The Red cover art

The Red

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The Red

By: Linda Nagata
Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
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About this listen

Reality TV and advanced technology make for high drama in this political thriller that combines the military action of Zero Dark Thirty with the classic science fiction of The Forever War.

Lieutenant James Shelley, who has an uncanny knack for premeditating danger, leads a squad of advanced US Army military tasked with enforcing the peace around a conflict in sub-Saharan Africa. The squad members are linked wirelessly 24/7 to themselves and a central intelligence that guides them via drone relay - and unbeknownst to Shelley and his team, they are being recorded for a reality TV show.

When an airstrike almost destroys their outpost, a plot begins to unravel that's worthy of Crichton and Clancy's best. The conflict soon involves rogue defense contractors, corrupt US politicians, and homegrown terrorists who possess nuclear bombs. Soon Shelley must accept that the helpful warnings in his head could be AI. But what is the cost of serving its agenda?

©2013 Linda Nagata (P)2015 Audible, Inc. Genre Fiction Hard Science Fiction Literary Fiction Military Political Science Fiction Spies & Politics Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense War & Military
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I really enjoyed the story with cool enhancements to soldiers in the near future.

Unfortunately the narrator is not suited for a military hero.
At times it was a struggle to get through purely due to it.

I will be listening to the rest of the series.

Good story, narration not suited for this type of book.

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The story sounded really interesting but 30sec into it I was thinking this is going to be a struggle. Finished one chapter and started the next but that was it. Not that the story was bad but I just couldn't listen to the narrator anymore. I sure he's great for some genre bit for this type of story totally inappropriate. His speech style is a cross between John Mulaney and Woody Allen - both of whom are superb comedians. And that's the problem. Every time the narrator spoke I was expecting a punchline!!! It needed someone with gravitas to narrate this and this is what made it impossible to continue to listen to.

I tried liking it, but terrible narration

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