UNDER ALIEN SKIES A Sightseer's Guide to the Universe

Philip Plait is a veteran popularizer of astronomy in the media. This audio program is his first foray into narration, and he excels at it. The timbre of his voice is youthful rather than professorial, and his infectious enthusiasm makes him an ideal tour guide as he escorts listeners to Mars, the asteroid belt, Saturn, and Pluto before taking them beyond the solar system to star clusters and black holes. Each destination opens with a fictional "you are here" prelude and proceeds to explain both the science and the wonder of the surroundings, with regular references to sci-fi culture. Plait's writing and narration are clear and welcoming even for sightseers without a lot of technical knowledge. D.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2023]