Audiobook Sample
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- Title: People that Time Forgot
- Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Narrator: Ralph Snelson
- Length: 03:50:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 01/01/2011
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
- ISBN13: SABFAB9780336
It’s not every day you stumble across a story that sweeps you into a world so wild and untamed it feels like a fever dream conjured by the earth itself. That’s what hit me when I dove into “The People That Time Forgot” audiobook by Edgar Rice Burroughs, narrated by Ralph Snelson. The second chapter of the Caspak trilogy, this science fiction gem unfolds like a map to a forgotten corner of the soul – one where survival, love, and the raw pulse of human instinct collide against a backdrop of primal chaos. Listening to it, I couldn’t help but feel the thrill of discovery, the kind I’ve chased on my own travels, from the sun-scorched dunes of the Atacama to the misty highlands of Oaxaca.
Let me take you back to a memory that flickered to life as I listened. A few years ago, I was driving solo through Chile’s Atacama Desert, the landscape stretching out like an alien planet – barren, surreal, and humming with secrets. I had Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” playing through my speakers, the narrator’s voice weaving magic into the arid silence. That experience taught me how a good audiobook can transform a journey, making the miles feel like a pilgrimage through someone else’s imagination. With “The People That Time Forgot”, I found that same alchemy. The story begins with a manuscript fished from the sea – Tom Billings’ account of his adventures on the lost island of Caspak – sparking a rescue mission led by his friend Bowen Tyler. It’s a tale that hooks you fast, pulling you into a land where evolution dances at breakneck speed, and every step forward is a step deeper into the unknown.
The themes here hit me hard – survival, loyalty, the clash of modern minds against primal instincts. Burroughs doesn’t just toss you into Caspak; he makes you feel the weight of its strangeness. You can almost taste the salt air, hear the rustle of prehistoric wings, smell the damp earth underfoot. It’s a place where humans evolve not over millennia but in lifetimes, from savage tribes to near-civilized souls. As someone who’s spent years chasing hidden histories – whether it’s the oral tales of a Oaxacan abuela or the whispered legends of a Portuguese fishing village – I was captivated by how Burroughs uses this accelerated evolution to probe what makes us human. There’s love here, too, raw and unpolished, woven into the fabric of adventure. It reminded me of a time when I sat around a fire in Patagonia, listening to a gaucho recount his grandfather’s tales of lost love – stories that felt as alive as the flames.
Now, let’s talk about Ralph Snelson’s narration, because this audiobook experience hinges on his voice. Snelson brings a steady, grounded tone to the chaos of Caspak, like a seasoned traveler recounting a wild night over a glass of mezcal. His pacing is spot-on, letting the tension build as the rescue party battles dinosaurs, hostile tribes, and their own fraying nerves. You can almost hear the creak of a ship’s hull or the distant roar of a beast in the way he modulates his delivery. It’s not overly dramatic – thankfully – but there’s a warmth to it, a down-to-earth quality that echoes those evenings in Oaxaca when I’d listen to that grandmother spin her yarns. Her voice had this quiet power, using pauses like brushstrokes to paint the scene, and Snelson captures something similar. The audio quality, courtesy of LibriVox, is clean and crisp, a testament to how a free audiobook can still deliver a first-rate listening experience.
That said, it’s not flawless. Burroughs’ prose, while vivid, can lean into melodrama at times – those early 20th-century flourishes that feel a bit like an overcooked stew. And Snelson, for all his skill, doesn’t quite stretch his range to match the diverse cast of characters. The tribesmen, the explorers, the love interest – they blur together a bit, missing that extra layer of distinction I crave in a narrator. Still, these are small quibbles against the sheer momentum of the story. It’s a rollicking ride, one that pairs adventure with speculative ideas about evolution and unity in a way that’s pure Burroughs – think “The Lost World” by Conan Doyle, but with more heart and a dash of romance.
For me, this audiobook freebie is a treasure worth digging into, especially if you’re a fan of science fiction and fantasy with a taste for the exotic. It’s perfect for those long drives or quiet nights when you want to escape into a world that’s both alien and achingly human. Fans of Burroughs’ Barsoom series will find familiar echoes here – the fearless hero, the untamed setting – but “The People That Time Forgot” stands on its own as a testament to survival and connection. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves a good yarn, especially if you’re intrigued by the ‘lost world’ trope or the idea of evolution turned on its head.
Reflecting on it now, this story lingers like the aftertaste of a strong coffee shared with a stranger in some far-flung mercado. It’s not just about Caspak; it’s about us – how we adapt, how we endure, how we find each other in the wildest of places. Listening to Snelson’s narration, I kept thinking back to those nights in Oaxaca, the grandmother’s voice fading into the dark, leaving me with a story that felt like it belonged to me. This audiobook does that too – it hands you a journey and dares you to make it your own.
Until our next adventure, amigos,
Marcus Rivera
