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  • To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Riverworld Saga, Book 1

  • Written by: Philip José Farmer
  • Narrated by: Paul Hecht
  • Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (23 ratings)

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To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Riverworld Saga, Book 1 cover art

To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Riverworld Saga, Book 1

Written by: Philip José Farmer
Narrated by: Paul Hecht
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Publisher's Summary

All those who ever lived on Earth have found themselves resurrected—healthy, young, and naked as newborns—on the grassy banks of a mighty river, in a world unknown. Miraculously provided with food, but with no clues to the meaning of their strange new afterlife, billions of people from every period of Earth's history—and prehistory—must start again.

Sir Richard Francis Burton would be the first to glimpse the incredible way-station, a link between worlds. This forbidden sight would spur the renowned 19th century explorer to uncover the truth.

Along with a remarkable group of compatriots, including Alice Liddell Hargreaves (the Victorian girl who was the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland), an English-speaking Neanderthal, a WWII Holocaust survivor, and a wise extraterrestrial, Burton sets sail on the magnificent river. His mission: to confront humankind's mysterious benefactors, and learn the true purpose—innocent or evil—of the Riverworld....

Winner of the Hugo Award

©1971 Philip José Farmer (P)2000 Recorded Books

What the critics say

  • Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1972

"One of the most imaginative worlds in science fiction." (Booklist)

What listeners say about To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Riverworld Saga, Book 1

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

Farmer weaves an iconic Saga

This first of the Riverworld series is an entertaining and provocative story that contains plenty of humor with its genre defining innovation. Many of Farmer's unique creations have become tropes of contemporary science fiction.

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

it was fine

ok to listen . I would suggest a different voice at the times but this was fine

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Classic Sci-Fi Rarely Holds Up Well

Richard Burton, a 19th century English explorer and a group of humans from different times and places wake up naked and hairless, resurrected in a strange empty paradise by a river.

The concept is interesting, but the plot leaves something to be desired. Halfway through the novel someone guesses what's going on and that turns out to be the case.

The other problem is that the main characters are all pulled out of times past with their racist ideas intact. The author tries to grapple with it, but we're still left with an unlikable cast of men.

The writing is pretty classically sexist and xenophobic. Even though everyone is naked, only the women's bodies are described by the narrator, and usually in terms of how attractive they are. Men's bodies are never described unless they are racially othered in some way. There is also a pretty homophobic moment.

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