Get 3 months for $0.99 a month

LIMITED TIME OFFER
The Downloaded cover art

The Downloaded

 Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm PT.
Amazon Prime member exclusive: get any 2 titles with your free trial. Terms apply.
Just $0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 audiobook per month of your choice from our unparalleled catalog.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Downloaded

Written by: Robert J. Sawyer
Narrated by: Brendan Fraser, Luke Kirby, Vanessa Sears, Colm Feore, Andrew Phung, full cast
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offers ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm PT.

$14.95 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $37.53

Buy Now for $37.53

About this listen

In 2059, two vastly different groups of people portrayed by the compelling trio of Brendan Fraser (Academy Award winner), Luke Kirby (Emmy Award winner), and Vanessa Sears (Dora Award winner) undergo cryonic suspension. While their bodies are frozen, their minds, still active and awake, are uploaded into a massive quantum computer. The first group are all astronauts, about to leave Earth on a one-way interstellar colonization mission. The second group consists of convicted murderers and volunteers who elect to serve their sentences in a virtual-reality prison. But while both groups are suspended, a global cataclysm devastates most of the Earth, and their cryosleep is extended by more than 500 years.

Now available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

©2023 Robert J. Sawyer (P)2023 Audible Originals, LLC. Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction

Trailer

0:00

About the creator

Robert J. Sawyer — called “the dean of Canadian science fiction” by the Ottawa Citizen and “just about the best science fiction writer out there” by the Denver Rocky Mountain News — has won all three of the world’s top awards for best science fiction novel of the year: the Hugo (which he won for Hominids), the Nebula (for The Terminal Experiment), and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (for Mindscan). He’s also won the Robert A. Heinlein Award; the top SF awards in Japan (three times), Spain (three times), France, and China; and a record-setting seventeen Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards (“Auroras”). Rob’s 25 bestselling novels include Calculating God (winner of the 2009 Audie Award for best science fiction or fantasy audiobook of the year) and FlashForward, which was adapted into the ABC TV series of the same name. Rob was a guest of honor at the 2023 World Science Fiction Convention (the Worldcon), and he’s a member of the Order of Canada, the highest honor bestowed by the Canadian government. He lives just outside Toronto.

Brendan Fraser
Luke Kirby
Vanessa Sears

About Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser is an Academy Award®-winning actor whose inspired performances and eye for thought-provoking material continue to garner critical acclaim. Fraser can most recently be seen as the lead role in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, for which he received several award nominations including his first Academy Award win & nomination for Best Lead Actor. Upcoming this year for Brendan includes starring as the lead in Legendary Pictures’ Brothers alongside Glenn Close, Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage. He’s also a supporting role in Martin Scorsese’s new epic Western, Killers Of The Flower Moon. Other notable works include Universal’s Mummy franchise; Crash, directed by Paul Haggis; Phillip Noyce’s The Quiet American, based on Graham Greene’s 1955 thriller of the same name; and Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters, opposite Sir Ian McKellen, and Lynn Redgrave. He received a BFA in acting from the Actor’s Conservatory, Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.

About Luke Kirby

Luke Kirby is an Emmy® Award-winning theatre, film, and television actor who has performed on stages in Toronto and NYC over the years, including productions of Troilus and Cressida, Jump/Cut, Defender of the Faith, and Judgement Day. Luke starred opposite Michelle Williams in Sarah Polley’s film Take This Waltz, and opposite Samuel L. Jackson in The Samaritan. More recently, Luke starred as Ted Bundy opposite Elijah Wood in No Man of God. In television, one of Luke’s favourite roles was in the critically acclaimed mini-series, Slings and Arrows, opposite Rachel McAdams. He has also had regular roles on HBO’s Tell Me You Love Me, The Sundance Channel’s Rectify, and Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in the role of Lenny Bruce.

About Vanessa Sears

Raised in Deep River, Ontario, Vanessa Sears is a Dora® Award, Toronto Theatre Critics, BroadwayWorld and Critic’s Pick Award-winning artist. She has starred on stages across Canada including the Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, the historic Winter Garden Theatre and many more. Vanessa has also appeared in numerous films and television programs, including Suits, CBC’s Tallboyz, Lifetime’s Too Close for Christmas, Sex/Life (Netflix), and more. Up next, you can see Vanessa starring in Fourteen Love Letters, as well as Royally Wrapped for Christmas.

Behind the Scenes

0:00
All stars
Most relevant
Both a fun and thoughtful romp through a post-apocalyptic scenario, as only Robert J. Sawyer can pull off. I thought the contrast between the astronauts and ex-cons provided good tension, and the Mennonites were a nice touch too. I loved that the story was placed in Waterloo: Sawyer always gives his work a proudly Canadian flourish. And it was a magnificent, layered theatrical performance of the audio book - Brendan Fraser was especially good, and fresh from his Academy Award! I love that Sawyer's brand of thoughtful science fiction is commanding such star power today.

Now that's entertainment!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I took this audio book after seeing the great ensemble cast, and being a Sic-Fi nuts, this seemed a really good deal. I wasn’t disappointed by the quality. As far as audiobooks go, this is very nice. Almost like an old time radio drama. However, it is all done to the service of an ok story, at best. The frustrating part is that it touches themes that are very interesting and could have been much better explored, but it keeps on the surface and move quickly from one issue to another, fixing debates and problems easily without getting in the suspense or the philosophical, because the story needs to get going. It feels like they shouldn’t have explored so many to begin with, since it is all wrapped up pretty quickly anyway and often without satisfaction or real drama. Also, this is an “interview” style storytelling, very similar to World War Z, but not done as well. At some point the story catches up with the “testimonies”, but they keep “testifying” to what they are doing/thinking, even though it doesn’t make sense anymore. The end is one of the most straight up and on the nose “happy endings” have heard in a while, with a very convenient Ex Machina type solution that makes you sigh a little. For the price (free with the Plus Catalogue) and the time (a little over 5 hours) it’s absolutely worth it, but it is no Asimov.

A great production to the service of a “meh’’ story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The Downloaded is another winner from Robert J. Sawyer. It is extremely well written and the pacing was perfect—once I turned it on I struggled to turn it off. Further, the audiobook’s production values were through the roof with a talented cast who did a great job bringing the characters to life. Easily among the best—if not the best—I’ve listened to.

Another winner from Robert J. Sawyer, and excellently produced!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Immerse yourself in a great Science Fiction novel as it spans many centuries in the blink of an eye. It is also well performed by well known celebrities, and with the addition of sound effects it makes an even greater listen.

Intriguing Listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the premise of the book, and character development was great. But the insertion of the author's personal opinions toward covid 19 were disruptive and irrelevant to the storyline and made it difficult to remain immersed in the plot. Narration was spot on, and I still like the book- just leave the virtue signaling for social media next time.

Excellent performance! Overall a good listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I could not put this down! Very clever story and fantastic narration. I will definitely be revisiting this one again!

Great story!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Interesting story, but trying to weave social justice themes throughout the story ruined the whole thing.

Interesting take on end of the world survival

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really liked the performances and if the is a solid Criticism it would be the list opportunities to explore humanity more. This is a gem in the rough.

Pleasantly surprised

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The performance was really well done and the story was good. I hope there will be a continuation.

Great book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I downloaded (no pun intended) this selection because it was short. Don't let the length fool you, there's a lot to this story that's set in Waterloo, ON and space. The pandemic, global warming, transgender issues and more are covered. Like I said there's a lot to this short story. I'm hoping to read the print version when it's released because I think I'd get more from it by reading.
The performances are really done well. I've already recommended to a few people I think might find this interesting.

Science Gone Wrong

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews