Listen to a sample
The Departure
Owner series (Related to this series)
- Author
- Neal Asher
- Narrator
- Peter Noble
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Publish Date
- 12 October 2017
- Run Time
- 16 hours 53 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
The Departure is the first gripping adventure in Neal Asher's near-future, science fiction Owner series.
The Argus Space Station looks down on a nightmarish Earth. And from this safe distance, the Committee enforces its despotic rule. There are too many people and too few resources, and they need twelve billion to die before Earth can be stabilized. So corruption is rife, people starve, and the poor are policed by mechanized overseers and identity-reader guns. Citizens already fear the brutal Inspectorate with its pain inducers. But to reach its goals, the Committee will unleash satellite laser weaponry, taking carnage to a new level.
This is the world Alan Saul wakes to, travelling in a crate destined for the Calais incinerator. How he got there he doesn’t know, but he remembers pain and his tormentor’s face. He also has company: Janus, a rogue intelligence inhabiting forbidden hardware in his skull. As Janus shows Saul an Earth stripped of hope, he resolves to annihilate the Committee and their regime. Once he’s discovered who he was, and killed his interrogator . . .
Critics Review
-
Fast, furious, violent, slightly tongue-in-cheek (I think), and a whole lot of fun that makes 1984 seem like a children’s tea party . . . the start of another promising series from Asher. Go on, dive in, you won’t be disappointed.
British Fantasy Society
-
Delivers plenty of thrills, and the climax also sets up a very intriguing status quo for the second volume.
SFX
-
Action packed and thrilling, The Departure is a must for all fans of contemporary science fiction who haven’t experienced Asher’s visceral novels before.
We Love This Book
-
The Orwellian intro had me utterly hooked right from the start. I simply couldn’t stop reading until I reached the end.
WorldsInInk
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Fast, dramatic stuff . . . this is a book with lots of Asher trademarks: rapid pace, great action, messy consequences.
SFFWorld
-
I had an absolute blast with this book . . . his work really does get better and better.
Falcata Times
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Neal Asher
- Narrator
- Peter Noble
- Duration
- 16 hours 53 minutes
- Release Date
- 12 October 2017
- ISBN
- 9781509865086
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Genre
- Science fiction: space opera, Science fiction: aliens / UFOs, Science fiction: cyberpunk / biopunk, Science fiction: apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic, Dystopian and utopian fiction
Synopsis
The Departure is the first gripping adventure in Neal Asher's near-future, science fiction Owner series.The Argus Space Station looks down on a nightmarish Earth. And from this safe distance, the Committee enforces its despotic rule. There are too many people and too few resources, and they need twelve billion to die before Earth can be stabilized. So corruption is rife, people starve, and the poor are policed by mechanized overseers and identity-reader guns. Citizens already fear the brutal Inspectorate with its pain inducers. But to reach its goals, the Committee will unleash satellite laser weaponry, taking carnage to a new level.This is the world Alan Saul wakes to, travelling in a crate destined for the Calais incinerator. How he got there he doesn’t know, but he remembers pain and his tormentor’s face. He also has company: Janus, a rogue intelligence inhabiting forbidden hardware in his skull. As Janus shows Saul an Earth stripped of hope, he resolves to annihilate the Committee and their regime. Once he’s discovered who he was, and killed his interrogator . . .
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.