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The Downloaded

By: Robert J. Sawyer
Narrated by: Brendan Fraser, Luke Kirby, Vanessa Sears, Colm Feore, Andrew Phung, full cast
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Publisher's Summary

In 2059, two vastly different groups of people portrayed by the compelling trio of Brendan Fraser (Academy Award winner), Luke Kirby (Emmy Award winner), and Vanessa Sears (Dora Award winner) undergo cryonic suspension. While their bodies are frozen, their minds, still active and awake, are uploaded into a massive quantum computer. The first group are all astronauts, about to leave Earth on a one-way interstellar colonization mission. The second group consists of convicted murderers and volunteers who elect to serve their sentences in a virtual-reality prison. But while both groups are suspended, a global cataclysm devastates most of the Earth, and their cryosleep is extended by more than 500 years.

Now available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

©2023 Robert J. Sawyer (P)2023 Audible Originals, LLC.

What listeners say about The Downloaded

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Great narration

Enjoy the narration. Keeps you interested. However, storyline is uninspiring with an attempt to introduce twist and turns which simply provoke a reaction like…. Ok, what next.

Did not finish as narration could keep me interested for so long.

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

Seemed short

Enjoyable narrative could have been longer left me wanting more, dull in some parts but like any good scifi leaves you thinking

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A bit of everything in here!

This is a refreshing delight! A bit of everything in here! Crime, science, love, religion, humanity, machinery. Short - would have loved a bit more but this is what I’d call a full circle with no plot holes. Perfectly chosen cast with excellent delivery. Trying not to give anything away here too! A must listen.

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

I gave it a try because of Brendan Fraser

I stayed because the story is genuinely engaging. I really enjoyed this story, and the ending moved me.

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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

Great fun

This novel / audioplay was much better than I expected! If you're looking for a fun, dystopia Sci-fi then this is the book for you.
Would recommend.

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

very enjoyable

the performances are great and the story is fascinating, part of my wishes it was longer.

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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

Really fun sci-fi story, Brendan Fraser is excellent

Really enjoyed the mix of narrative and dramatisation. Brendan Fraser’s voice is just wonderful and the other main cast do a great job too. Only let-down for me was a distractingly terrible voice performance by the Jamila character which threw me out of the narrative. Otherwise I couldn’t stop listening.

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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

A lot of fun!

Leaves you pondering what could possibly befall humanity in future years to come. Recommend this as a great free listen. Well worth your time and very neatly wrapped up.

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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

Storyline

I really enjoyed the concept of the plot but also the depth of some of the topics covered.

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

Upload me!

Surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. It’s an audiobook and in a way reads as such, but features quite the cast and background sounds.

The story features a broad range of science fiction concepts and their social considerations, explored by the diverse cast. I’m impressed by the amount of conceptual ground they covered while maintaining a coherent plot and character arcs (and, my interest!). If you like thought-provoking sci-fi for a laid back listen, this may be up your alley.

The performances and soundscapes exceeded my expectations, and I get the impression they really settled into it after the first couple chapters. Dialogue ranged from a little cheesy (sometimes it’s evident they were reading lines from a book rather than a script - no real complaints though) to convincingly authentic. Maybe a little hammy sometimes, but nothing I couldn’t look past and overall very enjoyable.

I didn’t hate the background sound design either — it helped that for the most part it was pleasant ambient noise (gravel crunching underfoot, bird noises, white noise), and the occasional rabble-rousing was muted enough you could still clearly hear the narration. Not something I look for, but altogether made for a very entertaining listen.

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