Like an old timey radio drama, heavy on the dialogue and foley sound, light on descriptions and plot sense. The story of the fall of the colony didn't really need to be told, and they need to create some escape hatches for why these new characters and partial new actions don't end up causing lore problems later on. Still, it's a fun little romp. ( )

This audiobook focused on the building of the colony on LV426. This story gives backgroud on the colony and its colonist. There is a subplot with Rilpley that basically follows the movie where her pod is found and the compnay does everything they can to discredit her.

I loved meeting Newt and her family as well as others on the colony. It humanizes them. You feel even worse for them as the company is ultimately the cause of their demise.

This was a very good listen. ( )

I really enjoyed Alien: Out of the Shadows. So much in fact that I bought the next two in the series,including this one. While I realize that I am "reading" them out of publication order, I opted for chronological order. I doubt that changed my opinion.

This installment was really nothing more than a set up or prequel for the second in the Alien movie series although Mr. Golden tried very hard to make this a compelling story despite the fact that we already know the outcome if we saw Aliens.

As a "reader's theater" type audio performance I found myself lost many times listening to a lot of noise, screaming, and sound effects with little or no idea what was going on. Another reviewer described it as listening to a movie with the picture off and that hits it right on the head. I needed to see what was going on to understand the action. I didn't have this problem with Out of the Shadows.

Production quality was high and I still had fun so I gave it 3 stars. Maybe 2 1/2. ( )

Let's be real. Novels based on movie franchises (or tv, for that matter,) often feel like a nostalgia trip if not an outright money grab.

So, you like the movie Aliens? The Cameron one? Well, good news! This one adds a lot to the original movie, adding a lot of backstory for the original colonists on Archeron where we get to see Newt and her parents and the ultimate destruction of the colony.

We also get Ripley and a bit more of her story on Earth before all the S**t went down.

Here's the real:

I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

I don't care. I love it. It's like watching an extended version of the film, only a bit MORE extended, with only a few bits here and there from the original re-done in the novel and leaving me wide open to watch the movie all over again with more appreciation.

Guess what DVD I just popped in my player? :) Yippie!!! ( )

This is an audible.com book presented as a daily deal presented for under $5.00

River of Pain attempts to fill in the gap between the Alien and Aliens movies and presented as a full dramatization of the book. Its much like listening to a movie with no picture and there is a something that triggers my mind that wants to see what is going on. I feel like much of the setting and minor details do not make it into the dramatization. I found this more distracting than helpful though. The story does a good job of linking the two movies and the listener will find out more about Newt and what happened to her family as well as the residents LV-426. Entertaining for those casual fans of the Alien series. I am sure that avid followers have already pieced this together already. Well worth the $5.00.

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