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In Ascension

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In Ascension

By: Martin MacInnes
Narrated by: Freya Miller
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About this listen

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023

Leigh grew up in Rotterdam, drawn to the waterfront as a refuge from her unhappy home life and volatile father. Enchanted by the marine world of her childhood, she excels in postgraduate research on ancient algae. When an unfathomable vent appears in the mid-Atlantic floor, Leigh joins the investigating team; what she finds there will change her life forever.

Around the same time, a trio of engineers, unknown to each other, make a seismic breakthrough in rocket propulsion, announcing an almost limitless era of space exploration. Billions of dollars is poured into projects, and Leigh's classified research on the ocean vent sees her recruited to develop an experimental food source for off-world travel. From her base in the Mojave desert, she's drawn further into the space agency's work, where she learns of a series of anomalies suggesting a beacon sent from the far side of the solar system. In responding to this beacon, Leigh embarks on a journey that will take her across the breadth of the cosmos and the fullness of a single human life.

©2023 Martin MacInnes (P)2023 W.F. Howes Ltd
Dystopian First Contact Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Space Exploration Space Fiction Interstellar Genetics
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What listeners say about In Ascension

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting sci- fi concept

I would not normally choose a sci-fi book this intense. However once I got into it I really enjoyed the unusual concept of the story. The book does move around a lot charting the life of the main character and her family but once you get into the rhythm of the book it becomes a very enjoyable listen.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

compelling story, oddly flat narrator

I stuck with it and it is a fascinating and compelling sci fi story and well worth the listen...I wish the narrator was more expressive

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Raises the big questions of our existence

Not my usual choice but aiming to read the Booker long list for the first time ever so…I found the plot slow to start with seemingly endless descriptions and discussions of microbiological science. Perhaps this was authorial indulgence or on reflection, perhaps necessary to enfold the reader in the vastness of those so called big questions. I’m not sure. But I did speed up the narration to 1.3x and it made the story a tad more exciting.

As others have said, things only really got exciting about three quarters of the way through and then suddenly the story was over. I wanted more of the excellent description about the end of the voyage and the future. Has it convinced me to try another eco sci-fi? Probably not, but overall it was worth a read.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Intriguing in places

I found the book intriguing in places, yet over all slow paced and it struggled to keep my attention. The main character annoyed me, but I don’t think the very gentle voice of the narrator made me feel any link to her. I also found the fact her sister took up the story towards the end as annoying.
There were moments of deeper reflection but for me they were few and far between.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written

I would have struggled to read In Ascension but I found the narrators portrayal captivating. The moment I finished it I thought to myself that I want to listen to it again.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

The product of a restless and inquisitive mind. I absolutely loved this book. I'll be honest, I kind of wish I'd read it rather than listened to it and may still do. There are so many ideas in here and so many things that I've pondered too. The way that Martin Macinnes weaves all these disperate yet interconnected ideas together is fantastic. Plenty of food for thought. Highly recommended.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Overwhelming

I found this novel engaging my emotions far more than I anticipated.Science, philosophy personal relationships and the concept of infinity are all combined to relate an incredible journey. Be prepared for a brain and emotion workout.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

INTERESTING STORY LET DOWN BY A FLAT NARRATION.

An astonishing novel about a young microbiologist investigating an unfathomable deep vent in the ocean floor, leading her on a journey that will encompass the full trajectory of the cosmos and the passage of a single human life.
The idea of the book was interesting, but I felt it was drawn out and could of done with at least an hour's less material. What really surprised me was how flat the narration was by a performer who is a professional voice actor. Her characterisations are played with the same tone and it makes it very difficult to understand who is talking. After a while I almost gave up because of her performance, but I did want to finish the story, so I persevered. Hard going and I am not sure if its worth it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Staggeringly beautiful story

I can see why it was shortlisted for the Booked prize, this is an exquisitely crafted book which gives hope for our planet.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A story of humanity

I can see why some readers found this opaque and frustrating but to me it succeeded perfectly. It’s a lot more 2001 than it is Interstellar, some of both, but really a lot of neither

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