Blindsight Audiobook By Peter Watts cover art

Blindsight

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Blindsight

By: Peter Watts
Narrated by: T. Ryder Smith
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Buy for $22.02

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Set in 2082, Peter Watts' Blindsight is fast-moving, hard SF that pulls readers into a futuristic world where a mind-bending alien encounter is about to unfold.

After the Firefall, all eyes are locked heavenward as a team of specialists aboard the self-piloted spaceship Theseus hurtles outbound to intercept an unknown intelligence.

©2006 Peter Watts (P)2008 Recorded Books LLC Hard Science Fiction First Contact Science Fiction Emotionally Gripping Fantasy
Thought-provoking Concepts • Unique Alien Perspective • Excellent Character Differentiation • Complex Philosophical Themes

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I had read multiple reviews of this book that said it was dark, and it is but only in a nihilistic, deterministic way--it was not that depressing to me, but maybe it should have been. Either way, I could hardly resist the quirkiest character ensemble since the Wizard of Oz. The crew selected to make first contact consists of a biologist so interfaced with hardware that his wetware is now buggy, a linguist with surgically induced Multiple Personality Disorder, a military officer with too much empathy for her enemies, and a designated observer who comprehends more with his one remaining brain hemisphere than most do with both. The mission commander is a genetically resurrected vampire and the ship is captained by an AI.

They are off to see some truly alien aliens whose actions are less scary than their implications. The book is a study of consciousness, sentience, and the Chinese Room concept. This is definitely hard SF with lots of scientific concepts and terminology, but most of the time you can grasp the science from context when it is not explained outright. That was not a big deterrent for me and I actually learned a great deal.

The Peter Watts website also has some interesting end notes.

You'll just have to imagine you're Siri Keeton

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I chose to give this book a 5 star rating because I couldn’t put it down. I found the science part just as interesting as the fiction part. The science was heavy, which I like, but I did have to slow my normal listening speed down a bit to keep up. I also liked that some mythology was woven into the story. And the performance was excellent - Smith really made the creepiness of one of the characters extra creepy. Will definitely check out more of Peter Watt’s books!

Intelligent and Fun

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I'm not sure if it was the tonation of the narration, the production quality, the content, or all three combined, but the audio had a quality that begged the listener to tune out. Try as I might, I couldn't keep my focus on the book. I gave up after listening for a couple of hours and realizing I still had no idea what was going on.

Terrible audio

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Character development was on point. Watts keeps you on the edge of your seat while diving into dark corners of humanity.
Great book.

Couldn't put this one down

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it does start pretty dry but it quickly gets interesting. if you like biology and psychology this book really drives into it as a research crew makes first contact with what they thought was an alien "ship". this narrators voice acting for the vampire is pure perfection.

stick out the dry opening, I beg you

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