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14th out of 156 books
—
436 voters
Heaven (The Afterlife Series #1)
by
Mur Lafferty (Goodreads Author)
You can download this book from www.podiobooks.com to an ipod or your computer for free. The author is the narrator. It was first released in installments over 6 months of 2006 and continued the story in the second season titled "Heaven Season 2: Hell".
What if Heaven wasn't all it's cracked up to be? Friends Kate and Daniel find that after their untimely deaths, Heaven l...more
What if Heaven wasn't all it's cracked up to be? Friends Kate and Daniel find that after their untimely deaths, Heaven l...more
Podiobook, 200 pages
Published
2006
by Podiobooks
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Oct 22, 2012
James
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
i-own-a-copy,
ebook,
4-stars,
read-in-2012,
read-in-teenties,
fantasy,
reviewed,
freebie,
afterlife-series
Mur Lafferty was generous enough to make a bunch of her ebooks available for free earlier this year. Which was lucky, as I'd never really heard of her before, but I seem to be suffering from an addition to free ebooks – the downloading more than the reading so far. However, sitting by the pool, having read all but one of my real books (always keep one real book back for the flight home – nobody can tell you to turn a book off during take-off) I was searching for something new to read on my Kindl...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This novella was crowdfunded and made into a podcast by Mur Lafferty, with the written version coming later on in the process. I downloaded it as part of the 2012 Hugo Awards, as Mur made a lot of her fiction freely available to those who wanted to know whether or not they should vote for her for the Campbell Award, which she sadly did not win. At the start of the novella (like, first sentence, so this isn't a spoiler), two friends die; as the title suggests, they find themselves in Heaven and t...more
May 15, 2012
Alex
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012,
paranormal-fantasy
It all started like an essay about life, short life, and death, quick and sad. What it then morphed into was something similar to Philip José Farmer's To Your Scattered Bodies Go of the Riverworld series. It became an adventure book with a mythological theme.
I liked the writing, as it was engaging and I could really connect with it. The characters weren't that complex, but I have a feeling this story wasn't as much about characters as it was about their journey and mission.
Most definitely a most...more
I liked the writing, as it was engaging and I could really connect with it. The characters weren't that complex, but I have a feeling this story wasn't as much about characters as it was about their journey and mission.
Most definitely a most...more
What if heaven weren't enough? I can't exactly call this a light-hearted look at the metaphysics of the afterlife, but it's certainly not heavy handed. What if heaven were a bore, and you had to go looking for more? What if all the concepts of the afterlife were true?
There's a thought or three here, but it's entertainment, not something to change your life.
There's a thought or three here, but it's entertainment, not something to change your life.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Many of the reviews of this book are for the audiobook version and many reviewers talk about their fondness for the author's voice, her podcasts, and things other than this work. I came to this serial through the ebook version, so I have none of that other stuff to influence me (for better or worse). It reads like a YA book with its teen characters and their continual befuddlement at virtually everything around them. I'm not sure if that was the author's intention but having great a lot of YA in...more
This story is the heartwarming pair of childhood friends in the afterlife, after dying in a car crash. Oh yeah, and the end of the world.
Kate and Daniel have been friends for a long time, despite the fact that Kate is in love with Daniel, and he is completely blind to this. After dying in a car crash, they end up in separate heavens, but get the chance to reunite and travel between heavens because Daniel wants to find his sister, who died as a child, and God wants agents to find souls that have...more
Kate and Daniel have been friends for a long time, despite the fact that Kate is in love with Daniel, and he is completely blind to this. After dying in a car crash, they end up in separate heavens, but get the chance to reunite and travel between heavens because Daniel wants to find his sister, who died as a child, and God wants agents to find souls that have...more
I don't know why Mur Lafferty isn't more well known than she is. She has interesting plots, and she writes well, with a natural conversational style that flows well. Having been a fan of her novel "Playing For Keeps" (which I listened to in podcast form), and as a regular listener to her "I Should Be Writing" podcast, I thought it was time to dive into her Afterlife series, of which this is the first novella. Written, I think, before "Playing For Keeps", this tells the story of friends Kate and...more
After reading the first chapter of "Heaven," I really didn't think I'd enjoy it. In the beginning, I wasn't a big fan of Kate. Her unrequited love and devotion towards Daniel seemed too pathetic and I worried that the rest of the story would focus too heavily on that romantic relationship. I was wrong. Rather than focusing on any romance between the two main characters, I instead enjoyed their friendship and playful banter. Kate seems like a pretty average girl. There's nothing that particularly...more
Series opener: Kate and Daniel die in car accident, and wake up in Heaven to discover that God as missions for them that involve forays into the heavens of various world religions. Meanwhile the corporeal world is coming to a nuclear end. Readable, has both amusing and horrifying bits, as a general tour through the afterlife is comparable in quality and cleverness to Dale Basye's "Heck" series (which is more satiric, however) and Jodi Lynn Anderson's "May Bird" series. Will probably read the seq...more
Mur is so much fun to listen to. I flatter myself by thinking that my writing is similar. But the best part of her work is her amazing voice. I love to listen to her.
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The first in a five-part series, Heaven follows two friends who die in a car crash and end up in what we think might be heaven. Turns out, it's their own personal versions of heaven - or is it?
Mur raises a lot of interesting ideas with this novel, the first of which being the idea that heaven is whatever you choose to make of it. The characters first spend some time apart, but are quickly brought together again as they begin on a quest. They travel from 'heaven' to 'heaven' and meet the greek an...more
Mur raises a lot of interesting ideas with this novel, the first of which being the idea that heaven is whatever you choose to make of it. The characters first spend some time apart, but are quickly brought together again as they begin on a quest. They travel from 'heaven' to 'heaven' and meet the greek an...more
Loved this whimsical look at the after life. Fabulous novum - coming of age adventure story set after thedeath of the protagonist. I stumbled upon this series as podiobooks, and the serialized format fit the story quite well. The Mighty Murphy does a great job breathing life into her characters as she reads the stories herself. The production quality improves consistently across the "seasons" in this saga. Loved the way she folded classic mythological elements into the series. One of the most de...more
Book number 24 to my 2012 Reading Challenge is Heaven by Mur Lafferty. Heaven is the first installment of the series also entitled Heaven, which consists of five parts. This series cannot be found in a physical novel format; however, can be downloaded as a podiobook.
Several years ago, in 2008, even before my husband and I were engaged, my husband strongly recommended this podiobook to me. After listening to two or three "seasons" himself, he continuously urged me to give it a try, guaranteeing t...more
Several years ago, in 2008, even before my husband and I were engaged, my husband strongly recommended this podiobook to me. After listening to two or three "seasons" himself, he continuously urged me to give it a try, guaranteeing t...more
Here's the thing about Heaven: for reasons that have nothing to do with the story itself, I'm having a hard time giving this ebook a hard review.
I'm a fan of Mrs. Lafferty's podcast, "I Should Be Writing". I like her as a human being. I understand the context in which "Heaven" was published: it's an independent, self-published ebook based on a series of podcasts by Mrs. Lafferty. It's innocent fun and not meant to take itself seriously. Not only that, but the ebook was gifted to me by a good fri...more
I'm a fan of Mrs. Lafferty's podcast, "I Should Be Writing". I like her as a human being. I understand the context in which "Heaven" was published: it's an independent, self-published ebook based on a series of podcasts by Mrs. Lafferty. It's innocent fun and not meant to take itself seriously. Not only that, but the ebook was gifted to me by a good fri...more
I have been aware of this book, and this series for quite a while. I know Mur is a great writer, it just didn't seem like something I would enjoy, but I was SO wrong! As a fan of Playing For Keeps, I really wanted to check out something else by this author as I am a fan of her podcast as well. So, I chose to start this series. It is incredibly well-written, decisively well constructed, and incredibly entertaining. Seeing the heavens of other cultures is quite a new thing for at reader, at least...more
What happens when you die? The age old question troubling humanity for thousands of years.
The two main characters die and go to Heaven. They decide no one really wants to live with perfection for eternity so God says they can travel round and see all the various heavens out there. As they travel to the heavens of the Greeks, the dogs, the Norse... adventure awaits. Turns out the afterlife can be pretty exciting after all, especially when you start setting off wars between gods.
The two main characters die and go to Heaven. They decide no one really wants to live with perfection for eternity so God says they can travel round and see all the various heavens out there. As they travel to the heavens of the Greeks, the dogs, the Norse... adventure awaits. Turns out the afterlife can be pretty exciting after all, especially when you start setting off wars between gods.
Heaven, in my opinion, is a very good book. Mur Lafferty's lively narration is wonderful to listen to, and I spent many long walks enjoying this book. The concept, though not the most original (but what is?), was quite wonderfully executed, the characters felt fleshed out. Exploring the different creative heavens was an entertaining experience. I want to say that three stars is not a bad review from me - this is a book I liked, though not one I'd necessarily pick up a second time.
I tend to think of myself as a hard SF reader. I have very little fantasy in my library. Mur Lafferty may not have converted me into a fantasy fan, but she's certainly gained a Mur Lafferty fan. Snappy writing, clever ideas and some really fine execution add up to a very, very enjoyable read. My plan was to read Heaven, then move on but I had to see how she would work it out - I devoured the remaining books in the series one after the other. I had a hard time putting them down.
[Based on the podcasts.] Very creative, very well-written. Those with a vested interest in a particular vision of the afterlife may be offended. Those with no mythological interest may be bored, but Lafferty does a good job of explaining who's who and what's going on, so you don't need a background in mythology.
Note: "Heaven" doesn't reach a full conclusion for the story, and isn't satisfying on its own. The story continues and reaches a proper and satisfying conclusion in "Hell".
Note: "Heaven" doesn't reach a full conclusion for the story, and isn't satisfying on its own. The story continues and reaches a proper and satisfying conclusion in "Hell".
I read the Afterlife series of novellas back to back as if it were one novel so this is is my rating for the series overall. I liked it but it didn't knock my socks off. I liked Kate a lot, but Daniel...ugh. I kept thinking he would grow as a person (god) but he pretty much remained a self-absorbed, whiny, pain in the ass the entire time. I like stories where gods are characters and Lafferty did a good job of creating something different with that premise.
I first listened to this in audiobook format (audiobooks don't really do it for me) and was hoping the written format would be more to my liking. It still didn't rock my world, but I love Mur's other works that I've read/listened to, so I've purchased and will be reading the rest of this novella series. I'm interested to see if my feelings about this one change once I have that context.
This was a good listen. I haven't listened to the rest of the series yet, so hopefully some of the things that made me go "huh?" will be resolved later on. I think the concept is well suited to the novella format, and I'm looking forward to the next book, Heaven - Season Two: Hell. Lafferty's a great storyteller, and I liked that she read the parts from Kate's perspective and Jim Van Verth read the parts from Daniel's perspective.
I listened to the podiobook of this two years ago and gave it 3 stars; rereading it in print, though, I had some more thoughts and enjoyed it more.
Friends Daniel and Kate die, and go to heaven. Not all is right in Heaven, though, so they're sent on a mission from God to go through different heavens and find out what's what. On their travels, they encounter a few different pantheons of gods, and kinda sorta start a few Apocalypses on their way.
Lafferty captures the voices of both protagonists fa...more
Friends Daniel and Kate die, and go to heaven. Not all is right in Heaven, though, so they're sent on a mission from God to go through different heavens and find out what's what. On their travels, they encounter a few different pantheons of gods, and kinda sorta start a few Apocalypses on their way.
Lafferty captures the voices of both protagonists fa...more
I really enjoyed this book. It combines the theological afterlives of so many different and differing religions, yet is woven together into a single cohesive story. It reminds me a lot of Marvel's Crossroads at the Nexus of Realities. The different gods and goddesses from various different pantheons are drawn together into unexpected interactions that are cleverly written and well-researched. This is the first book in the Afterlife series, and I am looking forward to the next one, Hell.
I love Mur (I was hooked by her podcast, I Should Be Writing) but this book just wasn't for me. The characters felt a little flat, but my main problem with the series was the first depiction of heaven. There are all kinds of heavens, and she goes into great detail describing the heavens of interesting, non-Abrahamic religions. (I loved dog heaven and hobo heaven.) I'm not a religious or spiritual person at all, but I like my theology, and the mainstream Christianesque heaven that Mur describes a...more
A charming, rather cockeyed view of death, the afterlife and ....well, stuff. Just read it, it'll make sense then, except when it doesn't. And then you won't care anyway because its still just that cool. Trust me!
I LOVE the Heaven series! I have listed to all of Mur's books through Podiobooks.com, and she is AWESOME! Love all of the mythological references. She must really do her homework!
Enjoyable podiobook. I like Mur Lafferty's style, although I think by the end of the story she tried to rap things up quickly and the story line pace was sped up. I will definitely check out the next book in the series. The concept for the plot is holding my attention and I'm interested to see what happens next.
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Mur Lafferty is the author of Playing For Keeps, The Afterlife Series, and Marco and the Red Granny. She is the editor of Escape Pod magazine and a pioneer podcaster behind the shows I Should Be Writing and Angry Robot Books Podcast.
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