Semiosis, Sue Burke
Semiosis, Sue Burke
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Semiosis
A Novel

Author: Sue Burke

Narrator: Caitlin Davies, Daniel Thomas May

Unabridged: 14 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/06/2018

Categories: Fiction, Science Fiction

Synopsis

"Narrators Daniel Thomas May and Caitlin Davies breathe life into the large cast of Burke's debut science fiction...both excel at utilizing accents, inflections, and personality traits to quickly build characterizations. The unusual cadence and inflections used for the aliens work to captivating effect." — AudioFile Magazine

In Semiosis, debut author Sue Burke's character driven audiobook of first contact, human survival hinges on an bizarre alliance.

Only mutual communication can forge an alliance with the planet's sentient species and prove that mammals are more than tools.

Forced to land on a planet they aren't prepared for, human colonists rely on their limited resources to survive. The planet provides a lush but inexplicable landscape—trees offer edible, addictive fruit one day and poison the next, while the ruins of an alien race are found entwined in the roots of a strange plant. Conflicts between generations arise as they struggle to understand one another and grapple with an unknowable alien intellect.

About Sue Burke

Sue Burke spent many years working as a reporter and editor for a variety of newspapers and magazines. She is a Clarion workshop alumnus, and she has published more than 30 short stories. Her debut science fiction novel, Semiosis, published to great critical reviews and made several "Best Of" lists. She is also the author of Interference and Immunity Index.

About Caitlin Davies

Caitlin Davies is a New York City-based actor and audiobook narrator. Davies specializes in audiobooks for teens and young adults, including the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast. She has performed in New York and regional theaters and is a member of the WorkShop Theater Company in New York City. She has a bachelor's degree from Vassar College, and has studied acting at the Eugene O'Neill National Institute, the British American Drama Academy, the Barrow Group, and Brown University/ Trinity Rep.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jennifer on April 25, 2018

So, imagine eating a bagel. When you're eating, you think, "Now that there is amylose and amylopectin starch entering my system, I should increase transcription of amylase-producing genes so that I can break down these starches into glucose and initiate cellular respiration to turn glucose into ATP......more

Goodreads review by Gary on March 07, 2018

Sue Burke’s debut novel Semiosis is an episodic novel that combines contemporary social science fiction with pulp-era adventure. A combination of Colony SF and first contact narrative, it tells the story of successive generations of human settlers – fleeing an earth ravaged by disease, disaster and......more

Goodreads review by Bradley on September 29, 2019

This novel was a most pleasant surprise, driving way beyond my character-oriented expectations and diving right into some hardcore generational storytelling on an alien world with an EXTREMELY interesting dominant life form. :) I really loved the whole pacifist angle and loved how many problems it ca......more

Goodreads review by Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ on April 30, 2020

3.25 stars. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature: Semiosis is a science fiction novel with an appealing hook: what if space-faring humanity found a world where plants are intelligent — in some cases arguably more intelligent than humans — and can communicate in their own unique ways? In the latt......more

Goodreads review by Kayla Dawn on November 27, 2019

3,5* - this was a veeeery slow read for me. I don't know why exactly but it never felt like I was making any progress.. which did not help regarding my enjoyment. Which is unfortunate because I really enjoyed everything else. The story was very unique and interesting, I especially liked the concept......more

Quotes

Praise for Semiosis

"Daniel Thomas May and Caitlyn Davies...did very well, utilizing varied accents and inflections to portray the different characters of each generation so that each person felt like they had a distinct and unique voice." -TheBiblioSanctum

"Narrators Daniel Thomas May and Caitlin Davies breathe life into the large cast of Burke's debut science fiction. ...May and Davies both excel at utilizing accents, inflections, and personality traits to quickly build characterizations. The unusual cadence and inflections used for the aliens work to captivating effect." -AudioFile

“This is top class SF, intelligent and engaging and I loved every moment of it.”—Adrian Tchaikovsky, winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Children of Time

“In Semiosis, Sue Burke blends science with adventure and fascinating characters, as a human colony desperately seeks to join the ecosystem of an alien world.” —David Brin, author of Earth and Existence.

“A first contact novel like none you’ve ever read. . . . The kind of story for which science fiction was invented.” —James Patrick Kelly, winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards

“Sue Burke has created one of the most fascinating alien personae science fiction has seen in this decade.” –David Nichols, early American historian and author of Engines of Diplomacy

“A gripping story of colonization and biological wonders.”—Gregory Frost, author of the Shadowbridge novels

“A fantastic SF debut . . . Semiosis will remain relevant for years to come.” —Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, award-winning author of What a Plant Knows and Director of the Manna Center for Plant Biosciences at Tel Aviv University.

Awards

  • Locus Awards - Nominee
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