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The Atrocity Archives

Book 1 in The Laundry Files

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The Atrocity Archives

By: Charles Stross
Narrated by: Jack Hawkins
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About this listen

Never volunteer for active duty...

Bob Howard is a low-level techie working for a super-secret government agency. While his colleagues are out saving the world, Bob's under a desk restoring lost data. His world was dull and safe; but then he went and got Noticed. Now, Bob is up to his neck in spycraft, alternative universes, dimension-hopping terrorists, monstrous elder gods and the end of the world. Only one thing is certain: it will take more than ‘control+alt+delete’ to sort this mess out...

This is the first novel in The Laundry Files. This audiobook includes the short story The Concrete Jungle.

©2004 Charles Stross. Introduction copyright 2004 by Ken Mcleod (P)2013 Hachette Children's Books Espionage Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense

Critic Reviews

"Tremendously good, geeky fun" ( Telegraph)
'A WEIRDLY ALLURING BLEND OF SUPERSPY THRILLER, DEADPAN COMIC FANTASY AND LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR.' ( Kirkus Reviews)
All stars
Most relevant  
one best books I've ever heard.
spy and everyday on one hand - world threatening power struggles on the other. draw up your hand of glory and read...quietly...

I'd tell but I'd have to obliterate your soul

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Behind the scenes, programmers have discovered the way to control gateways to other dimensions.... If you have never read any Charles Stross, then this is a good place to start. Charles Stross is thought-provoking, frightening and entertaining in this first book of his Laundry Files. Those of us who have worked in or for the public service will recognise some of the bureaucracy tangles that our hero has to deal with. Jack Hawkins does an excellent job with the narration. I found this book funny, frightening, gripping and wonderful!

Necromancy, Programming- what more could you want?

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Any additional comments?

Yes I am a programer, and yes I am a geek, and yes I am a HUGE Dresden Files fan. I honestly thought I wouldn't ever find a book that would be "better" than any Dresden book, but this is it. Simply amazing and highly recommended.

Simply Amazing

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Nothing to dislike except how much it reminded me of one of the places I used to work.
Excellent story and i particularly enjoyed all the little details which add verisimilitude to those of us with exactly the right background.
I worry much will be lost on those without the inside knowledge but can’t really tell as you can’t unsee it afterwards.

Excellent - partly for reasons you are not cleared to know

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Jack Hawkins is my favourite narrator, for his facility with accents, voices, and character. He does a wonderful job narrating the tales of Bob Howard.
This one carried me through a very long plane journey and made the ride entertaining.

Highly enjoyable

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Thoroughly enjoyed the story and the narration, and, for those of us who have worked in the civil service, full of references and side comments that will have you laughing out loud whilst you're sweating your a*** off on the Jubilee line heading to work. A truly excellent listen.

Hilarious, especially for insiders

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I'm so disappointed; I've read science fiction from the fifties that was less racist, sexist, and ageist.
I was hoping for an interesting new series, but instead, I got
- a naturally brilliant protagonist who saves the day in every situation in spite of being undertrained, underestimated, and underappreciated
- the usual 1-dimensional racist tropes - the evil Germans, the evil Muslims, yada yada yada
- the usual 1-dimensional female characters - a psycho ex-girlfriend; - an older, evil female antagonist and her equally evil, sycophantic female side-kick; a brilliant, hot love interest who devolves rapidly into a damsel in distress
- frequent technical information dumps that I assume are designed to make this pretty average story into hard science fiction.
The narrator did their best.

Disappointing & misogynistic

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Very disappointing. Went no where and shallow plot. Best to just move on and find something to read with substance.

Very disappointing

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