Sci-Fi & Scary

Rationality Zero, written by JM Guillen, was an interesting listen. Joel Richards has a voice that is definitely easy on the ears (think he could read me the dictionary and I’d be happy), and he was able to give each of the characters distinct voices so even when three people were talking at once I never lost track of who was saying what. The downside to this, though, was that even though his male voices were pleasing to listen to, the pitch he gave his voice for the female voices set my teeth on edge. Depending on how you look at it, since the females really were not the most likable of characters, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it adds to the base dislike of the characters. Narration-wise, this is a solid 4 out of 5.

As for the story itself, Rationality Zero was an interesting introduction to the multiverse its set in. (That it is a multiverse is made clear within the first few minutes of the audiobook introduction.) It is set sometime in the future, so the surroundings are identifiable when Asset 108 is at Rationality Zero (which means things are just as they should be, with no freaky stuff happening.) When Asset 108 ends up in a different area, we are given just enough information to know what is going on, without being deluged with unnecessary detail. (I can see people thinking there’s not enough, but it was just the right amount to fire up my imagination.)

The tech of this multiverse is fascinating, as is the twist Guillen gives to ‘sleeper agents’. The bad guys are definitely a bit Lovecraftian in nature. There was this tentacle scene that was just…ewww. The pace is perfect, and at 166 pages (if you choose ebook or paperback), it is the perfect length for a quick action-packed afternoon read. If you choose the audiobook version, it’ll definitely please you for several work commutes, as it comes in at just under 6 hours long in length.

Overall, the story and narration were well-done, and the series is interesting enough I wouldn’t mind revisiting it. It definitely kept my stress-levels down on some stress-inducing drives to work. I’d recommend it to people who liked Peter Clines’ 14 or The Fold.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free in exchange for an honest review.

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