Try free for 30 days

  • The Many-Colored Land

  • Volume 1 of the Saga of Pliocene Exile
  • By: Julian May
  • Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
  • Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (74 ratings)

A 30-day trial plus your first audiobook free.
1 credit/month after trial—to buy any title you like, yours to keep.
Listen all you want to a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Many-Colored Land cover art

The Many-Colored Land

By: Julian May
Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
Free with 30-day trial

$16.45/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $33.99

Buy Now for $33.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

This is a spellbinding tale woven of equal parts epic and myth - with a liberal dash of hard science fiction.

When a one-way time tunnel to Earth’s distant past, specifically six million B.C., was discovered by folks on the Galactic Milieu, every misfit for light-years around hurried to pass through it. Each sought his own brand of happiness. But none could have guessed what awaited them. Not even in a million years.

In the early 22nd century, many humans are being born with psychic powers and are linked in a single galactic mind. Those without these psychic powers - the misfits, undesirables, criminals, and radicals - have a choice: mental reprogramming or exile. Exile, voluntary or otherwise, takes them back six million years, to a time between the extinction of dinosaurs and the rise of Homo sapiens, and to a time of exotic surprises and unknown dangers.

Julian May lives in Washington state and has been writing science fiction and fantasy for more than 30 years.

©1981 Julian May (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

The Many-Colored Land…takes readers on an amazing journey from the distant future to the distant past, using unexpected routes all along the way…A tremendously original premise; fast-paced storytelling that defies predictability; and a sympathetic and well-rendered cast of characters.” (SFReviews.net)
“The Many-Colored Land is the first volume of one of the most impressive science fiction series I have read.” (Reviewers-choice.com)

What listeners say about The Many-Colored Land

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    46
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    42
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    54
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

again awesome. more Julian may saga of the exiles

more audio books of mays sagas please.
enjoyed this immensely and would buy all the books in series in audio format if available.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great

Excellent

Where are the rest of the book in the series may I ask z z z z z z z z I love them all

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It leaves you aching for the next book!

The Exile novels are some of the most under appreciated stories in science fiction. It's almost a crime that there is only one available in Audiobook format. More please! Many, many more, please!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Shame its missing the other 3 in the series...

Very well read and a great fantasy story only negative is that it seems only the first book of this 4 book series has been recorded as an audio book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Possibly the greatest science fiction ever

The structure of the storyline and the way it fits together makes most fantasy and science fiction even the crap in the movies over the last 15 years , about rings and short people and especially the crap about boy wizards borrowed heavily from parts of, time of the twins and the ,rift war saga pale into insignificance . This is a story that for most part was a breath of fresh air to me when I first read it in the 80s , and just a short time ago again when I wanted my kids to read it as well , it still hadent dated like some others have , everyone can see their character in the characters in the story every and it seems , to show a more inspired and truthful way that chance and chaos can determine the way life pans out .
I did and still think it's in the top 10 books I have ever read, right up there with T.H . Whites . The once and future king .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Please do the rest of Julian Mays books

This is a great story and was so well read. I can not understand why the rest of the books have not been converted to Audible. Particularly when I see so many other people asking the same question.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable redition of the story

I have not read the book for a few years and it is currently buried behind some boxes in the library, so thought I would select it as my first Audible download.

I was pleased with the performance of the reader, not having experienced a audio book before.

I am however disappointed that this is the only one of the series to be recorded. If I had of realised I would maybe have choosen a different book as the recording date was a few years ago, so unlikely the others will be done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing take.....pity the rest not available!

The Golden Torc series is one of the true masterpieces of sci-fi/fantasy. Read the entire series 25 years ago. Loved them then and enjoyed immensely listening to Volume 1 with audible. Makes the fact that the rest of the series not available very disappointing. Please hurry up and attend to this shortcoming!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great story but...

Make sure you can get your hands on the three other books in the series before buying this one which I unfortunately didn't realise I needed to do until now. Still it's definitely worthwhile if you like si-fi and fantasy rolled into one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love Julian May

this is the first book of a great saga I wish we had all the books on audio

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

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.