The Explorer
The Anomaly Quartet (Book 1)
- Author James Smythe
- Narrator Rich Keeble
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date 9 February 2017
- Run Time 8 hours and 26 minutes
- Format x-book®
- Genre Adventure fiction, Classic fiction, Fiction based on or inspired by true events, Hard science fiction, Psychological thriller, Science fiction: aliens / UFOs, Science fiction: apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic, Science fiction: near-future, Science fiction: space exploration, Science fiction: space opera.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only £3.99.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price per title
- £8.99
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Listen to a sample
What to expect
A tense, claustrophobic and gripping science fiction thriller from the author of The Testimony.
When journalist Cormac Easton is selected to document the first manned mission into deep space, he dreams of securing his place in history as one of humanity’s great explorers.
But in space, nothing goes according to plan.
The crew wake from hypersleep to discover their captain dead in his allegedly fail-proof safety pod. They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogy back to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter what happens, the mission must continue.
But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralling towards his own inevitable death … unless he can do something to stop it.
Critics Review
‘It's like an episode of Star Trek written by JM Coetzee’ Guardian
n‘The Explorer has the dreamlike detachment of an Ishiguro novel’ Financial Times
n‘Beautifully written, creepy as hell. The Explorer is as clever in its unravelling as it is breathlessly claustrophobic’ Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls
n‘As you marvel at this twist-laden deep-space exploration thriller, it’s hard not to draw comparisons with Duncan Jones’ film Moon’ Shortlist
n‘A fascinating character study that could only exist in a science-fictional world’ io9.com
n'The SF novel everyone should read' Foyles
nUser Reviews
| Author | James Smythe |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Rich Keeble |
| Series | The Anomaly Quartet |
| Duration | 8 hours and 26 minutes |
| Release Date | |
| ISBN | 9780008223168 |
| Format | x-book® |
| Publisher | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Genre | Adventure fiction, Classic fiction, Fiction based on or inspired by true events, Hard science fiction, Psychological thriller, Science fiction: aliens / UFOs, Science fiction: apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic, Science fiction: near-future, Science fiction: space exploration, Science fiction: space opera |
| Availability | AU, GB, IE |
| Rating |
|
| Narration |
|
More from the same
About xigxag and the x-book®
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.
Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by “x-book” to find them.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. 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.