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Learn moreEx-astronaut turned physicist Keith Stoner knew that the fiery object hurtling toward the Earth was an alien spacecraft—but the world might never know. He was trapped in an iron cordon of secrecy, for the discovery had set off a brutal power struggle among the elite, raging from the sacred halls of the Vatican to the corridors of the Kremlin and the Pentagon. Each nation wanted to be the first to contact the aliens, to learn their superior technology. The forces of fear and treachery would use any weapon at their command—from mind war to sabotage—to keep the world in darkness.
Aided by a brilliant Soviet linguist and a lovely young student, Stoner planned a desperate mission—a wild, heart-stopping gamble to preserve the legacy of the star voyager for all mankind.
Ben Bova (1932–2020), American author of more than one hundred books of science fact and fiction, was awarded posthumously the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award. His work earned six Hugo Awards. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation in 2005, and his novel Titan won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for the best science fiction novel of 2006. In his early career, he was a technical editor for Project Vanguard, the United States’s first effort to launch a satellite into space in 1958. He then was a science writer for Avco Everett Research Laboratory, which built the heat shields for the Apollo 11 module. He held the position of president emeritus of the National Space Society and served as president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than three thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than three hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.
Reviews
“Superior…the most affecting first contact narrative I’ve ever heard or read. I couldn’t help but to play [it] again immediately upon finishing…Stefan Rudnicki continues to impress with this narration.”
“Stefan Rudnicki’s mastery of accents is showcased in this production. His characterization is vivid, and the interaction between the characters is intense and fast paced. He draws out the undercurrent of Cold War tension between the Soviets and the Americans, which contrasts with the trust and collegiality that develops on the mission.”
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