Listen free for 30 days
-
Alien: River of Pain
- An Audible Original Drama
- Narrated by: Anna Friel, Philip Glenister, Colin Salmon, Alexander Siddig, Marc Warren, Michelle Ryan, William Hope
- Series: Alien: The Audible Original Dramas, Book 2, Alien, Book 4
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Audio Performances & Dramatisations
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
-
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
-
Alien: Isolation
- The Alien™ Series
- By: Keith R. A. DeCandido
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The product of a troubled and violent youth, Amanda Ripley is hellbent to discover what happened to her missing mother, Ellen Ripley. She accepts an assignment with a Weyland-Yutani team being sent to retrieve the Nostromo flight recorder from space station Sevastopol, which they find out of control due to a Xenomorph that was brought there with the recorder. A conspiracy unfolds, revealing ever greater threats - including an entire Xenomorph hive.
-
-
Good adaptation, but game is far better!!!
- By James on 01-10-19
-
Aliens: Bug Hunt
- By: Jonathan Maberry, Heather Graham, Scott Sigler, and others
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster, Eric G. Dove, Chris Andrew Ciulla, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the Colonial Marines set out after their deadliest prey, the Xenomorphs, it's what Corporal Hicks calls a bug hunt - kill or be killed. Here are fifteen all-new stories of such "close encounters", written by many of today's most extraordinary authors. Set during the events of all four Alien films, sending the Marines to alien worlds, to derelict space settlements, and into the nests of the universe's most dangerous monsters, these adventures are guaranteed to send the blood racing - one way or another.
-
-
New Stories, New Terrors
- By S. Morris on 13-05-19
-
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: Prototype
- The Alien™ Series, Book 7
- By: Tim Waggoner
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Venture, a direct rival to the Weyland-Yutani corporation, will accept any risk to crush the competition. Thus, when a corporate spy "acquires" a bizarre, leathery egg from a hijacked vessel, she takes it directly to the Venture testing facility on Jericho 3. Though unaware of the danger it poses, the scientists there recognize their prize's immeasurable value. Early tests reveal little, however, and they come to an inevitable conclusion. They need a human test subject.... Enter Zula Hendricks.
-
-
(sigh) Oh dear! Fox always has to push it too far!
- By James on 01-12-19
-
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
-
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
-
Alien: Isolation
- The Alien™ Series
- By: Keith R. A. DeCandido
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The product of a troubled and violent youth, Amanda Ripley is hellbent to discover what happened to her missing mother, Ellen Ripley. She accepts an assignment with a Weyland-Yutani team being sent to retrieve the Nostromo flight recorder from space station Sevastopol, which they find out of control due to a Xenomorph that was brought there with the recorder. A conspiracy unfolds, revealing ever greater threats - including an entire Xenomorph hive.
-
-
Good adaptation, but game is far better!!!
- By James on 01-10-19
-
Aliens: Bug Hunt
- By: Jonathan Maberry, Heather Graham, Scott Sigler, and others
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster, Eric G. Dove, Chris Andrew Ciulla, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the Colonial Marines set out after their deadliest prey, the Xenomorphs, it's what Corporal Hicks calls a bug hunt - kill or be killed. Here are fifteen all-new stories of such "close encounters", written by many of today's most extraordinary authors. Set during the events of all four Alien films, sending the Marines to alien worlds, to derelict space settlements, and into the nests of the universe's most dangerous monsters, these adventures are guaranteed to send the blood racing - one way or another.
-
-
New Stories, New Terrors
- By S. Morris on 13-05-19
-
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: Prototype
- The Alien™ Series, Book 7
- By: Tim Waggoner
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Venture, a direct rival to the Weyland-Yutani corporation, will accept any risk to crush the competition. Thus, when a corporate spy "acquires" a bizarre, leathery egg from a hijacked vessel, she takes it directly to the Venture testing facility on Jericho 3. Though unaware of the danger it poses, the scientists there recognize their prize's immeasurable value. Early tests reveal little, however, and they come to an inevitable conclusion. They need a human test subject.... Enter Zula Hendricks.
-
-
(sigh) Oh dear! Fox always has to push it too far!
- By James on 01-12-19
-
Aliens: Phalanx
- By: Scott Sigler
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ataegina was an isolated world of medieval castles, varied cultures, and conquests, vibrant until the demons rose and spread relentless destruction. Swarms of lethal creatures with black husks, murderous claws, barbed tails, and dreaded “tooth-tongues” raged through the lowlands, killing 90 percent of the planet’s population. Terrified survivors fled to hidden mountain keeps where they eke out a meager existence. When a trio of young warriors discovers a new weapon, they see a chance to end this curse. To save humanity, they must fight.
-
-
I am getting a refund
- By Cian on 07-03-20
-
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
-
Predator: Stalking Shadows
- By: James A. Moore, Mark Morris
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the aftermath of the events of Predator 2, US Marine Scott Devlin is assigned to the clean-up operation in Los Angeles. He is soon thrust into a world of secretive government agents, highly-advanced technology, and an unstoppable juggernaut lone agent, Alan "Dutch" Schaefer.
-
-
Not great
- By Richard on 06-07-20
-
Red Dwarf
- Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers
- By: Rob Grant, Doug Naylor
- Narrated by: Chris Barrie
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lister got drunk, he really got drunk! After celebrating his birthday with a Monopoly-board pub crawl around London, he came to in a burger bar on one of Saturns moons, wearing a lady's pink crimplene hat and a pair of yellow fishing waders, with no money and a passport in the name of "Emily Berkenstein". Joining the Space Corps seemed a good idea.
-
-
Great narration and fun to listen too
- By Leon on 22-08-08
-
The Sandman
- By: Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
- Narrated by: Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When The Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus - the immortal king of dreams, stories and the imagination - is pulled from his realm and imprisoned on Earth by a nefarious cult, he languishes for decades before finally escaping. Once free, he must retrieve the three “tools” that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has deteriorated in his absence.
-
-
I don’t get this
- By John P. Allum on 21-07-20
-
World War Z
- By: Max Brooks
- Narrated by: Christopher Ragland, Rupert Farley, Nigel Pilkington, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched firsthand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living - or at least the undead - hell of that dreadful time.
-
-
Very Deceptive
- By Scott on 14-07-13
-
Blood on Satan's Claw
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Mark Morris - adapter, Piers Haggard, Robert Wynne-Simmons
- Narrated by: Mark Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith, Thomas Turgoose, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 24 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seventeenth-century England, and a plough uncovers a grisly skull in the furrows of a farmer's field. The skull disappears, but its malefic influence begins to work in insidious ways upon the nearby village of Hexbridge. First, the cows stop milking and the fruit turns rotten on the trees. Then, an insolent ungodliness takes hold of the local children, mysterious fur patches appear on limbs and people start disappearing.... Something evil is stirring in the woods.
-
-
Folk Horror at it's best. A stellar adaptation.
- By Film Lover on 17-01-18
-
Jurassic Park
- A Novel
- By: Michael Crichton
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them - for a price.
-
-
Exciting but flawed
- By D. Micklewright on 19-05-16
-
Alien 3
- The Novelization
- By: Alan Dean Foster
- Narrated by: Lance Henriksen
- Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here, even the wind screams. Abandoned hulks of machinery rust in the colorless landscape. Dark, oily seas beat against a jagged black shore. And the remnants of a reentry space vehicle crash into the rough waves. In it sleeps Ripley, a woman who has battled the enemy twice. It killed her whole crew the first time. The second time, it slaughtered a spaceload of death-dealing Marines. Now on this prison planet that houses only a horde of defiant, captive men, she will have to fight the ultimate alien horror one more time.
-
-
Very Good
- By Alex on 07-07-10
-
Solaris
- The Definitive Edition
- By: Stanislaw Lem, Bill Johnston - translator
- Narrated by: Alessandro Juliani
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At last, one of the world’s greatest works of science fiction is available - just as author Stanislaw Lem intended it. To mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Solaris, Audible, in cooperation with the Lem Estate, has commissioned a brand-new translation, unabridged for the first time, and the first ever direct translation from the original Polish to English. Beautifully narrated by Alessandro Juliani ( Battlestar Galactica), Lem’s provocative novel comes alive for a new generation.
-
-
Blown away!
- By Peter on 16-07-11
-
Hannibal Rising
- By: Thomas Harris
- Narrated by: Thomas Harris
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Longlisted for the Audiobook Download of the Year, 2007.
Hannibal Lecter emerges from the nightmare of the Eastern Front, a boy in the snow, mute, with a chain around his neck. He seems utterly alone, but he has brought his demons with him. Hannibal's uncle, a noted painter, finds him in a Soviet orphanage and brings him to France, where Hannibal will live with his uncle and his uncle's beautiful and exotic wife, Lady Murasaki.
-
-
Masterpiece !!!!!!!!!
- By Vic W on 14-12-06
-
Dan Dare: The Audio Adventures - Season 1
- By: Richard Kurti, Bev Doyle, James Swallow, and others
- Narrated by: Ed Stoppard, Geoff McGivern, Heida Reed, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The complete collection of season one of Dan Dare: The Audio Adventures. This includes all six episodes: 'Voyage to Venus', 'The Red Moon Mystery', 'Marooned on Mercury', 'Reign of the Robots', 'Operation Saturn' and 'Prisoners of Space'. Also included are both the documentary Dan Dare: 21st Century Spaceman and New Worlds - the Music of Imran Ahmad.
-
-
Using a credit - this is the one to buy!
- By Nigel on 12-08-17
Summary
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. Anne and Russell Jorden — two colonists who are seeking a fortune that eluded them on Earth — are expecting their firstborn child.
The birth of Rebecca Jorden, known to her family as Newt, is a cause for celebration. But as the colony grows and expands, so, too, do the political struggles between a small detachment of Colonial Marines and the Weyland-Yutani scientists posted on Acheron. Willing to overlook their orders in order to serve the Company's interests, these scientists have another far more sinister agenda — to covertly capture a living Alien.
The wildcatters discover a vast, decaying spaceship. The horseshoe-shaped vessel is of particular interest to Weyland-Yutani and may be the answer to their dreams. But what Anne and Russell find onboard proves to be the stuff not of dreams but of nightmares.
This terrifying, cinematic, multicast dramatization — directed by the multiaward-winning Dirk Maggs, best known for his adaptations of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere for the BBC — is the sequel to Audible Original's Alien: Out of the Shadows (nominated for Best Audio Drama at the 2017 Audies).
Starring Golden Globe-nominated Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies, Limitless), Alexander Siddig (Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Game of Thrones), Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman, Doctor Who), Colin Salmon (Alien vs Predator, Arrow, James Bond), Marc Warren (Mad Dogs, Saving Private Ryan, Hustle) and Philip Glenister (Outcast, Life on Mars), with special guest star William Hope returning as Lt. Gorman from James Cameron's Aliens.
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Alien: River of Pain
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Becks
- 26-04-17
What happened on Planet LV-426?
This dramatisation fits in between 'Alien' and 'Aliens' and essentially provides the backstory for Newt and planet LV-426. As such, if you're a fan of the films (which you presumably are to be considering this) you pretty much know where the story is heading. However, much like Star Wars' Rogue One, although the outcome is predetermined, the journey is still well worth making. It has a couple of minor flaws-some of the characters are sketchy stereotypes (the two company scientists in particular are one dimensional and almost comically evil) and on occasion some of the protagonists (particularly the children) seem jarringly blase about the horror and loss around them. These remain petty quibbles only in the face of the gripping narrative which grabs you by the throat and gallops along with you. The central figures are well realised with excellent voice acting and the tension builds with the claustrophobia and terror that the films portrayed so well. It is seamlessly intercut with what sound like extracts from the original 'Aliens' movie featuring Ripley before she leaves for the planet and this adds an authenticity that in my mind has now cemented this as being THE actual sequence of events linking the films. It all makes for engrossing and chilling listening. I warn you also that listening to this audiobook also leads to the risk of you annoying the hell out of those around you for a couple of days by responding 'copy that' to everything!
38 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Simon
- 26-04-17
Out of this World!
Just prepare a darkened room, maybe inject a minor sedative into your credulity for added effect and you're ready for five hours of Alien-inspired adventure. Filling in more of the gaps between the first two Alien films the five star cast propel this story at a simply steaming pace. With top notch production values just let your mind conjure those iconic images; the horse shoe space-ship, the Alien, the pods and test your sanity against the results. An epic in five hours!
Audible . . . one question . . . when's the next one coming out?
43 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kelly
- 05-05-17
"Mostly"...okay
Would you listen to Alien: River of Pain again? Why?
No I won't. It started off great, but the end spoiled it for me.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
They missed the part when they come out of cryo-sleep and Ripley finds out Bishop is an android when they are sat round the table in the mess. We weren't introduced to the marines before they head off to LV-426, and the story ends when Ripley first encounters Newt - a whole chunk is missing which could have been added which would have made the whole thing more interesting.
Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favourite?
I liked how the actor sounded like Ripley, but I thought they all were good.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No. It lacked any emotion. If it went into more depth regarding the deaths and people being taken it might have held a deeper emotion for me, but it focused more on the fighting and the aliens. It wasn't gripping, scary or sad - it was all action, more like a video game.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cloister
- 29-04-17
An excellent production of a good book
I was very pleasantly surprised by Out of the Shadows so when I heard this was coming I was looking forward to it.
The production is to the same high standards. The sound effects of pulse cannon fire, alien screams and even the door openings all help to immerse you in the tale.
The cast is very good though I did find Anna Friel's performance as Anne Jordan a little strange, almost like she wasn't sure of her lines.
The children were ok, no standout Newt lines this time though they did slip in a "mostly"
I was overjoyed to hear Mac McDonald, good old Captain Hollister himself return to the role of Simpson. This role was cut from the theatrical release of Aliens but was present in the Directors. He was brilliant as always.
The story isn't as interesting as Out of the Shadows. There are some nice extra plots like the research team and the first half builds the tension well. I appreciate the scenes with Ripley allow some time context, but seeing as most of them are just replays of scenes from Aliens they could easily have been reduced.
The story does introduce not really plot holes but much like in the previous story events that take some leaps of logic to explain.
Overall a satisfying production. I hope the third book Sea of Sorrows will follow soon and I would like to see other Alien universe audio book productions.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Terry Douglas
- 28-04-17
great!
This was a brilliant take on the Alien to Aliens story. Having never read the comics, I don't know if this was how they went but I really enjoyed this and wish there was an actual movie version of this made to show the events of Hadleys hope and its colonists. worth the listen!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Matthew McCormick-Rimmer
- 26-04-17
Sheer quality, 5 stars!
This is a totally compelling and completely engrossing sci fi horror drama, it's nail biting, I've read the novel a few times and that was brilliant but this is the next level, if your a fan of Aliens you will be able to picture the setting, the tension builds and builds, until the inevitable final, the performances are wonderful, excellent casting choices, I recommend to all, you won't be disappointed!!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Richard Dixon
- 28-09-20
too much exposition and wink wink references
worth a go if you are a fan of the franchise despite it's downfalls such throwing Aliens references at you with subtly of a baseball bat covered with nails.
plus the reusing of scene's from the movie slightly changed to hide lazy writing.
the last chapter however is pure gold worth it for the showdown, I gave it a extra star just for that.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- steboost
- 19-06-17
A step down after Out of the shadows.
Was Alien: River of Pain worth the listening time?
Yes but I don't think I'd listen a 2nd time.
Any additional comments?
A step down in quality after Out of the shadows. It's well produced but the voice acting is a bit hit & miss. The story is also pretty mediocre.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dallas Winston 9
- 28-04-17
Good, different, almost amazing
Would you listen to Alien: River of Pain again? Why?
I would. The sound was amazing. The performances was good. It just took too long for the aliens to arrive. I don't mind the story being character centred but I thought it could have had more aliens vs marines scenes.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I like Newt. Very spirited young girl.
What about the narrators’s performance did you like?
All the performances were solid.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Arr, I don't know, the rivers of hell are flooding.
Any additional comments?
When it gets there it goes there. But the aliens arrive quiet late in the game. Ripley features only to show where the story relates to the films time scale. I liked what this achieved in sense of sound, performances and delivering a different audible experience. I think sound plays like this might be the future of audible.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- mroshaw
- 09-05-17
Entertaining but ultimately disappointing
Any additional comments?
Having stumbled upon the excellent "Alien: Out of the Shadows" earlier in the year, I was excited to see the release of "Alien: River of Pain" and snapped it up as soon as I was able. I have to say, I'm disappointed with this audio drama. Without giving away too much, it's essentially a re-telling of the Aliens story, filling in some of the gaps around the colonists lives on LV-426. As such, there's very little originality on offer, and any fan of the movie will already know the outcome, so there are no great surprises. As it is, there is little new for the listener to discover or learn about the Alien universe.
The production is good and voice acting up to scratch - however, neither are as convincing nor as engaging as Out of the Shadows. I found way too much focus on the child characters, with too much time given to the Newt back story, and found them really quite irritating to listen to. The marine characters and their relationships came across as unconvincing as well as the stereotyped "scientist types" representing the Weyland Yutani corporation. Ripley is there, of course, but simply to provide background on the fate of the Nostromo and to pad out the unfolding events. Her involvement in the story, or lack thereof, is disappointing.
As a mechanism to flesh out some of the back story of the Aliens movie, specifically "what happened on LV-426", the audiobook serves its purpose. It's just a shame that Out of the Shadows set such a high bar for expanding and challenging the Aliens universe, as River of Pain feels like a real step backwards.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Brian
- 28-04-17
Please make more of these! These are excellent!
Would you listen to Alien: River of Pain again? Why?
Yes. The story was very compelling - I loved how it detailed the events that occurred offscreen in the beginning of Aliens and detailed exactly what had happened at LV-426. It played like a movie in my head (especially with all of the effects) and like a good movie, I usually like to rewatch (in this case, relisten). I really think the Aliens franchise lends itself very well to the audio drama format, due all the tension, terror, and suspense the stories bring. Like Out of the Shadows, I will probably listen to this several more times. I really am hoping for more Alien audio dramas as I am a huge fan of both the Alien franchise and of audio dramas in general.
What did you like best about this story?
That it detailed the events of LV-426 very consistently with the events in Aliens, yet still had a few surprises in store for me. The suspense, tension, and terror usually associated with an Aliens story were very much present and well done. The presence of both very likable and despicable characters made the story experience good as well.
Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?
Demian Brackett. I'm a fan of Colin Salmon's work and his character was the most likable in the story.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Enthusiastic yes! But I had to restrain myself. Instead of finishing off a nice, tasty dessert too quickly, I wanted to savor it. So over the last five drives to and from work, I listened to the story. I certainly looked forward to those drives more than usual the last few days!
Any additional comments?
Great production, great casting (In addition to Salmon, Alexander Siddig was excellent in his role.) Hoping for more!
50 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Frae
- 27-04-17
Into the Frey, again.
I am a huge Lovecraft fan, and as such was exposed to the Alien franchise much later in life (2012ish). Because of my feelings for this series I was very concerned about things like continuity, accurate characterization, and proper voice acting. I am a remarkably brutal purist when it comes to canon and I really was concerned about how these audio dramas would live up to my expectation. So mostly, I avoided them.
Then they announced the release of River of Pain, and put the other drama on a "Daily Deal". I figured its under $5 and a moderate length so it isn't too much investment.
I'm glad I made that choice.
The voice of Ripley is very close, and fairly consistent with the original casting. The rest of the cast is also superb and I could never say enough good things about Marc Warren, who is highly underrated.
If you are a fan, these are incredible, if you are someone just looking for a fast paced quick listen, these are incredible. If you generally hate everything, these are still freaking amazing.
I had high expectations, I never expected my expectations to be met. Not only were they met, they were shattered.
Listen to both these dramas now, and thank yourself later.
47 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Robert M Gambill
- 01-05-19
Ehhh...
Out of the Shadows, the first of this trilogy, was much better. It's cool to get a picture of what happened to Hadley's Hope prior to the the arrival of Ripley and the Marines, but dear god, this thing takes a while to get going. You'll be about half way through the story before the Aliens show up and probably about 75% done before things really start to get going. Not that there's anything wrong with telling a slower story in the Aliens EU, but when those long periods of tension building lack any real tension and are filled with characters as deep as rain puddle, the whole thing gets a little tedious. Also, the dialogue for Newt and the other kids is f***ing UNBEARABLE!
I know that I'm being harsh on this, but I'm genuinely glad it exists. Problems aside, it's an enjoyable listen and I'll take most any excuse to hop back LV-426 or any other world of the Aliens EU. And I think that's the key takeaway here. This definitely is a die-hards only type of affair. I can't recommend this story I honestly can't imagine anyone without a vested interest in this franchise sticking with it too the end.
Please don't stop telling Alien stories! Just tell better ones! :)
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kurogosane
- 27-04-17
A good prequel to Aliens
To those who want to know. This takes place before the events of Aliens movie. I listened to the Audio drama before this one Aliens out of the shadow. Those who have listened to it will find mentions of the audio drama.
Although by novel wise this is from book number three. I believe this fit right perfectly with the timeline. Those who know the Alien franchise know that the Aliens were never the main villain but rather Wayland Yutani. It shows those who follow their orders can cause serious consequences. The characters buildup is nice but I don't really get how the first third of the chapters fit but it was nice but I believe they just took too long to build the characters. However, if you want xenomorphs in your story then you'll find in the remaining half of the movie.
All in all it's still a Alien audio drama and the way they can build up tension is through slow buildup. I recommend this. Good job Audible and I hope to listen to the third drama you may produce.
19 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jynx2501
- 28-04-17
Another masterpiece, and future of audio books.
if you dont know, this book and Alien: Out of The Shadows, are full production stories. Complete with music, sound effects, and wonderful voice actors.
It's like listening to a movie! Out of the Shadows was a bit better, but both are must buys. You will not regret it!
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- The Kindler
- 27-04-17
Return to the Origins
First, I need to explain the 4 stars. I was hoping for an ending with more twists. Other than that I really enjoyed the characters and the way that some of the situations were handled. The acting was engaging and kept you informed as to locations and what was happening.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Andre R.
- 27-01-18
It was okay, but really just more of the same.
Unfortunately you will learn nothing more about the real stars of the story, the Aliens.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Adam G. Taylor
- 28-04-17
nice to finally hear the fate of Hadley's hope
As a long time Alien fan, this narration helped to fill the gap in Alien 2 of the fate of Hadley's Hope and its collinists. I truely felt the terror as the Marines fought against overwhelming odds to protect the collinists. A must read for any Alien fan.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Daniel
- 26-04-17
Another fun listen.
You can imagine this as a movie going on, it's so well done. There needs to be more of these.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- James Lee Owings III
- 26-04-17
Worth a listen
Taking place just before aliens this sci-fi adventure answers what exactly happens to the colonists on lv426.
I did notice that there were a few areas of the story that happen to be mirrored off of an old dark horse comic telling a much similar story such as newts families demise.
The cast was excellently played even bringing back a couple of the original cast members from the Cameron film.
I hope audible does more just like this notnonly for this franchise but others that are popular in mainstream pop culture.
8 people found this helpful