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The Kraken Wakes

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The Kraken Wakes

By: John Wyndham
Narrated by: John Sackville
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About this listen

Ships are sinking for no apparent reason, carrying hundreds to a dark underwater grave. Strange fireballs race through the sky above the deepest trenches of the oceans. Something is about to show itself, something terrible and alien, a force capable of causing global catastrophe.

©1953 John Wyndham (P)2022 Audible, Ltd Genetic Engineering Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Space Exploration Space Fiction Genetics Interstellar Scary

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All stars
Most relevant  
This story from 1953 has plenty that is relevant today. From the political machinations of the press to the danger of climate change you will be surprised this book wasn't written recently.

So relevant even today

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Interesting how the theme resonates today with global warming raising the oceans and the world’s governments slow to react

Obviously dated but still good

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good recount of a classic tale. well worth a listen well read well paced and enjoyable.

good classic

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A good reading of an interesting and pertinent story. So many parallels with current events (minus the aliens, of course).

A good reading of an interesting and pertinent story

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I enjoyed this for the most part. A fun premise with some exciting scenes and interesting characters.

However, I think the cynicism for governments and people's behaviour in crisis were exaggerated greatly, to make a point. Unfortunately for me it made key parts of the story quite hard to believe. The story relies upon completely ignoring the sentiment of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend". I think given an apocalyptic situation, which could mean the extinction of man, politics would set by the wayside. For the most part at least. Survival instinct would surely overule?

The end of the book feels a little rushed, an extremely simple solution is found for the spacefaring species which until 5 minutes from the end of the book have possibly not even suffered a casualty. We also get no explanation to their motivations or machinations.

The narration is very good. Definitely a good choice for this book.

A little too cynical

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Full reviews available via my storygraph gen_williamson or on goodreads/I'mogén.

engaging development for this novel

3.5 / 5

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Lovely strong female character, again. The story, however, wasn’t quite as good. It was almost a rehash of Triffids but with sea monsters in machines rather than walking plants. It’s almost as if John Wyndham had just read HG Well’s War of the Worlds and was inspired!

I enjoy Wyndham’s writing, nonetheless, and I’d listen to this again in a heartbeat if it wasn’t for the fact that there’s so much more out there to ‘have a go at’!

Enjoyable, but not his best work

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Imagine global warming sped up x20, plus a dash of Brexit and you have a feeling of The Kraken Awakes. Chillingly observed and insightful, as are all the best John Wyndham stories.

Prescient...

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its like he read 20 thou leagues under the sea and war of the worlds then wrote this....its all over the place..
alas he is not in tbe same ball park

its a muddle

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very dated, with some gasping moments, but I really enjoyed this book from a legend of a writer

classic

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