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The Dispatcher

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About this listen

Winner, 2017 APA Audie Awards - Original Work

Zachary Quinto - best known for his role as the Nimoy-approved Spock in the recent Star Trek reboot and the menacing, power-stealing serial killer, Sylar, in Heroes - brings his well-earned sci-fi credentials and simmering intensity to this audio-exclusive novella from master storyteller John Scalzi.

One day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone - 999 times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We don't know. But it changes everything: war, crime, daily life.

Tony Valdez is a Dispatcher - a licensed, bonded professional whose job is to humanely dispatch those whose circumstances put them in death's crosshairs, so they can have a second chance to avoid the reaper. But when a fellow Dispatcher and former friend is apparently kidnapped, Tony learns that there are some things that are worse than death and that some people are ready to do almost anything to avenge a supposed wrong.

It's a race against time for Valdez to find his friend before it's too late...before not even a Dispatcher can save him.

©2016 John Scalzi (P)2016 Audible, Inc. Adventure Crime Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction Murder Thought-Provoking Disappearance Detective Scary

Critic reviews

"The hero of this book is narrator Zachary Quinto, who makes a potentially confusing story simple and compelling. With a voice that sounds trained, he reaches right through the speakers and grabs listeners, making them want—no, need—to listen." (AudioFile)

"Quinto has a perfect hardboiled noir manner, which is exactly what you’d want for Valdez." (Locus Magazine)
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I only grabbed this because it was free (why wouldn't you?), was highly sceptical and then had my expectations blown away! I loved the short story and immediately looked at the authors other works, I could quite happily listen to another book set in this world - it's very rare to come across an original idea handled so interestingly!

A lovely surprise!

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interesting idea for a story, love the way the author takes an odd concept and then builds an interesting story around it. excellent narration to

grabs you instantly

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Terrific narration, super story. I laughed out loud at the lift shaft part. Read and you'll know the bit. Well worth a read

What a cracking story!

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Obviously chose this book because it was free but I found it to be a unique story line.
The whole idea of a dispatcher is bizarre but John Scalzi explains the career and the way it evolved reasonable quickly.
Definitely a good short story and would consider buying further books should they be written.

Unique story line well written

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This was an interesting way to look at the world on it's kind. Short but long enough to fulfill the story.

Dark world even without murders

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