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Emergency Skin

Forward collection

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Emergency Skin

By: N. K. Jemisin
Narrated by: Jason Isaacs
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About this listen

2020 Audie Award Winner for Best Science Fiction

Audible narration by Jason Isaacs (Star Trek: Discovery)

What will become of our self-destructed planet? The answer shatters all expectations in this subversive speculation from the Hugo Award - winning author of the Broken Earth trilogy.

An explorer returns to gather information from a climate-ravaged Earth that his ancestors, and others among the planet’s finest, fled centuries ago. The mission comes with a warning: A graveyard world awaits him. But so do those left behind - hopeless and unbeautiful wastes of humanity who should have died out ages ago. After all this time, there’s no telling how they’ve devolved. Steel yourself, soldier. Get in. Get out. And try not to stare.

N. K. Jemisin’s Emergency Skin is part of Forward, a collection of six stories of the near and far future from out-of-this-world authors. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single thought-provoking sitting.

©2019 N. K. Jemisin (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Anthologies Anthologies & Short Stories Dystopian Fiction First Contact Genetic Engineering Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Global Emergency

Critic Reviews

“Emergency Skin, by the award(s)-winning Jemisin, is part of a sensational project called Forward, which brings together six writers, each telling a story about Earth’s imagined future.” --Spine Magazine

“Narrator Jason Isaac’s voice is the perfect mix of insistent, pedantic, and scornful…This brief but clever tale is truly best enjoyed on audio.” (AudioFile - Earphones Award Winner)

“The tale is a fascinating experiment in story structure…Thoughtful and interactive.” (LOCUS)

“This is exactly how I like my techno-anxiety…Happy bingeing!” (Audible, an October Editors Pick)

All stars
Most relevant  
Very clever story. Gets you thinking about current societies and the issues that they face.

Well written

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Great story, unbelievable reading. In the hands of Jason Isaacs I suspect this story is more powerful as an audiobook than as text.

Stunning reading

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Between the incredible writing and Jason Isaacs performance? No question it’s a five star listen. Highly recommend.

Short but brilliant

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This was a really cool little story that is told uniquely. Jason Isaacs narrates it very well, and I loved the petulance of the AI.

Really cool

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Everything she writes it’s brilliant—the prose is accessible, yet complex and layered if you are prepared let it take you deeper. So when I saw this short story on audible, there was no question I would add it to my library! Jason Isaacs performs it beautifully, this was a joy to listen to. Will re-listen again for sure, wish I could give it 10 stars!

NK Jemisin is actually a genius

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Didn't realise it was only 1 hour long. I wasted a credit on this. This is my genre but it was unlistenable. I am an idiot.

Just TERRIBLE. dont be tricked..

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.