Science Fiction and FantasyTalking Books

The titles in this booklist are just a selection of the titles available for loan from the RNIB National Library Talking Book Service.

Don’t forget you are allowed to have up to 6 books on loan. When you return a title, you will then receive another one.

If you would like to read any of these titles then please contact the Customer Services Team on 0303 123 9999 or email library @ rnib . org . uk

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Science Fiction

First men in the moon. Read by various narrators, 1 hour 51 minutes. TB 12078.A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of one of science fiction's classic tales. Join Donald Sinden and James Bolan as they journey through space to man's first incredible voyage to the moon, also starring Gary Olsen and Tom Georgeson. TB 12078.

Grand masters' choice. 1989. Read by Jonathan Oliver, 11 hours 22 minutes. TB 9468.An anthology of science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, L. Sprague de Camp, Fritz Leiber, Clifford D. Simak, Arthur C. Clark, Robert A. Heinlein, Andre Norton and Jack Williamson. TB 9468.

The mammoth book of extreme science fiction. 2006. Read by Various Narrators, 25 hours 35 minutes. TB 15391.Extreme science fiction means what is says. Science fiction is at its best when it's pushing the boundaries, beyond what we would normally think or even dream, and taking us into worlds we might never imagine. This book offers us a journey of vast imaginings, from the simplest of beginnings to the most complex of finalities. Contains strong language. TB 15391.

The way it wasn't: great science fiction stories of alternate history. 1996. Read by Nigel Carrington and Adam Henderson, 11 hours 30 minutes. TB 11301.This book takes an excursion into speculative history. Here are thirteen memorable stories by renowned science fiction writers, telling what things might be like if... If Elvis Presley was the President of the United States; if the Black Death had killed the entire population of Europe; if John F. Kennedy had survived the 1963 shooting in Dallas; and other short fiction. TB 11301.

Adams, DouglasThe restaurant at the end of the Universe: the hitch-hiker's guide to the Galaxy 2. 1980. Read by Gordon Dulieu, 6 hours 15 minutes. TB 5128. Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy series; book 2. Sequel to: The hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy, TB 5072. Accompanied by his good friend and guide Ford Prefect, Arthur Dent continues his adventures through the Universe. TB 5128.

Aldiss, Brian WNon-stop. 2004. Read by David Thorpe, 9 hours 1 minute. TB 15410. Curiosity was discouraged in the Greene tribe. Its members lived out their lives in cramped Quarters, hacking away at the encroaching ponics. As to where they were - that was forgotten. Roy Complain decides to find out. With the renegade priest Marapper, he moves into unmapped territory, where they make a series of discoveries which turn their universe upside down. TB 15410.

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Aldiss, Brian W Helliconia summer. 1983. Read by Simon Vance, 20 hours. TB 5982. Helliconia trilogy series; book 2. Sequel to: Helliconia spring, TB 4333. The King of Borlien is beset by enemies and religious problems. He feels the only people he can trust are his phagor guard. In an attempt to resolve his troubles he decides to divorce his beautiful Queen Inggala and marry instead the princess of neighbouring Oldorando, who is just a child. But the phagors just bide their time, waiting to take advantage of human weakness, especially the king's. His action convinces them that the time is ripe ... TB 5982.

Allen, Roger MacBrideIsaac Asimov's "Inferno". 1988. Read by Eric Meyers, 11 hours 14 minutes. TB 11186. Caliban series; book 2. Sequel to: Isaac Asimov's Caliban, TB 11111. The laws of robotics state that a robot may not injure a human being. But on Inferno, a fragile Spacer world, the nature of robots is changing. There's been another killing, and two robots are under suspicion. TB 11186.

Allen, Roger MacBrideIsaac Asimov's Utopia. 1996. Read by Eric Meyers, 14 hours 11 minutes. TB 11436. Caliban series; book 3. Isaac Asimov's famous Three Laws, which provide far-future humanity with omni-compliant robots, ultimately led to a vision of hell-human existence with all challenge and conflict removed. Thus Asimov proposed the New Laws to Roger MacBride Allen, laws which endow humanity with helping hands, but not slaves. 'Isaac Asimov's Utopia' is the third instalment in a trilogy of momentous times. TB 11436.

Amis, KingsleyThe alteration. 1976. Read by Peter Gray, 9 hours 15 minutes. TB 3084.It is England in 1976, but England with a history very different from that we know - virtually ruled by a Machiavellian Pope who hails from Yorkshire. Taking part in the requiem for Stephen III of England, a boy soprano is unaware that his faultless voice has led his elders to select him as a castrato. TB 3084.

Anderson, Kevin J The X-files: ground zero. 1995. Read by Nesba Crenshaw, 7 hours 23 minutes. TB 10779.Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate the death of a nuclear scientist who has been found charred to a radioactive cinder. He has been working on a deadly project which the Federal bureaucracy is at pains to keep secret. When unrelated victims

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begin to die in the same way it becomes clear that it has fatal consequences for the entire world. TB 10779.

Asimov, IsaacNine tomorrows: tales from the near future. 1959. Read by Ian Craig, 7 hours 54 minutes. TB 5745.Stories combining scientific fact with mankind's unscientific unpredictability provide nine glimpses into the not-to-distant future of earth people. TB 5745.

Asimov, Isaac I, robot. 1996. Read by William Roberts, 8 hours 12 minutes. TB 14229. Robots series; book 1. The three Laws of Robotics ensure that humans remain superior and the robots are kept in their rightful place. But an insane telepathic robot results from a production error, and logically deduces its superiority to non-rational humanity. TB 14229.

Asimov, IsaacPrelude to Foundation. 1989. Read by Jon Cartwright, 14 hours 9 minutes. TB 10260. Foundation series; book 1. In "Prelude to Foundation", the happenings in the centuries before Asimov's other Foundation novels are now revealed. It is the year 12,020 GE, and Cleon the last Galactic Emperor of the Autun Dynasty, sits uneasily on the throne. Young Outworld mathematician Hari Seldon arrives on the scene with a theory of prediction that Cleon believes his future security may rest on. Hari becomes the most wanted man in the Empire as he tries to keep his theory from falling into the wrong hands and also to forge the key to the future: a power to be known as the Foundation. TB 10260.

Asimov, Isaac Forward the foundation. 1993. Read by Jon Cartwright, 12 hours 33 minutes. TB 9942. Foundation series; book 1a. Hari Seldon is an ordinary man with an extraordinary purpose, to preserve humanity through the inevitable fall of the galactic empire. His greatest achievement is the invention of psychohistory. At last the danger, intrigue and sacrifice that brought about the fall of the empire and the birth of the foundation are revealed. TB 9942.

Asimov, Isaac The complete stories. 1994. Read by Various Narrators, 26 hours 34 minutes. TB 10846. Many of the forty science fiction stories contained in this volume carried personal meaning for the author. His own favourite story was "The Bicentennial Man", the poignant tale of a robot accidentally endowed with artistic ability. Other stories

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included are an account of human survival at the frontier of the biosphere and a biography of Asimov's world controlling computer. TB 10846.

Asimov, Isaac The gods themselves. 1972. Read by Michael de Morgan, 10 hours 30 minutes. TB 2192.In the year 2100 horrible danger threatens following the invention of an Inter-Universe Electron Pump. TB 2192.

Atwood, Margaret The handmaid's tale. 1986. Read by Pauline Munro, 10 hours 16 minutes. TB 6374.In 21st century America, under post-feminist totalitarian rule, Offred is a national resource: she is a handmaid, her viable ovaries making her a precious commodity in the Republic of Gilead. Her third assignment, to a Commander whose wife cannot produce, is even worse than experience has taught her to expect. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 6374.

Ballard, J G The terminal beach. 1984. Read by William Abney, 9 hours 8 minutes. TB 7078.A collection of short stories ranging from the title-story's disturbing picture of an abandoned atomic testing site on an island in the Pacific to the shocking Oedipal fantasy of "The Giaconda of the Twilight Noon". At the heart of these stories lies the bitter paradox that the extraordinary creative power of man's imagination is matched only by his reckless instinct for destruction. TB 7078.

Ballard, J GThe disaster area. 1967. Read by Arthur Blake, 6 hours 7 minutes. TB 7728.These nine stories are science fiction at its most thought provoking. They project current trends into the future and explore the psychological traumas of adjusting to their logical conclusions. The agricultural sprays that produce seagulls with 20 foot wing spans; cars which fall to pieces after six months owing to effective road design; a science student trying to invent a flying machine in a city where space is at its premium. TB 7728.

Banks, Iain The player of games. 1989. Read by Robbie MacNab, 12 hours 50 minutes. TB 15592.The culture series; book 2. Sequel to: Consider Phlebas, TB 14771. The Culture - a human/machine symbiotic society - has thrown up many great Game Players, and one of the greatest is Gurgeh. Bored with success, Gurgeh travels to the Empire of Azad, cruel and incredibly wealthy, to try their fabulous game - a game so complex, so like life itself that the winner becomes emperor. Mocked, blackmailed, almost

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murdered, Gurgeh accepts the game, and with it the challenge of his life - and very possibly his death. Contains strong language. TB 15592.

Baxter, StephenThe time ships. 1995. Read by Cameron Stewart, 17 hours 47 minutes. TB 11185. Sequel to: The time machine by H.G. Wells, TB 13034. The author celebrates the centenary of H.G. Wells's classic "The Time Machine" in this sequel. The Time Traveller has abandoned his Eloi friend Weena to the cannibal appetites of the Morlocks, the devolved race of future humans. He promptly embarks on a second journey to the year A.D. 802,701, pledged to rescue Weena. He never arrives - the future was changed by his presence, and will be changed again. The Traveller must resolve the paradoxes building around him and achieve the impossible if Weena is to be saved. TB 11185.

Bear, GregStar wars: Rogue planet. 2000. Read by Garrick Hagon, 9 hours 43 minutes. TB 12462. Star Wars series. Three years after the events of "The Phantom Menace", young Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi encounter a mysterious world. Dispatched to the planet Zonama Sekot, source of the fastest ships in the galaxy, the pair are swept up in a swirl of deadly intrigue and betrayal. TB 12462.

Bester, Alfred The demolished man. 1953. Read by Joe Dunlop, 8 hours 32 minutes. TB 6936.Reich is an obsessed monster, haunted by nightmares of a Man With No Face, driven and compelled to murder a rival magnate in a future where crime can't be hidden from police telepaths. The penalty is Demolition: erasure of the criminal's mind. Armed with an ugly weapon holding very special ammo, an insane jingle to mask his thoughts, and the resources of his interplanetary business empire, Reich takes on the world. It's an impossible problem for police chief Lincoln Powell, one of the hated mind-reading elite - who knows very well whodunnit but can't go to court on telepathic evidence alone. TB 6936.

Bester, Alfred Tiger Tiger. 1956. Read by David Banks, 8 hours 36 minutes. TB 7669.Against the seething background of the 24th century the vengeful history of Gulliver Foyle begins. He has reached the age of 30 completely stunted by all lack of ambition and now the lethargic Gulley has been adrift for 170 days, fighting for survival with the passion of a beast in a trap...TB 7669.

Bishop, Michael

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No enemy but time: a novel. 1982. Read by Stanley McGeagh, 13 hours 2 minutes. TB 4822.Joshua Kampa had time-travelled in spirit long before he did so bodily. So effectively could he challenge the experts that he finds himself enlisted into an unusual project which takes him to pre-historic Africa and a band of Homo Habilis - and a very attractive young woman...TB 4822.

Blish, JamesStar trek: the classic episodes. 1991. Read by Hayward Morse, 21 hours 49 minutes. TB 10175.24 tales of exciting adventure from the final season of episodes featuring the original cast. Stories include "The last gunfight", "The paradise syndrome", "The empath" and "All our yesterdays". TB 10175.

Bradbury, Ray The illustrated man. 1952. Read by Ray Jones, 7 hours 32 minutes. TB 6594.16 fantasy and horror fiction stories, cleverly linked together. The action is bizarre and surprising - whether it takes place on the barren wastes of Mars or in the nostalgic setting of a small American town. TB 6594.

Bradbury, Ray The Martian chronicles. 1980. Read by Bruce Montague, 8 hours 30 minutes. TB 5662.The setting is the planet Mars in the year 1999. The moon is now merely a staging post for astronauts on their journeys into outer space. The chronicles cover the first 25 years of the 21st century. TB 5662.

Bradbury, Ray Fahrenheit 451. 1954. Read by Christopher Scott, 6 hours. TB 5454.Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which a book will burn. Montag is a fireman but the work of the fire brigade is not to put out fires but to burn books. The penalty for any fireman who tries to read or hide away a book is death by the fangs of a mechanical blood-hound - and Montag has begun to doubt the wisdom of the all-powerful system... TB 5454.

Brewer, Gene On a beam of light: K-PAX II. Read by Jeff Harding, 6 hours 45 minutes. TB 13517. K-PAX series; book 2. Sequel to: K-PAX, TB 13183. His name is prot. Nobody knows where he's from, but everyone wants to go there... 'On a beam of light' is the sequel to 'K-Pax', in which a man called 'prot' claims he is from a perfect world without wars, government or religion. At the Manhattan Institute his psychiatrist is determined to prove that prot's identity is nothing more than a tragic case of multiple-personality

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disorder. But with prot's peculiar characteristics many doubt the diagnosis. This time when he leaves Earth, he intends to take some beings back with him to K-Pax, and many of the patients are only too keen to go. TB 13517.

Brunner, John The complete traveller in black. 1987. Read by Alistair Maydon, 8 hours 48 minutes. TB 11254. Chaos ruled throughout the universe in this time of the far future – or perhaps the distant past. The scientific laws of cause and effect held no power. But there was one man entrusted with the task of bringing order and reason. A black-clad traveller, who had many names, and who carried with him a staff made of light. Wherever he went he fought the forces of Chaos. This edition contains all the "Traveller in Black" stories.TB 11254.

Burgess, Anthony A clockwork orange. 2000. Read by Ben Crystal, 6 hours 29 minutes. TB 15706.Fifteen-year-old Alex and his three friends start an evening's mayhem by hitting an old man, tearing up his books and stripping him of money and clothes. Because of his delinquent excesses, Alex is jailed and made subject to "Ludovico's Technique", a chilling experiment in reclamation treatment. Contains strong language. TB 15706.

Card, Orson Scott Ender's game. 2002. Read by Russell Pickering, 10 hours 41 minutes. TB 15273. Ender Wiggin series; book 1. Humanity is under threat from an alien race, so six-year-old Ender Wiggin leaves his family on Earth to journey to the Belt. There, he enters Battle School and is strictly disciplined in mind games and mock battles. He is unequalled in instinct, compassion and genius, qualities he will need for his unique destiny. TB 15273.

Cherryh, C J Serpent's reach. 1981. Read by Lucy Scott, 11 hours 26 minutes. TB 13808.Serpent's Reach is the star system inhabited by the Majat - a powerful, intelligent ant-like race, and its territory forbidden to outsiders. This is the story of Raen whose quest takes her to the heart of this alien culture, with devastating implications. TB 13808.

Clarke, Arthur CRama II. 1989. Read by Charlotte Strevens, 18 hours 46 minutes. TB 12134. Rama series; book 2. Sequel to: Rendez-vous with Rama, TB 2324. 'Rendezvous with Rama' told of the arrival in the solar system in 2130 of a mysterious, apparently untenanted, alien spaceship. 'Rama II' is set in 2200, four years after a second approaching spacecraft has been detected; and this time, knowing what to expect, Earth is ready to mount an expedition which may answer some of the questions posed by Rama. TB 12134.

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Clarke, Arthur CTales from planet Earth. 1989. Read by Nigel Carrington, 10 hours 23 minutes. TB 9079.From the furthest arid stars to the secret ways under the oceans, from intelligent termites to super-intelligent aliens, and from ruined empires to the rings of Saturn, this volume is a superb compendium of entertainment, thought-provoking thrills and astral surprises. TB 9079.

Clarke, Arthur CRichter 10. 1996. Read by Garrick Hagon, 15 hours 4 minutes. TB 11304.Crane is the world's leading seismologist, with a burning hatred for quakes. Determined to protect people from his parents' fate, he has developed a unique theory of earthquake prediction - but in a world run by Chinese-controlled corporations and an America split more radically than ever along racist and religious lines, there are plenty of people who don't want him to succeed. TB 11304.

Clarke, Arthur C The fountains of Paradise. 1979. Read by David Strong, 8 hours 45 minutes. TB 3470.In the year 2142, a brilliant engineer evolves a method of building a gigantic space elevator for transporting men to a point outside the earth's atmosphere. TB 3470.

Clarke, Arthur C2010: odyssey two. 1982. Read by Bruce Montague, 10 hours 45 minutes. TB 4713. Space Odyssey series; book 2. Sequel to: 2001: A space odyssey, TB 5473. Out among the moons of Jupiter, the empty spacecraft 'Discovery' and the enigmatic alien monolith float in the silent depths of space, mute witnesses to the disappearance of the astronaut David Bowman through the 'Star Gate' nine years before. To them comes the 'Leonov', carrying a combined American-Russian scientific team on a mission of investigation and recovery. TB 4713.

Cole, Stephen Sting of the zygons. 2007. Read by Tim Bruce, 5 hours 38 minutes. TB 15393. Doctor Who. The TARDIS lands the Doctor and Martha in the Lake District in 1909, where a small village has been terrorised by a giant, scaly monster. The search is on for the elusive 'Beast of Westmorland', and explorers, naturalists and hunters from across the country are descending on the fells. But there is a more sinister presence at work in the lakes than a mere monster on the rampage, and the Doctor is soon embroiled in the plans of an old and terrifying enemy. TB 15393.

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Cooper, Edmund Sea-horse in the sky. 1969. Read by David Broomfield, 5 hours 54 minutes. TB 806.A science fiction story about a journey that starts innocently enough, and ends in a macabre alien world. TB 806.

Cooper, Edmund The cloud walker: a novel. 1973. Read by David Strong, 7 hours 5 minutes. TB 2411.Two world-wide civilisations have been destroyed by the products of their own technology. In the third world, dominated by the Luddites, all machinery is banned, and Kieron, determined to build a flying machine, has to use it to avenge an attack on his community at Arundel. TB 2411.

Cowper, RichardClone. 1972. Read by Gabriel Woolf, 6 hours 5 minutes. TB 2219.Alvin, a human being who has been produced under laboratory conditions, is subjected to memory wiping gas when he becomes dangerous. Captured by a gang of apes, he regains his memory and becomes desperate. TB 2219.

Crichton, Michael Jurassic park. 2000. Read by William Roberts, 13 hours 52 minutes. TB 15084.On a remote island, genetic engineers have created a dinosaur game park. An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now, one of mankind's most thrilling fantasies has come true. TB 15084.

Crowley, JohnEngine summer. 1982. Read by Arthur Blake, 8 hours 3 minutes. TB 8161.Little Belaire, where the Truthful Speakers lead lives of peaceful self-sufficiency is a society untouched by pain or violence and where the self-destroying "Angels" of the past are barely remembered. But beneath its calm surface run darker currents of danger and mystery. TB 8161.

Day, MartinWooden heart. 2007. Read by Tim Bruce, 5 hours 48 minutes. TB 15394.Doctor Who. A vast starship, seemingly deserted, is spinning slowly in the void of deep space. Martha and the Doctor explore this drifting tomb and discover that they may not be alone after all. As the Doctor and Martha journey through the forest, they find a mysterious, fog-bound village - a village traumatised by missing children and prophecies of its own destruction. TB 15394.

Dick, Philip K

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Little black box. 1990. Read by Eric Meyers, 19 hours 52 minutes. TB 9633.Fifth and final volume of collected short stories, covering the period 1963-1981, the year before his death. TB 9633.

Donaldson, Stephen The gap into vision: forbidden knowledge. 1994. Read by Jon Cartwright, 15 hours 1 minutes. TB 10937. The gap series; book 2. Sequel to: The gap into conflict, TB 10894. Morn Hyland, rescued from one space pirate by another who had plans to exploit her, is forced to re-assess her whole life stance in the face of the growing certainty of the real truth about the UMPC and the alien Amnion. TB 10937.

Doyle, Arthur Conan The lost world. 1912. Read by John Richmond, 8 hours 20 minutes. TB 1402. Professor Challenger. On a high plateau in South America explorers find gigantic animals and flying reptiles surviving from prehistory. TB 1402.

Du Maurier, Daphne The house on the strand. 2003. Read by Michael Tudor Barnes and Lucy Scott, 12 hours 47 minutes. TB 15408.Dick Young is lent a house in Cornwall by his friend Professor Magnus Lane. During his stay he agrees to serve as a guinea pig for a new drug that Magnus has discovered in his biochemical researches. The effect of this drug is to transport Dick from the house at Kilmarth to the Cornwall of the 14th century. There, in the manor of Tywardreath, the domain of Sir Henry Champernoune, he witnesses intrigue, adultery and murder. As his time travelling increases, Dick resents more and more the days he must spend in the modern world, longing ever more fervently to get back into his world of centuries before. TB 15408.

Durrell, Lawrence Tunc: a novel. 1968. Read by Robert Gladwell, 14 hours 30 minutes. TB 452. Revolt of the Aphrodite series; book 1. The story of a young Englishman in Athens, his descent into hell, and hopeless efforts to escape. TB 452.

Ellison, Harlan Shatterday. 1982. Read by Marvin Kane, 10 hours 56 minutes. TB 4475.Sixteen science fiction stories (one a novella), to freeze the blood-horror for our own time. TB 4475.

Fitt, MatthewBut n Ben a-go-go. 2001. Read by Jonathan Hackett, 9 hours 29 minutes. TB 12820.

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Scotland has sunk 300 feet under water as a result of God's flood. Only the Drylands are left. The population live on Port, a collection of floating cities. A highly virulent strain of HIV has made all intimate contact deadly, and Paolo Broon is determined to find out who infected his wife. TB 12820.

Gearhart, Sally Miller The wanderground: stories of the hill women. 1985. Read by Nina Holloway, 10 hours. TB 7024.In a world where the Earth itself has rebelled against the domination of men, it is only in the cities that they are the masters. In communities in the hill country of the Wanderground, the women who have escaped from the city have established a new harmony with nature and have developed astonishing powers: telepathy, telekinesis and even flight. But rumours abound that changes in the city may soon affect their lives... Contains passages of a sexual nature. TB 7024.

Gernsback, HugoRalph 124C 41+: a romance of the year 2660. 2000. Read by Eric Meyers, 6 hours 32 minutes. TB 12641. By the year 2660, science has transformed and conquered the world, rescuing humanity from itself. Spectacular inventions from the farthest reaches of space and deep beneath the earth are available to meet every need, providing antidotes to individual troubles and social ills. Inventors are highly prized and respected, and they are jealously protected and lavishly cared for by world governments. That support and acclaim, however - as the most brilliant of scientists, Ralph 124C 41+, discovers - is not without its price. TB 12641.

Gerrold, DavidThe man who folded himself. 1973. Read by Stanley Pritchard, 4 hours. TB 2504.Danny inherits a time-machine, and jumps forward and backward at will, meeting himself in many guises; finally he realises that he has 'folded himself and compressed his life into a span of a few months. TB 2504.

Gibson, William Count Zero. 1986. Read by Stanley McGeagh, 10 hours 1 minute. TB 6523.In Arizona Turner, an expert in industrial espionage, is arranging the defection of Mitchell, developer of biochips; in Belgium a disgraced art gallery owner, Marly, has been hired to track down the creator of some art objects; and in the urban squalor of Barrytown Bobby Newmark, alias Count Zero, would-be hotshot computer jockey, is inexplicably saved from death. These three stories weave together in an extraordinary way. TB 6523.

Golding, William The inheritors. 1955. Read by George Hagan, 7 hours 47 minutes. TB 4405.12

Out of the scraps of the knowledge and conjecture about Neanderthal man, the author has created a living story of people who can love and mourn, feel pain, joy and grief and puzzle over the beginnings of reason. Thus the progress of evolution, as it affects the individual, becomes a grisly and poignant reality. TB 4405.

Grant, Rob Backwards. 1996. Read by David Thorpe, 9 hours 26 minutes. TB 11286. Red dwarf series. Dave Lister has finally found his way back to the planet Earth. Which is good. What's bad is that time isn't running in quite the right direction. Still, his crewmates have come to rescue him. But if they fail, Lister will carry on growing younger until he becomes a baby, then an embryo, and finally he'll meet a very sticky end. TB 11286.

Greenland, Colin Take back plenty. 1991. Read by Colin Greenland, 21 hours 33 minutes. TB 10170.Tabitha Jute was in trouble on Mars. She was up against the law, penniless and about to lose her livelihood, the space barge "Alice Liddell". When intriguing gloveman Marco Metz came along, needing a lift to Plenty to rejoin his bizarre cabaret troupe, Tabitha didn't have any choice, though she knew Plenty was a dodgy place. What should have been a simple five hour journey and some quick cash turned into a chaotic chase from the orbital tangle into the depths of hyperspace with the cops on her tail, and that was only the start of her problems. Contains strong language. TB 10170.

Grimwood, Ken Replay. 1987. Read by Joe Dunlop, 12 hours 46 minutes. TB 6782.Jeff Winston has always expected happiness to arrive tomorrow but now, at 43, he is beginning to wonder if his low-paid, unrewarding job is all he can expect and the long silences and lack of children his lot domestically. Then he dies and the "replay" of his life begins: but not as it has been lived but a bizarre cycle of dying and coming back to the taking off point in college in 1963, with half a dozen chances to live it in a different way. TB 6782.

Hale, JohnThe paradise man: a black and white farce. 1969. Read by Marvin Kane, 6 hours 45 minutes. TB 1075.Humorous science fiction described by the author as `a black and white farce': the vaguely possible is mixed with the outrageously impossible, and the brains of American scientists are picked for the good of the state to the detriment of the individual. TB 1075.

Hamilton, Peter F 13

The reality dysfunction. 1997. Read by Robbie MacNab, 41 hours 46 minutes. TB 15120.Night Dawn trilogy series; book 1. In AD 2600, the human race is finally beginning to realize its full potential. But now something has gone catastrophically wrong. On a primitive colony planet a renegade criminal's chance encounter with an utterly alien entity unleashes the most primal of all our fears. An extinct race, which inhabited the galaxy aeons ago called "The Reality Dysfunction". It is the nightmare, which has prowled beside us since the beginning of history. Contains strong language. TB 15120.

Harrison, Harry In our hands, the stars. 1970. Read by Stanley Pritchard, 6 hours 45 minutes. TB 1588.A scientist discovers a potential weapon of mass destruction, and becomes the focus of international attention. TB 1588.

Heinlein, Robert A I will fear no evil. 1972. Read by Marvin Kane, 17 hours 47 minutes. TB 1822.The only hope for the rich and powerful Smith is to give him a new body; the operation is successful but the unexpected consequences bring him dreadful moral and philosophical dilemmas. TB 1822.

Heinlein, Robert AThe moon is a harsh mistress. 1969. Read by Simon Vance, 12 hours 15 minutes. TB 7476. On Luna, an open penal colony of the 21st century, a revolution is being plotted. The conspirators are a strange assortment: an emerging jack of all trades, his luscious blonde girlfriend, and a lonely talking computer. Their aim is the overthrow of the hated Authority, but things don't go according to plan. TB 7476.

Heinlein, Robert A Beyond this horizon. 2002. Read by Stuart Milligan, 7 hours 58 minutes. TB 14562.Utopia has been achieved. Disease, hunger, poverty and war are found only in the history tapes, and applied genetics has brought a lifespan of over a century. But Hamilton Felix is bored. And he is the culmination of a star line; each of his last thirty ancestors chosen for superior genes. He is, as far as genetics can produce one, the ultimate man, yet sees no meaning in life. However, his life is about to become less boring. A secret cabal of revolutionaries plan to revolt and seize control. Knowing of Hamilton's disenchantment with the modern world, they want him to join their Glorious Revolution. TB 14562.

Herbert, Frank14

The ascension factor. 1990. Read by Simon Vance, 12 hours 21 minutes. TB 8069.Pandora's inhabitants have been recovering land from the planet's seas at an increasing rate since the events of "The Lazarus Effect". Using kelp to buffer themselves from the ocean currents, they are creating new settlements; but in the shadow of those settlements, children are starving. TB 8069.

Herbert, FrankDune Messiah. 1971. Read by Simon Vance, 8 hours 6 minutes. TB 7095.The Dune saga; book 2. Sequel to: Dune, TB 7094. Paul Atreides is the religious and political leader of the Galaxy and was raised to his exalted position by a holy war, fought in the spaceways and on a thousand planets. He has been trained in arcane disciplines by the Bene Gesserit sisterhood and he has superhuman powers. When the order is no longer able to dominate the man they have made a god, they set out to overthrow him. But Paul, able to foresee their plans, resolves to shape them to a shocking goal... TB 7095.

Hoover, H M Another heaven, another earth. 1983. Read by Joe Dunlop, 6 hours 39 minutes. TB 5340.In the 500 years since their ancestors departed from over-crowded Earth, the inhabitants of the planet Xilan have seen their way of life disintegrate. When an exploratory party unexpectedly arrives from Earth, the people find themselves torn between two worlds - the simple but doomed existence on Xilan and the new world of leisure and dazzling technology on Earth with its accompanying risks of anonymity and boredom. TB 5340.

Hoyle, Fred Comet Halley: a novel in two parts. 1985. Read by Ian Craig, 16 hours 1 minute. TB 6581.Returning from Geneva to the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, Professor Isaac Newton is plunged into the centre of a baffling mystery: a research student, Mike Howarth, has picked up strange signals on his satellite telemetry equipment, signals that appear to emanate from a passing comet. Not long after he has passed on the vital data he is found dead. It soon becomes clear that some people in very high places are interested in these signals. TB 6581.

Hoyle, FredOctober the first is too late. 1966. Read by John Richmond, 7 hours 26 minutes. TB 412.Time has suddenly become meaningless in the frightening new world, and the story-teller finds himself living now in the present, now in 1917, in Ancient Greece, and in the terrifying remote future. TB 412.

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Hughes, Monica Beyond the dark river. 1979. Read by Carol Marsh, 7 hours 29 minutes. TB 3626.After the disaster which destroyed the Canadian cities, the Daughter-of-She-who-came-after, from the Indians of the Forest, sets out together with Benjamin to find a cure for the mysterious ailment that is attacking the children of the Hutterite community. TB 3626.

Huxley, Aldous Brave new world. 1932. Read by David Brown, 9 hours 30 minutes. TB 608.Prophesies on the future of man-kind, which may perhaps come to pass. The world of Bernard Marx and Lenina Crowne is one where human beings are brewed from test tubes and then conditioned to accept the duties of their predestined castes in society. It is a world of soma tablets and ultimate stability. TB 608.

James, P D The children of men. 1992. Read by Sam Dastor, 10 hours. TB 9673.In 2021 infertility has spread like a plague, and no babies have been born for a quarter of a century anywhere in the inhabited world. The old are driven to despair and suicide, and the young are beautiful, violent and cruel. The middle aged try to sustain normality under the rule of the Warden of England. Theo Faron, Oxford historian, meets a girl who is one of a group challenging the regime. His life is dramatically changed, and he is drawn into unimaginable horrors. TB 9673.

Kerr, PhilipGridiron. 1995. Read by Adam Henderson, 13 hours 3 minutes. TB 10795.In Los Angeles, a dazzling new building - GRIDIRON - has been built in which every aspect is controlled by an advanced computer system. On the eve of its opening, things start to go wrong. Then the building seals up its exits, trapping the team inside. Deaths start to escalate, and it is gradually realised that GRIDIRON itself has turned against them. TB 10795.

Knight, Damon Off centre. 1969. Read by Marvin Kane, 9 hours 23 minutes. TB 1040.A collection of science fiction stories by a specialist in the field. TB 1040.

Le Guin, Ursula K The lathe of heaven. 1972. Read by Marvin Kane, 6 hours 45 minutes. TB 1954.The appalling threats of a man whose dreams change reality and of the psychiatrist who hypnotises him and controls the dreams. TB 1954.

Le Guin, Ursula K

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The left hand of darkness. 1976. Read by Anthony Ofoegbu, 9 hours 20 minutes. TB 13444.Winter is an Earth-like planet with two big differences: the weather conditions are permanently semi-arctic and the inhabitants are all of the same sex. Hidden in a remote corner of the universe, they have no knowledge of time or space beyond their world until an envoy arrives from another planet. TB 13444.

Lem, StanislawSolaris. 1971. Read by Stanley Pritchard, 7 hours 45 minutes. TB 1885.Chaos and terror reign on the planet Solaris above which a space station hovers maintaining constant watch. TB 1885.

Lessing, Doris Shikasta: re: colonised Planet 5: personal, psychological, historical documents relating to visit by Johor (George Sherban), emissary (grade 9), 87th of the period of the last days. 1979. Read by John Livesey, 14 hours 26 minutes. TB 5017. Canopus in Argos series; book 1. The author returns to the older, more traditional concepts of the timeless confrontation of good and evil in her space fiction series entitled "Canopus in Argos: Archives". She gives a star's eye view of the history of the earth from its beginnings in warm swamps to near extinction in the Third - and last - World War, the Devil's victory, which is also his defeat. TB 5017.

Lessing, Doris Mara and Dann. 2000. Read by Jilly Bond, 19 hours 45 minutes. TB 12605.It is sooner than one might think. The earth's climate is much changed - it's colder than ever before in the north, and unbearably dry and hot in the south. Mara, who is seven, and her four-year-old brother Dann find themselves somewhere very strange, not home, getting used to all these new names. TB 12605.

Levin, Ira This perfect day. 1970. Read by Michael de Morgan, 13 hours. TB 1223.All nations are unified, all people part of one family, lulled and tranquillised into acceptance by treatments from Unicomp; but one group resists treatment and wakes to reality, with frightening results. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 1223.

Lewis, C S That hideous strength: a modern fairy-tale for grown-ups. 1945. Read by Andrew Timothy, 16 hours 49 minutes. TB 4972.Sub-titled 'a modern fairy-tale for grown-ups', the magic, which is of the black variety, is the result of dabbling in Black Arts by a breakaway group in the Faculty of Bracton College. This devilry emanating from quiet little Edgestow ultimately affects the whole country. TB 4972.

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McCarthy, Cormac The road. 2007. Read by Pat Courtenay, 6 hours 21 minutes. TB 16094.A father and his young son walk alone through burned America, heading slowly for the coast. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscapes save the ash on the wind. They have nothing but a pistol to defend themselves against the men who stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food - and each other. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 16094.

MacLeod, Ken Newton's wake: a space opera. 2004. Read by Madeleine Lynch, 12 hours 9 minutes. TB 15213.Centuries ago, space settlers and soldiers fled to the stars to escape the sentient war machines that engulfed Earth. They colonise a planet whose own war machinery is dormant yet still able to guard a vast, enigmatic artefact. When a colonists' expedition raids this strange artefact they awaken the long dormant machines. TB 15213.

MacLeod, Ken Learning the world: a novel of first contact. 2006. Read by Eilidh Beaton, 11 hours 28 minutes. TB 15404.The great sunliner is nearing the end of a four-hundred-year journey. A ship-born generation is tense with expectation for the new system that is to be their home. Expecting to find nothing more complex than bacteria and algae, the detection of electronic signals from one of the planets comes as a shock. On a world called Ground, whose inhabitants are struggling into the age of radio, petroleum and powered flight, a young astronomer searching for distant planets detects an anomaly that he presumes must be a comet. His friend, a brilliant foreign physicist, calculates the orbit, only to discover an anomaly of his own. Contains strong language. TB 15404.

Matheson, Richard I am legend. 1999. Read by Jeff Harding, 5 hours 51 minutes. TB 13275.Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth... but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville's blood. By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive like this? Unsuitable for family reading. TB 13275.

Meaney, John Paradox. 2001. Read by John Cormack, 14 hours 57 minutes. TB 13625.With its vast subterranean cities and organic technologies, Nulapeiron is a world unlike any other. In a crowded marketplace, Tom Corcorigan is witness to the brutal killing of a fleeing woman. He recognises her as the woman who had given him an

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info-crystal the day before and with it his destiny. Contains passages of a sexual nature. TB 13625.

Mieville, China Perdido street station. 2000. Read by Jonathan Oliver, 31 hours 2 minutes. TB 15521.New Croberzon series; book 1. The metropolis of New Crobuzon sprawls at the centre of its own bewildering world. Humans and mutants and arcane races throng the gloom beneath its chimneys, where the rivers are sluggish with unnatural effluent, and factories and foundries pound into the night. For more than a thousand years, the parliament and its brutal militia have ruled over a vast array of workers and artists, spies, magicians, junkies and whores. Now a stranger has come, with a pocketful of gold and an impossible demand, and inadvertently something unthinkable is released. Contains strong language. TB 15521.

Mitchison, Naomi Not by bread alone: a novel. 1983. Read by David Banks, 6 hours 12 minutes. TB 5140.Two plant geneticists increase the natural yield of a number of staple food-stuffs by one hundred per cent and the biggest multi-national, PAX, sets out to produce food for the whole world - free. When mankind has the power to start playing God the results are not always as expected. TB 5140.

Naylor, Grant Better than life. 1991. Read by David Thorpe, 6 hours 37 minutes. TB 10638. Red dwarf; 2. Sequel to: Red Dwarf, TB 10588. Three million years from earth, Lister is marooned together with Rimmer, Cat and a sanitation mechanoid. They are all trapped in the ultimate computer game: 'Better Than Life'. This game transports you directly into a perfect world of your imagination, a world where you can enjoy fabulous wealth and unmitigated success. It's the ideal game with only one drawback - it's so good, it will kill you. TB 10638.

Noon, JeffNymphomation. 1997. Read by Maire McCarthy and John Cormack, 9 hours 53 minutes. TB 11714. Domino Bones is Manchester's new lottery game, where players hope their lucky combination will come up on Friday night. Whilst the population is hooked on the game with its promise of unimaginable riches, The Company behind it is the only real winner. A group of students, searching for the hidden mysteries behind the game, uncover the sinister reality that The Company is devouring Manchester - using nymphomation, an evolutionary process which has the power to take over the city's dreams. Will The Company allow them to prevent the City's takeover? Contains strong language. TB 11714.

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Orwell, George 1984: a novel. 1949. Read by David Brown, 13 hours. TB 1459.A novel of the future showing how people are affected by propaganda and brain-washing. TB 1459.

Pedler, Kit The Dynostar menace. 1975. Read by Garard Green, 8 hours. TB 3107.The Dynostar space-lab has been built to look into the question of nuclear fusion. Suddenly the dangers of the work to the earth's surface are recognised and the struggle begins to halt the automated programme already well under way. TB 3107.

Pesek, Ludek Trap for Perseus. 1981. Read by Malcolm Ruthven, 5 hours 16 minutes. TB 4235.It is the year 2275 and the commander Steve Blair of the spacecraft Perseus III discovers that the Argo, a spaceship which vanished 200 years ago, did not perish as was then believed. TB 4235.

Pohl, Frederick Gateway. 1977. Read by Malcolm Ruthven, 10 hours. TB 3316.Heechee series; book 1. A manic-depressive in session with his robot psychiatrist gradually reveals his strange history. TB 3316.

Pohl, Frederick Man plus. 1976. Read by David Strong, 9 hours. TB 3215.The Man Plus programme set out to adapt Man to colonise and survive on Mars. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 3215.

Pohl, Frederick The years of the city. 1985. Read by Joe Dunlop, 15 hours 42 minutes. TB 5749.The city of New York becomes ungovernable and radical solutions are needed. The concept of the "Universal Town Meeting" is evolved, whereby the citizens can take a share (and hence an interest) in decision-making, using electronic media. The city is reshaped and Manhattan is enclosed in a pair of huge domes to give it a more equable year-round climate. But the problem of organised crime has yet to be solved. TB 5749.

Pope, Nick Operation Lightning Strike. 2000. Read by Alistair Petrie, 10 hours 2 minutes. TB 13814.

20

Sequel to: Operation thunder child, TB 13672. An alien spacecraft is heading for Earth and will arrive within weeks, bringing colonists who offer partnership and prosperity. But any chance of peaceful settlement is swept aside when a mysterious and shadowy group engineers a devastating attack against the aliens. Forced into war the government and military struggle to contain an increasingly desperate situation. Contains strong language. TB 13814.

Powers, Tim Dinner at Deviant's Palace. 1986. Read by Ian Craig, 9 hours 15 minutes. TB 6624.A generation after nuclear bombs have wiped out Los Angeles, survivors trickle back to set up life in the ruins. People take whatever solace they can find from new drugs to perversions only whispered about in the infamous club "Deviant's Palace". Some turn to the Jaybush cult from which escape is possible via a redeemer. Greg Rivas is the most sought-after of them all and in infiltrating the cult he finds a horror so devastating it taints him forever. TB 6624.

Preisler, Jerome Bio-strike. 2000. Read by Garrick Hagon, 13 hours 57 minutes. TB 13434. A microscopic genetically engineered superbug that lies dormant inside its human hosts until detonated causes Roger Gordian, star of Politika, to fall prey to disease. His medical and intelligence teams race to find the cause and the cure - because in Roger's fate lies the fate of the world. TB 13434.

Reynolds, Alastair Century rain. 2005. Read by Jon Cartwright, 21 hours 49 minutes. TB 15934.Three hundred years in the future, Verity Auger is a specialist in the archaeological exploration of Earth, rendered uninhabitable after the technological catastrophe known as the Nanocaust. After a field-trip goes badly wrong, Verity is forced to redeem herself by participating in a dangerous mission, for which her expertise is invaluable. Using a backdoor into an unstable alien transit system, Auger's faction has discovered something astonishing at the far end of a wormhole: mid twentieth-century Earth, preserved like a fly in amber. Is it a window into the past, a simulation, or something else entirely? Contains strong language. TB 15934.

Roberts, Keith Kiteworld. 1985. Read by Joe Dunlop, 14 hours 2 minutes. TB 5925.The Realm is dominated by its Kites: the great Cody manlifters in which the Corps Observers float by night and day, waiting the return of the Demons who once laid the world to waste. The Vars and the Middle Doctrine contend for possession of the land "under the Kites": a schism that threatens to erupt into violence and danger. TB 5925.

Roy, A E21

The curtained sleep. 1969. Read by David Strong, 7 hours 2 minutes. TB 1080.A science fiction thriller in which a space scientist comes near to losing his identity and then his life, and finds it difficult to draw the line between dreams and truth. TB 1080.

Ryman, Geoff Air: (or have not have). 2005. Read by Rachel Atkins, 15 hours 7 minutes. TB 15042.When the UN decides to test the radical new technology Air, Mae is boiling laundry and chatting with elderly Mrs Tung. The massive surge of Air energy swamps them, and when the test is finished, Mrs Tung is dead, and Mae has absorbed her 90 years of memories. Rocked by the unexpected deaths and disorientation, the UN delays fully implementing Air, but Mae sees at once that her way of life is ending. TB 15042.

Sagan, Carl Contact. 1985. Read by Arthur Blake, 8 hours. TB 7162.The greatest adventure of all - the discovery of an advanced civilisation in the depths of Space. In December 1999, a multinational team journeys out to the stars to the most awesome encounter in human history. Who – or what - is out there? In this book, the author predicts the future of the universe and our own. TB 7162.

Saramago, JoseBlindness: a novel. 1997. Read by Diana Bishop, 11 hours 50 minutes. TB 12014.A city is hit by a sudden epidemic of blindness. The authorities segregate the newly blind and all who have come into contact with them; they are herded into camps by armed guards under instruction to shoot anyone trying to escape. "The meticulous care of the writing, emphasised by the studied absence of punctuation and the consistency of tenses, make the reader focus on every nuance of meaning. The result is a challenging, thought-provoking and ironic novel." TB 12014.

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft Frankenstein. Read by Robert Trotter, 7 hours 13 minutes. TB 8912.Mary Shelley's nightmare vision has haunted generations of readers and inspired innumerable literary imitations and film versions. Here is the original story of the brilliant scientist whose magnificent obsession not only destroys himself and everyone he loves, but threatens the entire human race. TB 8912.

Shute, Nevil On the beach. 1957. Read by Erica Grant, 10 hours 24 minutes. TB 8706.Following the devastation of a nuclear world war, most of the northern hemisphere is annihilated. Only a few remote pockets of the earth remain habitable, and the area

22

around Melbourne is one. A small group of survivors heroically try to cope with their last days in a world which has died before them. TB 8706.

Silverberg, Robert Lord Valentine's castle. 1980. Read by Robert Gladwell, 25 hours 10 minutes. TB 3746.On the vast planet of Majipoor, filled with strange human societies and unusual alien species, young Lord Valentine has been robbed of his own body and memories and left to roam the planet while an imposter rules in his stead. TB 3746.

Silverberg, Robert Sunrise on Mercury: thirteen stories. 1983. Read by Simon Coady, 5 hours 48 minutes. TB 4920.Thirteen quirky science fiction stories with a wide range of subjects: cloning, the problems of a perfect memory and the summoning up of heroic mythical figures. The title story finds, on the planet nearest the sun, a strange life form which resembles a pool of zinc. TB 4920.

Stapledon, Olaf Last and first men. 1999. Read by Nigel Graham, 15 hours. TB 13330.This text is not so much a novel as a history of the future. Over the course of 2,000 million years it describes the evolutionary rise and fall of eighteen distinct races of men, of which Homo sapiens is the first and most primitive. TB 13330.

Stephenson, Neal Snow crash. 1993. Read by Stuart Milligan, 18 hours 4 minutes. TB 15485.In the future the only relief from the sea of logos is the computer-generated universe of virtual reality. But a strange computer virus, called Snow Crash, is striking down hackers, leaving an unlikely young man as humankind's last hope. Contains strong language. TB 15485.

Stewart, George REarth abides. 1999. Read by Peter Marinker, 14 hours 39 minutes. TB 13707.A mysterious plague has destroyed the vast majority of the human race. Isherwood Williams returns from a wilderness field trip to discover that civilisation has vanished during his absence. Eventually, in San Francisco, he encounters a female survivor who becomes his wife. Around them and their children a small community develops, but rebuilding civilisation is beyond their resources, and gradually they return to a simpler way of life. Contains passages of a sexual nature. TB 13707.

Van Greenaway, Peter Graffiti: a novel. 1983. Read by Ian Craig, 8 hours 18 minutes. TB 4919.

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A grey silence, the smell of burning, desolation: seventeen H-bombs have devastated the UK. Alexander Selkirk, journalist and survivor, sets out to record the betrayal for posterity - permanently - on walls. Graffiti gives a sense of liberation, the writing on the wall, a castaway's bottled message of anger to the future - if there is one. TB 4919.

Varley, John The Ophiuchi Hotline: science fiction. 1978. Read by Marvin Kane, 8 hours 8 minutes. TB 3587.Tweed needed agents who would be wholly dependent on him, and the easiest way was to practice cloning on Lilo - the technique supplied through mysterious transmissions from space via the Ophiuchi Hotline. TB 3587.

Verne, Jules From the earth to the moon. 1995. Read by Garrick Hagon, 5 hours 37 minutes. TB 12586.It is the year 1865. Following the end of the American Civil War, the members of Baltimore Gun Club are restless, seeking new ways of using their genius for invention and discovery. So their president, Impey Barbicane, sets his fellows a challenge: to construct a rocket which can reach the moon. TB 12586.

Vonnegut, Kurt Slaughterhouse-five. 1970. Read by Marvin Kane, 5 hours 26 minutes. TB 1172.Billy Pilgrim, an American captured by the Germans in the Second World War, is billetted in a slaughterhouse in Dresden and survives and annihilation of the city by the RAF. He later becomes rich and successful, only to find himself transported to another planet from which he returns radiant and full of desire to preach his message. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 1172.

Vonnegut, Kurt Cat's cradle. 1965. Read by William Roberts, 6 hours 3 minutes. TB 14974.Dr Felix Hoenikker, one of the founding 'fathers' of the atomic bomb, has left a deadly legacy to the world. For he is the inventor of ice-nine, a lethal chemical capable of the freezing the entire planet. The search for its whereabouts leads to Hoenikker's three eccentric children, to a crazed dictator in the Caribbean, to madness. Felix Hoenikker's death-wish comes true when his last, fatal gift to mankind brings along the end that, for all of us, is nigh. Contains strong language. TB 14974.

Watson, Ian God's world. 1979. Read by David Strong, 10 hours 6 minutes. TB 3598.The spaceship Pilgrim Crusader is captured by insect-like creatures, but Amy and five others manage to escape to the planet known as God's World where an alien civilisation exists in a dream world. TB 3598.

24

Watson, Ian Slow birds: and other stories. 1985. Read by Robin Browne, 7 hours 18 minutes. TB 6109.Eleven science fiction stories full of strange new ideas. The title story is a tale of nuclear madness where super-sophisticated missiles move very slow and detonate unpredictably. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 6109.

Wells, H G The invisible man. 1897. Read by Jon Curle, 6 hours 6 minutes. TB 12998.The classic story of the extraordinary experiences of a chemistry student who succeeded in making himself invisible. TB 12998.

Wells, H G The time machine. 1895. Read by Peter Reynolds, 4 hours 24 minutes. TB 13034.This novel tales the tale of the first time traveller who finds the future populated by the gentle Eloi and their dreaded cousins, the Morlocks, masters of the underworld. TB 13034.

Wolfe, Gene The fifth head of Cerberus: three novellas. 1973. Read by Anthony Parker, 9 hours 15 minutes. TB 2275.Three science fiction novels about identical planetary twins and their inhabitants. TB 2275.

Wolfe, GeneThe shadow of the torturer: science fiction. 1981. Read by Robert Gladwell, 12 hours 52 minutes. TB 3957. The book of the new sun series; book 1. Severian, studying with his fellow apprentices to achieve the rank of Master Torturer, disobeys the rules he has been raised to follow. For this he is exiled from the City to serve as executioner in distant Thrax. TB 3957.

Wolfe, Gene The claw of the conciliator: science fiction. 1981. Read by Stanley McGeagh, 9 hours 53 minutes. TB 5783. The book of the new sun series; book 2. The Torturer Severian continues his journey of exile to the city of Thrax. He carries with him the ancient executioner's sword, Terminus Est, and the Claw of the Conciliator, a gem of extra-terrestrial power and beauty which no one man is meant to possess. TB 5783.

25

Wyndham, John The Midwich cuckoos. 1957. Read by John Dunn, 7 hours 15 minutes. TB 529.An invasion from outer space has a shattering effect on a quiet English village. TB 529.

Wyndham, John Chocky. 1968. Read by Peter Reynolds, 6 hours. TB 490.The story of a small boy apparently normal until the intrusion of a strange influence from another planet. TB 490.

Young, David The about turn of Landin Druce. 1967. Read by Derek Chandler, 21 hours 39 minutes. TB 3811.At the age of 74, Landin Druce's life seems to be ebbing to a close. But Landin does not die. Thanks to a phial of liquid found in an Egyptian tomb, he makes a miraculous recovery - only to find himself confronting a situation of terrifying implications. His years are going into reverse… TB 3811.

Zahn, TimothyHeir to the Empire: book 1 in the Star Wars trilogy. 1991. Read by Hayward Morse, 13 hours 10 minutes. TB 10564. Star Wars series. It has been five years since the defeat of Darth Vader and the destruction of Death Star. A new Republic has been established. Han Solo and Princess Leia are now married and expecting twins, and Luke Skywalker, the first in a new line of Jedi Knights, hears a voice from his past warning him to beware of the dark side. TB 10564.

Zahn, Timothy Dark force rising: book 2 of the Star Wars trilogy. 1992. Read by Hayward Morse, 14 hours 43 minutes. TB 10630. Star Wars series. Five years after the return of the Jedi, the Republic stands threatened from within and without. Grand Admiral Thrawn has taken command of the remnants of the imperial fleet and has launched a campaign to destroy the Republic, planning to impose his iron will on the galaxy. As Princess Leia, pregnant with Jedi twins, risks her life to ally a proud and lethal race with the Republic, Han and Lando Calrissian race against time to find proof of treason within the Council. Most dangerous of all is a new Dark Jedi, insane and scheming to summon young Skywalker and to corrupt him to the Dark Side. TB 10630.

Fantasy

26

Adams, Douglas The long dark tea-time of the soul. 1988. Read by Robert Ashby, 8 hours 2 minutes. TB 7681. Dirk Gently series; book 2. Sequel to: Dick Gently's Holistic detective agency, TB 12845. When a passenger check-in desk at Heathrow shot through the roof engulfed in a ball of orange flame, no rational cause could be found? Designated an Act of God; Dirk Gently wonders which God? And why? What God would be hanging around Heathrow, waiting to catch the 15.37 to Oslo? TB 7681.

Adams, RichardShardik. 2002. Read by Steve Hodson, 27 hours 37 minutes. TB 16106.Beklan Empire series; book 1. Shardik is a fantasy of tragic character, centred on the long-awaited reincarnation of the gigantic bear Shardik and his appearance among the half-barbaric Ortelgan people. Mighty, ferocious and unpredictable, Shardik changes the life of every person in the story. His advent commences a momentous chain of events. TB 16106.

Aldiss, Brian W The Malacia tapestry. 1976. Read by John Livesey, 10 hours 15 minutes. TB 4633.Malacia is an old city state where change is forbidden and the old spells of magicians still hold. Against this colourful background are unfolding the dramas told by a young actor, Perian de Chirolo. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 4633.

Auel, Jean MThe valley of horses. 1984. Read by Gretel Davis, 29 hours 13 minutes. TB 7788.Earth's children series; book 2. Sequel to: The clan of the cave bear, TB 7772. Leaving the safety of the clan who raised her, the beautiful Ayla sets out alone on an epic journey of discovery. She survives glacial cold, terrifying beasts and intense loneliness. But in the Valley of Horses she finds refuge and contentment, and an awakening to a desire she could not imagine. Contains passages of a sexual nature. TB 7788.

Auel, Jean MThe mammoth hunters. 1986. Read by Gretel Davis, 37 hours 51 minutes. TB 7797.Earth's children series; book 3. Leaving the Valley of the Horses that has become her home, Ayla embarks on a momentous journey that will lead to the clan of the mammoth hunters: a people at first hostile and disturbingly different. With her is, Jondalar, the handsome man she has nursed back to health and come to love; but as she begins to settle into this new life, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to the master-carver of Mamuti. Contains passages of a sexual nature. TB 7797.

27

Barker, CliveImajica. 1991. Read by David Banks, 37 hours 57 minutes. TB 9671.The Imajica: five dominions, four reconciled, and the Earth, cut off from them, her inhabitants living in ignorance on the edge of an ocean of mystery and magic. A mystical moment is coming when Earth can be reunited with the dominion, and as Judith, Gentle and Pie race to capture that moment, other forces are gathering to keep Earth in darkness. The epic journey leads to the Holy City of the Unbeheld, where their highest hopes or deepest fears will be realised. Contains violence. TB 9671.

Beard, HenryBored of the rings. 2001. Read by Anthony Jackson, 4 hours 47 minutes. TB 12717.Pulling in references to popular culture and fantasy literature as a whole, this is a parody of Lord of the Rings. From the dreary Goddamn (Gollum), to the feckless Arrowroot (Aragorn), the bungling Goodgulf (Gandalf) to the meanminded boggies Frito (Frodo) and Dildo (Bilbo) no character is safe. TB 12717.

Belle, Pamela. The silver city. 1994. Read by Joan Walker, 20 hours 37 minutes. TB 11042. Silver city series; book 1. Halthris, a nomadic tribeswoman, chances on a barbaric Ska'i horde in the hills surrounding the beautiful city of Zithirian. In warning the city of the impending situation she is thrown into a world of decadent royalty, sinister intrigue and dangerous magic. She must rely on her strength, and hunter's skills to survive in a world infinitely more dangerous than the harsh steppes she comes from. TB 11042.

Belle, PamelaThe wolf within. 1995. Read by Joan Walker, 18 hours 6 minutes. TB 11128. Silver city series; book 2. Son of the sorcerer Ansaryon, Bron can find no peace. His soul has been won by the wolf god and the wolf's thirst for death boils up inside him every time the magic threatens to break free. Appalled at what the future holds, Bron runs away from Ansaryon and Halthris and into a world that teems with exotic peoples, new experiences and terrible danger. But he can never escape the curse of who he is and the power that he holds. TB 11128.

Bradley, Marion Zimmer The firebrand. 1988. Read by Judy Franklin, 23 hours 25 minutes. TB 7422.The legend of the fall of Troy as seen through the eyes of Kassandra, daughter of Priam and priestess of Apollo: the seduction of Helen by Kassandra's twin brother Paris, the summoning of his troops by Menelaus and the great fight between Hector and Achilles. TB 7422.

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Brooks, Terry The Elfstones of Shannara. 1992. Read by Jon Cartwright. 20 hours 32 minutes. TB 10606. Shannara series; book 2. Sequel to: The sword of Shannara, TB 10568. Ancient evil threatened the Elves and the Races of Man. For the Ellerys - the tree of long-lost Elven magic - was dying, loosing the spell of Forbidding that locked the hordes away from Earth. Only one source had the power to stop it: the Elfstones of Shannara. And the valiant companions must ride again in an impossible quest to find them. TB 10606.

Brooks, Terry The scions of Shannara. 1990. Read by David Banks, 17 hours 49 minutes. TB 10218. Heritage of Shannara series; book 1. 300 years after the time of "The wishsong of Shannara", the Federation rules the Southland; the Elves of the West have vanished; the Dwarves of the East are slaves. Par Ohmsford, travelling in the Southland, dreams of Allanon, the dead Druid. He hears of the greatest peril yet to threaten the Four Lands and, after meeting the shade of Allanon, he must carry a message to the other Scions of Shannara. TB 10218.

Brooks, TerryThe Druid of Shannara. 1992. Read by David Banks, 16 hours 24 minutes. TB 10258. Heritage of Shannara series; book 2. The Scions of Shannara have three tasks. Par has found the fabled Sword of Shannara, but believes that he has killed his brother and has been infected by the Federation's Chief Seeker with the fear that he himself is Shadowen, the evil he seeks to destroy. Wren is in the Westland, seeking out the Elves. Walker Boh is to find the lost city of Parador and recreate the long disbanded order of Druids. First he must find the Black Elfstone, but this is in the hands of an ancient being of timeless evil, the Stone King. TB 10258.

Brooks, TerryIlse Witch. 2000. Read by Gene Foad, 17 hours 34 minutes. TB 13613. The voyage of the Jerle Shannara series; book 1. When the body of a half-drowned elf is found floating in the seas of the Blue Divide, an old mystery resurfaces. Thirty years ago, the elven prince Kael Elessedil led an expedition in search of a legendary magic, none of those ever returned from that voyage...until now. The rescued elf carries a map covered with mysterious symbols that only Walker Boh can decipher, however Ilse Witch will stop at nothing to posses the map - and the magic it leads to. To stop her, Walker must find the magic first. TB 13613.

Brooks, Terry29

Antrax. 2002. Read by Tim Bruce, 13 hours 3 minutes. TB 14769. The voyage of the Jerle Shannara; book 2. Following the events in Ilse Witch, Walker Boh finds himself alone, caught in a dark maze beneath the ruined city of Castledown, stalked by a hungry, unseen enemy. Inhuman and old beyond reckoning, it commands ancient technologies and covets the magic of the living races. It is Antrax, and it traps the souls of men. TB 14769.

Bujold, Lois McMaster The warrior's apprentice. 1986. Read by Adam Henderson, 11 hours 2 minutes. TB 11187.After failing to pass the physicals for the Barrayaran Military Academy, the brittle-boned, dwarfish son of Cordelia and Aral Vorkosigan uses a clever touch of creativity to finance a shipment of munitions into a war zone. When this simple merchant expedition draws the attention of an unexpected enemy, Miles is forced to masquerade as commander of a fictional fleet of hired guns he names after the mountains near his home - the Dendarii Mercenaries. TB 11187.

Cabell, James Branch Jurgen: a comedy of justice. 1977. Read by Bruce Montague, 11 hours 23 minutes. TB 5503.An allegorical fantasy: a middle-aged pawnbroker-poet is allowed to regain his youth for a year of amorous adventures. He journeys through lands filled with a variety of beasts, alien gods and beautiful women, and an aura of the supernatural. Along the way he has an affair with Guenevere and confrontations with the Devil, with God and finally with a power beyond both. TB 5503.

Carter, Angela Heroes & villains. 1969. Read by Robert Gladwell, 7 hours 41 minutes. TB 1211.After the final war, professors and their families live in ivory towers; but Marianne finds this insufficient, and escapes with a marauding barbarian. With his people she finds life a strange and terrifying mixture of decaying culture and primitive existence. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 1211.

Carter, AngelaThe magic toyshop. 1967. Read by Anne White, 7 hours 36 minutes. TB 4749.Melanie is wrenched away from rural comfort when her parents die, and goes to live with distant London relations. Uncle Philip with his blank, loveless eyes broods over all those who live in the Magic Toyshop: dumb Aunt Margaret, gentle Francis and the red-haired, mysterious Finn. Fantasies, sexual and otherwise, merge with reality. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 4749.

Chippindale, Peter

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Laptop of the Gods: a millennium fable. 1998. Read by Conrad Hornby, 9 hours 58 minutes. TB 12159.It is December 1999 and, as the millennium approaches, all is not well in the Land of the Gods. The deities, bored out of their immortal skulls with the hapless earthlings in their charge, have become engrossed in their own petty squabbles. So when GOD, the computer running the universe, offers them the alternative of endless virtual reality games in Mega Retroland, they jump at this seductive chance to shrug off their responsibilities forever. Contains strong language. TB 12159.

Clarke, SusannaJonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. 2004. Read by David Thorpe, 34 hours 50 minutes. TB 14141.Centuries ago, when magic still existed in England, the greatest magician of all was the Raven King. Now at the beginning of the nineteenth century, he is barely more than a legend and England no longer believes in practical magic. Then the reclusive Mr Norrell appears and causes the statues of York Cathedral to speak and move. As news spreads of the return of magic he is persuaded to help the government in the war against Napolean. Whilst in London he meets a young magician and takes him as a pupil, but the partnership soon turns to rivalry. TB 14141.

Cornwell, Bernard The winter king: a novel of Arthur. 1996. Read by Edmund Dehn, 20 hours 48 minutes. TB 11227. The warlord chronicles series; book 1. Fifth century Britain lies on the edge of darkness, with the High King, Uther Pendragon, holding together the unruly kingdoms of Britain against the Saxon invaders. But the Pendragon is failing fast, and he has sent into exile the only other man who could hold the warring kingdoms together - Arthur, Merlin's protege and Uther's illegitimate son. One of his spearmen narrates the story of Arthur's return and of his quest for peace. TB 11227.

Croggon, AlisonThe gift. 2004. Read by Beverly Longhurst, 18 hours 1 minutes. TB 16250. Pellinor series; 1. Maerad is a slave in a desperate and unforgiving settlement, taken there as a child when her family is destroyed in war. She is unaware that she possesses a powerful gift, a gift that marks her as a member of the School of Pellinor. It is only when she is discovered by Cadvan, one of the great Bards of Lirigon, that her true heritage and extraordinary destiny unfolds. TB 16250.

Donaldson, Stephen Lord Foul's bane. 1996. Read by John Chancer, 20 hours 42 minutes. TB 12696. The chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the unbeliever series; book 1. He called himself Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever, because he dared not believe in the strange alternative world on which he suddenly found himself - the Land. But the Land

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tempted him. As a leper, in his own world he had been an outcast, unclean, a pariah. Now he was regarded as a saviour, the reincarnation of the Land's greatest hero - Berek Halfhand. Only the mystic powers of the white gold he carried could protect the Lords of the Land from the ancient evil of the Despiser, Lord Foul. Yet Thomas Covenant had no idea how those powers could be tapped... TB 12696.

Donaldson, Stephen The wounded land. 1996. Read by John Chancer, 23 hours 45 minutes. TB 13554. The second chronicles of Thomas Covenant series; book 1. Thomas Covenant returns unwillingly to a land ravaged by four thousand years of Lord Foul's pestilence. Under the evil Sunbane, the people of the Land submit to cruel sacrifices; the rulers of Revelstone are corrupt, the fields and forests laid waste; the healing Earth-power impotent. Accompanied by a woman from his own world, Covenant begins a new quest to save the Land from the forces that have all but destroyed it. TB 13554.

Eddings, DavidBelgarath the sorcerer. 2006. Read by Bob Rollett, 30 hours 30 minutes. TB 16165.Prequel to The Belgariad series. A headstrong orphan boy sets out to explore the land beyond his village. So begin the extraordinary adventures that will transform a young vagabond into a man, and the man into Belgarath, the great sorcerer learned in the Will and the Word on whom the fate of the world will depend. The monumental task of setting Destiny aright will cost Belgarath all that he holds most dear. As the instrument of Prophecy, his life will be seven thousand years long. He will become known to us as the Ancient One, the Old Wolf. And until now, he has been a figure of great mystery and hidden power. TB 16165.

Eddings, DavidPawn of prophecy. 2006. Read by Bob Rollett, 10 hours 31 minutes. TB 16191. The Belgariad series; book 1. Long ago, so the storyteller claimed, the evil god Torak sought dominion and drove men and gods to war. Belgarath the Sorceror led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the west. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe. TB 16191.

Eddings, DavidQueen of sorcery. 2006. Read by Bob Rollett, 13 hours 28 minutes. TB 16751. The Belgariad series; book 2. The master Sorcerer Belgarth and his daughter Polgara the arch-sorceress were on the trail of the Orb, seeking to regain it before the final disaster. With them went Garion, a simple farm boy only months before, but now in the focus of the struggle. He had never believed in sorcery and wanted no part of it. TB 16751.

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Eddings, DavidThe redemption of Althalus. 2000. Read by Hayward Morse, 23 hours 35 minutes. TB 13509.A bronze-age burglar, armed robber and sometime murderer, our hero Althalus is commissioned to steal a book by a mysterious cloaked stranger named Ghend. Althalus sets off to the House at the End of the World to steal it - after stealing Ghend's cloak. TB 13509.

Eddings, DavidGuardians of the West. 1987. Read by Andrew Cuthbert, 14 hours 12 minutes. TB 10540. Malloreon series; book 1. Eleven years have passed since the time of the Belgariad. Garion is Overlord of the West, coping with the duties of a king and the problems in his marriage to Ce'Nedra. When the Orb of Aldur warns "Beware Zandramas!" the Voice of Prophes reveals that, in the land of the East, the Dark Prophesy still exists. As Belgarath and Garion seek to uncover the threat, Garion's baby son is kidnapped. All evidence points to the Bear-cult, powerful once more, but all the while there are more sinister forces at work. TB 10540.

Eddings, David King of the Murgos. 1989. Read by Andrew Cuthbert, 15 hours 1 minute. TB 10743. Malloreon series; book 2. Garion, Ce'Nedra and their companions, including Belgarath and his daughter, continue their quest. Garion knows that the mysterious Zandramas is responsible for abducting his infant son and the band travels far and meets many strange things in the search for her. They traverse the foul swamps of Nyissa, ruled by the Snake-Queen, then the dark kingdom of the Murgos, where human sacrifices are still made to the dead god Torak. Further on, though, is the ultimate danger, not only to them, but to all mankind. TB 10743.

Eddings, David The diamond throne. 1989. Read by Bruce Montague, 16 hours 15 minutes. TB 8108. Elenium series; book 1. Sparhawk - Pandion Knight and Queen's Champion - returns from a long spell of exile to find his native land overrun with evil and intrigue and his young Queen grievously ill. But as Sparhawk and his allies seek to save Ethlana and the land, they discover that the evil is even greater and more pervasive than they had feared. TB 8108.

Eddings, David Domes of fire. 1992. Read by Bruce Montague, 19 hours 57 minutes. TB 9984. Tamuli series; book 1. Sparhawk returns to Elenia, where he and Ehlana are married, but their peaceful reign does not last long. In the Tamul empire unrest is brewing,

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threatening the nation's stability. The trouble is of paranormal origin, and suspicion falls on the Styrics, but prove unfounded, and the Styric magician Zalasta suggests that the empire looks to Sparhawk for a solution to its problems. TB 9984.

Eddings, David The shining ones. 1993. Read by Alan Gilchrist, 19 hours 20 minutes. TB 10600. Tamuli series; book 2. Prince Sparhawk is pledged to fight the enemies of the Tamul emperor, Sarabian with all the skill and cunning of a Pandion Knight. Meanwhile, his queen, Ehlana educates Sarabian in the art of ruthless statesmanship. Sarabian is no longer a puppet ruler but a formidable politician. Trolls, vampires, werewolves and zombies form a conspiracy to take over the empire and most disturbing of all are reported sightings of Shining Ones among the hordes. These luminous beings inspire more fear than the rest combined. Sparhawk and his companions must resurrect the sacred jewel of the Troll-Gods to combat them. TB 10600.

Feist, Raymond EMagician. 1997. Read by David Thorpe, 32 hours 44 minutes. TB 13574.Riftwar saga; book 1. An orphan boy, Pug, is apprenticed to a master magician and consequently the destinies of two worlds are changed. The peace of the Kingdom is destroyed when mysterious alien invaders swarm through the land. Pug's destiny is to lead him through a rift in the fabric of space and time to the mastery of the unimaginable powers of a strange new magic. TB 13574.

Feist, Raymond ESilverthorn. 2009. Read by David Thorpe, 15 hours 51 minutes. TB 16831. Riftwar saga; book 2. A poisoned bolt has struck down the Princess Anita on the day of her wedding to Prince Arutha of Krondor. To save his beloved, Arutha sets out in search of the mystic herb called Silverthorn that only grows in the dark and forbidding land of the Spellweavers. Accompanied by a mercenary, a minstrel, and a clever young thief, he will confront an ancient evil and do battle with the dark powers that threaten the enchanted realm of Midkemia. TB 16831.

Fforde, Jasper The Eyre affair. 2001. Read by Zoe Aldrich, 11 hours 18 minutes. TB 13208.Thursday Next series; book 1. Literary detective Thursday Next is pursuing the world's most evil man, who has kidnapped Jane Eyre in a display of literary vandalism. She must also assist her time-travelling father, marry the man she loves and discover the truth about bananas. Contains strong language. TB 13208.

Fforde, JasperLost in a good book. 2002. Read by Beth Chalmers, 11 hours 41 minutes. TB 13577.

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Thursday Next series; book 2. Having barely caught her breath after 'The Eyre Affair', literary detective Thursday Next heads back into fiction to search for some answers. Along the way she finds herself helping Miss Havisham close narrative loopholes in 'Great Expectations' and struggling for a deeper understanding of 'The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies'. Paper politicians, lost Shakespearean manuscripts, woolly mammoth migrations, a flurry of near-fatal coincidences, and impending Armageddon are all part of a great plan - but whose, and why? Contains strong language. TB 13577.

Fforde, JasperThe Well of Lost Plots. 2004. Read by Kate Rawson, 13 hours 24 minutes. TB 16666.Thursday Next series; book 3. Pursued by a sinister multinational corporation and an evil genius with a penchant for clothes shopping and memory modification, literary detective Thursday Next is on the run. Take refuge in the Well of Lost Plots - the place where all fiction is created - Thursday ponders her next move from inside an unpublished novel. Contains strong language. TB 16666.

Foster, Alan DeanThe hour of the gate. 1984. Read by Arthur Blake, 9 hours 10 minutes. TB 8485. Spellsinger series; book 2. Sequel to: Spellsinger, TB 7338. John Meriweather, plucked from his own world to a place where animals walk, talk and cast spells, is pitted once more against a deadly foe. Now he and his strange fellowship must embark on a journey from which none have returned. TB 8485.

Gaiman, Neil Good omens: the nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, witch. 1991. Read by Jonathan Oliver, 13 hours 41 minutes. TB 13479.Taking a cynical look at the horror genre, this book features Crowley and Aziraphale, two friends who attempt to prevent the prophesised Armageddon. When the Antichrist is born they divert him from his original home at the American Embassy to Tadfield, where he grows into an unkempt individual. TB 13479.

Gibbons, Alan Rise of the blood moon. 2007. Read by John Telfer, 11 hours 26 minutes. TB 16349. Darkwing series; book 1. It has always been this way. The Helati are slaves. Each month, at the full moon, they are expelled to face the demon host, the Lost Souls. But something has changed in the fabric of the times. The demons are controlled by a new master, the Darkwing. Now the danger is permanent, the horror incessant. In a southern port, however, a fourteen year old slave girl, oblivious of her destiny, holds the key to ending the nightmare of the Lost Souls. But will she ever understand the secret that is hidden deep in her memory, the secret of the Black Tower? TB 16349.

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Gibbons, AlanSetting of a cruel sun. 2008. Read by John Telfer, 9 hours 22 minutes. TB 16715. Darkwing; series 2. The Helat rebels have broken the power of the demon lord and challenged the rule of their masters, the Sol-ket. But the Darkwing is merely in retreat, biding his time, and the Sol-ket will fight to their last breath to keep control of their golden cities. The power of the slaves is mounting as they rise to fulfil once-forbidden prophecies. When the Darkwing returns for his final onslaught, is anyone, soldier or slave, equipped to defeat him - especially as the cruel sun sets, beckoning relentless winter? TB 16715.

Greenberg, Martin Harry After the king: stories in honour of J R R Tolkien. 1992. Read by Jonathan Oliver and Lorelei King, 21 hours 3 minutes. TB 10572.Tolkien is acknowledged to be the modern master of fantasy. This book is a celebration and a tribute to his lasting influence; a collection of magical and powerful tales from leading fantasy writers, including Poul and Karen Anderson, John Brunner, Charles Delint, Stephen R Donaldson, Craig Shaw Gardener, Patricia A McKilip, Andre Norton, Terry Pratchett, Robert Silverberg, Jane Yolen and many others. TB 10572.

Holdstock, Robert Lavondyss. 1988. Read by Arthur Blake, 15 hours 52 minutes. TB 7664. Mythago series; book 2. Sequel to: Mythago Wood, TB 6241. After enchantingly leading the reader through the magical world of Mythago Wood, Robert Holdstock draws us closer to the ultimate realm of Lavondyss. Tallis Keeton, grand-daughter of Owen Keeton, is the voyager into the unknown region, where forces such as White Mask are in control. TB 7664.

Holt, Tom In your dreams. 2004. Read by Raymond Sawyer, 17 hours 32 minutes. TB 13861.Paul Carpenter series; book 2. Sequel to: The portable door, TB 13638. Ever been offered a promotion that seems too good to be true? You know - the sort they'd be insane to be offering to someone like you. The kind where you snap their arm off to accept it, then wonder why your long serving colleagues look secretly relieved, as if they're off some strange and unpleasant hook... It's the kind of trick deeply sinister companies like J W Wells and Co. pull all the time. Especially with employees who are too busy mooning over the office intern to think about what they're getting into. And it's why, right about now, Paul Carpenter is wishing he'd paid much less attention to the gorgeous Melze, and rather more to a little bit of small-print referring to 'pest' control. Contains strong language. TB 13861.

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Earth, air, fire and custard. 2005. Read by Raymond Sawyer, 19 hours 6 minutes. TB 14064.Paul Carpenter; book 3. J. W. Wells seems a respectable establishment, but the company now paying Paul Carpenter's salary is in fact a deeply sinister organisation with a mighty peculiar agenda. Since he graduated from office junior to clerk, he has wrestled with goblins, travelled hundreds of miles in the blink of an eye and spent hours doing dangerous office admin. He thought he was getting the hang of it, but a fate worse than death and filing awaits. There is always a bright side. Paul just has to find it. Contains strong language. TB 14064.

Horwood, William Seekers at the WulfRock. 1997. Read by Robbie McNab, 20 hours 11 minutes. TB 11380.The wolves of time series; book 2. Sequel to: Journeys to the heartland, TB 10958. The Wolves of Time have taken back the Heartland, defeating the Magyar wolves. Their first cubs have been raised, one of whom is the god Wolf. But as the Magyars regain their strength and the Mennen enter a phase of war that threatens Europe, the Wolves lose their spiritual direction. Each species must make its separate journey to the WulfRock, to play out the dramatic events decreed by destiny. Contains strong language. TB 11380.

Jacques, BrianRedwall. 1990. Read by Gene Foad, 13 hours 11 minutes. TB 7776.Redwall series; book 1. It is the start of the Summer of the Late Rose. Redwall Abbey, peaceful home of a community of mice, slumbers in the warmth of a summer afternoon. The mice are busy preparing for a great Jubilee feast. But not for long. Cluny is coming! The evil one-eyed rat warlord is advancing with his battle-scarred mob. And Cluny wants Redwall ... TB 7776.

Jones, Gwyneth A Bold as love. 2002. Read by Lucy Scott, 12 hours 27 minutes. TB 13592.It's Dissolution Summer and as the United Kingdom prepares to break up into separate nations, the Counterculturals have gathered for a festival where everything's allowed. Among them is talented Fiorinda, rock and roll princess by birth searching for her father. Contains strong language. TB 13592.

Jordan, Robert The Conan chronicles 1. 1996. Read by Ian Redford, 22 hours 8 minutes. TB 13803.Less than nineteen years old, and new to the snares and enticements of civilization, the young Conan must join forces with Karela, a dangerously seductive female bandit, to storm the palace of the evil necromancer Amanar and confront the dreaded Eater of Souls. Contains violence. TB 13803.

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Jordan, Robert The eye of the world. 2003. Read by Hayward Morse, 31 hours 50 minutes. TB 14221. The wheel of time series; book 1. As time marches on, and ages come and go, memories are left that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth returns. In the third Age of Prophecy, the World and Time hang in the balance. TB 14221.

Jordan, RobertThe great hunt. 1992. Read by Hayward Morse, 29 hours 57 minutes. TB 15984. The wheel of time; book 2.The Forsaken are loose, the Horn of Valere has been found and the Dead are rising from their dreamless sleep. The prophecies are being fulfilled but Rand al'Thor, the shepherd the Aes Sedai have proclaimed as the Dragon Reborn, desperately seeks to escape his destiny. But Rand cannot run forever. With every passing day the Dark One grows in strength and strives to shatter his ancient prison, to break the Wheel, to bring and end to Time and sunder the weave of the Pattern. TB 15984.

King, Stephen The Gunslinger. 1988. Read by Bruce Montague, 6 hours 55 minutes. TB 7562. The dark tower series; book 1. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." So begins the first novel in this epic story inspired by the poem Childe Roland. The gunslinger moved steadily on his destined path for beyond the hazards of the way - the crazed seer, the speaking demon, the slow mutants and the undead boy - he would hear on the night that was ten years long, of the Dark Tower. TB 7562.

King, Stephen The drawing of the three. 1992. Read by Jack Roberts, 14 hours 9 minutes. TB 10673.The dark tower series; book 2. The gunslinger came alone to the endless shore of the Western sea, here to find, amid the menace of the flesh eating lobstrosities, the doorways between void and void through which he must draw the three, Three from our world: the Prisoner, trapped between dread and desire; the Lady of Shadows, who herself is three; the Pusher, instrument of death and salvation. Roland is no longer the last gunslinger, but one of the last three, who will sing their names from the dark tower. Contains strong language. TB 10673.

Le Guin, Ursula KMalafrena. 1979. Read by Robert Gladwell, 17 hours 41 minutes. TB 3713.

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In Orsinia, in the 1820s, Itale Sorde, heir to a big estate is full of idealistic zeal to join the radical movement. He is imprisoned, caught up in the fight on the barricades and returns broken to his father's estate. TB 3713.

Le Guin, Ursula K The Earthsea trilogy. 1979. Read by David Banks, 19 hours 56 minutes. TB 8086. Earthsea. As long ago as forever and as far away as Selidor, there lived the dragonlord and Archmage, Sparrowhark, the greatest of the wizards - he who, when still a youth, met with the evil shadow-beast; he who later brought back the Ring of Erreth-Akbe from the Tombs of Atuan. TB 8086.

McCaffrey, AnneDragonflight. 1998. Read by Laura Bratton, 10 hours 20 minutes. TB 12606. Pern series; book 1. A planet protected from deadly spores by fire-breathing dragons and human partners, Pern is a former colony of Earth which has lost much of its knowledge of science and history. TB 12606.

McCaffrey, Anne Dragonquest. 1982. Read by Karen Cass, 11 hours 50 minutes. TB 14452.Pern series; book 2. The silver Threads began falling again. The dragonriders took to the skies and their flying dragons swirled in space, belching flames that destroyed the strands before they reached the ground. But F'lar knew he had to find it before the rebellious Oldtimers could breed any more dissent - and before his brother launched another suicide mission. TB 14452.

McCaffrey, Anne The crystal singer. 1983. Read by Nina Holloway, 13 hours 39 minutes. TB 8122. Crystal series; book 1. "Killashandra listened, the words like cold bombs dropping with leaden fatality into her frozen belly. She stared at the Maestro's famous profile as his lips opened and shut around the words that meant the death of all her hopes and ambitions, and so rendered wasted ten years of hard work and study." So begins the prelude to a crystal song in the world of Ballybran with its mountain ranges of crystal and its brave, beautiful, tragic people ... the Crystal Singers. TB 8122.

McCaffrey, Anne Killashandra. 1986. Read by Stanley McGeagh, 12 hours 13 minutes. TB 6447. Crystal series; book 2. Beautiful Killashandra Ree is sent to the planet of Optheria to repair a sensitive crystal organ. But, unknown to her hosts, she is also on a secret mission to report on the poor human rights record of the Optherian government. Although she is closely guarded, she is maliciously wounded in a knife attack and abducted by mysterious captors ...TB 6447

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Meyer, StephenieTwilight. 2007. Read by Jennifer Woodward, 14 hours 18 minutes. TB 16220. Twilight series; book 1. When 17 year old Isabella Swan moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father she expects that her new life will be as dull as the town. But in spite of her awkward manner and low expectations, she finds that her new classmates are drawn to this pale, dark-haired new girl in town. But not, it seems, the Cullen family. These five adopted brothers and sisters obviously prefer their own company and will make no exception for Bella. Bella is convinced that Edward Cullen in particular hates her, but she feels a strange attraction to him. He seems determined to push her away, until, that is, he saves her life from an out of control car. TB 16220.

Meyer, StephenieNew moon. 2007. Read by Jennifer Woodward, 15 hours 32 minutes. TB 16565. Twilight series; book 2. Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. TB 16565.

Meyer, StephenieEclipse. 2008. Read by Jennifer Woodward, Read by Laurence Dobiesz, 17 hours 6 minutes. TB 16566. Twilight series; book 3. Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision could ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. TB 16566.

Meyer, StephenieBreaking dawn. 2008. Read by Jennifer Woodward, 21 hours 33 minutes. TB 16567. Twilight series; book 4. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, Bella Swan has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs. Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. TB 16567.

Miles, RosalindGuenevere: the queen of the summer country. 1999. Read by Penelope Freeman, 20 hours 43 minutes. TB 12247.

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Guenevere trilogy series; book 1. Following the sudden, violent death of her mother, the young Guenevere faces with trepidation the prospect of becoming Queen of the Summer Country. Plots are afoot to weaken her powers by seeking her hand in marriage. Contains passages of a sexual nature. TB 12247.

Moorcock, Michael The chronicles of Castle Brass. 1985. Read by David Banks, 14 hours 17 minutes. TB 6024. Hawkmoon series. Four years after the battle of Londra and the destruction of the Dark Empire, Castle Brass is rebuilt in the wild marshlands of the Kamarg, and there Dorian Hawkmoor lives with his family. Suddenly their peaceful life is interrupted when old enemies from Hawkmoor's past appear, forcing him to battle once more against the forces of evil. TB 6024.

Murakami, Haruki Kafka on the shore. 2006. Read by Various Narrators, 19 hours 20 minutes. TB 15699.The story follows the fortunes of two remarkable characters. Kafka Tamura runs away from home at fifteen, under the shadow of his father's dark prophecy. The ageing Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood accident, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down. Their parallel odysseys - as mysterious to them as they are to the reader - are enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerising dramas. Cats converse with people; fish tumble in storms from the sky; a ghostlike pimp deploys a Hegel-spouting girl of the night; a forest harbours soldiers apparently un-aged since WWII. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle. TB 15699.

Nicholson, WilliamThe wind singer. 2000. Read by Charlotte Strevens, 8 hours 41 minutes. TB 14059. The wind on fire series; book 1. In the walled city state of Aramanth, exams are everything. When Kestrel Hath dares to rebel, the Chief Examiner humiliates her father and sentences the whole family to the harshest punishment. Desperate to save them, Kestrel learns the secret of the wind singer, and she and her twin brother, Bowman, set out on a terrifying journey to the true source of evil that grips Aramanth. TB 14059.

Nicholson, WilliamSlaves of the Mastery. 2002. Read by Charlotte Strevens, 10 hours 37 minutes. TB 14365. The wind on fire series; book 2. When the ruthless soldiers of the Mastery strike, the city is burned, and the Manth people are taken into slavery. Kestrel Hath is left behind, separated from her beloved brother Bowman, and vowing revenge. Kestrel

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must find Bowman again, and Bowman must learn the secrets of the Singer people. Only then will they break the power of the Mastery. TB 14365.

Nicholson, WilliamFiresong. 2002. Read by Charlotte Strevens, 10 hours 3 minutes. TB 14395. The wind on fire series; book 3. It is the time of cruelty. The Manth people have left the ruined Mastery to seek their homeland, in the face of starvation, blizzards and the evil of the Morah. Only Ira Hath can lead them there. She grows weak... Kestrel dreads reaching the homeland. She is afraid of what it will mean for her mother and of something else. Bowman eagerly awaits the summons from Sirene. He prepares to make the final sacrifice for his people, his family. But first he must be trained by the great Albard. All the while, the wind is rising...TB 14395.

Niffenegger, Audrey The time traveler's wife. 2005. Read by Russell Bentley and Sarah Mennell, 17 hours 58 minutes. TB 13998.This novel is the story of Clare and Henry who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. His disappearances are spontaneous and his experiences are alternately harrowing and amusing. The Time Traveller's Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare's passionate love for each other with grace and humour. Their struggle to lead normal lives in the face of a force they can neither prevent nor control is intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. Contains strong language. TB 13998.

Peake, Mervyn Titus Groan. 1968. Read by Malcolm Ruthven, 19 hours 55 minutes. TB 5596. Gormenghast series; book 1. First book of the Gormenghast trilogy, a witch's brew of Gothic imagination and a dark vein of poetry, as the 77th Earl of crumbling Gormenghast grapples with the curse of his birthright. Titus Groan, the ugly child with violet eyes, is born, and the sinister Steerpike begins his climb to power. TB 5596.

Peake, Mervyn Gormenghast. 1950. Read by Malcolm Ruthven, 20 hours 10 minutes. TB 5597. Gormenghast series; book 2. The second book in Mervyn Peake's fantastic Titus trilogy, widely acclaimed as a unique imaginative achievement. Titus is seven, heir to Gormenghast and all its inhabitants - the most dominant being Steerpike who began his climb across the roofs when Titus was born, and who now ascends the spiral staircase of Gormenghast's soul. TB 5597.

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Titus alone. 1970. Read by Malcolm Ruthven, 9 hours 38 minutes. TB 5598. Gormenghast series; book 3. Titus rebels against the intolerable age-old ritual of which he is both lord and prisoner, and runs headlong into a strange and stormy world which has its own nightmare logic. TB 5598.

Pratchett, Terry The carpet people. 1993. Read by John Cormack, 4 hours 32 minutes. TB 9960.In the beginning was endless flatness. Then came the carpet, now home to many different tribes and people and there's a new story in the making. The story of Fray, sweeping a trail of destruction across the carpet; the story of power hungry mouls and of two Munrung brothers, setting out on an adventure to end all adventures when their village is flattened. It's a story that will come to a terrible end if someone doesn't do something about it. TB 9960.

Pratchett, Terry The colour of magic. 1985. Read by Nigel Planer, 6 hours 31 minutes. TB 10524. Discworld series; book 1. On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them and, of course, the edge of the planet. TB 10524.

Pratchett, TerryThe light fantastic. 1986. Read by Nigel Planer, 7 hours 30 minutes. TB 10668. Discworld series; book 2. As it moves towards a seemingly inevitable collision with a malevolent red star, the Discworld has only one possible saviour. Unfortunately, this happens to be the singularly inept and cowardly wizard called Rincewind, who was last seen hanging over the edge of the world. TB 10668.

Pratchett, TerryThe dark side of the sun. 2007. Read by Stephen Briggs, 4 hours 53 minutes. TB 14953.Dom Salabos has a lot of advantages. As heir to a huge fortune he has an excellent robot servant (with Man-Friday subciruitry), a planet (the First Syrian Bank) as a godfather and a secuirty chief who even death is not always fatal. Things just couldn't be better. Why then, in an age when prediction is a science, is his future in doubt? TB 14953.

Prue, SallyCold Tom. 2008. Read by Paul McGann, 3 hours 21 minutes. TB 15615.When Tom has to run away from the Tribe and the common where he has lived all his life, he escapes to the city of the demons, full of chariots and houses and noises. The demons are so different from the Tribe, with their clumsy ways and their coarse, loud

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voices - Tom doesn't want anything to do with them. And he certainly doesn't need their help, because he is wild and free, and won't rely on anyone for anything. But he does need somewhere to hide. And he soon finds that, just because he's not interested in the demons, it doesn't mean the demons aren't interested in him. TB 15615.

Pullman, PhilipNorthern lights. 1998. Read by David Thorpe, 12 hours 7 minutes. TB 13475. His dark materials trilogy; book 1. When Lyra's friend Roger disappears, she and her daemon, Pantalaimon, determine to find him. Their quest leads them to the bleak splendour of the North where a team of scientists are conducting unspeakably horrible experiments. But something more perilous awaits Lyra. TB 13475.

Pullman, Philip The subtle knife. 1998. Read by David Thorpe, 9 hours 56 minutes. TB 13522. His dark materials trilogy; book 2. Will is twelve years old and he's just killed a man. Now he's on his own, on the run, determined to discover the truth about his father's disappearance. Then Will steps through a window in the air into another world, and finds himself with a companion - a strange, savage little girl called Lyra. Like Will, she has a mission which she intends to carry out at all costs. TB 13522.

Pullman, PhilipThe amber spyglass. 2000. Read by David Thorpe, 16 hours 57 minutes. TB 13535. His dark materials trilogy; book 3. Will is the bearer of the knife. Now, accompanied by angels, his task is to deliver that powerful, dangerous weapon to Lord Asriel - by the command of his dying father. TB 13535.

Rankin, RobertThe dance of the voodoo handbag. 1998. Read by Gareth Jameson, 7 hours 28 minutes. TB 16677.The story of Billy, whose Grandmother left him the "voodoo handbag" in her will, after he had sold her soul to science. The tales it told Billy would change his life for ever - and the lives of other people too. TB 16677.

Rowling, J K The tales of Beedle the bard. 2008. Read by Steve Hodson, Beth Chalmers and Jacqueline King, 1 hour 42 minutes. TB 16171.Each of the five tales in this book reveals a lesson befitting children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all of us. Rowling's new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has taken from the Tales. TB 16171.

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Rowling, J K Harry Potter and the deathly hallows. 2007. Read by Stephen Fry, 24 hours. TB 14957. Harry Potter series; book 7. Sequel to: Harry Potter and the half-blood Prince, TB 14301. In the seventh and final instalment of Harry Potter's adventures, Harry is burdened with a dark and dangerous task of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. Harry must find the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of The Burrow and follow the inexorable path laid out for him. TB 14957.

Stewart, Mary The prince and the pilgrim. 1995. Read by Richard Mitchley, 7 hours 2 minutes. TB 10768.Alexander, nephew of the murderous King March of Cornwall, sets out on a journey to Camelot in search of justice. But his path leads him to Morgan le Fay, the evil focus of opposition to the High King Arthur. Alice has always accompanied her widowed father on pilgrimages, but on this journey they find themselves carrying a young fugitive overseas to safety. With him goes a precious cup, which brings the prince and the pilgrim together to find what they were really seeking: love. TB 10768.

Stross, Charles Halting state. 2008. Read by Sally Armstrong, 12 hours 19 minutes. TB 16123.In the year 2018, Sergeant Sue Smith of the Edinburgh constabulary is called in on a special case. A daring bank robbery has taken place at Hayek Associates, a dot-com startup company that's just been floated on the London stock exchange. The suspects are a band of marauding orcs, with a dragon in tow for fire support, and the bank is located within the virtual reality land of Avalon Four. For Smith, the investigation seems pointless. But she soon realizes that the virtual world may have a devastating effect in the real one-and that someone is about to launch an attack upon both... Contains strong language. TB 16123.

Taylor, G P Wormwood. 2004. Read by Stuart Crossman, 11 hours 55 minutes. TB 14157.It is London, 1756. In his Bloomsbury attic sits Dr Sabian Black - astronomer, scientist, and master of the Cabala. Dr Blake is in possession of the Nemorensis, an ancient leather-bound book that holds the secrets of the universe. Scribbled into one of its margins is a mysterious prophecy, and deciphering it could prove the key to saving London from a catastrophic fate. But there are others interested in the Nemorensis too, for more sinister reasons. Contains violence. TB 14157.

Tolkien, J R R

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Unfinished tales of N'umenor and Middle-earth. 1991. Read by Rob Inglis, 18 hours. TB 10180.A collection of narratives ranging in time from the Elder Days of Middle Earth to the end of the War of the Ring, comprising such elements as Gandalf's account of how he sent the Dwarves to the party at Bag-End, the emergence of the sea god, Ulmo, and a description of the military organisation of the Rider of Rohan. The book contains the only story that survived from the long ages of Numenor before its downfall, and all that is known of the Five Wizards, the Palantiri, or the legend of Amroth. TB 10180.

Tolkien, J R RThe Hobbit, or, there and back again. 1937. Read by Gabriel Woolf, 10 hours. TB 2574.First book in Bilbo's adventure. Now a classic children's story, this is a tale of high adventure undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner on this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving, unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar. As well as supremely exciting incidents, though, there are homelier moments: good fellowship and welcome meals along the road, laughter and song, and all "the freshness of an early world". The hobbit is also a prelude to The Lord of the Rings. TB 2574.

Tolkien, J R R The two towers: being the second part of The Lord of the Rings. 1999. Read by David Banks, 17 hours 16 minutes. TB 14593.The lord of the rings series; book 2. Sequel to: The fellowship of the ring, TB 14529. A saga of dwarves, elves, and fierce goblins of long ago, and the story of Frodo, who, through the Ring, sets out to save his world from evil. TB 14593.

Tolkien, J R R. The return of the king: being the third part of The Lord of the Rings. 1999. Read by David Banks, 21 hours 16 minutes. TB 14660. The lord of the rings; book 3. A saga of dwarves, elves and fierce goblins of long ago, and the story of Frodo, who, through the Ring, sets out to save his world from evil. TB 14660.

Tolstoy, NikolaiThe coming of the king. 1988. Read by Ray Jones, 32 hours 43 minutes. TB 7575.The kings of Britain have ceased their warring and are assembling their forces for the last great battle that will sweep the heathen back into the sea and make their country free and mighty again. Ahead of their host goes Merlin, at once child and man, poet and demi-god, travelling alone to read the runes of the heavens and the seas - a visionary epic of the Dark Ages. TB 7575.

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Twain, Mark A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court. 1998. Read by Jeff Harding, 13 hours 55 minutes. TB 13502. What began as a literary burlesque of British chivalry and culture grew into a disturbing satire of modern technology and social thought. The story of Hank Morgan, a 19th-century American who is accidentally returned to 6th-century England, is a powerful analysis of such issues as monarchy versus democracy and free will versus determinism, but it is also one of Twain's comic novel. TB 13502.

White, JohnThe sword bearer. 1992. Read by Nigel Carrington, 9 hours 1 minute. TB 10580. The archives of Anthropos series; book 1. On his thirteenth birthday, John finds himself transported to the land of Anthropos. He is startled to be hailed as the Sword Bearer, Slayer of the Goblin Prince. TB 10580.

Winterson, JeanetteSexing the cherry. 1990. Read by Multiple narrators, 5 hours 32 minutes. TB 8943.In 17th century England, Jordan is found abandoned in the slime of the River Thames and adopted by the Dog Woman. Together they witness the Civil War, the execution of King Charles and the Great Plague. All these events occur alongside an extravagant fantasy where 12 dancing princesses systematically murder their husbands and families live suspended from ceilings. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 8943.

Woolf, Virginia Orlando. 1990. Read by Norma West, 8 hours 54 minutes. TB 9833.A biography like no other, its central character's life spans three centuries and encompasses many altering circumstances, including a change of sex. We see Orlando as a dashing young man at the courts of Elizabeth I and Charles II, as a young woman in the London of Addison and Pope, taking tea with Dr Johnson, and driving down Regent Street in 1928. TB 9833.

If you have read a book you particularly enjoyed (or didn't enjoy) and want to share your thoughts with other readers, visit the new RNIB Readers Forum at www . rnib . org . uk / booktalk and post your review on the Forum".

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