Listen free for 30 days
-
The Black Star Passes
- Narrated by: Gary Dikeos
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £22.89
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Islands of Space
- By: John W. Campbell
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Earth's faster-than-light spaceship hung in the void between galaxies, Arcot, Wade, Morey and Fuller could see below them, like a vast shining horizon, the mass of stars that formed their own island universe. Morey worked a moment with his slide rule, then said, "We made good time." But suddenly, far off to their left and far to their right, they saw two shining ships paralleling their course....
-
-
Kids stuff
- By Barry Irwin on 12-03-22
-
Midnight at the Well of Souls
- By: Jack L. Chalker
- Narrated by: Peter Macon
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the heart of a bizarre planet lay the goal of every being that had ever lived.… Below average in height and unprepossessing in appearance, Nathan Brazil is an unassuming if cynical starship owner, carrying passengers and cargo for a living - hardly the sort of person to hold the fate of the entire universe in his hands. But when Nathan detours from his route to answer a distress call, a hidden stargate hurls him and his passengers to the Well World, the master control planet for the cosmos. Billions of years ago, a godlike race unlocked all the secrets of space and time and remade the universe according to their grand design.
-
-
Just incredible
- By Anonymous User on 06-02-22
-
Apollo Pilot
- The Memoir of Astronaut Donn Eisele
- By: Donn Eisele
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In October 1968 Donn Eisele flew with fellow astronauts Walt Cunningham and Wally Schirra into Earth orbit in Apollo 7. The first manned mission in the Apollo program and the first manned flight after a fire during a launch pad test killed three astronauts in early 1967, Apollo 7 helped restart NASA's manned-spaceflight program.
-
In the Orbit of Sirens
- The Song of Kamaria, Book 1
- By: T. A. Bruno
- Narrated by: Michael Reimer
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When starship mechanic, Denton Castus, is caught in the destructive path of a devastating war, he abandons his home and seeks refuge on a distant planet. However, this new safe haven has undiscovered threats of its own. Eliana Veston, a scout preparing the planet for the refugees, struggles with a deadly pandemic that is killing off colonists. The hunt for a cure unleashes a new threat to humanity - the Sirens - mysterious beings with incredible powers and a deep hatred for invaders.
-
-
A wonderful, beautiful & strikingly emotive sci-fi
- By Ryan Pascall on 16-03-21
-
A Pause in Space-Time: Publisher's Pack
- The Stasis Stories, Books 1-2
- By: Laurence Dahners
- Narrated by: Andre Blake
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Contains books one and two of The Stasis Stories: A Pause in Space-Time (Book 1) and The Thunder of Engines (Book 2). Kaem Seba is a sickly and financially destitute young man with extraordinary math skills. With the help of Arya Vaii, a business student, he has developed a theory and an electronic device that allows him to stop time within limited volumes of space-time.
-
-
Great Listen
- By JanettheGannet on 15-06-22
-
Oceanworlds
- By: J.P. Landau
- Narrated by: Andrew Dennis, Caitlin Campbell
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Late at night inside the two-person Dragon spacecraft resting on the frozen surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, Derya Terzi put on headphones and became the first Earthling to hear the sloshing of the enormous subsurface ocean beneath his feet. Intoxicated with the promise of discovery, he could have sworn it was whispers between inscrutable creatures of the deep. He was convinced they were days away from settling the most profound and existential mystery known to humanity: are we alone in the universe?
-
-
A big-hearted effort, but ultimately bland
- By Kie on 24-04-21
-
Islands of Space
- By: John W. Campbell
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Earth's faster-than-light spaceship hung in the void between galaxies, Arcot, Wade, Morey and Fuller could see below them, like a vast shining horizon, the mass of stars that formed their own island universe. Morey worked a moment with his slide rule, then said, "We made good time." But suddenly, far off to their left and far to their right, they saw two shining ships paralleling their course....
-
-
Kids stuff
- By Barry Irwin on 12-03-22
-
Midnight at the Well of Souls
- By: Jack L. Chalker
- Narrated by: Peter Macon
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the heart of a bizarre planet lay the goal of every being that had ever lived.… Below average in height and unprepossessing in appearance, Nathan Brazil is an unassuming if cynical starship owner, carrying passengers and cargo for a living - hardly the sort of person to hold the fate of the entire universe in his hands. But when Nathan detours from his route to answer a distress call, a hidden stargate hurls him and his passengers to the Well World, the master control planet for the cosmos. Billions of years ago, a godlike race unlocked all the secrets of space and time and remade the universe according to their grand design.
-
-
Just incredible
- By Anonymous User on 06-02-22
-
Apollo Pilot
- The Memoir of Astronaut Donn Eisele
- By: Donn Eisele
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In October 1968 Donn Eisele flew with fellow astronauts Walt Cunningham and Wally Schirra into Earth orbit in Apollo 7. The first manned mission in the Apollo program and the first manned flight after a fire during a launch pad test killed three astronauts in early 1967, Apollo 7 helped restart NASA's manned-spaceflight program.
-
In the Orbit of Sirens
- The Song of Kamaria, Book 1
- By: T. A. Bruno
- Narrated by: Michael Reimer
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When starship mechanic, Denton Castus, is caught in the destructive path of a devastating war, he abandons his home and seeks refuge on a distant planet. However, this new safe haven has undiscovered threats of its own. Eliana Veston, a scout preparing the planet for the refugees, struggles with a deadly pandemic that is killing off colonists. The hunt for a cure unleashes a new threat to humanity - the Sirens - mysterious beings with incredible powers and a deep hatred for invaders.
-
-
A wonderful, beautiful & strikingly emotive sci-fi
- By Ryan Pascall on 16-03-21
-
A Pause in Space-Time: Publisher's Pack
- The Stasis Stories, Books 1-2
- By: Laurence Dahners
- Narrated by: Andre Blake
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Contains books one and two of The Stasis Stories: A Pause in Space-Time (Book 1) and The Thunder of Engines (Book 2). Kaem Seba is a sickly and financially destitute young man with extraordinary math skills. With the help of Arya Vaii, a business student, he has developed a theory and an electronic device that allows him to stop time within limited volumes of space-time.
-
-
Great Listen
- By JanettheGannet on 15-06-22
-
Oceanworlds
- By: J.P. Landau
- Narrated by: Andrew Dennis, Caitlin Campbell
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Late at night inside the two-person Dragon spacecraft resting on the frozen surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, Derya Terzi put on headphones and became the first Earthling to hear the sloshing of the enormous subsurface ocean beneath his feet. Intoxicated with the promise of discovery, he could have sworn it was whispers between inscrutable creatures of the deep. He was convinced they were days away from settling the most profound and existential mystery known to humanity: are we alone in the universe?
-
-
A big-hearted effort, but ultimately bland
- By Kie on 24-04-21
-
Med Ship
- By: Murray Leinster
- Narrated by: Daniel Henning
- Length: 19 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Scattered through the galaxy are thousands of worlds colonized by humans. Many have native microbes dangerous to the human immigrants. Others have diseases brought to them accidentally - or on purpose - by visiting ships. When millions of lives are threatened, it's a job for the Interstellar Medical Service, and a Med Ship is sent to solve the problem. Calhoun is the best the Med Service has, and hard experience has taught him that often the major obstacle to curing the sick is...the sick.
-
Proxima Rising
- Proxima, Book 1
- By: Brandon Q. Morris
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Late in the 21st century, Earth receives what looks like an urgent plea for help from planet Proxima Centauri b in the closest star system to the Sun. Astrophysicists suspect a massive solar flare is about to destroy this heretofore-unknown civilization. Earth's space programs are unequipped to help, but an unscrupulous Russian billionaire launches a secret and highly-specialized spaceship to Proxima b, over four light-years away.
-
-
interesting story with occasional howlers.
- By Anonymous User on 25-10-21
-
The Evening and the Morning
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 24 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
International number-one best seller Ken Follett returns with The Evening and the Morning, a thrilling and addictive novel from the master of historical fiction. It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages, and in England one man's ambition to make his abbey a centre of learning will take the listener on an epic journey into a historical past rich with ambition and rivalry, death and birth, love and hate. Thirty years ago, Ken Follett published his most popular novel, The Pillars of the Earth, which has sold more than 27 million copies worldwide.
-
-
Tell me if you've heard this one before
- By Ed on 25-09-20
-
Leviathan Wakes
- The Expanse, Book 1
- By: James S. A. Corey
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Humanity has colonized the planets - interstellar travel is still beyond our reach, but the solar system has become a dense network of colonies. But there are tensions - the mineral-rich outer planets resent their dependence on Earth and Mars and the political and military clout they wield over the Belt and beyond. Now, when Captain Jim Holden's ice miner stumbles across a derelict, abandoned ship, he uncovers a secret that threatens to throw the entire system into war.
-
-
Even better than the TV show
- By Stuart on 01-10-17
-
Elantris
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Jack Garrett
- Length: 28 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Elantris was built on magic, and it thrived. But then the magic began to fade, and Elantris began to rot. Now its shattered citizens face domination by a powerful Imperium. Can a young Princess unite the people of Elantris and lead a rebellion against the imperial zealots? Brandon Sanderson's debut fantasy showed his skill as a storyteller and an imaginer of baroque magical systems to be fully developed from the start.
-
-
Awesome!
- By BM on 19-11-14
-
Outland
- By: Dennis E. Taylor
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When an experiment to study quantum uncertainty goes spectacularly wrong, physics student Bill Rustad and his friends find that they have accidentally created an inter-dimensional portal. They connect to Outland - an alternate Earth with identical geology, but where humans never evolved. The group races to establish control of the portal before the government, the military, or evildoers can take it away. Then everything changes when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts in an explosion large enough to destroy civilization and kill half the planet.
-
-
Bright young things
- By Adam on 22-05-19
-
The Singularity Trap
- By: Dennis E. Taylor
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dennis E. Taylor, author of the best-selling Bobiverse trilogy, explores a whole different, darker world in this sci-fi stand-alone. Determined to give his wife and children a better life back home, Ivan Pritchard ventures to the edge of known space to join the crew of the Mad Astra as an asteroid miner. He's prepared for hard work and loneliness—but not the unthinkable. After coming into contact with a mysterious alien substance, Pritchard finds an unwelcome entity sharing his mind, and a disturbing physical transformation taking place.
-
-
Classic Sci-fi with a Modern Style
- By Simon on 07-06-18
-
Rendezvous with Rama
- Rama Series, Book 1
- By: Arthur C. Clarke
- Narrated by: Toby Longworth
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At first, only a few things are known about the celestial object that astronomers dub Rama. It is huge, weighing more than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is, incredibly, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind's first encounter with alien intelligence.
-
-
Well read with distinctive character voices.
- By In car listener on 16-01-17
-
Triplanetary
- Lensman Series, Book 1
- By: E.E. Smith
- Narrated by: Alastair Cameron
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written in two parts, Triplanetary introduces the concept of two warring alien races: the Arisians and the Eddorians, whose battles on Earth are unknown to the human race, and in fact the humans are unaware that the Arisians have been secretly and selectively breeding the humans to use as weapons for these battles. From the time of Rome to World War II, the author takes the listener on a lightning-fast journey through Earth's history as the warzone for aliens.
-
-
A classic in Sci Fi history.
- By Michael Sinclair on 04-12-19
-
Judas Unchained
- By: Peter F. Hamilton
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 40 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The high-action concluding novel of the Commonwealth Saga from one of the world's bestselling Science Fiction writersAfter hundreds of years secretly manipulating the human race, the Starflyer alien has succeeded in engineering a war which should result in the destruction of the Intersolar Commonwealth.
-
-
Some issues with this recording
- By carl on 24-12-17
-
2001
- A Space Odyssey: Space Odyssey, Book 1
- By: Arthur C. Clarke
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It has been 40 years since the publication of this classic science-fiction novel that changed the way we look at the stars and ourselves. From the savannas of Africa at the dawn of mankind to the rings of Saturn as man adventures to the outer rim of our solar system, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a journey unlike any other.
-
-
Excellent... but why no 2010 on Audible yet?
- By Martin on 31-07-14
-
The Hunt for Red October
- By: Tom Clancy
- Narrated by: Lance C Fuller
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The runaway international number one best seller that launched Tom Clancy's spectacular career and introduced his acclaimed hero, Jack Ryan, in the ultimate submarine adventure - now reissued with a new cover. Silently, beneath the chill Atlantic waters, Russia's ultrasecret missile submarine, the Red October, is heading west. The Americans want her. The Russians want her back. With all-out war only seconds away, the superpowers race across the ocean on the most desperate mission of a lifetime.
-
-
Such a let down!
- By Harvey Marshall on 25-02-18
Editor reviews
Author Campbell was a science fiction pioneer. He wrote and published the stuff. Modern sci-fi provides future examples of current issues, the presentation and resolution of which makes apt social commentary. The science seems viable and the environments are copiously drawn; verisimilitude is key. The sci-fi of yesteryear will seem flimsy and naïve to modern readers. But these early works, with their famous recurring theme of good versus evil, set the template for the sophisticated fiction of the future. Narrator Gary Dikeos gives a very casual performance in his deep and drawling voice. His tone channels the masculinity of this trio of smart and rugged space cowboys. The sincerity of his performance does help to substantiate this vintage extraterrestrial realm.
Summary
Three against the stars! A sky pirate armed with superior weapons of his own invention....
First contact with an alien race dangerous enough to threaten the safety of two planets.... The arrival of an unseen dark sun whose attendant marauders aimed at the very end of civilization in this Solar System.... These were the three challenges that tested the skill and minds of the brilliant team of scientist-astronauts Arcot, Wade, and Morey. Their initial adventures are a classic of science fiction that first brought the name of their author, John W. Campbell, Jr., into prominence as a master of the inventive imagination -- long before he became the editor of Astounding/Analog and changed the field of science fiction forever!
More from the same
What listeners say about The Black Star Passes
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- D J Gifford
- 09-06-22
Fixup of 3 stories first published in 1930
Typical Campbell, the hero’s of the story can invent technology and solve problems on the fly at at the drop of a hat, always able to out smart and anticipate the moves of their alien adversaries. But in the end it is always the novel ideas that are the real heroes of the stories, with some dodgy but always fun explanations of science as understood more than 90-years ago. This can only be enjoyed if you are able to capture the youthful sense of wonder from an age fallen from living memory.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David Rowe
- 30-03-22
not for me
bit of dud for me, I found it over techy to the point it was like the writer was doing a scientific lecture which I'm sure some people would love but for me it came at the expense of the overall story and was a bit unnecessary but I can see how this story influenced sci-fi literature but in my opinion they improved it, the narration was a bit lacklustre too which probably didn't help
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mike
- 10-02-21
Love the Classics!
Some might be amused or even offended at the quaint, perhaps unsophisticated nature of this story, but it comes from the Golden Age of Science Fiction, reflecting all of the stereotypes, gender bias, racism, and other flaws of its era. Taking all that into account, it's quite entertaining and no less flawed than any other lit from earlier times. Fun and instructive! We have come far in a relatively short time, but we have "miles to go before" we sleep.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Randy K Allen
- 08-01-21
Need a sleep aid?
I really hate to give up on a book but I only made it about 3/4 the way through this one. Writing is wonderful I love John Campbell‘s work, it’s definitely an older genre of science fiction what is storytelling is very good. The reader of this book it’s terrible. Absolutely no emotion. You might as well have Alexa read you a book.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Bk
- 08-01-21
Classic
One of the first sf stories I read many cosmic cycles ago. It helped fuel a lifetime of reading enjoyment. It’s still a classic worth reading. Campbell defined and founded the genre.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael
- 19-10-11
Shades of E. E. "Doc" Smith
Fun, but old fashioned, space opera; probably more appealing to older listeners, rather than youngsters without any experience in the roots of the SF genre.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael G Kurilla
- 15-11-20
Very pulpy weak story even for its time
John W Campbell's The Black Star Passes is a 50's era sci-fi tale that is poor even by the standards of traditional pulp fiction. Basically, this consists of three novellas involving the same crew stitched together. There's a superhero-esque quality about the team consisting of a physicist (regarded as the greatest in the world), a mathematician, an engineer, and after the first tale, a jack of all trades pirate. Each plot revolves around stumbling onto a mystery and solving it. The physicist develops a theory, spends time with equations that the mathematician checks out, then there is an all-nighter in the lab, followed by the engineer scaling up to either thwart skyjackings, stopping planetary war and genocide on Venus, and finally saving the Earth from invasion, all in the span of a few years.
Campbell checks all the boxes for pulp fiction targeted towards a juvenile audience. All the characters are dedicated to their craft. There doesn't seem to be any other scientist of worth alive. They also always land in the middle of the action and always make the right decision. At the same time each discovery always occurs just in time for the next impending disaster. The selfless professional dedication is saccharine to the point of inducing diabetes.
The narration is sadly deficient and is less a narration and more a simply flat reading with little character distinction without any tone or mood aligned to the plot.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Steve
- 29-11-21
Performer is awful
Droning on and on in a never ending monotone. I often use audio books to fall asleep but this guy will do the job while your jogging.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Sailfish
- 03-07-22
Hard to get through
Even considering its SciFi Classic era heritage, the story was too slow for me. I did appreciate all the scientific details surrounding space flight and astrophysics but the story plot was a bit too plodding and, regrettably, the narrator's monotone delivery made listening even less exciting.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- jason f
- 22-09-21
horrible narrator
If you like hours of monotone, droning narration then this book is for you. the story is standard early science fiction but listening put me sleep repeatedly.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Munster
- 12-06-21
Humble beginings
Having listened to over a dozen of Capmbell's books, His early work is rough around the edges but the core of what makes his books great is there. My only complaint is that there were portions where it was so dry.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- LVM
- 28-04-21
Classic old style sci fi
Everything happens very quickly and pretty easily.
But the most implausible thing in this story is the thought that the UN would be able to do anything useful and without massive corruption.