Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • Ball Lightning

  • By: Cixin Liu
  • Narrated by: Bruno Roubicek
  • Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (420 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Ball Lightning

By: Cixin Liu
Narrated by: Bruno Roubicek
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £20.99

Buy Now for £20.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

When Chen's parents are incinerated before his eyes by a blast of ball lightning, he devotes his life to cracking the secret of this mysterious natural phenomenon. The more he learns, the more he comes to realise that ball lightning is just the tip of an entirely new frontier in particle physics. Although Chen's quest provides a purpose for his lonely life, his reasons for chasing this elusive quarry come into conflict with soldiers and scientists who have motives of their own.

©2005 Liu Cixin (P)2018 W.F. Howes Ltd
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Singularity Trap cover art
The Truth and Other Stories cover art
Children of Time cover art
Constitution cover art
Hyperion cover art
All Up cover art
The Hole cover art
The Arrival cover art
New Eden cover art
The Enceladus Mission cover art
Oceanworlds cover art
Seeker cover art
Beyond Kuiper cover art
Flight from the Ages and Other Stories cover art
Outland cover art
The Quantum Series, Books 1 - 3 cover art

What listeners say about Ball Lightning

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    209
  • 4 Stars
    124
  • 3 Stars
    67
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    214
  • 4 Stars
    102
  • 3 Stars
    35
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    181
  • 4 Stars
    97
  • 3 Stars
    60
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    9

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

"There was lightning that night."

After a freak accident in which both of his parents died when he was a child, Chen dedicates himself to the nature and futures of ball lightning. An hard science book both fascinating and way over my head. Because of this, and with very flat characterisation, it became boring and a struggle to continue at times, further increased by the slow delivery of narrator Bruno Roubiacek.
This is my first book by Dixon Liu. Undeterred, I will move on to Three Body Problem soon

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very believable and interesting story

Very believable and interesting story. Interesting characters. Good narrator. Preparation for the superb 3 body problem books, or a nice dessert. Reccommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

dull

Sorry but the story and narrator came across as dull with just enough interest to keep you going. some interesting bits and loads of unanswered questions

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Just great

Just great how the auther combines adventure with physics, scattered with very good characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting idea

Really enjoyed the book and good narrative , I think it is quite introduction of the three body problem .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A weird and wonderful sci-fi

I really enjoyed this story for its ability to write about incredibly complex scientific theories and possibilities in a way that could be understood easily.

The storyline itself was engaging and captivating, and with a little bit more character development it could easily have been a 5 star read for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting story as far as I got

The concepts presented are intriguing but the performance of the Russian section was so bad I found myself completely tuning out. I think I'll have to pick up a printed copy to finish the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

good science but not great fiction

great narrator, the concepts were fascinating and well explained but the story wasn't very compelling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

was really cool concepts, writing style was not the best

this really had some cool thoughts and ideas. the issue with this book is the writing style, some parts are dragged out and doesn't keep me engaged. the 2nd half of the middle was the best part and most engaging.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An interesting story

This is my first time reading a Cixin Liu book, and I picked this up hearing it was a prequel to his popular Three Body series. I was pleasantly surprised, Ball Lightning is a slow but engaging story that explores interesting science fiction concepts. Everything feels very real and grounded in reality, as if some of the things mentioned in this book could be real.
Bruno Roubicek's narration takes a little getting used to, but I do think he did an excellent job. I highly recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful