
The Spare Man
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Narrated by:
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Mary Robinette Kowal
About this listen
Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Award winner Mary Robinette Kowal blends her no-nonsense approach to life in space with her talent for creating glittering high-society in this stylish SF mystery, The Spare Man.
Tesla Crane, one of the richest women in the world, is on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between Earth and Mars. She’s traveling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and her husband is named as the prime suspect. To save him from the frame-up, Tesla will risk exposure and face demons from her past.
Even though doing so might make her the next victim.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2022 Mary Robinette Kowal (P)2022 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Mary Robinette Kowal and Wil Wheaton talk
The Spare Man and other works
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Story
When an enigmatic message uploaded to the dark web turns out to contain an ancient secret giving regular people the power to do impossible things, like levitate cars or make themselves invisible, American government officials panic. They know the demo videos on YouTube and instructions for incantations could turn from fantastical amusement to dangerous weapon at the drop of the hat, and they scramble to keep the information out of the wrong hands. They tap Ben Zolstra, an ex-CIA field operative whose history with the agency is conflicted at best.
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It’s a shame the story could’ve been so much better!
- By Kindle Customer on 07-31-23
By: Zach Fehst
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Calamity
- Knights of Eternity, Book 1
- By: Rachel Ni Chuirc
- Narrated by: Andrea Parsneau
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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When Zara awoke to find Valerius, leader of the legendary Gilded Knights, towering over her, she thought she'd gone mad. She was the Fury, mistress of claw and flame—armies trembled at her name! Now she lay chained and broken, a prisoner in her own home. But that wasn't why she thought herself mad. Only yesterday, she remembered a different life. She remembered her nephew in the local arcade, struggling to beat the villainous Zara the Fury in Knights of Eternity. She remembered her uncle and his big booming laugh.
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A must-read for fans of fantasy, adventure, and philosophical explorations of the human condition
- By Paul on 05-03-24
By: Rachel Ni Chuirc
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Mage Against the Machine
- By: Shaun Barger
- Narrated by: Robin Eller, Gibson Frazier
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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The year is 2120. The humans are dead. The mages have retreated from the world after a madman blew up civilization with weaponized magical technology. Safe within domes that protect them from the nuclear wasteland on the other side, the mages have spent the last century putting their lives back together.
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Great story but flawed execution
- By Michael on 12-20-18
By: Shaun Barger
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The Mimicking of Known Successes
- By: Malka Older
- Narrated by: Lindsey Dorcus
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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On a remote, gas-wreathed outpost of a human colony on Jupiter, a man goes missing. The enigmatic Investigator Mossa follows his trail to Valdegeld, home to the colony’s erudite university―and Mossa’s former girlfriend, a scholar of Earth’s pre-collapse ecosystems. Pleiti has dedicated her research and her career to aiding the larger effort towards a possible return to Earth. When Mossa unexpectedly arrives and requests Pleiti’s assistance in her latest investigation, the two of them embark on a twisting path in which the future of life on Earth is at stake.
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Sci-fi missing person mystery
- By Michael G Kurilla on 11-20-23
By: Malka Older
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Translation State
- By: Ann Leckie
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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When Enae's grandmaman passes away, Enae inherits something unexpected: a diplomatic assignment to track down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. No one actually expects Enae to succeed; it's an empty assignment meant to keep hir occupied. But Enae has never had a true purpose—no one ever expected hir to do more than care for grandmaman—so sie is determined to accomplish this task to the best of her ability.
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Single themed and not on par with the series
- By Andrew Pollack on 07-01-23
By: Ann Leckie
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Only Bad Options
- Galactic Bonds, Book 1
- By: Jennifer Estep
- Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang, James Fouhey
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Few people know the name Vesper Quill. To most folks, I’m just a lowly lab rat who designs brewmakers and other household appliances in the research-and-development lab at the powerful Kent Corp. But when I point out a design flaw and a safety hazard in the new line of Kent Corp spaceships, everyone knows who I am—and wants to eliminate me. I might be a seer with a photographic memory, but I don’t see the trouble headed my way until it’s too late. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by enemies and fighting for my life.
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Interesting, but enough to continue the series?
- By G. Fitz on 02-01-23
By: Jennifer Estep
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Machinehood
- By: S.B. Divya
- Narrated by: Inés del Castillo, Deepti Gupta
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Welga Ramirez, executive bodyguard and ex-special forces, is about to retire early when her client is killed in front of her. It’s, 2095 and people don’t usually die from violence. Humanity is entirely dependent on pills that not only help them stay alive but allow them to compete with artificial intelligence in an increasingly competitive gig economy. Daily doses protect against designer diseases, flow enhances focus, zips and buffs enhance physical strength and speed, and juvers speed the healing process.
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Great
- By Lu on 07-06-21
By: S.B. Divya
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Hidden Wishes Books 1-3
- A Gamelit Urban Fantasy
- By: Tao Wong
- Narrated by: Patrick Zeller
- Length: 17 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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One faithful day, Henry Tsien finds a briefcase and a ring within it. Within hours, his world has changed, as a helpful jinn introduces him to a hidden world. What can an old-school gamer given magic do in a world filled with age-old, hidden, supernatural creatures? The Hidden Wishes series is an urban fantasy take on the gamlit genre. It is much lighter in terms of "statistics" and its game system.
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All 3 are really good
- By Chris Heins on 05-16-23
By: Tao Wong
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Mirrorland
- By: Carole Johnstone
- Narrated by: Katie Leung
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Cat lives in Los Angeles, far from 36 Westeryk Road, the imposing gothic house in Edinburgh where she and her estranged twin sister, El, grew up. As kids, they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs, full of pirates, witches, and clowns. These days, Cat rarely thinks about their childhood home, or the fact that El now lives there with her husband, Ross. But when El mysteriously disappears after going out on her sailboat, Cat is forced to return to 36 Westeryk Road, which hasn’t changed in twenty years.
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Great story but so long
- By Laken on 05-25-21
By: Carole Johnstone
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The Saint of Bright Doors
- By: Vajra Chandrasekera
- Narrated by: Sid Sagar
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Fetter was raised to kill, honed as a knife to cut down his sainted father. This gave him plenty to talk about in therapy. He walked among invisible powers: devils and anti-gods that mock the mortal form. He learned a lethal catechism, lost his shadow, and gained a habit for secrecy. After a blood-soaked childhood, Fetter escaped his rural hometown for the big city, and fell into a broader world where divine destinies are a dime a dozen.
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Interesting but hard to follow on audio
- By S. Browne on 07-09-24
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METAtropolis
- By: Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, and others
- Narrated by: Michael Hogan, Scott Brick, Kandyse McClure, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Armed camps of eco-survivalists battle purveyors of technology in this exclusive, original production featuring five sci-fi masters and five all-star narrators.
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Not a wasted credit
- By james on 10-27-08
By: Jay Lake, and others
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The Last Ranger
- Ranger of the Titan Wilds, Book 1
- By: J.D.L. Rosell
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Leiyn “Firebrand” is no stranger to a fight. A brash ranger of the Titan Wilds, she takes up her bow to ward against the colossal spirit creatures known as titans, ever a threat to the colonies she has sworn to protect. But no amount of skill can guard against treachery. When tragedy strikes the rangers’ lodge, Leiyn vows to avenge the fallen. But if she is to succeed, she must embrace a power within her she has long denied. Power to move mountains and rivers. Power over life and death.
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JDL Does it Again!
- By Derrick Smythe on 01-26-23
By: J.D.L. Rosell
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Some Desperate Glory
- By: Emily Tesh
- Narrated by: Sena Bryer
- Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Since she was born, Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she readies herself to face the Wisdom, the powerful, reality-shaping weapon that gave the majoda their victory over humanity. They are what’s left. They are what must survive. Kyr is one of the best warriors of her generation, the sword of a dead planet. When Command assigns her brother to certain death and relegates her to Nursery to bear sons, she knows she must take humanity's revenge into her own hands.
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YA Space Opera fights fascism but pulls punches
- By Dream Fractal on 06-26-23
By: Emily Tesh
What listeners say about The Spare Man
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- purplex
- 01-10-23
Really good
Thanks to Amy (redfraggle) on the Morning Stream podcast for suggestion of this very enjoyable listen.
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- jda
- 04-07-23
Ok detective story
Overall the story was good and kept you interested in it.Crane's lawyer verbal assaults were the best part. Where can I get one like her? Granted I can't afford a millisecond of her fees but would be nice to have.
I'm not a big fan of author reading books as tend to be better at writing then reading, but this was a good performance.
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- Kathi
- 02-16-23
Listen to the end!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book because of the narration. It was lively and emotional. But listen to the very end; the Science and Mixology were stupendous.
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- Ellen Anderson
- 03-16-23
Nick and Nora!
This is a book I would read again. maybe even next week. That says a lot since I almost never reread a book. Ms. Robinette does a wonderful job of recreating the mood of the thin man books and movies, including the cocktails! And of course the precious dog. Her writing is amazing. This is my first book of hers and I will definitely look for more just for the witty writing.
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-03-22
Mary knocks it out of the park yet again.
another fantastic book by Mary Robinette Kowal. What a powerhouse! this one was a bit lighter and fluffier than the Lady Astronaut of Mars series but still engaging from the get-go.
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- Lonnie-The GreatNorthernTroll-Moore
- 10-12-22
What a fun mystery.
I love Mary Robinette Kowal and expected greatness from her. So how could I resist. When this book came out. I really love her! Plus I loved the Thin Man movie series... although I watched 'em so long ago that I couldn't even remember the actors names only that, there's a white westie named Asta, and that the movies were Mysteries! This is Mary's recreation of a Thin Man movie. Taking place on a cruise ship to Mars. And I really enjoyed the book. Ohhhh and about the movie, I have an ace up my sleeve! I have a friend, she's a movie buff! She'll let me know if the book stays true to the movie...
Here's a couple of quotes that gave me a chuckle.
"Which, if Tesla knew Fontien, she sounded like she was going to reach through the cosmos and pull out their intestines and use it for macrame."
"You manmoring lobster."
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- M. COOK
- 04-01-24
Mostly loved it
I was skeptical but ended up liking the characters and the sweet little dog. The drink mix recipes at the begging of each chapter got to be annoying though. The story was unpredictable yet the way the main characters were treated was frustrating at times. I enjoyed it enough to recommend and may check out the authors other books.
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- Snarkstress
- 11-03-22
Nick & Nora in SPAAAAACE
As a lifelong fan of the Thin Man movies and a longtime fan of Mary Robinette Kowal’s work, I couldn’t wait for this book.
The mystery element is kept fairly light-hearted, more because of the Nick & Nora tone than a lack of body count. The banter and romance of newlyweds Tesla Crane and Shal Steward is pretty damn fun, and it’s refreshing to have a disabled protagonist/main character who’s multidimensional, intriguing, and downright fun much of the time. Don’t get me wrong, Tesla’s disability and PTSD aren’t glossed over or minimized, nor are they plot points to be cured or “triumphed” over. Rather, they are chronic conditions that must be managed and accommodated.
Kowal’s narration is, as always, superb. I’m really hoping that there will be more Spare Man adventures.
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- Jessie Hathaway
- 12-07-22
Another great space novel from Kowal!
Beautifully written murder mystery in space. Mary Robinette Kowal writes mental illness beautifully as always, and her take on the near future feels plausible and interesting. I LOVE the depiction of progressed gender perception and social norms. It was difficult not to binge the whole book over the weekend, and instead save it for my daily commute.
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- Kate
- 02-04-23
Cruising
Good story. Lots of twists and turns. Interesting and fully developed characters. Thoroughly enjoyed the audible. MRK narration is superb.
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