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  • The Stone Man - A Science Fiction Thriller, Book 1

  • By: Luke Smitherd
  • Narrated by: Matt Addis
  • Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (4,087 ratings)
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The Stone Man - A Science Fiction Thriller, Book 1 cover art

The Stone Man - A Science Fiction Thriller, Book 1

By: Luke Smitherd
Narrated by: Matt Addis
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Summary

The #1 Amazon and Audible best seller, shortlisted for Audible UK's Audiobook of the Year Award 2015

Nobody knew where it came from.

Nobody knew why it came.

When an eight-foot-tall man made of stone appears in the middle of a busy city center one July afternoon, two-bit (and antisocial) reporter Andy Pointer assumes it's just a publicity stunt.

Indeed, so does everyone else...until the Stone Man begins to walk, heading silently through the wall of the nearest building, flattening it, and killing several people inside as a result.

As efforts by the local police - and soon the government - to halt the Stone Man's inexorable progress prove futile, only three questions are on the watching world's lips:

Where has it come from, where is it going, and what does it want?

Andy is determined to be the first person to answer those questions; after all, he was there when it arrived. Surely the headaches and visions he's experiencing are proof of a mental connection to the Stone Man. Clearly his dreams of champagne and notoriety are all about to be fulfilled once he uncovers the truth...and the scoop of a lifetime.

In a pursuit that carries him the length of the country and the breadth of the Atlantic, Andy uncovers the jagged pieces of an increasingly terrifying puzzle. As the number of lives lost in the wake of the Stone Man reaches grim figures, the terrible results of Andy's blind determination force him to confront the savagery of human nature.

When irresistible forces aren't met by immovable objects, how far is too far? Andy must discover the answer - and find out who he really is - in the shadow of the Stone Man.

©2012 Luke Smitherd (P)2015 Luke Smitherd

Critic reviews

" The Stone Man is a novel that intrigues, enthralls, horrifies, thrills, and hits the reader with an emotional resonance as only the best stories can." ( Ain't It Cool News)

What listeners say about The Stone Man - A Science Fiction Thriller, Book 1

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,544
  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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Performance
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great story. I couldn't stop listening.

I enjoyed this. good story line and I tried to listen all in one go it was that good. Bring on the next one!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Well drawn characters,well performed.

To take care of the elephant in the room, the basic premise is silly. Ok, that is done. Let us move on.

The characterisation is generally very good indeed. The protagonists are flawed heroes but you get inside their skin and understand what makes them tick. The pacing is good and the writing gritty without going overboard. It is a perfectly good treatment of a frankly daft idea that works very well.

The reading is very good with a real feel of separation between characters. Good job, Mr Addis.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Different yet excellent

What made the experience of listening to The Stone Man the most enjoyable?

Reading The Stone Man was refreshing, unusual, unpredictable, compelling, and several other adjectives that I can't think of whilst typing this...

What other book might you compare The Stone Man to, and why?

Hard to say, as this book is not run of the mill. I can see influences from Arthur C Clarke, and Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time".

Which character – as performed by Matt Addis – was your favourite?

Andy

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

Unstoppable

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My first outing with a Luke Smitherd story

Would you listen to The Stone Man again? Why?

One day, yes.
It chilled me.

What did you like best about this story?

The almost side-note reporting about a major character moment.

What does Matt Addis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I like to have a good narrator on an audio book. Mark did a good job and I'd like to listen to him again. He pretty much became the voice of the lead character.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh a few times, yes.

Any additional comments?

Sterling work—made me an instant fan.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gripped me by the throat and wouldn't let go.

This book is unusual even for Sci Fi. It is suspenseful and a mystery but I certainly wouldn't class this as horror, which is a genre I dislike.

It's mostly written in first person as if we are hearing an edited autobiographical diary, it's an intentional and effective way of bringing a sense of immediacy and urgency to the story. I think this created an echo of Orsen Wells' radio play and then movie of "War Of The Worlds" by H G Wells in my mind, I think it was because of that sense of real-time which I found totally enthralling. I lost sleep to it, happily sat in heavy traffic while driving to work for it, gave up my morning work-out for it! Not many books do that.

The book is well structured, logical (within its own parameters) and very well produced.

The protagonists are clearly drawn with real personalities who have flawed courage and genuine motivations. If you like your story tied in a neat parcel with ribbons on top, be prepared. The conclusion is somewhat abrupt and open, but it suits the story perfectly.

Luke Smitherd's afterward was a brief, humorous delight, Iand I look forward to seeking out more of his work, an author to watch -. I fully expect he will become famous for new classics (is that an oxymoron?)

Matt Addis narrated and I was deeply impressed by his skill as a voice actor, his narration was surprisingly moving at emotional moments and cannot be faulted. I'll be looking for his work as well.

If you want a book to get lost in, I highly recommend this one.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliantly Original, excellent story, well read.

love this original sci-fi story based in the UK. Such a clever, well thought out story and so glad there is now a sequel. I promise you.wont be disappointed to listen to this cracking story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Didn't want to stop listening as I wanted to know what happened next. Loved it from start to finish!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

interesting story and great delivery 5 stars

A fantastic story with great narration one of the best books of the year. would recommend

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great narration

Good characters. Slow build that delivers surprises each time you think you've got it. Doesn't end how you think it will.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic & Interesting Story!

I picked this Audiobook up months ago when it was on the Daily Deal as the premise sounded interesting. It took me a while to get around to listening to it but I'm so glad I did. Very engaging story. It was one of those stories that had me looking forward to getting in my car next to hear what was going to happen. Fantastically narrated by Matt Addis, his accents are spot on and add great character. I'll be looking for more stuff from Luke Smithard and Matt Addis.

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