Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The Post-Human Omnibus

  • Books 1-4
  • By: David Simpson
  • Narrated by: Ray Chase
  • Length: 24 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (211 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Post-Human Omnibus cover art

The Post-Human Omnibus

By: David Simpson
Narrated by: Ray Chase
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £29.99

Buy Now for £29.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Translocator cover art
I’d Really Prefer Not to Be Here with You, and Other Stories cover art
The Other Place cover art
Arisen: Raiders Volumes 1-2 cover art
The Spare Man cover art
For Every Action cover art
The Missing Boatman cover art
Black Squadron cover art
The Lead Cloak cover art
The Last Praetorian cover art
The Complete Dead Planet Series cover art
Extinction Code cover art
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) cover art
Infinite cover art
Intrinsic cover art
Solitude cover art

Summary

1. Sub-Human 

Before he was Oldtimer, he was Craig Emilson, a young doctor sucked into military service at the outbreak of World War III. Enlisting to become a Special Forces suborbital paratrooper, Craig is selected to take part in the most important mission in American military history - a sortie into enemy territory to eliminate the world's first strong artificial intelligence. The mission is only the beginning of Craig's story and the story of humanity as well as they accelerate toward a world that is post-human. 

If you're already a fan of the smash-hit Post-Human Series, this prequel to Post-Human, Sub-Human, will answer the previously unanswered questions of how the post-human world came to be. And if you're new to the series, Sub-Human will serve as an engrossing introduction to a possible future that has enraptured tens of thousands of listeners! 

2. Post-Human 

The future should have been perfect. Microscopic robots known as nans could repair any damage to your body, keep you young by resetting your cellular clocks, and allow you to download upgrades like intelligence, muscle strength, and eyesight. You were supposed to be able to have anything you wanted with a simple thought, to be able to live forever. But when a small group of five terraformers working on Venus return to Earth, they discover that every other human in the solar system has been gruesomely murdered. Now James Keats and his four companions must discover what happened to the rest of humanity and fight back if they wish to avoid the same horrifying fate.

3. Trans-Human 

In this sequel to Post-Human, humanity will be forced to face a future more advanced than it could have imagined if it wants to survive. Nineteen months have passed since the AI turned against humanity and was subsequently destroyed. In the meantime James Keats has turned over the AI's powers to a nonintelligent, easily controlled operating system. 

He and Thel have left the planet and spent six months vacationing on Venus, which has been terraformed without the consent or knowledge of the Governing Council. The AI has been deleted, but the message it sent out into the abyss of space in search of a companion has been answered. An alien force dwarfing the Earth is on its way to find out why the AI has stopped communicating. Keats and company can only assume its intentions will be hostile when it finds out the truth.

4. Human Plus 

Human Plus is the fourth story in the smash hit science-fiction series. Not exactly a sequel, not exactly a prequel, Human Plus will defy expectations. No matter what you thought was coming next, you're in for a surprise! 

Just one caution: When you're finished you're going to want to share the surprises with everyone online.... Please don't! Please respect future listeners, and let them enjoy the surprises just as much as you did! 

©2014 David Simpson (P)2015 Podium Publishing

Critic reviews

"Wow! Reads like an action film is reeling off in your head!" (Joanna Daneman, #1 HALL OF FAME, TOP 10 AMAZON REVIEWER, [Review for Sub-Human])
"Fantastic series, download and start reading right now!" (Mark Draper, TOP 10 AMAZON REVIEWER)

What listeners say about The Post-Human Omnibus

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    90
  • 4 Stars
    66
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    10
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    107
  • 4 Stars
    52
  • 3 Stars
    31
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    10
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    89
  • 4 Stars
    51
  • 3 Stars
    35
  • 2 Stars
    16
  • 1 Stars
    13

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The titles are the best bits.

I had hoped for a vision of advancement, an imagining of evolved humanity, a cleverly developed prognosis of direction and progress. None of this eventuated.

Yes there's a sophisticated AI, and virtual realities but in all 4 books in this omnibus edition there was a sense of limitation and echoes of other ideas (Matrix especially). I really don't think torturing the AI would be used to test it's altruism by so-called Post Humans. There's nothing in any of the books to suggest advancement of the species to justify the titles, except for "Subhuman" and even that doesn't ring true.

Concepts were not explored or developed to any extent. The Artificial Intelligence, while designed to be humanistic, had implausible reactions and there were experiences of pain in virtual realities which didn't come off as authentic.

The narrator was particularly irritating. His pronunciation of the name "Craig" was "Crig ", for example. His differentiation of various characters was very limited except for the villain, and the AI. The female voices were almost identical; breathy and low, the male were very similar! When a character shouted or screamed, was angry or romantic, it all sounded the same. A whispered scream is not convincing. I will actively avoid any other book narrated by Ray Chase.

I won't be seeking out any other books by David Simpson either. Other authors have broached similar themes much more intelligently and imaginatively. David Simpson is no Frank Herbert, Dan Simmons or Alistair Reynolds. Don't expect much if you decide to buy his books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

dross

I wish I could say something nice about this, but I can't. Terrible, infantile, sci fi.
I love sci fi, from Phillip k Dick, to Iain m banks, via Peter f Hamilton.
I believe that it's a genre that alows authors to create scenarios that test the human condition and explore our goals.
I really wanted to like this book, but it just doesn't work, the characters are 2 dimensional at best, and it reads as if it was written by someone just jamming every sci fi idea they heard into a story.
Then saying, this happened, then this, and then I was like, then he was like, then this girl was like, whatever.
it's pretty dire, within the first hour or so it mentioned the lead characters atavistic smile about 3 times, as if that some how gave him depth or a personality. more like the author read it on his word of the day calendar.
The supposedly strong women feel entirely uninspiring and flimsy, they just don't stand up as people, but then nor does anyone else.
I'd like to say something nice about the narrator, but he seemed like a good fit for this, I won't be listening to anything else he reads,
his accents and characterisations just made it all worse.
A really painful experience, I couldn't event get through to the second book, very disappointing.
I wouldn't normally comment on something this harshly, I normally wouldn't comment at all, but this was that bad.
I worry that someone will read this and think it's a good example of the genre.
I also worry that every time someone reads this, a better author misses their more deserving opportunity.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Think:Scifi Fans Fast food... but with extra MSG

What disappointed you about The Post-Human Omnibus?

The first book was good... it explains the reason that That there are so many positive reviews on what is overall a 2 dimensional world with 2D characters filling it.She said, he said, he said, she said, josh said, James said, old timer said, dog said, cat said.... It was an excruciating listen.

What was most disappointing about David Simpson’s story?

It began with a good concept - the prospect of a human/AI singularity and the rest of humanity's response to what could be our extinction - but after the first book he got greedy and wanted to include every other scifi concept in existence - from sentient Von Neumann machines to panspermia theory - should have been an interesting conflict but I found this story... well implausible (the irony!).

There was no explanation as to why the caricature of an AI was so sadistic. I sniggered a couple of times when Ray Chase changed his voice.

ALL the women needed saving, none of them seemed to have agency in their destiny.. very old school... no wonder humanity faces extermination by machines when one half seems totally useless and the other spends all their energy trying to save them.

Unlikely romantic interests and next to no concern for how ultra long lived humans couldn't possibly be emotionally mature after 90 years.

It felt strange that nobody else had a nickname. Craigs 'Old timer' moniker was used WAY too often. I'm sure there is a more imaginative way to put across how old he is to the reader?

Separating perspectives with chapters is what I prefer to read. When done well it goes a long way to ensure that you can keep up with the multiple characters, their (hopefully) unique world view and motivations. The story began that way but then squandered a good start and threw as much as it could at us from every direction... chapters ended mid action scene after action scene... world building be dammed, character development? meh! Middle finger to the reader, the author wants to mosh at a Red hot chillies concert.

Another thing about chapters - there are way too many. I half expected to hear a squarespace or $1-Shave commercials between cut scenes.

I don't normally write reviews, as not all writers will be equal to the masters - hence why we have a start rating system, but I felt passionate about this book. Disappointed doesn't quite sum it up.
I dont know how it got 130 5star reviews on Amazon... Dont know why it ranks highly in the US audible either.

If you have read more than a couple of scifi novels/space operas or even a good fiction story then dont waste your time.I've wasted 5 hours on this dross.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I do like Ray Chase's performances in general... but even Morgan Freeman couldn't polish this turd.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I brought into the concepts and the first book was OK. SciFi light for those first timeers.

Any additional comments?

This series is like cheap beer: When you were a 18 it was great, but after tasting the good stuff you wonder why adults still buy that crap.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Rambling and nonsensical but...

I am less than half way through this very good value four parter but I am already at the point where I need to leave a review. Who knows, this could be a mid-term review that gets replaced by something much more glowing by the time I finish.

I love a good sci-fi but this seems to ramble and drift off course at times. However, this may not be the fault of the author. There is one thing I really cannot abide and that is breathy and dreamy narration. If the performer wishes to whisp on then for heavens sake go and read Lady Chatterley.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good listen

Not the deepest of sci-fi but enjoyable and very well read. The story unfolds over all 4 books and I think best appreciated as a whole.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

entertaining and full of ideas

as a series the ideas get better from book to book. Entertaining and imaginative. moves at a good pace

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Dragged on a bit

I found these books fun although the lap to different characters and different time periods between books was rather jarring. I really struggled to listen the last book because it was so vastly different from the others, but that difference did make sense in the end. There was a satisfying ending but sometimes was a trek to get there.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great

I really liked it.
I loved the idea that our species could evolve in this way.

Would highly recommend this book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow! What a journey that was!

Fast paced, explosive and not a dull moment from start to end. Great characters and a truly immersive story! Thoroughly enjoyed every second.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Interesting ideas, very badly written

I must have got this on a deal because I had forgotten about it. It is very poorly written but I made it to the end. I like to re-listen but this won't ever be played again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!