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Inferno

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Inferno

By: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
Narrated by: Tom Weiner
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An unearthly voice hisses unholy welcome, and the late, great Allen Carpentier begins his one-way journey into the dim nether regions where flame-colored demons wield diabolically sharp pitchforks and tormented vixens reign forever in a pond of sheet ice. Here, in this land of torment and terror, he discovers the amazing truth of the ultimate adventure that lies beyond the grave.

After being thrown out of the window of his luxury apartment, science fiction writer Allen Carpentier wakes to find himself at the gates of Hell. Feeling he’s landed in a great opportunity for a book, he attempts to follow Dante’s road map. Determined to meet Satan himself, Carpentier treks through the nine circles of Hell, led by Benito Mussolini, and encounters countless mental and physical tortures. As he struggles to escape, he’s taken through new, puzzling, and outlandish versions of sin recast for the present day.

©1976 Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Classics Science Fiction
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Continue the series
Escape from Hell cover art
Escape from Hell By: Larry Niven, and others

Critic reviews

“Tom Weiner adopts a gruff, cocky, and impatient manner for Carpentier. His strong pace is effective in depicting Carpentier’s arrogance and the extent to which that arrogance is modulated as he moves through his journey and develops a fondness for Mussolini. The residents of hell whom Carpentier encounters illustrate various sins relevant to the twentieth century. Weiner relies on a range of expressive accents in portraying them.”

(AudioFile)

“A dazzling tour de force.”

(Poul Anderson, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author)

“A fast, amusing, and vivid book, by a writing team noted for intelligence and imagination.”

(Roger Zelazny, Hugo and Nebula Awardwinning author)

“Inferno is quite literally a cake walk through hell…Pournelle and Niven have had the chutzpah to re-write Dante’s Inferno…You are right there in the nether-reaches of the ultimate Sam Peckinpah movie with all the matter-of-fact solidity of a Hal Clement novel. It gets to you, it really does. This being lunacy of a transcendent order.”

(Norman Spinrad, Prix Apollo–winning science fiction writer)
All stars
Most relevant
listened to this while driving to work, was always looking forward to knowing what came next. While the story is a little predictable, it's an interesting well described journey through hell. Sometimes the dialogue was a little unrealistic and I sometimes became lost what was going on and had to skip back but that's probably more to do with my concentration than the writing itself, I look forward to re-listening in the future and hope new details come out in the 2nd time around.

Fun concept executed well, passionate narration.

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Would you listen to Inferno again? Why?

I would definitely listen to Inferno again, it isn't too long, well read and quite an involving story. Many references to modern historic characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Inferno?

The moment the protagonist and his guide go through the beaurocratic engine of the place they are in. Very amusing!

Which character – as performed by Tom Weiner – was your favourite?

The protagonist, but also his guide. Both characters are very well played and with an appropriate accent.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Hell, is not what you have been told it is...

Any additional comments?

Really enjoyed this audiobook, will listen to it again when I have caught up with the other books in my queue.

Great Story, A Modern Divina Commedia

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Read and enjoyed this in print many years ago. Audio version did not dissapoint. Funny and thought provoking.

Thought provoking story

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Searched for a copy of this book for years. As good as I remembered it. A good entry into the world creating talents of the authors.

Lost Classic

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This was an amusing, relatively modern retelling of Dante's Inferno. I thoroughly enjoyed the humour and philosophy as well as the really imaginative and weird imagery. The use of real, historical people as characters was also very fun and charming.

Funny and philosophical

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