The Far Reaches

Stories to Take You Out of This World

By: James S. A. Corey, Veronica Roth, Rebecca Roanhorse, Ann Leckie, Nnedi Okorafor, John Scalzi

Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin, Soneela Nankani, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, P. J. Morgan, Délé Ogundiran, Kay Eluvian

Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Look outward beyond the stars with six stories from bestselling visionary authors. An AI awakens to its purpose. A researcher seeds a thousand new worlds for one more chance at love. A murder rocks the crew of an interstellar ship. With a sweeping sense of wonder, these stories explore the galaxy . . . and the horizons of humanity’s potential.

How It Unfolds by James S. A. Corey

An astronaut’s interstellar mission is a personal journey of a thousand second chances in an exhilarating short story by James S. A. Corey, the New York Times bestselling author of The Expanse series.

Void by Veronica Roth

An intergalactic luxury cruise to a distant port is a world unto itself in this piercing short mystery by #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.

Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse

A young man caught between two disparate worlds searches for his place in the universe in a wrenching short story by New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse.

The Long Game by Ann Leckie

An inquisitive life-form finds there’s more to existence than they ever dreamed in an imaginative short story by New York Times bestselling and Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Ann Leckie.

Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach by Nnedi Okorafor

A revolutionary experiment in space opens a woman’s eyes to the meaning of solitude in a thought-provoking short story by New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor.

Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi

An artificial intelligence on a star-spanning mission explores the farthest horizons of human potential—and its own purpose—in a mind-bending short story by New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi.

©2023 How It Unfolds © 2023 by Tyler Franck and Daniel Abraham. Void © 2023 by Veronica Roth. Falling Bodies © 2023 by Rebecca Roanhorse. The Long Game © 2023 by Ann Leckie. Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach © 2023 by Africanfuturism Productions. Slow Time Between the Stars © 2023 by John Scalzi. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“This intriguing collection of short speculative fictions features a superb ensemble of narrators…. Of particular note is P.J. Morgan's carefully paced delivery of "The Long Game," in which a sentient slug-like creature is on a mission to preserve their life. Kay Eluvian's gentle narration in "Slow Time Between the Stars" captures a serene AI spaceship that is on a timeless journey to introduce humanity to the next Earth-like planet.”—AudioFile Magazine

Meh, Pronouns and Politics

The only standouts in these stories were the pronouns and politics. Even the narrator was just OK.

A real snoozefest

Very disappointing. Most stories were obviously meant to put you to sleep. The only exception was Ann Leckie's story but even that one was far from original. Even Scalzi's story felt like being lectured. The B list of narrators didn't help. Was Scalzi's narrator paid by the minute or what is it with all the unnatural pauses between sentences? A waste of a credit.

A mixed bag

I liked the first and last story, but the rest is just average at best and boring at worst.

Very hit and miss, better to buy specific titles

This audiobook contains 6 stories, so I'll do a quick review for each:
1) How it unfolds
- Very fun, creative ideas, hauntingly good. I love this one. Great Sci Fi seamlessly woven into a great story. 5/5

2) Void
- This is a murder mystery in space. Doesn't really use it's premise well. This book doesn't deserve to be called sci fi. 1/5

3) Falling Bodies
- An outstanding space allegory for cross cultural adoptio, the experience of indigenous peoples, and to a much lesser extent, being an immigrant or the "other." This is very good. Truly 4/5

4) The Long Game
- Really fun ideas, and really interesting story. Uses it's sci fi premise well. 3/5

5) Just out of Jupiter's Reach
- SKIP THIS PEICE OF GARBAGE. 0/5

6) Slow Time Between the Stars
- WOW. This one is interesting and well written. A sentient human made AI's journey across the stars. 5/5

Final recomendation: Do not purchase this collated series, buy the titles that are worth reading. (How It Unfolds, Slow Time between the Stars)

Excellent!

Great compilation of stories by some of the best sci fi writers writing today. Highly recommend. My personal fave was the Ann Leckie story.

Story plots are meh...

Huge James SA Corey and Scalzi fan (I read *all* of their books).
Disappointed by the SA Corey short story. Scalzi's story was actually good but neither were anything compared to Cixin Liu's shorts.

interesting group of stories

Overall the stories where a good mixture and interesting. I like some better than others, maybe being use to the author's style or story telling nature. not sure. Worth the cost of the collection.

missing Jefferson Mays

The stories are fine but I am going to have to try this again later. I am coming off the Expanse series narrated by Jefferson Mays. This series feels too flat and performative from its narrators' compared to Mays.

It feels like they are 'doing their job' and focusing on their intonation rather than being more natural. In some cases it is like listening to a reporter read a book, which snaps me out of the story or I tune it out and have to restart.

Wishing for better

A few bright spots within this growing. But mostly dull short stories that didn’t really inspire. Sadly.

The last one was my favorite

A nice collection of short science-fiction stories The last one was my favourite the others were good as well some better than others