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Galileo's Dream Audiobook
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(3.01) - 932 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Kim Stanley Robinson's illustrious SF career has earned him every major award in the business-including the Nebula and Hugo Awards. With Galileo's Dream, Robinson crafts an instant masterpiece that blends epic adventure and thoughtful alternate history. Ganymede, a rebellious Jovian, attempts to bring famed scientific mind Galileo forward in time to alter the course of history with astonishing results. "Robinson creates a masterwork with this robust portrayal of a man whose discoveries echo through the ages."-Library Journal
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"I just love everything KSR writes. His work oozes authority and well-done research. In addition to that, this book, perhaps in contrast to his Mars books, follows a single character, and as result contains more depth in characterisation. The Galileo KSR pictures in this book is a real man, not a saint. A pretty grumpy old man, too, but I feel I know him as if he's a cantakarous uncle. I loved the far-future sections. I've seen some reviewers say that they're not necessary, but I think they bring out the essence of the human condition, that is: deep philosophical conflicts and humanity go hand in hand no matter the level of development and sophistication."
— Patty (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Elegant, charming, funny, and profound.”
— Guardian (London) -
“Blending epic sf with alternate history, this is a masterwork of storytelling, philosophy, and science.”
— Library Journal
Galileo's Dream Listener Reviews
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John Atwood, 11/2/2022
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" A lot of good history of Galileo, with some time and space travel to the Galilean moons. Good discussion of the risks that he ran with the inquisition about his views about the Copernican system. It was hard for me to get into the rhythm of the book and it took me a while to finish it. "
— Alan, 2/10/2014 -
" Not my favorite KSR, and I'm kinda mad at it because it did that thing that alternate histories do where you get confused over what really happened a little. Still, a lot of fun philosophical ramblings around how science progresses, a nice match to What Technology Wants (these techno-Utopian Californians!). "
— James, 1/31/2014 -
" As someone who has never been able to really appreciate KSR, I was surprised by how much I liked this book. He did a spectacular job of interplaying fiction and reality. I suspect part of the appeal was that I didn't know exactly how it was supposed to end when I started reading, so I particularly enjoyed the divergences of the story. I also felt like I'd learned a bit after reading this, which is always a bonus. "
— Avani, 1/26/2014 -
" Not my favorite KSR, but still good. Kind of a historical novel with a little science fiction thrown in. Seems like an excellently researched book about Galileo and his time. Sometimes it felt like a reading assignment for history class. "
— Michael, 1/2/2014 -
" I have a 50 page rule: if a book doesn't grab my interest in the first 50 pages, I stop reading it. This book didn't go anywhere, and left me wondering about the point. I would not recommend this book as there are so many others to enjoy and learn from. "
— Nadine, 12/20/2013 -
" A quirky mixture of biography, secret history, allegory and hard science fiction that doesn't quite rise. At the book's heart -- the uneasy relationship and sometimes war between science and religion. An occasional fictional narrator steps in, but most of the time, Galileo is both our the lens by which we observe this conflict (Galileo the Scientist) as well as the variable in a grand experiment (Galileo the Symbol). There is also an attempt to cast Galileo as patient of psychoanalysis (Galileo the 15th century man) that seems largely out of place. At times Robinson pulls of moments of profound insight, but just as often, Galileo gallivanting about in the distant future comes off a bit like a bloated holodeck episode of TNG. Robinson also attempts to shoehorn in as many biographical details as possible, which results in a herky-jerky pacing, dwelling on moments that feel extraneous while other times glossing over years at a time. Ultimately, this feels like a strong 300 page novel lost in 525 pages. "
— Jake, 11/13/2013 -
" Another thoughtful, lyric, speculative novel from Kim Stanley Robinson; part biography, part history of science, part speculative fiction, all hard-headed and real but also optimistic. "
— Nick, 11/12/2013 -
" BOR-ing... "
— Sue, 11/3/2013 -
" Unfortunately, I couldn't finish it. The story of the past was well written and engaging, but the trips to the future were... less so. "
— Chris, 10/26/2013 -
" Interesting premise for sci-fi readers with an inclination to history "
— David, 10/14/2013 -
" Historical settings first - Well written- can't wait to read more. "
— Kathy, 9/23/2013 -
" An ambitious book that blends historical novel with science fiction. The historical part was much more engaging than the sci fi stuff. "
— Sheryl, 2/4/2013 -
" My favorite Sci Fi author "
— Mary, 12/30/2012 -
" Really enjoyed the parts set in Galileo's life. The future / sf parts were less developed and less interesting, though I liked it overall. "
— Chris, 12/1/2012 -
" This book is an interesting combination of sci-fi and historical fiction, and provides some interesting insight into what happens when the church inserts itself into politics, and when politics inserts itself into science. "
— Ken, 9/15/2012 -
" The idea for Galileo's inspirations was interesting and creative. I did learn a lot about his life and the times he lived in. However, all the technical, math, and philosophical ideas made the listening really long. "
— Diane, 8/27/2012 -
" it was off to a good start but I got bored after short while. too much of the history of Galileo not enough of the science fiction. "
— Geoffrey, 5/1/2012 -
" Galileo's Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson (2009) "
— Craig, 6/13/2011 -
" You should have stuck to Galileo and his current time. I couldn't wait for the sci-fi futuristic bits to end. Any book that includes Galileo saying "nice ass" to a woman in the year 3020 is just not my style. "
— Cassandra, 4/11/2011 -
" Kim Stanley Robinson is one of my favorite authors of "hard" science fiction (more emphasis on science). Galileo is one of my favorite subjects, so I'm really enjoying this novel so far. "
— Michael, 3/6/2011 -
" Unfortunately, I couldn't finish it. The story of the past was well written and engaging, but the trips to the future were... less so. "
— Chris, 1/24/2011 -
" Historical settings first - Well written- can't wait to read more. "
— Kathy, 1/7/2011
About Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson is a bestselling author and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards. He is the author of more than twenty books, including the bestselling Mars trilogy and the critically acclaimed Forty Signs of Rain, The Years of Rice and Salt, and 2312. In 2008, he was named a “Hero of the Environment” by Time magazine, and he works with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute. For his book Antarctica, he was sent to the Antarctic by the US National Science Foundation as part of their Antarctic Artists and Writers’ Program.
About George Guidall
George Guidall, winner of more than eighty AudioFile Earphones Awards, has won three of the prestigious Audie Award for Excellence in Audiobook Narration. In 2014 the Audio Publishers Association presented him with the Special Achievement Award for lifetime achievement/ During his thirty-year recording career he has recorded over 1,700 audiobooks, won multiple awards, been a mentor to many narrators, and shown by example the potential of fine storytelling. His forty-year acting career includes starring roles on Broadway, an Obie Award for best performance off Broadway, and frequent television appearances.