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Beyond Strange Lands
This series contains mature themes and strong language and listener discretion is advised.
Beyond Strange Lands is an action-packed and fantastical multi-cast audio drama that journeys across the Australian outback.
In 1982, the famous paranormal expert Grant Peters went missing while filming his TV show Legendary Australia. His wife Melissa was never able to find him. When Melissa herself disappears nearly forty years later, her daughter Fiona and grandson Ethan trace her to the small outback town of Boulia. There they discover a collection of old audio tapes that Melissa left behind: a set of clues they must follow if they’re to solve this mystery in time. Insidious forces will stop at nothing to destroy them, and an impossibly ancient menace lurks deep beneath the ground, waiting for the chance to strike....
This is an Audible Original Podcast, developed and produced with investment from Screen Queensland. Free for members. You can download all 12 episodes to your Library now.
Full cast: Amy Ingram, Michael Fryer, Lisa Hickey, Kevin Spink, Liam James, Sacha Horler, Peter Phelps, Anna McGahan, Richard Davies, Gabriel Willie, Vyvyan Black, Jason McKell, Agnes Mohan, James Mana, Vivienne Abitia, Jesse Warren, Bronte Pearce, Elizabeth Clarke, Peter Kennedy, Laura McArdle, Simon Taylor, David Peterson, Jacob Puryer, Ray Crofts.
Beyond Strange Lands is an action-packed and fantastical multi-cast audio drama that journeys across the Australian outback.
In 1982, the famous paranormal expert Grant Peters went missing while filming his TV show Legendary Australia. His wife Melissa was never able to find him. When Melissa herself disappears nearly forty years later, her daughter Fiona and grandson Ethan trace her to the small outback town of Boulia. There they discover a collection of old audio tapes that Melissa left behind: a set of clues they must follow if they’re to solve this mystery in time. Insidious forces will stop at nothing to destroy them, and an impossibly ancient menace lurks deep beneath the ground, waiting for the chance to strike....
This is an Audible Original Podcast, developed and produced with investment from Screen Queensland. Free for members. You can download all 12 episodes to your Library now.
Full cast: Amy Ingram, Michael Fryer, Lisa Hickey, Kevin Spink, Liam James, Sacha Horler, Peter Phelps, Anna McGahan, Richard Davies, Gabriel Willie, Vyvyan Black, Jason McKell, Agnes Mohan, James Mana, Vivienne Abitia, Jesse Warren, Bronte Pearce, Elizabeth Clarke, Peter Kennedy, Laura McArdle, Simon Taylor, David Peterson, Jacob Puryer, Ray Crofts.
Audible Audio
First published March 14, 2020
20 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
June 9, 2020
The story is extremely hard to follow because the performance quality is spotty. Hard to follow who is speaking since character voices aren't always easily distinguishable and "FX" overwhelm voices throughout. While the narrative recommends earphones, the erratic sound levels require frequent adjustment to hear the voices and then you get your ear drums blown out in the next second....
June 23, 2020
Aussie-centric Paranormal Adventure may be incomprehensible to the rest of the world
Review of the Audible Original audiobook (March 2020)
[Note: Foul language throughout]
Simon Taylor and David Peterson's Beyond Strange Lands takes an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ approach by force-fitting all sorts of Australian natural world mysteries, Indigenous people’s folklore and legendary historical figures into the mix. Every episode seemed to take another turn by introducing a new element into the story and it becomes ever harder to follow what is going on. I never really understood who or what the big bad was supposed to be as there seemed to be so many of them along the way.
The audio production on this makes it even harder to discern what is going on. The foley of sound effects and the distortion of selected voices made for a difficult listening experience. Headphones are recommended for the full immersive effect, but I hate using headphones or earbuds, so it was speakers only for me. Perhaps it makes a difference if you have high quality headphones.
Mostly it left the impression of being a pre-recorded audio for an un-filmed television series, than an actual audiobook. There is a huge cast involved, which seemed rather unnecessary as there were only the 2 major roles of the mother Fiona and the son Ethan.
Beyond Strange Lands was originally released by Audible Australia in March, 2020 and was also one of 10 Audible Original audiobooks available free for Audible.Com members in the month of June 2020. It is available to everyone for a standard price.
Trivia and Links
Some of the Australian natural world phenomena and the historical figures that feature in the story are linked for your background information here.
The mysterious Min Min Lights.
The poisonous Cane Toads.
The explorer Ludwig Leichhardt.
The bush ranger Ned Kelly.
Review of the Audible Original audiobook (March 2020)
[Note: Foul language throughout]
Simon Taylor and David Peterson's Beyond Strange Lands takes an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ approach by force-fitting all sorts of Australian natural world mysteries, Indigenous people’s folklore and legendary historical figures into the mix. Every episode seemed to take another turn by introducing a new element into the story and it becomes ever harder to follow what is going on. I never really understood who or what the big bad was supposed to be as there seemed to be so many of them along the way.
The audio production on this makes it even harder to discern what is going on. The foley of sound effects and the distortion of selected voices made for a difficult listening experience. Headphones are recommended for the full immersive effect, but I hate using headphones or earbuds, so it was speakers only for me. Perhaps it makes a difference if you have high quality headphones.
Mostly it left the impression of being a pre-recorded audio for an un-filmed television series, than an actual audiobook. There is a huge cast involved, which seemed rather unnecessary as there were only the 2 major roles of the mother Fiona and the son Ethan.
Beyond Strange Lands was originally released by Audible Australia in March, 2020 and was also one of 10 Audible Original audiobooks available free for Audible.Com members in the month of June 2020. It is available to everyone for a standard price.
Trivia and Links
Some of the Australian natural world phenomena and the historical figures that feature in the story are linked for your background information here.
The mysterious Min Min Lights.
The poisonous Cane Toads.
The explorer Ludwig Leichhardt.
The bush ranger Ned Kelly.
June 8, 2020
Probably would like this a lot more if it was a show. Maybe.
Beyond Strange Lands was fun to listen to.. but it definitely got crazy and out of control. At one point, I think I zoned out (on accident) and was confused about what was happening. In it, you meet a family that is doing some paranormal investigations. Like I said before, this book definitely got crazy. I mean.. what do you expect when you get a book filled with so many unusual creatures and such?
In the end, it was an okay book.
Beyond Strange Lands was fun to listen to.. but it definitely got crazy and out of control. At one point, I think I zoned out (on accident) and was confused about what was happening. In it, you meet a family that is doing some paranormal investigations. Like I said before, this book definitely got crazy. I mean.. what do you expect when you get a book filled with so many unusual creatures and such?
In the end, it was an okay book.
June 18, 2020
Ugh... I wanted it to be better than what it was.
The storyline sounded fun & intriguing and I've listened to other audios that have been full performances that I really enjoyed, but this one fell very flat.
Performance-wise, Ethan's voice actor was really the only one who gave any life to his character. The writing for Ethan wasn't great, but the actor did an excellent job of bringing him to life. Fiona's voice actress on the other hand just made her sound bored or constantly angry most of the time even when it didn't make sense for the scene. I didn't like the writing for Fiona's character anyway, but a competent voice-over would have made her tolerable. She was the main reason I almost stopped listening entirely, it was painfully bad.
Writing-wise, the main characters (Fiona & Ethan) were slightly more fleshed out but still felt pretty generic while most of the other characters were very random and seemed to exist just to fill a hole in the storyline. (Usually a hole that didn't really need to be there & served no purpose to the overall plot.)
There were many moments where a side character is just added in with hints that they're more than just a random person... and then nothing comes of it. Lots of wasted & weird moments between characters that don't really help the storyline at all and just add a lot of confusion. And, I guess more "pages" to keep this from being just a quick 1 hour short story. (Also, the audio editing wasn't great. There were lots of moments in chapters 9 & 10 where I couldn't hear the speakers at all because the surrounding sounds were too loud and drowned out the voices.)
Overall, the idea was fun but it was executed very poorly both in writing and performance/editing. Will not be looking for more books by this author.
The storyline sounded fun & intriguing and I've listened to other audios that have been full performances that I really enjoyed, but this one fell very flat.
Performance-wise, Ethan's voice actor was really the only one who gave any life to his character. The writing for Ethan wasn't great, but the actor did an excellent job of bringing him to life. Fiona's voice actress on the other hand just made her sound bored or constantly angry most of the time even when it didn't make sense for the scene. I didn't like the writing for Fiona's character anyway, but a competent voice-over would have made her tolerable. She was the main reason I almost stopped listening entirely, it was painfully bad.
Writing-wise, the main characters (Fiona & Ethan) were slightly more fleshed out but still felt pretty generic while most of the other characters were very random and seemed to exist just to fill a hole in the storyline. (Usually a hole that didn't really need to be there & served no purpose to the overall plot.)
There were many moments where a side character is just added in with hints that they're more than just a random person... and then nothing comes of it. Lots of wasted & weird moments between characters that don't really help the storyline at all and just add a lot of confusion. And, I guess more "pages" to keep this from being just a quick 1 hour short story. (Also, the audio editing wasn't great. There were lots of moments in chapters 9 & 10 where I couldn't hear the speakers at all because the surrounding sounds were too loud and drowned out the voices.)
Overall, the idea was fun but it was executed very poorly both in writing and performance/editing. Will not be looking for more books by this author.
July 30, 2020
Painfully bad Audible offering. Who calls two characters “Gran” and “Grant”, and then does audio THIS bad? Ugh. Are there no editors for the Originals series these days?
July 4, 2020
The story was full of plot holes, but perhaps that’s only because there was so much of the story lost behind sound effects or to volume discrepancies or vocal effects. It was at times impossible to hear the characters over the background noise or effects. The performances had moments of realism, but then there was heavy handed dialogue that make the characters feel melodramatic and unrelatable. Overall it was garish and the characters were unsympathetic. The performers seemed to do their best with a poorly written script, but their performances were further ruined by miserably poor mixing and editing. This one was only an improvement over the audiobook on Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison because none of the performers were even close to as cloying and grating as that narrator.
Further, the music between the episodes was horrendous. It didn’t not contribute to the tone of the book and instead this reader was pulled out of the story and into thinking about how the music was a poor imitation of the Doctor Who theme.
Further, the music between the episodes was horrendous. It didn’t not contribute to the tone of the book and instead this reader was pulled out of the story and into thinking about how the music was a poor imitation of the Doctor Who theme.
June 18, 2020
I wanted to like this. I had to dnf it because the narration. The screaming and etc killed my ears just from the pitch. Might would be a good book. Terrible audiobook though.
January 13, 2023
Another reviewer said it best so I'll just quote:
"Mostly it left the impression of being a pre-recorded audio for an un-filmed television series, then an actual audiobook. There is a huge cast involved, which seemed rather unnecessary as there were only the 2 major roles of the mother Fiona and the son Ethan."
This was terribly conceived and executed. Wandering storyline, poorly produced, no opportunity for you to connect with even one of the characters.
Give this one a big miss.
"Mostly it left the impression of being a pre-recorded audio for an un-filmed television series, then an actual audiobook. There is a huge cast involved, which seemed rather unnecessary as there were only the 2 major roles of the mother Fiona and the son Ethan."
This was terribly conceived and executed. Wandering storyline, poorly produced, no opportunity for you to connect with even one of the characters.
Give this one a big miss.
August 14, 2020
Take away the language and maybe a 12 year old would like it. For that matter there wasn't that much inappropriate language. The conversation was hard to hear even with ear buds because the special effects over took it all. The story jumped and was hard to follow. It did not live up to the hype of the details.
May 9, 2022
This audiobook was awful. The story was nearly impossible to follow, the speaking was too quiet to make out a third of the time even with the volume maxed, and another third of the time there was loud noise WHILE someone was speaking too quietly to hear so you couldn’t even turn it up louder to try to make out what was being said. Maybe it was due to struggling to follow the story, but the ending seemed anticlimactic as well. The only reason I didn’t quit listening was so I could mark it as read and count it towards my goal…
June 10, 2020
This was an Audible Original, free. Good thing it was free. I gave up on Episode 4. There was nothing of interest to me in the first four episodes.
June 30, 2020
This was so boring, and I’m going to blame it on the media style. Since this is a podcast format, there was ZERO narration, and that made me totally and utterly apathetic towards all the characters who actually, somehow, had no character. The plot didn’t stand out from any other supernatural/zombie story. I thought the contribution of Norse culture/mythology would save it a little, but there was barely any representation. Audio quality was spotty and some parts were hard to understand. Not a fan. Wouldn’t recommend.
November 9, 2020
Weird.
November 14, 2020
Weird, confusing, overacted.
December 2, 2020
For me it was unlistenable, to the point that I had no idea what was going on.
March 22, 2021
EH... I struggled so much with this one.
June 29, 2021
This was free from audible and I was instantly hooked. Incredible story, voice narration was amazing and they use sound effects to make it more real. It felt as though I was actually there!
June 11, 2020
Interesting, easy read.
June 8, 2020
Fun but also different, love how the story pulls you into it
June 20, 2020
The story was interesting, but at times hard to hear because it seemed like the voice actors were too far from the mics. I listened, as recommended, with earbuds and it didn’t really help. The sound effects also played over the actors. The last half I listened to twice because I kept missing things. It wasn’t a terrible story, but the execution was such that I don’t recommend it.
May 17, 2020
3.5 stars! Wow- what a wild, unexpected outback-alien adventure. The soundscape created for this story is amazing. You’ve just got to go with the ride and see what happens!
July 11, 2020
Well, this was ...weird.
First, the technical stuff: I started listening on speaker, as usual, all the while wondering if Fiona's part was supposed to be distorted and nearly unintelligible (which, after 3 months of Zoom conferences, was a bit exhausting). Then I tried with headphones, and all voices were clear. It seems to me some audio mixing could've gone better.
Next, the content:
...
SPOILERS AHEAD
...
...
...
I have no idea what happened. We get purple rock that goes gooey and zombifies people (and toads) - like the X-Files black oil, only purple.
This rock is hundreds of millions of years old, and yet contains the life force of Nidhugg - because some Dutch 16th century shipwrecked people apparently brought Norse supernatural entities to Australia. Or something. So the script writers don't know the difference between Dutch and Danish?
These old Dutch people are, of course, immortal, and one of them is Ned Kelly. The Ned Kelly. And there's a later explorer who's a ghost and and one point possesses the body of one of the main characters.
The dialogue is at times painful, particularly in the obligatory scene with the divorced parents and the teenage son ...
Oh, and the Action Man - sorry, Army - guys who show up during the zombie toad crisis introduce themselves as 'the cavalry'. Apparently without irony.
So the basic question is: are there no more editors in this world? Someone, at some point, should have read this through and asked: does this make sense? Instead, they hired about 40 voice actors and a team of sound effects guys and let loose.
First, the technical stuff: I started listening on speaker, as usual, all the while wondering if Fiona's part was supposed to be distorted and nearly unintelligible (which, after 3 months of Zoom conferences, was a bit exhausting). Then I tried with headphones, and all voices were clear. It seems to me some audio mixing could've gone better.
Next, the content:
...
SPOILERS AHEAD
...
...
...
I have no idea what happened. We get purple rock that goes gooey and zombifies people (and toads) - like the X-Files black oil, only purple.
This rock is hundreds of millions of years old, and yet contains the life force of Nidhugg - because some Dutch 16th century shipwrecked people apparently brought Norse supernatural entities to Australia. Or something. So the script writers don't know the difference between Dutch and Danish?
These old Dutch people are, of course, immortal, and one of them is Ned Kelly. The Ned Kelly. And there's a later explorer who's a ghost and and one point possesses the body of one of the main characters.
The dialogue is at times painful, particularly in the obligatory scene with the divorced parents and the teenage son ...
Oh, and the Action Man - sorry, Army - guys who show up during the zombie toad crisis introduce themselves as 'the cavalry'. Apparently without irony.
So the basic question is: are there no more editors in this world? Someone, at some point, should have read this through and asked: does this make sense? Instead, they hired about 40 voice actors and a team of sound effects guys and let loose.
July 24, 2021
ZOINKS Shaggy! Is this another mystery for good ole Scooby Doo?!
WOW! Um,... wow! By the end of the 2nd chapter I was still completely lost. At one point the mother makes a comment about why they can't go to the police and ticks off multiple valid reasons. I simply burst out laughing. "OH! THAT'S what's happening in the book!" 🤣
It reminded me of watching the cartoon Scooby Doo & the Mystery Machine only unlike the cartoon, in the book there were no visuals to clue you in on the chase scenes, what was taking place from one moment to the next, why there would be random screaming without explanation, or the jumping from one scene to the other without any mention of what led them there or a conclusion from the last place, & of course my favorite---all the creepy acid tripping sound effects that we were often left guessing what they were supposed to be. This is by far this most bizarre book I have ever listened to and writing a review is not any easier.
As a child when you watch the cartoon Scooby Doo, you simply watch it because it is funny, action packed, a bit spooky and the scene changes rapidly just like the attention span of a child. You don't question any characters, the motives, the writers, or what hidden adult messages are inside. You don't even know to question. As an adult you clue in that Shaggy & Scooby are always hungry because they were loaded (as well as other things in the show). Then as an adult you start to think- I wonder if there is a correlation on how they got all those crazy ideas for the shows and the characters. 🤔
Regardless of my comparison, this book would definitely take some concentration to follow OR sit back, relax, and go for the ride. LOL In all fairness I will say it got a bit better as it went along. I was actually able to follow a storyline for the majority of the time remaining until the end of the book.
I am unsure who the targeted audience is so I will also say it is filled with quite a bit of profanity. So, if you are censoring for your child or don't care for the language yourself this book may not be suitable for you.
I personally didn't have to pay for the book thankfully. TOUGH week so for me so it honestly was what I needed. I would lay in bed and imagine exactly like I mentioned--- Scooby Doo and the Gang handling this case. I giggled a lot through the book even though I am pretty certain that was not what was intended.
For me, I would not encourage anyone to purchase the book. If it is free, it certainly gave me a laugh when I needed it. (I guess it depends all in what you are looking for and your taste. 👍)
Scooby Dooby Doo! 😋
WOW! Um,... wow! By the end of the 2nd chapter I was still completely lost. At one point the mother makes a comment about why they can't go to the police and ticks off multiple valid reasons. I simply burst out laughing. "OH! THAT'S what's happening in the book!" 🤣
It reminded me of watching the cartoon Scooby Doo & the Mystery Machine only unlike the cartoon, in the book there were no visuals to clue you in on the chase scenes, what was taking place from one moment to the next, why there would be random screaming without explanation, or the jumping from one scene to the other without any mention of what led them there or a conclusion from the last place, & of course my favorite---all the creepy acid tripping sound effects that we were often left guessing what they were supposed to be. This is by far this most bizarre book I have ever listened to and writing a review is not any easier.
As a child when you watch the cartoon Scooby Doo, you simply watch it because it is funny, action packed, a bit spooky and the scene changes rapidly just like the attention span of a child. You don't question any characters, the motives, the writers, or what hidden adult messages are inside. You don't even know to question. As an adult you clue in that Shaggy & Scooby are always hungry because they were loaded (as well as other things in the show). Then as an adult you start to think- I wonder if there is a correlation on how they got all those crazy ideas for the shows and the characters. 🤔
Regardless of my comparison, this book would definitely take some concentration to follow OR sit back, relax, and go for the ride. LOL In all fairness I will say it got a bit better as it went along. I was actually able to follow a storyline for the majority of the time remaining until the end of the book.
I am unsure who the targeted audience is so I will also say it is filled with quite a bit of profanity. So, if you are censoring for your child or don't care for the language yourself this book may not be suitable for you.
I personally didn't have to pay for the book thankfully. TOUGH week so for me so it honestly was what I needed. I would lay in bed and imagine exactly like I mentioned--- Scooby Doo and the Gang handling this case. I giggled a lot through the book even though I am pretty certain that was not what was intended.
For me, I would not encourage anyone to purchase the book. If it is free, it certainly gave me a laugh when I needed it. (I guess it depends all in what you are looking for and your taste. 👍)
Scooby Dooby Doo! 😋
January 20, 2022
OK, so I am an 80s kid which means I, like anyone of my generation, love a little goofy nostalgia-inspired programming, be that Cobra Kai or Stranger Things.
I was an X-Files fan and love me some gonzo supernatural/alien conspiracy stories.
I love radio-plays and spend a lot of time in the car.
So...I SHOULD be the perfect audience for this crazy story that involves a chubby teenager and his young, take-no-crap, supernatural-hunting mom in a story with an alien life-form/Norse god, Aboriginal myths, a lost Dutch colony in Australia, ghosts, and an undying seer who might just be Ned Kelly, all in a Stranger Things-meets-Body Snatchers sort of package, complete with goofy 80s synth-track that introduces each chapter.
But the problem with gonzo is knowing how to keep your myriad pieces together, at least enough to create the illusion of a coherent tale. (Sometimes analysis after the fact makes it fall apart, but at least it was a fun ride along the way.) "Beyond Strange Lands," alas, is a hot mess.
Priding itself on its enhanced production values and complex, layered sound-effects, you are advised at the start that the experience will be enhanced with headphones. I DID try that, and let me explain what "enhanced" means:
Ever gone to a special-effects blockbuster and the THX sound system is cranked so high you leave with a headache? Yeah, it's like that. Only you MAY be able to generally better hear the dialogue which is otherwise periodically drowned out by the sound effects. Production effects are never a good substitute for strong performances and a solid story. The fact that these vaunted effects sound like something from old-school Dr. Who, and we know someone is possessed because they speak through a voice-warbler, which was an aging gimmick when it was used by the lizard people in the mid-80s show, "V", doesn't make it worth the effort. The performances, by and large, are good, but the story? I can explain the overall plot, and the motivation of the big bad monster, but frankly the ride along the way is about a coherent as your memories after an all-night pub crawl and invites an equivalent level of buyer's remorse.
Two-stars because there are a few genuinely good moments and good performances, but really, you have better ways to spend your time.
I was an X-Files fan and love me some gonzo supernatural/alien conspiracy stories.
I love radio-plays and spend a lot of time in the car.
So...I SHOULD be the perfect audience for this crazy story that involves a chubby teenager and his young, take-no-crap, supernatural-hunting mom in a story with an alien life-form/Norse god, Aboriginal myths, a lost Dutch colony in Australia, ghosts, and an undying seer who might just be Ned Kelly, all in a Stranger Things-meets-Body Snatchers sort of package, complete with goofy 80s synth-track that introduces each chapter.
But the problem with gonzo is knowing how to keep your myriad pieces together, at least enough to create the illusion of a coherent tale. (Sometimes analysis after the fact makes it fall apart, but at least it was a fun ride along the way.) "Beyond Strange Lands," alas, is a hot mess.
Priding itself on its enhanced production values and complex, layered sound-effects, you are advised at the start that the experience will be enhanced with headphones. I DID try that, and let me explain what "enhanced" means:
Ever gone to a special-effects blockbuster and the THX sound system is cranked so high you leave with a headache? Yeah, it's like that. Only you MAY be able to generally better hear the dialogue which is otherwise periodically drowned out by the sound effects. Production effects are never a good substitute for strong performances and a solid story. The fact that these vaunted effects sound like something from old-school Dr. Who, and we know someone is possessed because they speak through a voice-warbler, which was an aging gimmick when it was used by the lizard people in the mid-80s show, "V", doesn't make it worth the effort. The performances, by and large, are good, but the story? I can explain the overall plot, and the motivation of the big bad monster, but frankly the ride along the way is about a coherent as your memories after an all-night pub crawl and invites an equivalent level of buyer's remorse.
Two-stars because there are a few genuinely good moments and good performances, but really, you have better ways to spend your time.
September 10, 2020
Overall: 2.6/5
I had very high expectations for this title. In some aspects it delivered but where it failed, it did so miserably. Now, I don't say this with the intent to put down the author's or the production team's work, but as a disclaimer that if the critique through the following sections seems harsh, it's because at the time of reviewing this I do so with a heart heavy with disappointment. I believe strongly that in order to correct a fault one needs to know exactly of what it consists.
I still think this could have been a GREAT book.
Cover: 3/5
It's pretty artwork and even interesting if a little misleading and a bit too cheerful for the topic, in my opinion.
Writing/Delivery: 6/10
I liked the original concept and I would go as far as to say it even had moments that carried a certain King-esque vibe. But as the story progressed, so many ideas were thrown into the mix in such a short period of time that it ended feeling more like a brainstorm.
The characters were not easily likeable. They weren't particularly bad, just not the kind you click with right off the bat.
The dialogue was hard to believe sometimes, especially when between humans and evil spirits, where humans were given too much control and the spirits were too nice for the powerful entities they're made out to be. Not to mention that the whole possession process wasn't ever really explained or demonstrated, or if it was, it eluded me.
What could've been a tale of the world being taken over by vicious and malevolent entities bent on war became a petty family feud of the paranormal kind.
Performance/Audio: 4/10
The narrators performed well, I think. But whether it was intentional or the result of a low budget, the final product was faulty at best. The dynamics used made it so you had to turn it up to hear a line of dialogue or two, only to have your ears blasted by the person closest to the recording device. I know, documentaries will be imperfect when it comes to sound. But this needed a lot of work.
I had very high expectations for this title. In some aspects it delivered but where it failed, it did so miserably. Now, I don't say this with the intent to put down the author's or the production team's work, but as a disclaimer that if the critique through the following sections seems harsh, it's because at the time of reviewing this I do so with a heart heavy with disappointment. I believe strongly that in order to correct a fault one needs to know exactly of what it consists.
I still think this could have been a GREAT book.
Cover: 3/5
It's pretty artwork and even interesting if a little misleading and a bit too cheerful for the topic, in my opinion.
Writing/Delivery: 6/10
I liked the original concept and I would go as far as to say it even had moments that carried a certain King-esque vibe. But as the story progressed, so many ideas were thrown into the mix in such a short period of time that it ended feeling more like a brainstorm.
The characters were not easily likeable. They weren't particularly bad, just not the kind you click with right off the bat.
The dialogue was hard to believe sometimes, especially when between humans and evil spirits, where humans were given too much control and the spirits were too nice for the powerful entities they're made out to be. Not to mention that the whole possession process wasn't ever really explained or demonstrated, or if it was, it eluded me.
What could've been a tale of the world being taken over by vicious and malevolent entities bent on war became a petty family feud of the paranormal kind.
Performance/Audio: 4/10
The narrators performed well, I think. But whether it was intentional or the result of a low budget, the final product was faulty at best. The dynamics used made it so you had to turn it up to hear a line of dialogue or two, only to have your ears blasted by the person closest to the recording device. I know, documentaries will be imperfect when it comes to sound. But this needed a lot of work.
January 27, 2021
This was a really strange radio drama/adventure. I would have given it an extra star if I could have followed everything that was going on. It was jammed packed with sound FX, and odd audio dialogue. That means the audio of the dialogue faded in and out supposedly to add depth to the audio and mimic realism... as if there was a single microphone. That made it more interesting but it also made it more difficult to hear and to follow the dialogue because there were so many characters involved.
Note: This is an Australian audiobook so the accents are Australian English with some Australian slang thrown in. They seemed to hold back on that stuff so that the show would have appeal to a wider audience. I appreciated that, but it took a while to get used to it nevertheless.
The story: Grant Peters goes missing after searching for ghosts. (That whole ghost-hunter thing they do for fame and fortune.) Then he goes missing. Many years later his daughter, Melissa, attempts to find her father, but instead finds these audio tapes. Things get really weird from here. She and others use the tapes to get clues as to where to search next, but they uncover an ancient horror.
Any problems with this story? Well... as a radio drama it did pretty well. It was exciting. The problem was that I didn't quite believe that the characters would react the way that they did. Of course, they had to act that way instead of running away into the night screaming. Otherwise there would have been no show.
Any modesty issues? The F-word was used a lot. I mean a lot. Not as much as I used the word in my youth, but still... a lot.
I doubt I will listen to this radio drama again. I enjoyed listening, but ghost stories are not my cup of tea, generally speaking. I'm willing to try it, but I shy away as often as not.
Note: This is an Australian audiobook so the accents are Australian English with some Australian slang thrown in. They seemed to hold back on that stuff so that the show would have appeal to a wider audience. I appreciated that, but it took a while to get used to it nevertheless.
The story: Grant Peters goes missing after searching for ghosts. (That whole ghost-hunter thing they do for fame and fortune.) Then he goes missing. Many years later his daughter, Melissa, attempts to find her father, but instead finds these audio tapes. Things get really weird from here. She and others use the tapes to get clues as to where to search next, but they uncover an ancient horror.
Any problems with this story? Well... as a radio drama it did pretty well. It was exciting. The problem was that I didn't quite believe that the characters would react the way that they did. Of course, they had to act that way instead of running away into the night screaming. Otherwise there would have been no show.
Any modesty issues? The F-word was used a lot. I mean a lot. Not as much as I used the word in my youth, but still... a lot.
I doubt I will listen to this radio drama again. I enjoyed listening, but ghost stories are not my cup of tea, generally speaking. I'm willing to try it, but I shy away as often as not.
January 21, 2022
I'll start with some positives:
- The world building was good. And I did like how the characters were connected (even if they don't into the details of how exactly they're connected).
- I'll also give the narrators credit for performing what's essentially a radio drama. Even though it was really hard to imagine what was going on (this probably should have been a graphic novel) I can imagine acting this out was a challenge.
- I did like the music. Sounded a bit like Doctor Who.
But I had lots of other issues.
- The sound was all over the place and I would constantly lower or raise the volume. Then the sound effects would be too loud but the dialogue too low.
- Sometimes the characters would sound like they were in an echoed room or in a tape recorded, but for no good reason.
- Some action scenes dragged on too long. It would just be noise and like I said I couldn't imagine what was going on.
- Fiona would sometimes get on my nerves. Pushing down her feelings. And I know she's a mom worried about her son, but it got receptive to hear her constantly protect Ethan. She also sounded too young to be Ethan's mother.
- One sideline plot (the toads) was total filler. I didn't like that story and at first was holding off judgment to see if it connected to the overall plot. It doesn't, so it was a waste of time.
The negatives outweigh the positives so I'm giving this 2 out of 5 Tape Recorders.
- The world building was good. And I did like how the characters were connected (even if they don't into the details of how exactly they're connected).
- I'll also give the narrators credit for performing what's essentially a radio drama. Even though it was really hard to imagine what was going on (this probably should have been a graphic novel) I can imagine acting this out was a challenge.
- I did like the music. Sounded a bit like Doctor Who.
But I had lots of other issues.
- The sound was all over the place and I would constantly lower or raise the volume. Then the sound effects would be too loud but the dialogue too low.
- Sometimes the characters would sound like they were in an echoed room or in a tape recorded, but for no good reason.
- Some action scenes dragged on too long. It would just be noise and like I said I couldn't imagine what was going on.
- Fiona would sometimes get on my nerves. Pushing down her feelings. And I know she's a mom worried about her son, but it got receptive to hear her constantly protect Ethan. She also sounded too young to be Ethan's mother.
- One sideline plot (the toads) was total filler. I didn't like that story and at first was holding off judgment to see if it connected to the overall plot. It doesn't, so it was a waste of time.
The negatives outweigh the positives so I'm giving this 2 out of 5 Tape Recorders.
July 29, 2022
This is essentially an audible play. And it really makes no sense whatsoever. Imagine taking the Blair Witch Project and mixing it with The Exorcist. It sounds like it would make for a pretty damn good movie, in theory, that is.
Again, one of the my biggest pet peeve with writers is when they put things in their stories that make absolutely no sense. At the beginning of episode 12, it clearly states they are in the year 1982. As soon as that statement is made, the first question asked is, "Do you have your mp3 player?".
Last I check MP3 players were still about twenty-years away from being invented from 1982. I know some might say I'm nitpicking, but, this is why writers have editors for.
The story is essentially about some alien rock that crashed on earth along time ago, that possesses people in Australia. And one man who had some kind of show looking for paranormal things, who became obsessed looking for it. Cut to now his wife year's later taking her grandson out on adventure to look for him, and it just spirals downward from there.
For God sakes, this story even has Ned Kelly as an immortal still walking this earth as some kind of tour guide. This story is beyond bonkers.
I say skip this one. It so insane, in a way that doesn't connect at all.
Again, one of the my biggest pet peeve with writers is when they put things in their stories that make absolutely no sense. At the beginning of episode 12, it clearly states they are in the year 1982. As soon as that statement is made, the first question asked is, "Do you have your mp3 player?".
Last I check MP3 players were still about twenty-years away from being invented from 1982. I know some might say I'm nitpicking, but, this is why writers have editors for.
The story is essentially about some alien rock that crashed on earth along time ago, that possesses people in Australia. And one man who had some kind of show looking for paranormal things, who became obsessed looking for it. Cut to now his wife year's later taking her grandson out on adventure to look for him, and it just spirals downward from there.
For God sakes, this story even has Ned Kelly as an immortal still walking this earth as some kind of tour guide. This story is beyond bonkers.
I say skip this one. It so insane, in a way that doesn't connect at all.
February 27, 2022
This is a quirky, funny, X-Files type adventure through the Australian outback. I used headphones as advised and it added to the experience, giving a sense of 3D sound, which makes this great fun - a movie in your mind. If you close your eyes it feels like you're in the midst of the action. I had no difficulties with hearing what people were saying or with things being too loud and then too quiet. I wonder if the reviewers who did were unused to Australian accents? Maybe I just had different headphones. I don't know, but I can't understand the comments in other reviews about the sound.
This drama was well done and entertaining. They do swear a lot, but then, they're Aussies and that's part of the culture. The only thing I think I would take issue with is the blatant rip-off of the Doctor Who theme tune in the intro and outro.
Beyond Strange Lands makes no sense, just like the X-Files never used to, tongue is firmly in cheek in that delightful Aussie way all the way through, there are more plot holes than in a field of cabbages, but it's a light-hearted, exciting romp and none of that matters because you're just along for the ride.
This drama was well done and entertaining. They do swear a lot, but then, they're Aussies and that's part of the culture. The only thing I think I would take issue with is the blatant rip-off of the Doctor Who theme tune in the intro and outro.
Beyond Strange Lands makes no sense, just like the X-Files never used to, tongue is firmly in cheek in that delightful Aussie way all the way through, there are more plot holes than in a field of cabbages, but it's a light-hearted, exciting romp and none of that matters because you're just along for the ride.
September 17, 2020
I really loved the production.
I didn't have the same issues with hearing what was going on like a lot of these reviews indicate.
I did try and listen to it on a stereo and I absolutely could not hear. The way audio is used in this book is binaural. So it uses a lot of effects that allow you to hear distance and direction. So this means headphones is the one and only option to enioy this book.
As good as the production was. I just didnt really dig the story. I didn't like the characters or care about them.
I think them killing off a major character right at the start of the story and then have a missing other character was a bit sloppy.
I never had a chance to get attached to these characters, so why should I care about a death and someone missing? It just feels like messy writing.
The ongoing story line is also so all over the place. It feels like several plots going on at the same time that are trying to connect.
I love fully voice acted productions just wish maybe it was done on a better story.
I give this a pass unless you have time to kill and nothing better to read.
I didn't have the same issues with hearing what was going on like a lot of these reviews indicate.
I did try and listen to it on a stereo and I absolutely could not hear. The way audio is used in this book is binaural. So it uses a lot of effects that allow you to hear distance and direction. So this means headphones is the one and only option to enioy this book.
As good as the production was. I just didnt really dig the story. I didn't like the characters or care about them.
I think them killing off a major character right at the start of the story and then have a missing other character was a bit sloppy.
I never had a chance to get attached to these characters, so why should I care about a death and someone missing? It just feels like messy writing.
The ongoing story line is also so all over the place. It feels like several plots going on at the same time that are trying to connect.
I love fully voice acted productions just wish maybe it was done on a better story.
I give this a pass unless you have time to kill and nothing better to read.
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