Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Black Star Passes
- Author: John W. Campbell
- Narrator: Kirks Voice
- Length: 07:42:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 01/01/2011
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
- ISBN13: SABFAB9780852
As I settled into my cramped seat on the overnight train from Marrakech to Tangier, the rhythmic clatter of wheels on tracks became the perfect backdrop for my first encounter with “Black Star Passes”. Kirks Voice’s narration transported me from the Moroccan night to the vastness of space, much like how my grandmother’s stories in Oaxaca could make our humble courtyard feel as infinite as the universe. There’s something magical about how the right voice can transform a journey – whether across continents or galaxies.
John W. Campbell’s 1930 space opera unfolds like a vintage aircraft revealing its rivets and seams – charmingly rough around the edges yet undeniably groundbreaking. The adventures of Arcot, Wade, and Morey reminded me of sitting around campfires with fellow travelers, where every storyteller adds their own flair to familiar tales. Campbell’s trio of scientist-adventurers are the pulp-era equivalent of those brilliant backpackers you meet in hostels who can MacGyver a stove from soda cans while debating quantum physics.
Kirks Voice delivers a narration that feels like discovering an old radio play in your grandfather’s attic – warm with static but full of character. His pacing captures the breathless enthusiasm of early sci-fi, though modern listeners might find the dialogue delivery occasionally stilted, like watching a beloved but dated educational film. The audio quality varies like desert winds – sometimes crisp as starlight, other times muffled like a spacesuit comms system – but this only adds to the authentic vintage charm for those of us who collect old recordings like travel souvenirs.
The story’s technological optimism struck me with particular nostalgia. Listening to descriptions of ‘superior weapons’ and interstellar voyages, I was transported to my childhood watching the space shuttle launches, when every invention felt like it might unlock humanity’s next great chapter. While Campbell’s science now feels as quaint as a steam locomotive (his ‘dark sun’ concept would make any astrophysicist smile), the sheer joy of invention still shines through like sunlight on the Atacama salt flats.
Modern listeners should approach this as time travelers – appreciating how these 1930s visions of alien encounters and space battles became the DNA of today’s sci-fi. The character development is about as deep as a puddle in the Sahara (the women especially might make contemporary readers wince), but the novel’s historical importance is undeniable. It’s the literary equivalent of finding the first guestbook in a century-old hostel – you see where generations of stories began.
For those who enjoyed “Skylark of Space” or early Asimov, this audiobook offers a fascinating listen. Pair it with a long drive through open landscapes, and let Kirks Voice’s narration remind you how far we’ve come – both in storytelling and in our dreams of the stars. The fact that it’s freely available through LibriVox makes it a perfect companion for budget travelers and sci-fi historians alike.
Wishing you clear skies and captivating stories, wherever your journeys take you.
Marcus Rivera
