only complaints are that some scenes did not have suitable pauses between them and that was a little jarring. Like a scene would end and the next would begin almost instantly without pause. Secondly, the narrator did not capture Ripley right - his version seemed too melodious an imitation.
Yet saying that, his narration of Superintendent Andrews was spot on, almost uncanny - so good and bad points there.
The story follows the 'Assembly Cut' version of the movie and overall does a good job of it. The bad points do not spoil the enjoyment of the listen enough to not recommend it. Try it. 😊
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 18-09-19
Fantastic
Alien 3 was my least favourite film, this book however is my favourite in the trilogy. Peter Guinness narration is outstanding, I couldn’t stop listening
Well done
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 25-06-19
Better than the film.
Better than the film. Goes more into the background of the world of alien. Worth the listen.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Toadjuggler
- 04-06-17
Suprisingly good
I really enjoyed this, it's a good reproduction of the movie's storyline (the Assembly Cut version) with plenty of extra detail and good characterisations. Alan Dean Foster is a bit of a hack and some of his word choices are a bit, well, odd but Peter Guiness's narration is superb, absolutely spot on,
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- E.R.
- 21-02-21
A very respectable addition to the series.
My version was narrated by Peter Guinness. I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy his narration, but actually he made it. This story is equally as powerful as it's predecessors despite frequently being overlooked. The terror of the hunt through the tunnels conveys brilliantly through words even without the claustrophobic visuals of the film. I wish the Alien series had ended here. I'm currently listening to the resurrection story and it's a very, very poor cousin!!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazgem
- 31-01-21
Ripley battles a new Xenomorph!
Ripley encounters a new type of Xeno with the reluctant help of some inmates on a barren planet.
I really enjoyed the audiobook and the little additions to dialogue.
The narrator sounded so much like Superintendent Andrews that I had to check if it was him from the movie. It wasn't but sounded so much like him to me.
I haven't watched all the movies lately and this makes me want to get back to them now.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Richard
- 29-12-15
If you're seen the movie, you're good.
Peter Guinness's performance was the best part of the book. He makes the story interesting.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Midwestbonsai
- 18-04-16
Brilliant work, yet again
This is the movie I did not remember as well as the first two. I know I have seen it at some point but after listening to the first three books, now I really want to watch it again.
The great part about these novelizations is that I can already see the characters. I know them and have know them for years. This book made me have all the feels. The beginning was tragic, yet again, and Ripley is set on another quest to kill aliens. Thank goodness she is more determined than ever but the beginning of this really made me feel for her.
Not having an idea of this book made it all the more scary. I was on the edge of my seat wondering where there danger was going to come from. Surprisingly there are quite a few characters in this that are heroic and even outshine the marines! I was worried at times but at others so glad that Ripley had some of these individuals around her. Although, she gets herself into quite a few messes in this one. Being on a prison world filled with me, what else would Ripley do?
This book held up to the first two, which is surprising. The second is still my favorite but the plot twists and the things that happen in this one were not foreseen. Brilliant work, yet again, by Peter Guinness. His voice lets the listener fall into the story and forget that there is a real world around them. The terror is really felt when the alien shows its ugly head!
Not my favorite of the three but still on par with the first. Great storytelling and very good narration.
Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.
Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog
[If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dwayne A.McClellan & Lydia McClellan
- 17-02-17
Ripley has been ended
But the story doesn't end, great series and I recommend the series for any aliens franchise
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Corrin
- 16-08-16
Better than the theatrical release.
It's essentially the rare (until recently) assembly cut of the film, with a few surprises and additions along the way. Considering the film went through production hell, I'm impressed it ended up as cohesive as it did, and the book only serves to help fill in the gaps even the assembly couldn't fix.
As a side note, the narrator sounds almost exactly like Warden Andrews from the film. Awesome! :D
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Zachary
- 04-12-20
A decent adaptation
This is a decent adaptation, but with enough changes to keep you guessing as to exactly how things will play out. If you liked Alien 3, you will like this.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Brian M
- 23-02-20
Much better than the film.
For once a film novelization adds some gems not in the film which was refreshing especially since the film was somewhat meh to begin with.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Patricio Munoz
- 08-06-19
Adds meat and potatoes to the Assembly Cut story
Alien 3 (Theatrical Version) was a disappointment, but the later released "Assembly Cut" was far more enjoyable. This audio book is basically the Assembly Cut with more dialogue. It's quite insightful and enjoyable to listen to. It is a must listen for any true Alien fan. :-) Enjoy!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Steven
- 25-07-16
A Surprisingly Good Adaptation of a Dull Film
I know this is a review for the novel of Alien3, but the book is based on the movie, so I unfortunately have to provide insight into both.
So, I remember seeing Alien 3 back when I was much younger. I had seen and fell in love with Aliens 2. The military/commandos storming the rogue planet of LV426, from the drop ship, just left me enamored. I went back and watch the first Alien movie, it was good, more suspense, but at that time there was something about the tactical marines with the assault rifles, and gear that just "made" aliens for me. So that being said I went to watch the next installment...Seems logical, yea?
Boy does this film garner a lot of hate. Back then, I just couldn't get into it. It looked, felt, and just came off as being sub-par to the last movie. The cgi (or attempt there to) of the alien, made me cringe, and I came away bored, uncaring about the characters, and weirded out by the sudden ending decision. Overall? 15 year old Chris wanted nothing to do with it...
Fast forward to where I am now 28...I was in the mood for a good sci fi book that wasn't something too new but had some history. So I was sifting through Barnes n Noble aimless in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section and came across an Aliens Omnibus. While this thick book is a collection of non-movie stories, it got my wheels turning, that I should read the alien series.
Well figuring that the movie that I've seen the least of, should be what I read. Since I'll go into it with less cinematographic references. So...I chose Alien 3.
Now here is where the great divide between the written word and film comes. The book/novelization of Alien3 is a well written book. It's not winning any awards, but the author creates a very creepy, world and given what he has to work with, makes one hell of a good attempt to flesh out the characters around our lead, Ripley. The great thing about the book is that the author allows for a bit more grieving period for her and her inner thoughts about the death of Newt, Hicks and even Bishop. The book really makes good use of this, as even prisoners introduced are given much more character in the novel than they are in the book. And because I hadn't seen the movie in so long, it was almost a new story to me. I knew what the basic plot was, but it left me so dry that I pretty much blanked the details out of my mind. So reading this was a much needed breath of fresh air to the story.
I got a bit too ahead of myself. I figured, oh let me go back and watch the movie again...Maybe I don't remember it right...or maybe with some years on me, I can appreciate it more... Um..no it's still as awful as I remember it. The music is cool, that's about it. The book of alien 3 fills in what the movie just couldn't / didn't do. It paints a much better "scene" to alien3 and allows the reader to fill in the gaps him or her self. The movie gives us a very raw film that is so distracting, it takes away from the story and just leaves me pondering how this film followed up Aliens 2. Honestly the whole story line of the egg on the drop ship puzzles me, and is such a stretch, that it already feels like alien3 is a big "what if" scenario. In fact in the book, I don't even believe the author touches on the 'how' of the alien being aboard.
Any who, the book is a good read. Seriously, if you're going to do the alien movies...skip 3, and read the book of it. You'll get a much better appreciation of the story and what the setting and world should have felt like. The visual crap fest that was the movie, was too much for me..
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Troy
- 11-07-16
Plot Holes Propped Up by Writing/Narration!
I have roundly criticized Foster's lackluster novelization of the near-perfect Aliens movie (the second in the franchise) but he really does a great job with the much-maligned third entry in the series. I have always liked the premise, aliens preying on XXY killers imprisoned in an abandoned mineworks and kept in check by asceticism. But (sigh) it is VERY hard to get past the meaningless deaths of Newt and Hicks in the first chapter, which steps on all the work the writers did in Aliens 2 to develop more characters for the franchise. Also disappointing is how the appearance and behavior of the aliens radically depart from the earlier movies in Aliens 3. The new developments/changes are both illogical and implausible. To complete this roller coaster ride, Guinness does and AMAZING job reading Aliens 3. So there are things to like and things to hate. I think most of us who love the Aliens movies (at least the first two) have made our peace with this one. If you have, you will enjoy listening to it. Some things make more sense in the hearing. (The various characters and their social dynamic are especially interesting.) Other things remain glaringly odd and frustrating.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Doug D. Eigsti
- 19-05-16
Gotta Love Those Double-Y Chromo Boys
This is the least popular movie in the series but I, for one, always found it to be a stand out and a worthy component. It brings to the table a return to the gothic horror of the first movie and introduces the fans to a bizarre planetary prison setting and quirky characters. It is the Science Fiction equivalent of a closed-door mystery; smaller in scale to raise the suspense. This novelization closely follows the director’s cut of the movie, and will have some differences to those not familiar with that alternate version.
Peter Guinness reprises his efforts from the first book in the series and submits a passable performance.
1 person found this helpful