Length5h 12m
About this audiobook
Matt Dodson reports to the Colorado base of the Interplanetary Patrol, a new cadet with a fierce desire to become a member of the Patrol, which for over a century has kept the peace throughout the Solar System. Matt and fellow cadets soon leave the Earth base for training on Terra Station, where they learn, among other things, astrogation, survival skills, alien languages and how to maneuver in outer space. Matt loves the Patrol and finds, upon returning for a visit to his family in Iowa, that his real “home” is no longer on Earth.
When a call for help comes from a ship stranded on Venus, Matt is among the cadets chosen to accompany the Patrol Captain on this rescue mission. What they discover after they land on Venus is not what they expected… The cadets and their captain are taken prisoner, and the “rescue” signal came from Matt’s old nemesis. Matt and his fellow cadets must learn to negotiate with the Venusians after their Captain is seriously injured. What seemed like a short and exciting adventure to another planet becomes a grueling experience, and the cadets’ diplomatic as well as engineering skills and ingenuity are sorely tested.
Robert A. Heinlein’s wit and exuberance are on full display here. Published in 1948, long before other writers even imagined cellphones or hydraulic mattresses (waterbeds), listeners can enjoy the lively dialog and inventiveness that are hallmarks of Heinlein’s work.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.0 (13.4K)
Includes Goodreads, LibraryThing, Amazon, StoryGraph
GenreScience Fiction
Length5 hrs 12 mins
Narrated byAri Fliakos
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateNov 25, 2025
LanguageEnglish
Expanded Universe, Vol. 2Robert A. Heinlein9h 31m4.3 (563)$20
The Moon Is a Harsh MistressRobert A. Heinlein14h 12m4.2 (156.4K)$25
Podkayne of MarsRobert A. Heinlein6h 53m4.0 (10.3K)$17
The Menace from Earth, and Other StoriesRobert A. Heinlein7h 12m4.1 (8.4K)$17
Between PlanetsRobert A. Heinlein6h 44m4.0 (8.8K)$17
I Will Fear No EvilRobert A. Heinlein18h 50m3.8 (20K)$32 · $0.00
To Sail beyond the SunsetRobert A. Heinlein17h 17m4.0 (15.1K)$28 · $0.00
Red PlanetRobert A. Heinlein6h 11m4.0 (14.1K)$17
The Door into SummerRobert A. Heinlein6h 49m4.1 (41.5K)$17 · $0.00
The Number of the BeastRobert A. Heinlein21h 30m3.7 (16.8K)$28
Expanded Universe, Vol. 1Robert A. Heinlein9h 3m4.2 (906)$20
Starship TroopersRobert A. Heinlein8h 16m4.1 (277.8K)$23
The Pursuit of the PankeraRobert A. Heinlein21h 41m4.2 (4.2K)$30
The Puppet MastersRobert A. Heinlein10h 7m4.0 (41.1K)$20
For Us, the LivingRobert A. Heinlein7h 35m3.5 (4.8K)$17
Stranger in a Strange LandRobert A. Heinlein16h 18m3.9 (362.8K)$28
Citizen of the GalaxyRobert A. Heinlein8h 58m4.2 (42.8K)$20
Have Space Suit—Will TravelRobert A. Heinlein8h 53m4.1 (39.5K)$20
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan HoagRobert A. Heinlein3h 55m4.0 (6.7K)$12
Glory RoadRobert A. Heinlein9h 35m4.0 (20.5K)$20 · $0.00
Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Toshikazu Kawaguchi Book SetToshikazu Kawaguchi18h 55m4.5 (1.4K)$40 · $0.00
PRIMAL 2055 - EscapeJack Silkstone6h 47m4.4 (232)Free
Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen (Annotated)H. Beam Piper8h 23m4.5 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
Philip K. Dick: SF Boxed SetPhilip K. Dick29h 38m4.5 (608)$1 · $0.00
Magician's EndRaymond E. Feist17h 5m4.4 (21.7K)$40 · $0.00
Good OmensNeil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett12h 14m4.4 (1M)$29 · $0.00
The Emperor's FistJay Allan8h 37m4.5 (272)$26 · $0.00
The DispossessedUrsula K. Le Guin13h 26m4.4 (189.3K)$33 · $0.00
1984George Orwell11h 31m4.3 (6.2M)$1.20 · $0.00
Lost ValleyWalt Browning7h 47m4.3 (5.4K)$20 · $0.00
AgincourtBernard Cornwell16h 18m4.3 (41.4K)$40 · $0.00
Frankenstein (The Uncensored 1818 Edition) (Annotated)Mary Shelley9h 25m4.3 (1.7M)$3 · $0.00
The World Wasn't Ready for YouJustin C. Key11h 34m4.4 (812)$5 · $0.00
Godzilla vs. KongGreg Keyes10h 32m4.3 (1.4K)$20 · $0.00
Alas, Babylon (Annotated)Pat Frank12h 32m4.3 (11.6K)$2 · $0.00
Day of WrathWilliam R. Forstchen4h 36m4.3 (1.9K)$14 · $0.00
AbandonedJules Verne7h 42m4.3 (1.1K)$2.30 · $0.00
StargodsIan Douglas12h 15m4.4 (732)$5 · $0.00
Two Plays for VoicesNeil Gaiman2h 4m4.3 (1K)$16 · $0.00
March UpcountryDavid Weber, John Ringo17h 17m4.2 (17.1K)$28 · $0.00
You may also like
OmniaS. H. Jucha13h 18m4.5 (1.6K)$23
Starman JonesRobert A. Heinlein8h 30m4.1 (19.5K)$17
Tunnel in the SkyRobert A. Heinlein7h 46m4.1 (21.3K)$23
Have Space Suit—Will TravelRobert A. Heinlein8h 53m4.1 (39.5K)$20
Command DecisionS.E. Smith7h 39m4.2 (2.7K)$20
Plague ShipAndre Norton6h 55m4.0 (3.6K)$10 · $0.00
Tau ZeroPoul Anderson7h 44m3.9 (22.6K)$17 · $0.00
Spacehounds of IPCE. E. Smith9h 58m3.9 (1.4K)$2.30 · $0.00
The Integral TreesLarry Niven7h 40m3.9 (10.4K)$20
The Rolling StonesRobert A. Heinlein7h 2m3.9 (13.3K)$23 · $0.00
The Galaxy, and the Ground WithinBecky Chambers9h 56m4.5 (55.2K)$29 · $0.00
Falling FreeLois McMaster Bujold8h 45m4.0 (29K)$17
From the Earth to the MoonJules Verne3h 51m3.8 (46.7K)$4 · $0.00
Planet of AdventureJack Vance23h 1m4.3 (3.6K)$30
Red ThunderJohn Varley13h 34m4.0 (2.4K)$23
The Planet StrappersRaymond Z. Gallun7h 36m3.1 (72)$2.30
Plague Ship (Annotated)Andre Norton8h 15m$2 · $0.00
Through The Sun In An AirshipJohn Mastin11h 8m3.5 (10)$2.40
The Sam Gunn OmnibusBen Bova29h 34m4.0 (676)$30
Captain Cake: Meet the Candy CrewChris Skinner13m4.6 (22)$6 · $0.00