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Head On (Narrated by Wil Wheaton)
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
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Head On (Narrated by Wil Wheaton)
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Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton)
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 362
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 326
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 325
Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever, and headaches. But for the unlucky one percent - and nearly five million souls in the United States alone - the disease causes "Lock In": Victims fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I have a new Author I really like!
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-12-07
Written by: John Scalzi
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The Android's Dream
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 265
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 246
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 246
A human diplomat creates an interstellar incident when he kills an alien diplomat in a most unusual way. To avoid war, Earth's government must find an equally unusual object: A type of sheep ("The Android's Dream"), used in the alien race's coronation ceremony. To find the sheep, the government turns to Harry Creek, ex-cop, war hero and hacker extraordinaire.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Very Good Sci-Fi Weave
- By Luis Verma on 2018-06-02
Written by: John Scalzi
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The Collapsing Empire
- The Interdependency, Book 1
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 529
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 494
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 493
Our universe is ruled by physics, and faster-than-light travel is not possible - until the discovery of The Flow, an extradimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transports us to other worlds, around other stars. Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It's a hedge against interstellar war - and a system of control for the rulers of the empire.
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3 out of 5 stars
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ok novel
- By Scott Duncan on 2017-11-03
Written by: John Scalzi
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Agent to the Stars
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 315
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 288
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 288
The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just one problem: They're hideously ugly and they smell like rotting fish. So getting humanity's trust is a challenge. The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal. Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He's one of Hollywood's hottest young agents.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Wacky and fun
- By Tee on 2018-07-05
Written by: John Scalzi
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The Kaiju Preservation Society
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 389
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 361
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 360
When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food-delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization”. Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on. What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Strong Sunday School energy.
- By Andrew on 2022-05-16
Written by: John Scalzi
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Redshirts
- A Novel with Three Codas
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 382
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 343
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Story4 out of 5 stars 342
Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Stars can’t do it justice
- By Anonymous User on 2018-09-14
Written by: John Scalzi
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Lock In (Narrated by Wil Wheaton)
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 362
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 326
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 325
Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever, and headaches. But for the unlucky one percent - and nearly five million souls in the United States alone - the disease causes "Lock In": Victims fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I have a new Author I really like!
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-12-07
Written by: John Scalzi
-
The Android's Dream
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 265
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 246
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 246
A human diplomat creates an interstellar incident when he kills an alien diplomat in a most unusual way. To avoid war, Earth's government must find an equally unusual object: A type of sheep ("The Android's Dream"), used in the alien race's coronation ceremony. To find the sheep, the government turns to Harry Creek, ex-cop, war hero and hacker extraordinaire.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Very Good Sci-Fi Weave
- By Luis Verma on 2018-06-02
Written by: John Scalzi
-
The Collapsing Empire
- The Interdependency, Book 1
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 529
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 494
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 493
Our universe is ruled by physics, and faster-than-light travel is not possible - until the discovery of The Flow, an extradimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transports us to other worlds, around other stars. Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It's a hedge against interstellar war - and a system of control for the rulers of the empire.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
ok novel
- By Scott Duncan on 2017-11-03
Written by: John Scalzi
-
Agent to the Stars
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 315
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 288
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 288
The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just one problem: They're hideously ugly and they smell like rotting fish. So getting humanity's trust is a challenge. The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal. Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He's one of Hollywood's hottest young agents.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Wacky and fun
- By Tee on 2018-07-05
Written by: John Scalzi
-
The Kaiju Preservation Society
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 389
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 361
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 360
When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food-delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization”. Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on. What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Strong Sunday School energy.
- By Andrew on 2022-05-16
Written by: John Scalzi
-
Redshirts
- A Novel with Three Codas
- Written by: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 382
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 343
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 342
Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Stars can’t do it justice
- By Anonymous User on 2018-09-14
Written by: John Scalzi
Publisher's Summary
"As much as Scalzi has the scientific creativity of a Michael Crichton, he also has the procedural chops of a Stephen J. Cannell to craft a whodunit with buddy-cop charm and suspects aplenty - most of them in someone else's body." (USA Today)
John Scalzi returns with Head On, the stand-alone follow-up to the New York Times best-selling and critically acclaimed Lock In. Chilling near-future SF with the thrills of a gritty cop procedural, Head On brings Scalzi's trademark snappy dialogue and technological speculation to the future world of sports.
Hilketa is a frenetic and violent pastime where players attack each other with swords and hammers. The main goal of the game: obtain your opponent's head and carry it through the goalposts. With flesh and bone bodies, a sport like this would be impossible. But all the players are "threeps", robot-like bodies controlled by people with Haden's Syndrome, so anything goes. No one gets hurt, but the brutality is real, and the crowds love it.
Until a star athlete drops dead on the playing field.
Is it an accident or murder? FBI agents and Haden-related crime investigators Chris Shane and Leslie Vann are called in to uncover the truth - and in doing so travel to the darker side of the fast-growing sport of Hilketa, where fortunes are made or lost and where players and owners do whatever it takes to win, on and off the field.
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What listeners say about Head On (Narrated by Wil Wheaton)
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Aidan
- 2018-09-19
Good followup, not as great as the original
I enjoyed the book, though not as much as I did the original. If you enjoyed the first book and the world it built, then this is a nice return, however it fails to build on the premise in any profound way. it's ultimately more of the same, which isn't a bad thing.
#Audible1
3 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- WarriorsDawn
- 2018-09-26
Good book, mediocre narration
The book itself was pretty good. Good world building, characters were a little one note. The mystery itself was fun and entertaining.
The one thing I didn't like about the book itself was the dialogue. Every character talked the same. They all spoke in snarky, clever Joss Whedon-esque witticisms that felt disingenuous and hollow.
Wil Wheaton's narration was boring and all of the characters sounded the same.
2 people found this helpful
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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
- Rosalynn Maahs Daigle
- 2019-09-02
Good Story - First was better
I enjoyed this book but I preferred the first in the series much more. Will Wheaton is one of my favorite narrators for audiobooks and is why I got this one as well. will look for more from him but not sure if I will from John Scalzi. unless it's another in this series because I always read a full series. Haha
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bender
- 2019-07-19
Narrator concern
Sometimes it can be hard to tell who is talking when Will Wheaton narrates things. I have found this on several of his narrations. Overall I don't mind him but I prefer a narrator who provides more consistent variation between character voices. In this book, ask characters sound like Will Wheaton, and that gets confusing.
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
- Norman
- 2022-11-09
The future will be experienced remotely
Okay. I have to admit, I almost snorted my drink while listening to this. The combination of John Scalzi's wit and Wil Wheaton's narration is priceless.
The story is classic mystery - corruption in sports, mismatched cop partners, the detectives' superiors ordering them NOT to investigate, murders to cover up murders - with the added twist of the Lock In syndrome's remote bodies meaning increasing the suspect pool exponentially. All very noir.
And there's a cat.
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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
- Jamie @ Books and Ladders
- 2022-09-29
Love This Series!
I loved this one. It was such a good mix of Science Fiction and police procedural. I also liked that as much as it was a sequel, it can be read as a standalone too. There is enough information in this one that you don't need to have read the first to read this one. I highly recommend John Scalzi's work and love the audiobooks for them as well!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-03-10
A rollicking good time.
Great read. Smart tech, solid world building. Surprisingly this is becoming my favorite Scalziworld to visit.
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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
- Melissa
- 2020-05-25
Great story
Not as good as Lock In but still amazing! Wil Wheaton continue to bring Chris to life in their post pandemic world. I love how John Scalzi created a a world so different from our own, but makes it seem so real that when I put down the book I’m surprised that Haden’s dosent exist, or that threps aren’t among us. I hope he writes more books with Chris
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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
- Leonard
- 2020-05-20
Great story. Well done. I would like to hear mor
I very much enjoyed the story and the performance. I hope to hear more
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Blythe
- 2019-07-13
Solid sequel to Lock In
A solid sequel to "Lock In", rejoining Haden's Syndrome sufferer Chris as he or she (it's never stated) pilots their android "threep" body around investigating crime. Newly joined to the FBI, Chris accompanies snarky partner Vann as they investigate the possible murder of another Haden's victim and professional athlete in the Hilketa league (a violent sport in which androids attempt to decapitate each other to score goals).
Basically an easy-reading detective story set in a slightly future earth, you don't really need to have read the previous book "Lock In" but you'll definitely have a bit more background if you do. It's a light, amusing read that goes down like candy and probably won't stay in memory extremely long, but entertains while it lasts.
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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
- C. White
- 2018-04-17
THIS is why I read SciFi! Scalzi gets into your head (be it on or off)
I don't know if you can call this a non-bias review considering I pre-ordered the book, downloaded it at 12:01am on its release date, and then promptly put in a marathon listening session to complete the book. To say that I'm a John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton fanboy would be an understatement. With that said, I did fully enjoy the book. I felt it fell slightly short of "Locked In" (think the difference between an "A" and an "A-"). As with the pervious book, the supposedly intelligent individuals perpetrating the cover up/conspiracy do some awfully stupid things (not to mention how conveniently agent Shane just happens to be in the "right place at the right time") but that is not the point of "Head On". The point is the journey and the immersive everyday details that Scalzi incorporates into the fascinating alternative Haden reality. As with all of Scalzi's previous efforts, the book is filled with snarky quick witted characters that are maybe a bit too sarcastic for their own good, but add to the enjoyable atmosphere of the book. What I really found interesting was how Scalzi raised several thought provoking issues such fidelity in Haden culture, discrimination of "normals" in the Haden culture, and even why being a Haden doesn't preclude someone from being a crazy cat owner ;) The bottom line is simply this... This IS a John Scalzi book, if you have enjoyed any of his other works, then you will enjoy this further exploration into the Haden universe.
56 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- bosmoviebuff
- 2018-08-06
favorite new Scalzi series
I'm a big fan of John Scalzi's novels, and the Lock In series is becoming a favorite. Head On is the sequel to Scalzi's 2014 book Lock In, and I'd definitely recommend reading Lock In first, if you haven't already. The series takes place in the near future, following a pandemic flu that has left many people 'locked in' and suffering from Haden's syndrome -- they're mentally alert but unable to move or speak. They're freed from lock-in by android-like personal vehicles ("threeps") that connect to their brains through a neural network and allow them to move around in the world. The protagonist of the series is Chris Shane, a Haden who joins the FBI and solves crimes that involve other Hadens. The world of Hadens makes for a lot of interesting plot twists and some thought-provoking moments about what it means to be human.
One of the things I really enjoy about this series, and a tribute to Scalzi's talent as a writer, is that both Lock In and Head On are written in a gender-neutral way -- Scalzi never states whether Chris Shane is male or female. So it's really fun to listen to both narrations, one by Wil Wheaton (who's my favorite narrator for anything Scalzi related) and another version by Amber Benson. Both narrators are excellent, and if you can afford to get both versions of the book, it's worth listening to both.
18 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- The Office Troll
- 2019-03-25
Disappointing sequel
Didn't really feel like there was much to this story. I really enjoyed the first one, so I found this to be disappointing at best.
14 people 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
- Matthew D.
- 2018-04-18
Every bit as good as Lock In
Very good futuristic detective novel. The world of Lock In was expanded in a very good way in this novel. I finished the book in a day and that never happens for me. I can’t wait for the next novel in the series.
13 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- B. Lewis
- 2019-03-09
Just ok
It is a semi-interesting story that ends up just falling flat after awhile. It had great potential but it never really took off. There were a slew of characters that weren’t even really necessary. I think this series has potential if the author actually commits to it being a sci-fi murder mystery story and less a political drama (which this one felt like). Will Wheaton is one reason I bought it - he is absolutely one of the best narrators.
12 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jacob C
- 2019-02-06
Great narration, average story
I generally very much enjoy Scalzi’s books, but this one just felt like it lacked the depth, twists and turns of his others. Wheaton was a great narrator as always.
7 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Richard
- 2019-01-24
Meh
Kinda boring. While listening to it while driving it was more background noise than anything that kept me engrossed. It was interesting enough for me not to return it, but I wouldn't have bothered getting it knowing what I know now.
After hearing all the other great narrators out there, I'm finding Wheaton isn't all that great.
7 people found this helpful
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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
- Petra Volkhausen
- 2018-05-07
Wonderful world building
Bought the follow-up to Lock In since I greatly enjoyed the world setting Scalzi came up with (don’t miss the accompanying novella which provides more details on the Hayden syndrome and how it changed the world!) and was eager to learn more about the everyday lives of Haydens. Wasn’t disappointed in regards to that, but I wish the main characters where less 2D. While the protagonist is a pleasant fella, the “I’m the biggest asshole in the room”-attitude of his partner, already too on the nose in the first book, gets old and annoying really fast this time.
Also, while I love listening to Wil Wheaton, I wonder why they chose a white actor to voice the protagonist who is also the narrator - and a black dude.
All in all, I’d love to hear more from a world with Haydens, but then hopefully with better fleshed-out main characters so I can get emotionally invested in the story.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Misanthrope7
- 2018-04-26
Average at best!
The narrative was pretty good. The story was boring and predictable. Lots of unnecessary details and all of a sudden some major changes in plot! Overall I expected more from the author of Lock in.
6 people 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
- Frida Kirkevold
- 2018-04-24
Loved it
I loved this book, and I am sad that it isn't part of a stupidly long series, because I want more and I want it yesterday!
6 people found this helpful