Underneath the Moon

By: Dan Holt

Narrated by: J. Scott Bennett

Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Douglas Hastings' passion for anything NASA drove him to analyze a treasure trove of Moon photos taken during all Apollo missions. Doug had started to believe the conspiracy theories and rumors that had swirled for years; that NASA had discovered more than just rocks on the Moon and had conspired to keep the rest of the world in the dark.

A super computer's enhancement and compilation of the old photos proved his belief and sent him on a quest that has now revealed revolutionary new space travel technology and will enable him to lead a group on a return journey to explore ancient ruins on the lunar surface. But Doug's pursuit of the truth and discovery of a destroyed GLASS city on the Moon pale in comparison to what lies underneath the lunar surface. What he finds will solve the mystery of a long-dead Apollo Astronaut and provide clues to the missing elements of Earth's ancient history. But, even he isn't prepared for the discovery that will reveal the past and change the future of mankind; FOREVER!

©2015 Dan Holt (P)2015 Dan Holt

°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° Amazing science fiction novel!

What made the experience of listening to Underneath the Moon the most enjoyable?

The spacecraft is one part of the story I found myself wanting to set foot on, at least once in my lifetime.(‘∀’●)♡

What other book might you compare Underneath the Moon to and why?

I haven't read a book like this one before. I took some notes for stuff I want to research. As if I had the brains or could build a spaceship! Author impressed me with his knowledge and imagination~ (っ♡▽♡)っFor Anime and manga fans, the Moon Castle is as majestic as "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon" by Naoko Takeuchi. A glass city which holds clues to Earth's ancient mysteries, underneath the lunar surface. Ooh, (°ཀ°) wish I could say more but it would be spoiling it for book lovers like me ('∀｀)♡

What does J. Scott Bennett bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'm not sure if it was the story or narrator. Kudos! J. Scott Bennett captured the different characters personalities and emotions. Even the machinery!?. At first I wondered if it was more than one narrator. ⊙_⊙ Excellent work done!! ♡(❛ั◡˜๑) I was so lost in listening -Thank you!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

This book would definitely be awesome as a movie!! Seriously!! Don't know what title might be... but I kept wanting to yell I knew "The Truth Is Out There"!! Or - "Deceit" Or.. something with the Moon Castle.

Any additional comments?

Great book for Trekkies, Anime Sci-fi lovers and anyone who worships everything about our lovely Selene (Greek). Our beautiful Luna (Latin).

I've seen some 3star reviews. Don't mind them. They must not like Science Fiction, action, thrills or are just simply haters. I wish I didn't start a new book. I certainly didn't want it to end. I think I've found the one. My true favorite.

Disclaimer: This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

Surprisingly entertaining.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Most audiobooks are time well spent, and this offering is not exception. It does have some editing, continuity and thematic issues ( how many times do people eat breakfast or lunch in space, etc.) but on balance it's rather entertaining.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

It does have some aspects of the YA fiction, but then adult themes come out. It does need enhanced authenticity in terms of research, and can be niave some times, but on balance it has the core of an interesting story.

Which scene was your favorite?

The initial discovery of the crystal city is interesting and well drawn.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I saw "Interstellar" so I could see this one as well.

Any additional comments?

I received this book from Audioblast for free in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I actually had this book in my wish list at Audible before I received it, and found it entertaining.

The performer does a reasonably good job of keeping the characters consistent, and the journey is interesting. The conclusion seems rushed, and the book does suffer from an editing need. All that said, it is a reasonably good offering, and I recommend it with qualifications.

Very Good, But Could Use Some Changes/Updates

I was very excited about the story line of this book. As soon as I read the description, I had high hopes. For the most part, I got my wish. It was a good story with believable characters, but it wasn't without its flaws.

The story begins with a researcher discovering a city on the moon by using a super computer to resolve moon images. The ruins, made almost completely of glass, have remained hidden from earth's view. He shares this information with his wife and several trusted friends who are determined to tell the world of the discovery by bringing back the first real alien artifacts. The first half of the book is focused around gathering the people, the new technology, and the money to enable them to travel to the moon and explore the ruins of the thousand mile long city. All the while, a secret government agent is following them to discover how much they know and, if necessary, silence them.
When they do finally get to the moon, what they discover could change everything that humanity has believed for thousands of years about their origins and place in the universe. If that isn't enough, it soon becomes apparent that they are not the first people from earth to make it to the city...

As I said, just the concept of the book was fascinating. I really enjoyed the whole thing, and must have listened to it in almost one day. Having said that, I think there were a few things that could have been better...
First, I found the whole concept of an "invisible city" to be a little hard to believe. The author describes the city as covering the majority of the face of the moon. Even if the city were made of glass, I don't think it would have gone as unnoticed as the author suggests... Second, the technology seemed to be a little out of date to me. I didn't expect them to be building Star Trek type ships and flying to the moon, but the equipment and technology the characters were using left something to be desired. Even the tech that they find on the moon seemed a little dull. Third, I found the whole sub-plot with the secret government agent to be unfulfilled. He essentially disappears once the main characters leave earth, and you never really find out who he was, what he was covering up, or anything about him.
The whole book could also have been a bit longer...

All in all, I thought this was a good listen. It's rare that I listen to any audio books as quickly as this one...

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, publisher, or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. I was NOT required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work.

Great Story Keeps You Wondering Whats Next

Would you listen to Underneath the Moon again? Why?

Yes, Enjoyed It Very Much

What about J. Scott Bennett’s performance did you like?

Yes Very Much

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Finding Of The Lost Astronaut

Any additional comments?

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."

Fun conspiracy theory

This was a fun book - ever wonder why we didn't go back to the moon... If we had the technology in this book, it would revolutionize so many industries. After the first book you find yourself cheering for the group and wanting to hear what they are up to next. Not sure I would have gone to the moon without a back-up plan - it's not like you an call AAA if your spaceship breaks down. Looking forward to listening to the next books in the series.

In my all time top 5 now I highly recommend it.

The only thing missing was sound effects. I was riveted and could not stop. I listened to it straight through. I'm an engineer by trade. It was well researched with believable technology and background story. A must read!!

Curious

I must admit I had doubts at first when I started listening to this, but it turned out to be an okay story. Granted he is not the same caliber as Arthur C. Clark or Larry Niven. Some of the plot development seemed to defy reality, then again most stories do or else there would be no story. The plot so far gives me the feel of the old time sci-if stories. Forbidden Planet kept coming to mind.

Started off strong but then petered out.

The discovery is more than Doug Hastings can believe. After all, it was just a little project enhancing a large collection of old Apollo Missions moon photos. He didn’t expect anything like this! Yet, now, who should he involve? An abandoned and deteriorated glass city on the surface of the moon was probably noticed back then, so he’s not the only one who knows about it now. Doug pushes forward, pulling in folks he trusts. Plans are laid and an adventure set upon.

This story started off pretty exciting. The first person Doug tells about his discovery is his retired linguistics specialist wife Karen. Then he lets his good friend Dave Jensen know. After all, it was Dave’s father’s trunk of old photos that gave Doug this discovery. The men and their wives chat it over and they quickly conclude that there was no way the Apollo Mission crews missed this, so there had to be a cover up. This means they have to be careful who they let in on it. They start pulling in more trusted friends and friends of friends. Al Billington, who is retired from NASA personnel staffing gets roped in by Isaac Jensen, Dave’s father. Doug calls up an accountant friend, Melvin Simpson. If they plan to take this to the moon, they will need a budget, which means they will need an accountant. Professor Charles Liggens is tapped to be the anthropologist. Al gives Colonel Marvin Dean Andrews, a retired astronaut, a call and he’s more than happy to be a part of the team.

Meanwhile, there are forces working against them. The security guard at Doug’s work, Arnold Gavin, is the first to sound the alarm. He doesn’t know what he’s looking at, but he was ordered to report anything unusual he came across – like a glass city. Agent Allen Bruster puts some private investigators in place. Later, not only is the FBI involved, but also the CIA. A cloak and dagger game develops between Doug’s team and these agencies.

The pacing of the tale is pretty steady throughout. There’s very little ups or downs. A few little jokes here and there liven things up along with the G-rated run ins with the PIs. Eventually Doug’s team finds an investor, Michael Sheridan, and an inventor, Frank Gordon, to assist them in their plans to go to the moon to investigate the glass city. The story picks up a bit in pace at this point but still remains pretty level until near the end. While the level of excitement rises at the end, there was no big crescendo. The ending is suppose to be a climactic punch, but I felt it lacked emotion and oompf.

For much of the story, the tale keeps things well grounded with what is plausible. I liked this about the story and it matched the collective experience of Doug’s team, which in large are retired or close to retired personnel. But then they get a ticket to the moon and, while they discuss it, it’s decided that no agency on Earth will really mind that someone is sending an unscheduled ship to the moon. I was OK letting that one slide for the sake of the pacing of the story. But then we get this one reference to Stonehenge and how it must have been a laser…. ummm… OK. That was simply taking the science out of this science fiction story. Finally, we get to the moon and things get back on track with exploring. Lots of nifty things going on here and some language they can’t decipher. Too bad the men didn’t bring along their one linguistic expert, Karen. In fact, she’s not even assigned to the ground crew, though I think at least one of the ladies got a little telecommunications smooch time with her man while he was in space. Finally, the big large secret is discovered and it didn’t float my boat.

Speckled throughout the tale were these tiny snippets of something out there somewhen potentially scoping out the moon or Earth. These little bits were brief and I couldn’t tell if they were from the past or happening in sync with the activities of Doug’s crew. In the end, I think they were blasts from the past trying to prep us readers for what they would find in the glass city. While they initially heightened my anticipation for adventuring in the glass city, I never got a full picture from them. I think they were a little too vague and in the end didn’t add much to the final scenes.

So let’s talk about the ladies. Now, this story is set in the 1990s. Several women (the wives of Doug’s team) get names and careers and interests. However, they are written like they are from the 1960s or such. The men get together and the women go off in the other room for tea and gossip. No ladies get to go on the mission. While they get to sit around their little impromptu ground control center, they don’t get to do anything of note. Al runs the coms and checks. In fact, the opposing team doesn’t have any ladies either – no female PIs or women CIA agents sneaking about. Obviously, this was a pretty glum representation of women of the 90s.

Did I like the story? Was it worth my time? A hesitant yes. I liked the initial set up. Doug’s (re)discovery of a glass city on the moon had me hooked from the beginning. I liked that Doug’s team weren’t naive or idiots. I even didn’t mind the ease with which they found their investor and inventor that allowed them to make it to the moon in record time. Some of the moon discoveries were pretty interesting, even as others didn’t wow me. So if you are looking for a scifi tale that hearkens back to the classics of the 1950s, then this might be the story for you.

I received a copy of this book at no cost from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

Narration: J. Scott Bennett did a really good job with this book. There’s tons of male characters and he kept them all distinct using various regional accents and a few foreign accents. The ladies all sounded like ladies, though they didn’t have nearly as many lines as the men. Bennett used a British accent for the small snippets of the foreign entity speckled throughout the book. I think his British accent was steadier in Marley – The Other Christmas Carol, but I still liked that he made the effort here.

Intriguing Story

This story reminds me of older, classic easy to read science fiction. The story is intriguing and the plot which starts out a little slow picks up the pace as the story develops. This book which is mainly about discovery sets the foundation for the series. The characters are likable and relatable. The description of the exploration and examination of the ruins is interesting. The narrator, J. Scott Bennett did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life by providing each character with an individual distinctive voice. I was provided a free review copy of this audio book and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Theoretical science & suspension of disbelief

If you could sum up Underneath the Moon in three words, what would they be?

Wild new ideas

What was one of the most memorable moments of Underneath the Moon?

The total cover-up of a civilian on the moon for over 30 years

Have you listened to any of J. Scott Bennett’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I haven't

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved when they were testing the flying saucer, tucking money in the kite, jump starting the car, dropping by to show off and leaving the fighter aircraft in the dust.This was a fun book but lots of technical conversations I needed to and wanted to listen to again. I enjoyed this book very much

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.