cover image Directive 51

Directive 51

John Barnes, read by Susan Ericksen, Brilliance Audio, unabridged, 18 CDs, 22 hrs., $34.99 ISBN 978-1-4418-5814-6

"Daybreak"—an assault against modern civilization conceived and developed through the Internet—has begun. As plastics and other petroleum products deteriorate and bring the world crashing down, Heather O'Grainne, of the U.S. Office of Future Threat Assessment, is a leader in the government's efforts to stabilize the remnants of American society and prevent total anarchy. It's a sprawling and provocative apocalyptic epic improved by Susan Ericksen's riveting performance. Ericksen (whose voice will be familiar to J.D. Robb fans) sustains the suspense and produces believable regional accents and multicultural and generational characters. An Ace hardcover. (Apr.)