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Bellwether

By: Connie Willis
Narrated by: Kate Reading
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Summary

Audie Award, Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2010

Pop culture, chaos theory, and matters of the heart collide in this unique novella from the Hugo and Nebula Award - winning author of Doomsday Book.

Sandra Foster studies fads and their meanings for the HiTek corporation. Bennett O'Reilly works with monkey group behavior and chaos theory for the same company. When the two are thrust together due to a misdelivered package and a run of seemingly bad luck, they find a joint project in a flock of sheep. But a series of setbacks and disappointments arise before they are able to find answers to their questions - with the unintended help of the errant, forgetful, and careless office assistant Flip.

©1996 Connie Willis (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
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Critic reviews

"Connie Willis deploys the apparatus of science fiction to illuminate character and relationships, and her writing is fresh, subtle and deeply moving." ( New York Times Book Review)
"Willis's story builds slowly but is realistic and engrossing." ( Midwest Book Review)

What listeners say about Bellwether

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Excellent

Enjoyable book for anyone who likes data and history. Stands the rest of time. Interesting snippets on fads in the last century.

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fiction about science rather than science fiction

a lovely tale, I enjoyed the facts about fads. very good narrator with great characterisation of Flip

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Unusual and enjoyable

Entertaining with facts about discoveries arising from chaotic circumstances and farcical event with office sheep

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Connie Willis

This was the most purely enjoyable thing I've listened to in ages. Science fiction, but also romance, but also corporate satire and comedy. I laughed out loud three or four times. Sweet, intelligent and just generally lovely, I could listen to the narrator, via the author, go on about historical fads all bloody day. A perfect little book.

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Funny, informative, clever, entertaining, light.

Very enjoyable. Light hearted. Also clever with lots of information tucked into the story. Brilliantly narrated.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Unexpected find

I downloaded this book on a whim,looking for something different,and absolutely loved it.It is extremely funny( laugh out loud funny at many points).The whole concept of Sandra,the heroine,studying fads,and the regular snippets of information about this throughout the story,sounds strange but works brilliantly.So there is science,chaos theory,the quirks of the corporation where she works,mad office assistants,romance,sheep....all combined in an enjoyable and well-narrated package. Highly recommended.

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Fun and enlightening

Whilst enjoying the story I also learned many interesting facts during this listen. The great thing about the Plus Catalogue is that you come across genres and titles you may not ordinarily try.

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Second time I’ve now listened to this

Wonderful. An interesting, funny way to explain the chaos theory. I rarely listen to or read novels again but found myself thinking about it so often the second time was a must. The author has an amazing insight into characters and science. Thank you for an amazing offering. Patricia Lindsay (anyone know how I can change the weird name Audible has given me?)

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Laugh-out-loud. Really enjoyable.

Great writing and the reader’s characterisation of the annoying youngsters and idiotic manager was excellent.

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bell weather

interesting storyline. well red kept my attention all the way through the book would recommend

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