The Original

By: Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Hugo Award-winning authors Brandon Sanderson and Mary Robinette Kowal team up in this exclusive audio-first production of The Original, a sci-fi thriller set in a world where one woman fights to know her true identity and survive the forces that threaten her very existence.

In the near future, humans choose life - for a price. Injectable nanite technology is the lifeblood that flows through every individual wishing to experience the world through the lens of their own theme. While death from mortal wounds is still possible, life is made easier in a socially liberated society where automation and income equality allow passion pursuits to flourish over traditional work. Renewal stations are provided to every law-abiding citizen for weekly check-ins, which issue life-sustaining repairs in exchange for personal privacy. But what becomes of those who check out, of those who dare to resist immortality and risk being edited under the gaze of an identity-extracting government surveillance system?

When Holly Winseed wakes up in a hospital room, her memory compromised and a new identity imposed on her, a team of government agents wastes no time stating their objective. With intent to infiltrate and defeat the terrorist group ICON, the agents tell Holly that she is now a Provisional Replica and has one week to hunt down and kill her Original for the murder of her husband, Jonathan. If she succeeds, she’ll assume her Original’s place in society. If she fails, her life will end. Holly’s progress is monitored by an assigned contact that feeds her information as she confronts the blank, robotic world around her, discovering that others view life through the theme of their own choosing.

With her newly implanted combat and deduction skills, Holly fends off both attacks by terrorists and doubts about her own trustworthiness as clues lead her to her Original - and to the truth about Jonathan. In the end, one body remains and one walks away. Although questions persist, one thing is certain: Life will never be the same.

©2020 Dragonsteel Entertainment and Mary Robinette Kowal (P)2020 Mainframe, LLC

meh...but the music!

I enjoy sanderson always and I did enjoy the writing, the setting and the narrator here but this story really needed a flush of an ending and it just wasn't there. a slow middle and and ending that needed a twist not twisting left a sour taste in my mouth to an otherwise good read. a good read ableit with characters who, if not bland, were often annoying though i cannot place why this was to me. That aside this was the best use of music and themed audio alongside the narration that I've heard so far. good but flawed.

Would make a good movie, I think

Enjoyable, but too hurried and didn’t live up to the promising concept for this listener

immaculate

cinematic, prophetic, and well written, with a beautiful cliffhanger that I still think back on. if you liked neuromancer...

Very well written and engaging story

Very well written and engaging story. It kept me on the edge of my seat, so to speak, and I was very much drawn into the world and it’s implications.

I felt the ending could have been a little more... something. But it definitely accomplished what it was trying to do, I think.

Brandon Sanderson and Mary Robinette make a great team-up.

Great

I think this book was very interesting. The beginning was pretty good and the plot was very interesting. The voice and the music made me invested in the story. The ending was mysterious and made me want more. Overall, I loved this book!

Decent

an interesting premise executed well, but some of the characters and plot points felt a bit flat. maybe would have worked better as a longer story, in order to allow room for more depth.

Excellent story and narration

I loved the story and production. Superb Sci-fi drama with a gripping story line. Excellent!

What is real?

A convoluted tale of love, betrayal and reality. Well worth the listen and the time.

A fun radio drama/thriller!

A fun short story that is really enhanced with some limited music and sound effects. Would make a great visual spectacle if anyone ever produces it.

Enjoyable but not Amazing

Not a bad story. I enjoyed the feeling of unraveling the tech the world is built on and the voice performance. However the core story was somewhat predictable. It was an enjoyable way to multitask but not something that made me want to focus on the story or that raised questions to think about.