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Diaspora
- Narrated by: Adam Epstein
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
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Diaspora
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Summary
Behold the orphan. Born into a world that is not a world. A digital being grown from a mind seed, a genderless cybernetic citizen in a vast network of probes, satellites, and servers knitting the Solar System into one scape, from the outer planets to the fiery surface of the Sun. Since the Introdus in the 21st century, humanity has reconfigured itself drastically. Most chose immortality, joining the polises to become conscious software.
Others opted for gleisners: Disposable, renewable robotic bodies that remain in contact with the physical world of force and friction. Many of these have left the Solar System forever in fusion drive starships.
And there are the holdouts. The fleshers left behind in the muck and jungle of Earth - some devolved into dream-apes; others cavorting in the seas or the air; while the statics and bridges try to shape out a roughly human destiny.
But the complacency of the citizens is shattered when an unforeseen disaster ravages the fleshers, and reveals the possibility that the polises themselves might be at risk from bizarre astrophysical processes that seem to violate fundamental laws of nature. The Orphan joins a group of citizens and flesher refugees in a search for the knowledge that will guarantee their safety - a search that puts them on the trail of the ancient and elusive Transmuters, who have the power to reshape subatomic particles, and to cross into the macrocosmos, where the universe we know is nothing but a speck in the higher-dimensional vacuum.
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Editor reviews
It's the late 30th century, and mankind has splintered into diverse beings: the human fleshers, the Gleisner robots, and the artificially intelligent polises. Polis orphan Yatima has traveled back to Earth as an interstellar disaster is about to destroy the planet, beginning a monumental struggle for survival. Greg Egan explores issues of human identity in a future world. It's a heady concept that is grounded by Adam Epstein, whose sober and clear-headed approach - as well as his judicious use of accents to delineate the characters - makes Diaspora a fascinating exploration of human existence.
What listeners say about Diaspora
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Frank
- 13-11-22
A+ Scifi
Had to play on 1.2x as the narrator was very bored. Amazing book. Wow.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- r.d.burgemeestre
- 31-01-24
interesting trip
there were a lot of complaints about the narration in the reviews, which made me hesitant to buy this one, but I think you get used to it and also narration gets better for sure. it doesn't help that the first chapter is pretty abstract or technical :) don't regret the listen, story is pretty epic. Greg egan has a new fan
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 23-08-18
Beautiful book
This is a Hard science fiction book. So be prepared for alot of dense physics and complicated concepts.
That said, it is one of the best sci-fi novels I've ever read. it's scope is mind bogglingly epic and the world building is superb.
The civilization and technology are extremely well thought out and beautifully written. I would it give it 10 stars if I could.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chavdar Parushev
- 09-01-18
Hard science fiction as its best
I would have given the book 6 stars if I could. It pushes the limits of the genre. it pushes the limits of what's possible by systematic thinking in literary form. A book that tries to encompass a posthuman scape stretching from horizon to horizon. Sci fi as hard and precious as diamond.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sandra
- 28-04-18
Love the story, don't like the preformance
I'd read this book before listening to it, and I knew I love it still I struggled to get into this. I can't suggest this as a way of getting acquainted with the book.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Drigg
- 01-05-20
Senility simulator
I feel this is exactly how some elderly folk experience 21st century life; unable to grasp the concept of what is being said, but still finding comfort in hearing a friendly voice. This is HARD sci-fi. It's not so much a story, rather a logarithm unravelling exponentially.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
- Kieran Whiteford
- 05-09-21
Have to defend the Narrator
I don't usually leave reviews but looking through the others, I feel I had to defend Adam Epstein. I thought he gave a good performance, he made all the characters distinct from each other and I felt is tone fit the book overall. If you are interested in buying the book here, do it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dan
- 02-07-23
Difficult but worthwhile
Very technical, hard Sci-Fi. Some understanding of quantum physics is essential to make sense of the key underlying concepts. Great inspiring plot though with many twists and turns.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Joel
- 09-05-23
Why didn't I read the reviews! Awful narration.
Downloaded this via iPad and the strength of Greg Egans previous work. But the reader....soulless, monotone, and dull. I tried, I really did, but with a voice this uninteresting I actually forgot I was listening to it after a while...like an airport announcement in the background, you hear, but you're not listening.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alex_JJ
- 07-09-19
Impossible to listen to the narrator
I have read and enjoyed the book previously and wanted the audiobook. The reader has a repellent, monotone delivery and I couldn't cope with more than 30 minutes before returning it for a refund.
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3 people found this helpful