This one is a keeper

Due to Audible's generous return policy, I quite often will return an audiobook for various reasons, especially if I feel as if the book is just not going to hold up to repeat listenings, and of course the narration has everything to do with that assessment.

January LeVoy's absolutely perfect reading of Version Control makes the repeat listenings requirement a non-issue since she is amazing: versatile and believable as either sex; gifted at fading into the background, allowing the story to take over; and just an all-around great reader. I love her voice!

With that being said, however, even the greatest narrator needs something to work with, and boy is she provided with it here. This new novel is jaw-dropping in its depth and vision. Reviewers have compared Palmer to Franzen in his treatment of adult relationships, and that is an astute observation: the man has the insight of Franzen and the mind-bending genius of Kubrick. I am a huge fan of time travel literature (and time loops, time freezing, anything to do with time, really), so believe me when I say that Dexter Palmer delivers an astoundingly fresh take on a genre that has been bent in every direction already.

Not only is the author's data-immersive vision of the future plausible, but it seems quite probable; frighteningly, it's not a world that beckons so much as it invites contemplation of the many ways it already has come to pass: indeed this novel is no sloppily thrown together tale of time travel and paradox, and the reader will observe the many fine details that have been added to flesh out both characters and settings. Similarly, Version Control does not lose its perspective on where it began as do many novels in this genre, starting as one sort of story and ending up as another novel completely; rather, the plot bends back on itself, subtly tweaking the reader's memory of prior scenes while expertly playing off of the story's central conceit.

Palmer could have written a much simpler story, but instead he has crafted a complex narrative, interwoven with futuristic concepts, relevant social commentary, and fully developed characters. He mentions Octavia Butler at one point in the novel, and with all due respect to Kindred, Butler's own time travel novel, Dr. Palmer has written, here, a far superior take on the genre than she. Yes, it's just that good: Version Control is a modern classic, vast and piercing in scope and horrific in its near-future dystopian vision.

30 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

A Phildickian World and More

Any additional comments?

If Philip K. Dick hadn't spent so much of his energy chasing that dark haired girl, working feverishly under the effect of amphetamines to put out enough novels to pay alimony, and laboring under the weight of a culture defined by cynicism and ennui, perhaps he could have produced something as polished as this.
After all, the book has alternative timelines, a U.S. President who interrupts all citizens' phone calls and television shows (and as an apology pays for dessert), and simulacra that are created at a dating site. But it is also carefully crafted, well-paced, and polished. There was one plot diversion that was not well enough explained, but all in all, this was a very enjoyable, intelligent novel. (I do need to point out that I hadn't heard the word "desultory" used since Simon & Garfunkel's first album, and it was used three times in the book - but ok.)
The narrator did a great job of shifting through the characters and their accents and distinguishing features. And I will definitely be getting Palmer's other novel.

26 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

A very different kind of Time Travel story

As some have said, it is hard to talk about this novel without talking about the details. The story is slow burn and there is not much "sci-fi" in it. If you are looking for an in your face kind of time travel story this is not for you. If you like a subtler type of story that has rich and detailed characters, give it a try.I thought he nailed the end perfectly.
January LaVoy is fantastic. I will have search out other audio books by her.

8 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Weak Story Rescued By Good Narrator

This story is based on an interesting twist but the principle characters are either uninteresting or downright annoying. The pace is glacial too making this one of the few books I've had to struggle to finish. Were it not for LaVoy's excellent narration I doubt I'd have hung on to the end.

7 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Slow-burning, not sci-fi or fantasy

Version Control is a glacially slow character novel, despite what you might guess from the blurb or Audible description. There is a plot, but it unspools at an agonzing pace that might just lead you to put the book down before you get halfway through.

Worse, it is sometimes not a very good character novel. Woody (Rebecca's father) is a complete waste, an excrescence. Alicia is drawn in such broad strokes that she might as well be a caricature--even Palmer's attempt at giving her some quirks (like her taste in 1990s popular hip-hop) doesn't do much to humanize such a flat character.

Still, there's an interesting idea here somewhere. I only wish the book had been half its length.

5 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Really?

I'm not disappointed that I listened to this book, but there were a couple of time travel points that I couldn't suspend disbelief on that made it less than it could have been.

Spoiler: If she went back to save Phillip, why not keep the kid home from school, leave 10 minutes later, or take a different route and no one dies.
Answer, because then there would be no evidence that the time machine worked. Kinda lazy.

Second, in the second version of the accident, would Phillip,driving a manual car, be in the exact same position that Rebecca was when the accident occurred. No way, of all of the variables that determined her location at the point in time, many of his would be different leading him to be someplace else when the time for the accident came. No one dies.

Still, interesting concepts and characters. Enjoyed the science.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Good

Good story. Meanders a bit, though. And I wasn't satisfied with the ending. That said, I praise the author's ability to connect dots and draw parrallels with subtlety. You'll have several "Ah ha!" moments when you listen to this. Overall, a decent, non-conventional entry into the sci-fi genre.

Also, praise for the narrator. Voice work was great, especially with regard to the female characters. Each one felt distinct.

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Awe inspiring!

I am literally awe-struck by Dexter Palmer's imagination and intellect as demonstrated in this book. A multi-dimensional and highly creative narrative coupled with a profound knowledge and insight into the conduct of science made this book one of the most compelling I have ever come across! Truly a tour de force! Coupled with January LaVoy's outstanding performance, I couldn't stop listening!

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Not good

I felt like I was being read down to by a consistent sappy overemphasis of words. And, when a reader does a poor job of changing their tone of voice based on gender, the book is ruined.
There's too much description of mundane things. I couldn't get through an hour.

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

First hour is nails on a chalkboard for me

The focus of the narrator was painful for me. I gave it an hour and it didn't get better. It may be science fiction but the focus was on the trivial social interactions of stereotype characters. Maybe it gets better but I'm not investing any more time in it.

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile