Appeals to game players across generations

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Clever compelling story that appealed to me due to the retro gaming references even though I don't normally like sci-fi. My teenage son also thoroughly enjoyed it

What was one of the most memorable moments of Bedlam?

The revelation of what actually happening to the main character - thought provoking.

What does Angus King bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

A great interpretation that fit well with the dry sometimes black humour of Brookmyre's work

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Compelling story

Any additional comments?

Recommended to anyone who has played video games in recent years

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1 person found this helpful

Great book for The British only, Oh yeh.

Would you consider the audio edition of Bedlam to be better than the print version?

I do not read books these days, I only listen, (poor eye sight), so I am unable to make the comparison. However, I found the audio version a hoot and enjoyed it immensly.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ross, Bedlam of course. The way he slowly and methodically worked his way through his dilema and arrived at the final solution. His reaction to various situations and voiced opinions would have made any scotsman proud.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Stiffing it to Ankuu in the final third of the book. Made me feel realy proud that our hero not only was working from the outside but also from the inside. Double payback, oh yeh. How many times you ever would have wanted to do that

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The author definately aimed it at the British audience with all the (in) jokes and references that our international audience would have simply been unable to understand. Being a Brit of course I laughed and groned at the suble and not so subtle very British references. I certainly laghed and cryed at the right times. Poor Bob!!!

Any additional comments?

For a change no Americanisms that seem to be entering our language. Don't get me wrong I like Americans and their books. It's just nice for a change to have a book aimed just for the British. Well done the author and narrator for a very entertaing book.

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2 people found this helpful

a ok

this genre is right up my alley, and the story premise is good, but I found this book slow, at times irritating and only being interesting towards the end.
narration was OK. I love Scottish accent and narrator's done an alright job here, but sometimes it felt like he fell into a rut.

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The Horror Of The Game

Ever wished you could be the hero of a game. Ever picked up the controller or laid your hands on the keyboard and thought "Now I Will Be..." well Chris Brookmyre has considered it. This was my first Brookmyre book which was recommended by a long term fan as I am an old school gamer. The book follow the story of a young man waking up and discovering he is no longer in Scotland but battling his way through a first person shooter from his youth. Before long this blows up into a much bigger story where characters from the gaming universe are thrown from game to game in homage to many great environments that anyone who grew up gaming in the 90s/00s cannot fail to appreciate. THis is a well written, well executed tail of peril and intrigue with some excellent narration and evolving characters. I cannot say if you will enjoy it if you don't enjoy games, maybe not but for those of you who remember FPS death matches, frantic RTS wars and late night RPG immersion then you are going to love the story that weaves through all those memories and makes you go looking for the old copy of Unreal Tournament.

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Where the hell are we now?

Planet b, Alice's adventures in wonderland, Stay tuned and the children's programme Nightmare. It's all here. Different worlds and different dimensions. Different protocols and at the centre of it all, business as we know and hate it. There are two ways to look at this book. Eitehr read it simply as a book or read it and be terrified of it. This could happen. When? who knows. Where? Well, anywhere. It's a good book. Slightly confusing and the American accent is average at best but still, Angus King does try, and predictable if you examine it closely in parts. Still I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a lightweight, not too scary horror with none of the usual gore though plenty of scifi gunge floating around. A comedy in places it is amusing and a horror if read with serious intent but lightweight interesting if you prefer to simply read it but not examine it.

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Brookmyre for gamers

As a longstanding Brookmyre fan I love all of his books (although some are more equal than others) and this one was no different. You get his usual wit and plot twists, but I think that to really enjoy this particular book some kind of computer gaming experience certainly helps. I found myself very much enjoying all the references to gaming classics.

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Poor start but gets so much better!

I've always loved video games and science fiction so this book very much appealed to me from the get go. On listening to the sample the narrators accent also drew me into listening to the book. However, the book, in my opinion, had a very poor beginning. I am not a prude but the amount of foul language during the first few chapters almost made me stop listening altogether. I felt it unnecessary and jarring and that it disrupted my enjoyment of the story. Thankfully, the swearing decreased significantly as the book progressed and I suddenly found myself completely hooked! Despite the narrators best attempts at different American accents (not convinced they are his strong suit) his clarity in reading and fresh voice made listening a very enjoyable experience. I loved the parts of the story when Ross enters new worlds and during his descriptions of the new landscape or atmosphere I found myself attempting to guess the game he was in (was very chuffed when I got a few right).
The twist and ending of the story was very satisfying. I enjoyed the finished but not 'cookie-cutter perfect' ending.
I would indeed recommend this book but if you're not a fan of bad language (or intending it for a younger listener) some parts of the story may not be to your taste.
Enjoy having a full nostalgic and modern gaming geekfest with this story and be prepared to want to live in a video game just a little bit. ;P

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3 people found this helpful

Hold on to your hats

What did you like most about Bedlam?

So different - so unexpected

What did you like best about this story?

I really had no idea where we were going at times which made it a really exciting read

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The beginning - i was so confused then so enlightened, it really was a blast

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Would have liked to - def stayed in the car to listen to the end of parts of the action

Any additional comments?

Different but wonderful

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2 people found this helpful

Sometimes Silly

Would you try another book written by Christopher Brookmyre or narrated by Angus King?

I like most books by Christopher Brookmyre - but strangley dislike the ones penned by Chris Brookmyre, which are more crime focused.

Would you be willing to try another book from Christopher Brookmyre? Why or why not?

Yes - Looking forward to the next - maybe a follow on from "A snowball in Hell"

What three words best describe Angus King’s performance?

Not Very Inspiring

Was Bedlam worth the listening time?

I normally only listen to unabridged books, bot I think this may be better abridged.

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ace!

Great story with a retro gaming twist, fans of Ready Player One will love it!

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