Dead Astronauts

A Novel

By: Jeff VanderMeer

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

A messianic blue fox who slips through warrens of time and space on a mysterious mission. A homeless woman haunted by a demon who finds the key to all things in a strange journal. A giant leviathan of a fish, centuries old, who hides a secret, remembering a past that may not be its own.

Three ragtag rebels waging an endless war for the fate of the world against an all-powerful corporation. A raving madman who wanders the desert lost in the past, haunted by his own creation: an invisible monster whose name he has forgotten and whose purpose remains hidden.

Jeff VanderMeer's Dead Astronauts presents a city with no name of its own where, in the shadow of the all-powerful Company, lives - human and otherwise - converge in terrifying and miraculous ways. At stake: the fate of the future, the fate of Earth - all the Earths.

©2019 VanderMeer Creative, Inc. (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Critic reviews

"Narrator Emily Woo Zeller reprises her role as the listener's guide through the beguiling postapocalyptic 'Borne' world. While part of a series, the story is accessible as a stand-alone with its own protagonists.... Zeller's low register and unhurried pace depict ever-present menace, simmering resentment, and indestructible personal bonds between friend and foe alike.... Attuned vocal characterizations of nonhuman characters - including an isolated behemoth, a dark bird, and a mysterious blue fox - facilitate entry into this mesmerizing realm." (AudioFile Magazine)

Dizzyingly beautiful and worth the work.

I don’t usually write reviews, but I just finished this audiobook and I feel compelled to write something.

This story has a loose narrative, it can be repetitive, and there are times where you might not totally understand what’s going on, but rather, you have to trust VanderMeer’s writing to take you on a journey that you can figure out in greater detail later. This book will ask you to do a lot more than most modern novels will, but trust me, it’s worth the occasional confusion and extra work.
This is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read/ listened to, and the last few chapters actually left me sobbing.
Lastly, Emily Woo Zeller captures the spirit and beauty of this book perfectly with her soothing but expressive voice. The only complaint I have there is that sometimes her voice is TOO soothing, and I had to go back and re-listen to some parts after I dozed off a little bit.
Please, if you’re a fan of VanderMeer, weird fiction, post apocalyptic science fiction, books that make you think, or even if you’re just curious, give this book a try.

Can surreal sci-fi poetic fiction become a genre?

This book combined so many interests of mine into one. Full of visions, depth, obscurity, and all sorts of other trippy goodness.

Wasted 7hrs of my life

What a horrible, horrible book. It contributes nothing to the Borne story. I kept listening in hope that the book will take a turn and will finally make sense, but it never did.

It is so hard to understand, but that makes sense!

If you get frustrated trying to follow what is happening in the book, then you are reading it correctly. You have to decide on whether you want to experience Dead Astronauts as exploring disjointed dreams with an evasive thread through them or read/hear it multiple times and note your interpretations of the plots and storylines. It is tough, which is why I gave it four stars but for an experimental work, I think even Jeff would consider that as perfect.

This should not be an audiobook

The actual paper book has all kinds of notes, drawings, and scribbles in the margins and the author intended the reader to actually *see* these things. In the audiobook, these notes are simply read aloud, so you’re left with the reader spouting random numbers from time to time and it gets super confusing. There really needs to be a disclaimer on this stating that by going the audiobook route, you’ll miss the whole point of the book. It should also tell you to read Borne and Strange Bird first. I gave it 3 stars because the performance is great and I do love anything VanderMeer.