Thursday Thrillers: Alien: Out of the Shadows by Tim Lebbon- The Audible Cinematic Experience

 

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,

   If you are a science fiction fan you cannot be alive without knowing about the Alien franchise of the past thirty-plus years. When Sigourney Weaver first appeared on screen as Ellen Ripley, we knew that one of the most courageous heroines was just introduced to audiences. Over the years went by fans were given comics, novels, toys, and several movies. In 2016, Audible announced that it would be adapting some novels into full-cast dramatic presentations. 

    The first noticeable Audible tale was taken from the 2014 novel, Out of the Shadows by Tim Lebbon, released on Alien Day April 26, 2016. Of notable stars included were Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner), Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter series), and voice-over actress extraordinaire, Laurel Lefkow, as Ripley. The four-hour-plus adaptation also featured special effect sounds and original music. It became an instant bestseller in audiobooks, earning much attention from the media. Being an Alien fan, of course, I had to buy the audio presentation. I read the book in 2014 and loved it. Now it was time to experience this amazing novel in a new way.
 
  Occurring thirty-seven years after the original Alien, Out of the Shadows tells us the story of what happened between Alien and Aliens. It introduces us to the crew of the Marion, a mining ship on a job for Weyland-Utani Corporation. They are experiencing nothing too out of the ordinary until a recorded message mentioning a ship, called Nostromo, begins to come in over the comm. But that is soon overshadowed when distress calls from both of Marion's drop-ships begin to be received from the surface of LV-178. The message: unknown hostile creatures have attacked and killed many of the crew members of the drop-ships, Samson and Delilah. But even worse the ships are on a return course to the Marion. When the ships begin to approach, the Delilah crashes into the Marion, while the Samson is docked successfully and quarantined.

  Also approaching is the Narcissus, an escape vessel from the Nostromo. Once the ship docks the remaining crew members of the Marion come face to face with Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley, the heroine of the first Alien film. Revived and briefed on their situation, Ripley fills the crew of the Marion in on what they are dealing with as Xenomorphs begin to overrun the ship. After the skepticism is set aside by the crew, Ripley works with them to form a plan to not only escape the doomed Marion but to destroy an old adversary that has surprisingly managed to return.

  I thought that the actors chosen to portray the characters were expertly assigned. The one that impressed me the most was Laurel Lefkow's Ripley. She sounded exactly like Sigourney Weaver. Rutger Hauer plays the main villain with a devious glee in his voice. The novel had many one-liners that broke up the tension of the story. Thankfully, they are all intact with this production. I was engrossed from start to finish with this production. Dirk Maggs' direction was paced very well, with music and sound effect placement excellently placed. I jumped several times and laughed, as well. 

    This canonized story is fast-paced, filled with chills, and a heart-pounding adventure that had me breathless. It carefully fits between Alien and Aliens, never ruining the series' continuity. Lebbon's writing captures the personality of Ellen Ripley perfectly, and his narrative for the main villain is often chilling.

  I gave this audiobook four out of five stars. This is one story that does not disappoint.

   Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.

 

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 All written content (c) Copyright 2023 by Thomas Bahr II

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