Narrator completely spois it for me.

I had this book in my wishlist for a while and got around to buying it yesterday. The subject matter sounded right up my street and was looking forward to be taken into new strange worlds.


I got as far as the first 5 minutes and had to stop listening.

The narrator's voice just cut through any possibility of losing myself in the story. It was just the completely wrong voice for this kind of story. It would have been more suited to children's books. There was no real nuance of tonal expression nor gravitas.
It was obvious I was being read to rather than being invited to join the worlds within the book.

I will now just buy the paperback.

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A captivating story told with a touch of irony!

I have adopted a bit of a habit of late. I buy the Kindle version of a book, and I add the audiobook as well, as I enjoy both reading and listening to vocal dramatizations of books. I started on Life and Other Dreams, and I found that narrator Gareth Richards has delivered a pitch perfect adaption reflecting the book’s ironic, almost irreverent undertone. Given the subject matter, a man Rick, dreaming that he is living another life as Dan, with his dreams running like a space soap opera and seemingly carrying on even when Rick is awake, to tone is ideal. Throughout the book, the listener experiences the protagonists’ Rick and Dan’s encounters of ever weirder situations making for more incredulity in both characters’ voices. As it becomes apparent that something beyond the realms of understanding is going on, there are nuances of frustration and confusion in the narration, which carries the intriguing narrative forward

In Mr Richards rendition of both Dan and Rick, there is a slightly startled element to his voice, as if he, as both characters, couldn’t quite understand what is happening, but has to make the best of it. There is a sense of the practical, and a ‘take it on the chin and deal with it’ stoic attitude. There are also comic moments where Dan and Rick’s sarcastic lilt comes in at the right moment.

The women of the story, Vanessa, wife of Dan and Cath, wife of Rick are well voiced. Vanessa comes over as soft and sultry, but there is a strength of conviction and a certain dominance within her timbre. Cath is voiced as quite an officious, demanding woman; persuasive and quite controlling. Her sharp tongue with a streak of jealousy reflects Cath’s domineering attitude, and, as the listener, I could feel for Rick and his obvious recalcitrance to say anything about his dreams, in case Cath misconstrues. No spoilers, but Rick’s instincts are correct! It’s not that he’s hen-pecked; he stands his ground when he has to, and he has a good job as an advertising copywriter in a local ad agency. It’s just you can feel that he wishes his life was more. It’s clear there is a need to escape, and in lieu of money to afford exotic holidays, he does so in his dreams, where he becomes the fearless, planetary surveyor Dan six hundred years into the future, on the unexplored planet of Ecias.

The secondary characters, in both lives are voiced to give emphasis where needed. The plant hunters on Ecias are unsavoury individuals, and from the beginning, Mr Richards invests in his delivery a sinister inflection that grows in intensity as their deeds are revealed. On Earth, Rick’s boss Hughie has a slightly rougher, almost market trader-ish element about his persona. He’s bolshie, he knows what’s needed, and he has the salesman’s patter down to a tee, and Mr Richards nails that vocal range with his delivery.

Overall, Life and Other Dreams is a fascinating, captivating story, and one that I found extremely difficult to switch off to head to the land of my own dreams. A highly recommended audiobook.

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Pure entertainment

This sci-fi fantasy is extremely well written, and holds the reader from the first chapter. The characters are well drawn and come alive, especially those that matter most.
Above all, this book is clever and different, and I found this aspect really engaging.
Having been impressed by the quality of writing, the unique and fascinating story, the well rounded characters coming to life - I cannot possibly think of anything missing.
There's a bit of philosophy, but that doesn't hurt and it certainly isn't preaching.
What else can one want?
Personally I would recommend this book as pure entertainment start to finish - gripping and thoroughly enjoyable.
Naturally, I'd recommend it.

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Imaginative Scifi/Dreamscape

I loved this, so imaginative, exciting and relatable. Awesome writing Richard Dee. My hubby has action-packed, crazy, dreams all the time, so this really appealed to me. Though, I don't think my hubby's dreams have taken him off planet as yet, at least, if they have he hasn't told me!

Poor Rick, he truly does get into trouble with his dreams which take him off galavanting to planet Ecias away from his married life, ( with Cath on earth,) into the arms of Vanessa. In Ecias, he has a name change too and becomes Dan.

Cath begins to think that Rick is having a real affair... And her jealousy leads her and Rick to disastrous measures.
Oh, can't say I liked Cath much... But she redeemed herself somewhat... Jealousy can bring out the ugly in people.

Which is real? Life on earth, or life in Ecias?

My recommendation: 5 stars. If you want to read something different - in the Sci Fi/Thriller category give this a go. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audio copy.

I loved the ending by the way!

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Different take on sc fi multiverse

Few twists and turns, with an interesting take.. Was just a dream? Also cool that set in UK.. Very good overall

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Bacon sandwich?

More than enough information about the content of this story is given in the synopsis so I will not rehearse it further other than to say that the dual time line is intriguing especially when the two lives seem to cross over. A great starter idea and one which I have only experienced twice before in my many decades of S.F. reading and the first as a full length novel. The writing, simple and effective, could have been further improved by a good editor, but the images created are vivid, visual and with a reasonable characterisation of the main protagonist. That of his earth wife, Cath, is however flat and unbelievable and the most intriguing aspect, that of the drug and the company which produces it, and the arrival of Esther in his life, is never developed beyond being a springboard for Cath to take the action pursued. But perhaps more about this will follow in a later episode? POssible, though doubtful.

The reading of this audio book is by Gareth Richards, whose very English accented voice has a slightly sing song story telling twang, clear, well intoned and enunciated but with an upturn in many sentences which becomes irritating over time. It is, nevertheless, a good voice for the main character. He does also attempt to provided different voices for the various protagonists.

This was a very easy book to both read and enjoy even though it has such potential to have been so much more. I was very fortunate in being freely gifted with a complimentary copy of Life and Other Dreams, by the rights holder at my request, via Audiobook Boom. Thank you so much. Would I recommend it to others? Definitely, and to anyone from teenagers upwards, who enjoy the mystery of dual personalities or the potential of alternate dream lives.

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Echos of Total Recall but disappointing

Oh dear, sorry Mr Dee, this is a bad review. I received this audiobook free in return for an honest review but unfortunately this review is not good. There are a lot of issues I could mention (lazy plot, minimal character development) about this book, but what absolutely kills it for me is the casual sexism pervasive throughout. The female characters are one dimensional and fit tired and worn out character tropes (Shrewish wife, wanton vixen etc) and the only plucky female character is treated as the property of the male main character, including her adduction and (implied) rape. I can forgive the sexism found in some of the sci-fi classics written in the 50s and 60s, but there is no excuse for this in 2020.

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