Observer cover art

Observer

A Novel

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Observer

By: Robert Lanza, Nancy Kress
Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

Observer, by Robert Lanza and Nancy Kress is a slick modern, hard sf, standalone, medical thriller combining classic Robin Cook with the hard edge of Black Mirror and Altered Carbon.

After neurosurgeon Caro Soames-Watkins’ career has gone down in flames, she receives a strange job offer from Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sam Watkins, a great uncle she barely knows, and desperation overcomes any suspicions.

Watkins’ mysterious medical facility conducts research into the nature of consciousness, reality, and life after death. Two obstacles stand in his way: an intel leak and his failing body may not last long enough for the tech to be ready.

As danger mounts, Caro finds more than she bargained for: murder, love, and a deep disturbing look into the nature of reality.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books

Genre Fiction Hard Science Fiction Medical Metaphysical & Visionary Science Fiction Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense

Critic reviews

<p><b>Praise for <i>Observer</i>:</b><br><br>“Robert Lanza is one of the most exciting thinkers of our time, and his novel, <i>Observer</i>, is a thrilling exploration of his most daring theories, <b>a thought-provoking page-turner </b>that asks the most profound question of our existence—<b>what is our role in the true nature of reality</b>?”—Blake Crouch, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author, and Executive Producer of the Apple TV series <i>Dark Matter</i><br><br> “The viewpoint character is a brilliant neurosurgeon unwillingly drawn into a secret scientific project designed to prove that the generally accepted view of reality is completely wrong ... <b>a compelling story filled with believable characters.</b>”―<i>The Guardian<br></i><br>“<b>The cutting-edge of science tipping into something new and marvelous ... a startling, fascinating novel.</b>”―Kim Stanley Robinson, <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author<br><br>“<b>Mind-bending</b> ... A novel full of life-affirming ideas.”—<i>Kirkus Reviews</i> (Starred Review)<br><br> “Real science and limitless imagination combine in <b>a thrilling story you won't soon forget</b>.”―Robin Cook, <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author of <i>Coma</i><br><br> “<b>Brilliant</b> ... A <b>riveting</b> and moving story.”―Rhonda Byrne, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The Secret</i><br><br> “Nancy Kress is a master storyteller, and her trademark empathy is on every page. Even as we venture into the heady territory of quantum physics and the nature of reality that Robert Lanza is known for, we never lose track of Caro, the brilliant surgeon who'll do anything to save the people she loves. <b><i>Observer</i> is the best of science and fiction—an intellectual adventure with real heart</b>.”—Daryl Gregory, award-winning author of <i>Spoonbenders</i><br><br> “<b>Fantastical</b> ... Do we each create our own reality? Debates about the fundamental nature of reality go back centuries. More recently, special relativity and quantum mechanics have provided solid grounding for the idea that the act of observation has an effect on external phenomena ... <b><i>Observer</i> includes plot twists that are ripped from the headlines</b>, including social-media shaming, drone technology and dark-web villainy.”—<i>GeekWire</i>/Alan Boyle, former NBC News & MSNBC Science Editor</p>
All stars
Most relevant
brilliant read, loved story line which helped understanding complicated theory. I have read other books by Robert Lanza and was familiar with his theory but this style of writing and explaining theory through examples, helped me getting a better understanding of it.

scientific exploration leadin to new world view

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.