BARDIOC

I’ll admit, I went into *Bardioc* expecting another high-stakes space adventure—maybe some planet-hopping, a few laser battles, the usual *Perry Rhodan* fare. Instead, I got a 15-hour masterclass in how to make a single, unwinable conversation feel like the most gripping conflict in sci-fi. Voltz’s writing is razor-sharp when it comes to power dynamics: Bardioc isn’t just smarter than Rhodan; it’s *bored* by him, and that indifference is somehow more terrifying than malice. Jacobs’ narration sells this perfectly—his delivery is measured, almost clinical, but when Rhodan’s frustration boils over, he lets the cracks show. There’s a scene midway through where Rhodan tries to bargain with a metaphor, and Bardioc dismantles it with the casual cruelty of a child pulling wings off a fly. Jacobs’ pause before delivering the entity’s reply? *Chef’s kiss.* That said, this isn’t a flawless listen. The pacing drags in the second act when the philosophical sparring starts to feel repetitive—how many ways *can* you say ‘humanity is insignificant’ before it loses its bite? And while Jacobs’ gravelly baritone is ideal for Rhodan’s weary cynicism, his Bardioc sometimes veers into *too* smooth, lacking the eerie, inhuman cadence you’d expect from a superintelligence. (Imagine if HAL 9000 had a *slight* Canadian lilt.) Still, the audiobook’s production is impeccable—no distracting edits, no volume spikes—just you, Rhodan, and the creeping dread that every ‘compromise’ is another layer of the trap. For fans of cerebral sci-fi who don’t need explosions to stay hooked, this is a gem. For everyone else? Maybe start with a lighter entry in the series.