Amorph

by Chené Lawson, STARR (Busby) (narrator), Chris Attoh (narrator)

A mind-bending dramatic production based on the short stories of N. K. Jemisin, the 21st century’s most-honored writer of speculative fiction.

A barely employed tech worker has never felt they belonged. Not in society, not even in their own family. Their days are filled with loneliness, a struggle to survive and a desperate search for connection—even if that connection is merely virtual.

Now, a black-market hacker promises to open a new world for them, and it works—in ways no human has ever experienced.

They find a world of wonder, of possibilities and of danger—where their new virtual reality could mean the end of their physical reality. And what they discover could change the fate of humankind—forever.

Amorph is based on N. K. Jemisin’s short stories “The Trojan Girl” and “Valedictorian,” which were adapted for this Audible Original by Chené Lawson.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

Genres: Audiobook, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Short Stories

Audible Audio

Published January 30, 2025

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Amorph
Audiobook Narrator: 2/5

Book Rating: 1/5
World Building: ⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️
Pacing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing Style: ⭐️⭐️
Enjoyability: ⭐️
-1 ⭐️ for poor adaptation

Final Reaction: At one point while listening to this novella, I actually said out loud to my cat, “Did they think this was good?” I expect far more from Jemisin, so I sought out the two short stories this is based on, and the difference is stark. Jemisin’s originals are thoughtful and nuanced, with themes woven seamlessly throughout. This adaptation, however, takes those same themes and turns them into a blunt object, hammering them home again and again.

And it’s not that the themes aren’t important. The development of AI, the relationship between technology and humanity, and casual racism are all deeply relevant today. But I don’t need them forced down my throat to understand them.

Do yourself a favor. Skip this adaptation and read the original stories instead.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 25%
This is not audible's best production. Not even close. It's a shame NK Jemisin's name is on this because Chené Lawson did not do it justice.
This reminds me of bad episodes of the 90s cartoon ReBoot, but worse. Guess I should have looked at the under 3 star review average before even starting.

[Korynne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love N. K. Jemisin, so when I saw this audio original was an adaptation of some of her stories, I was interested in checking it out.

Unfortunately, this story was not good. It was boring and a bit confusing and just not entertaining to listen to. I should have just read the original stories that are actually written by Jemisin.

[Chuck Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Audible short story was HARD Sci-fi, and some of the events of the story and how the characters interacted with their environment, etc., were a bit hard to follow, and I kind of felt lost in some ways. I wondered if reading the original short stories from N. K. Jemisin that this story was based on would have helped so I fully understood what was going on. The story starts off with a bang and goes right into the action without any (pretty much) build-up to help the reader get their bearings.

Outside of that, the overall story really wasn't bad at all. It felt very much like a story that combined aspects of The Matrix, Altered Carbon, and Tron, and was for sure interesting, just felt a bit rushed. The quality of the audiobook production is really great, though, and that does help to add to the enjoyment of the story. I think the quality of the production added a little extra "staying power" for this story for me and pushed this story up by an extra 1/2 star.

[Khrista · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is neat just wish there was more to it.

[A Wanderer · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at 2/3rds of the way through because i got bored. It still deserves 3 stars from the exceptional storytelling, writing, and narration. Extremely clever, unique and meaningful story that makes you question the concepts and connections of creation and life. Even though I kept falling asleep, I kept waking up and rewinding to not miss anything.

Definitely worth the listen. Unfortunately, it is only a 3 star listen for me because I don't in fact really care what happens in the end.

[Nikolett Jarvis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Made no sense. Waste of time.

[Charlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow that was so bad.

[Kaya Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF, I'm sorry. I just lost interest and never got back to it

[Cristan✨🪐 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

This was a fantastic audio play inspired by a couple of N.K. Jemisin’s short stories. Chené Lawson did an incredible job expanding on these stories! The narration and acting are superb!

[Natasha Widner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't hate it or love it.

[The Void Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Book Review: Amorph**

**Rating:** ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

**Overview:**
"Amorph" is a captivating science fiction short story in audio format that truly immerses listeners in a mind-bending and dramatic production. Adapted from N. K. Jemisin's short stories “The Trojan Girl” and “Valedictorian,” Chené Lawson delivers a tale that delves deep into the human experience, virtual reality, and the impact of technology on our lives.

**Description:**
The story follows a barely employed tech worker who has always felt like an outsider. Their life is marked by loneliness, a struggle for survival, and a desperate search for connection—even if it's merely virtual. When a black-market hacker offers them a new world, the protagonist finds themselves in an unprecedented virtual reality filled with wonder, possibilities, and danger. The new reality could potentially end their physical existence, and what they uncover has the power to change the fate of humankind forever.

**Narration:**
Starr Busby and Chris Attoh's performances bring the story to life with exceptional voice acting, enhancing the immersive experience and drawing listeners into the protagonist's journey. Their ability to convey the emotional depth and tension within the narrative adds a layer of authenticity that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

**Final Thoughts:**
"Amorph" is a testament to the brilliance of N. K. Jemisin's storytelling, expertly adapted by Chené Lawson. It is a must-listen for fans of speculative fiction and those who appreciate stories that challenge perceptions and explore the complexities of human connection and technology. With its compelling narrative and outstanding production quality, "Amorph" earns a well-deserved 5-star rating.

Happy listening 🚀🎧

[Kacy❁ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 30%.

This was bland and did not catch my attention like I thought it would. Although I'm a giant fan of futuristic scifi, this was not one of them. It made no sense.

[Natalie Vanleuven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that got weird.

[begemot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve listened to the first 20+ minutes of this and decided it wasn’t worth it. I’ve never read any or Jemisin’s books, so I can’t tell if the issues here are coming from her writing (somehow doubt it) or whatever was done to it in “adapting” it to an audioplay. The setup feels extremely dated (running around the cyberspace, looking at “clouds of data” and “numeric code slush”?), but more annoyingly the voice actor for the main character is constantly overacting with “where am I? What’s happening?”. And again, “what is this place?” seems to appear every few minutes.

[Courtney Maher · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not great overall. I was pretty underwhelmed by the plot. I struggled to understand what was going on in the beginning portion with the discovery of the amorph. I wasn’t ever super confident I knew what was going on. The later half was much easier to understand. I felt like the inner dialogue helped me a lot more than the conversations between characters. I definitely prefer a narrator telling me what’s going on and what they’re doing than for me to try to figure out if they’re running, walking, etc (ie sound effects).

[Luke Shea · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rare DNF at chapter 2. I love Jemisin and maybe the stories this was adapted from are more literary and less literal, but as a work of drama it's extremely hard to buy in to like... characters taking actions in an environment while the world building is constantly reminding you it's all imaginary corny code metaphors. Couldn't make myself care, it's just bleeps and blorps being arbitrarily shaped like different stuff in completely dramatically inert ways because everything is made up and constantly shifting. Solid performance and production production but not for me at all.

[Avy Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fan fiction. I'm not mad at it. I think Lawson did decent job of getting me interested in reading more of the world Jemisin created in the short stories. I have read several of NKJ's novels but not the shorts. This was enough to leave me wanting more. And the voice actors did an excellent job. I'm not sure what the one-star reviews are about. Three stars maybe but one is just ridiculous to me.

[Hunter Ross · Rating 1 out of 5]

Scattered, undirected, characters come and go quickly with absolutely zero character development. I know it is supposed to be short but the frenetic and underdeveloped story will leave you detached. I really could care less about the characters and it was unfortunately boring because I was not invested.

[Majo Quirós · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m trying to stay away from 3 ⭐️ ratings, in order to provide a more concise opinion
I like the idea but not the execution. At the end it caught my attention a little bit more, but not enough to say I would recommend this listen to a friend
I have liked a lot everything I’ve read of N.K. Jemisin, so probably will read her short stories to compare

[Julier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the dolby atmospheric stereo--listening with good headphones is a must!! I enjoyed following the story and kind of feeling the sci-fi action. It ended up going on for centuries before the story got to the point, and then ended up in......high school? Oh, well.... END: Women rock!

[Stoner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would much rather like to read the short stories by N. K. Jemisin this was reportedly based on. It is ok cyber sci-fi, but it's not great either and when you list NK in the description there is a bar people expect to be met.

[Titus Fortner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm certain I would have preferred a more faithful rendition. I don't love this format in general, but it had Jemisin's name on it and it was short. Jemisin's ideas are much better than Lawson's execution.

[Billford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know if the author read the original stories this is based on but this was not great. A boring cyber romp. The cast isn’t bad but the story is just yawn inducing. DNF only could take it about halfway through.

[Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid production, but the ending was meh

[Clarissa Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have preferred to stick with the Trojan girl versus switching to the Valedictorian. Loved the production, and was a good short story to put on while getting some chores done

[Elina Tola (Bookeliina)]

Tiku līdz pusei. Nav tā laika vērts.

[Victor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes painfully cringe

[Sam Haddock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird but good. Worth the read

[Jason Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh