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The Original
The Original
Hugo Award–winning authors Brandon Sanderson and Mary Robinette Kowal team up in this exclusive audio-first
production of The Original, a sci-fi thriller set in a world where one woman fights to know her true identity and survive
the forces that threaten her very existence. In the near future, humans choose life—for a price. Injectable nanite technology is the lifeblood that flows through every individual wishing to experience the world through the
lens of their own theme. While death from mortal wounds is still possible, life is made easier in a socially liberated society where
automation and income equality allow passion pursuits to flourish over traditional work. Renewal stations are provided to every
law-abiding citizen for weekly check-ins, which issue life-sustaining repairs in exchange for personal privacy. But what becomes
of those who check out, of those who dare to resist immortality and risk being edited under the gaze of an identity-extracting
government surveillance system? When Holly Winseed wakes up in a hospital room, her memory compromised and a new identity imposed on her, a team of
government agents wastes no time stating their objective. With intent to infiltrate and defeat the terrorist group ICON, the agents
tell Holly that she is now a Provisional Replica and has one week to hunt down and kill her Original for the murder of her husband,
Jonathan. If she succeeds, she'll assume her Original's place in society. If she fails, her life will end. Holly's progress is monitored by an assigned contact that feeds her information as she confronts the blank, robotic world
around her, discovering that others view life through the theme of their own choosing. With her newly implanted combat and
deduction skills, Holly fends off both attacks by terrorists and doubts about her own trustworthiness as clues lead her to her
Original—and to the truth about Jonathan. In the end, one body remains and one walks away. Although questions persist, one thing is certain: life will never be the same.
Hugo Award–winning authors Brandon Sanderson and Mary Robinette Kowal team up in this exclusive audio-first
production of The Original, a sci-fi thriller set in a world where one woman fights to know her true identity and survive
the forces that threaten her very existence. In the near future, humans choose life—for a price. Injectable nanite technology is the lifeblood that flows through every individual wishing to experience the world through the
lens of their own theme. While death from mortal wounds is still possible, life is made easier in a socially liberated society where
automation and income equality allow passion pursuits to flourish over traditional work. Renewal stations are provided to every
law-abiding citizen for weekly check-ins, which issue life-sustaining repairs in exchange for personal privacy. But what becomes
of those who check out, of those who dare to resist immortality and risk being edited under the gaze of an identity-extracting
government surveillance system? When Holly Winseed wakes up in a hospital room, her memory compromised and a new identity imposed on her, a team of
government agents wastes no time stating their objective. With intent to infiltrate and defeat the terrorist group ICON, the agents
tell Holly that she is now a Provisional Replica and has one week to hunt down and kill her Original for the murder of her husband,
Jonathan. If she succeeds, she'll assume her Original's place in society. If she fails, her life will end. Holly's progress is monitored by an assigned contact that feeds her information as she confronts the blank, robotic world
around her, discovering that others view life through the theme of their own choosing. With her newly implanted combat and
deduction skills, Holly fends off both attacks by terrorists and doubts about her own trustworthiness as clues lead her to her
Original—and to the truth about Jonathan. In the end, one body remains and one walks away. Although questions persist, one thing is certain: life will never be the same.
Reviews-
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In this audio-first thriller narrated by Julia Whelan, Holly Winseed awakens to two startling facts: She's a clone, and her original murdered her husband. With the clock ticking, Holly attempts to determine why her husband was killed, only to find she has been swept up into something much larger. Whelan shifts between character voices with aplomb while maintaining the fast-moving narrative. The central mystery and near-future technology capture the imagination right off the bat. Subtle sound effects heighten the tension, while tingly music underscores dramatic moments. Whelan's performance of this sci-fi mystery is brimming with emotional voices that compel one to keep listening. J.M.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
