Red Planet

March 2, 2009
Heinlein’s 1949 novel of a space frontier culture is brought to life with Full Cast Audio’s signature quality of talented voices and an evocative musical score. The colonists live a fragile existence on Mars as they try to survive without offending the native Martians—while satisfying the Corporation’s hunger for profit. But greed throws this delicate balance off, and young Jim and Frank with their Martian friend, Willis, must negotiate their way among the opposing groups in order to keep their families safe and the Martians content. The masterful William Dufris, director and main narrator, pulls listeners into the stories with his deep, smooth voice. The energetic cast provides colorful voices for the quirky characters without overacting. The musical score helps with transitions as well as setting the mood and declaratively ending a scene. A Del Rey paperback.

Written in 1949, RED PLANET shows its age with some sexism and anachronistic phrases. Still, the tale is fast and action-packed. Among the first colonists on Mars are teens Jim and Pete and their families. The human colonists live in peace with the mysterious Martians but have a conflict with their government. Narrator William Dufris holds all the excitement together. The actors for Jim and Pete have bright, energetic voices and move things right along. The rest of the cast fills things in nicely, voicing crotchety doctors, noble parents, duplicitous bureaucrats, impatient men of action, and mysterious Martians. In this full-cast treatment, the production would be an excellent choice for a family car trip. G.D. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine