Perfect for a one sitting read, especially when you want creepy with a dash of sci-fi and a great gotcha at the end. ( )

My original 2389: A Space Horror Novel audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

This was my first introduction to the writing of Ian Rob Wright and narration of Nigel Patterson. It was a voyage of discovery. 2389: A Space Horror Novel is a relatively short listen, just under four hours. It is, as the title suggests, set in the future. And what a great setting, the Moon.

The setup of the story is great. A select group of cosmonauts (astronauts from multiple nations) are called in to address a special situation. The amusement park on the Moon (you read that right, amusement park) has gone dark. No one is answering calls. Let’s just let that image of Disney World on the Moon sink in for a moment. The entrance tunnel opens to a large dome with the cosmos stretching to eternity over their heads. Or as the author puts it “like standing inside a transparent golf ball or one of those spheres that children put hamsters inside of.” He paints an incredible picture that helps lock in the setting. As the story progresses, the reader never forgets this is the moon. You cannot just run outside to escape the danger.

The story takes about six chapters until the reader gets the first hint of what has happened. For the preceding chapters, I was holding my breath waiting. I knew it was coming. I didn’t know where it would come from or even what it was but the title says “Horror”. The suspense was great. I really enjoyed that the author did not reveal his whole plot the minute the team arrived.

His use of language to paint very vivid pictures was excellent. For example, at a food court “the scrolling menu screen listed the extortion of prices”. “Extortion of prices”, what a great phrase and so true (how much do they charge for a bottle of water at Disney these days?). Another example is, “spilled out of the canyon like pus from a wound, squirting in all directions.” Eww, but it certain paints a picture in your mind. I do not do spoilers in my reviews so I cannot comment any further on the story.

Nigel Patterson has a very nice voice. He does a good job on accents. I really enjoyed the fact that Mr. Patterson did not do falsettos or any distracting pitches for his female voices. His pacing was consistent with the action in the story. The major problem I had with this title was how it interfered with what I needed to get done today. Yes, I listened to it in one day. Yes, I kept stopping what I was doing (washing dishes, sorting laundry, whatever) because I was so caught up in the story. I would definitely pick up one of Mr. Wright’s books or Mr. Patterson’s narrations again.
Story (Plot) 5
Performance 5
Production Quality 5
Attention Holding 5

Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com