The Planet Strappers


Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)

(4.3 stars; 329 reviews)

The Planet Strappers started out as The Bunch, a group of student-astronauts in the back room of a store in Jarviston, Minnesota. They wanted off Earth, and they begged, borrowed and built what they needed to make it. They got what they wanted--a start on the road to the stars--but no one brought up on Earth could have imagined what was waiting for them Out There!
(Summary from the text)
(7 hr 25 min)

Chapters

Chapter I, Part 1 25:07 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter I, Part 2 21:55 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter II, Part 1 20:25 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter II, Part 2 21:26 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter III, Part 1 32:07 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter III, Part 2 29:54 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter IV, Part 1 33:48 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter IV, Part 2 32:55 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter V, Part 1 24:42 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter V, Part 2 28:39 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter VI, Part 1 24:38 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter VI, Part 2 36:40 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter VII, Part 1 23:53 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter VII, Part 2 22:23 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter VIII, Part 1 29:41 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
Chapter VIII, Part 2 36:55 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)

Reviews

Really Good Story


(5 stars)

This is a very good listen. Some may say it's dated, but that's part of the charm. For a book from the 1950's, the author was very prescient, especially for a non-scientist. The characters are believable and soon become like old friends, people you wouldn't mind hanging out with. The story itself is intriguing. Who hasn't wondered what it might be like to wander among the planets, if not the stars? The technology used is credible, with nothing too far-fetched. The concept of inter-planetary travel is dealt with as a foregone conclusion, with the author expecting the reader's suspension of disbelief, as with any science fiction tale. The story arc covers a wide range of possibilities, sort of like a sweeping saga of life, love, warfare, fortunes made and lost, friendships and rivalries, and a few tragedies along the way. Basically a solid book, competently read by Richard Kilmer, who seems to enjoy space operas.

once you get past beginning, its a very enjoyable book


(4.5 stars)

best best best book in a good wile


(5 stars)

Nicely read, an interesting tale


(4 stars)

There’s some interesting ideas in this one, and some points which resonate well today. Obviously one should expect a certain amount of dated language and social constructs as it was first published in 1961, but even those elements are less than one may imagine. I really enjoyed it. It does well at catching some of the humanity of a story which many sci-fi tales miss out on with their one dimensional characters. The reader has a pleasant and relaxing voice.


(4 stars)

Not being a great fan of westerns this book found me trying to find a grip on the story. As the book went on I began to realise it's epic nature in the vein of hour the West was won and to grip the compressed sence of history the writer tried to convey. Enjoyable and cleaver in that respect. I think had I been a bit quicker to recognise it's style I would have enjoyed this more

Great story, not what I expected.


(5 stars)

This was a great story, not at all what I expected. I was pleasantly surprised, I was expecting just another plain old sci-fi yarn, especially with it's title. It has a great plot, characters, unexpected twists, etc. very well written. I only wish there was a sequel. The reader is very good, one of the better readers at LibriVox. Don't let the title fool you, give it a listen.

give it a few chapters, it becomes a grand adventure


(5 stars)

I admit I didn't have high hopes for this work based on the title and cover art, and it takes a while to get going, but when it does the story builds into a grand adventure. I'm very glad I kept reading, as this has become one of my favorite sci-fi novellas. Suspension of disbelief required!

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN


(5 stars)

A very enjoyable book with a very non-scifi message. the first part is much like a futuristic Alaskan goldfish, while the rest is in the mode of "wagons west." I can only presume that this a stand alone book, but it seems to expect the reader to understand bub's and archer's. A fine read by Richard Kilmer.