The X-Files: Cold Cases

The X-Files (Audible Original) #1

by Joe Harris, Chris Carter, Chris Maggs (Adapter)

The series that had a generation looking to the sky gets a breathtaking audio reprise in an original full-cast dramatization featuring actors David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson returning to voice FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
Based upon the graphic novels by Joe Harris - with creative direction from series creator Chris Carter - and adapted specifically for the audio format by aural auteur Dirk Maggs (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Alien: Out of the Shadows), Cold Cases marks yet another thrilling addition to the pantheon of X-Files stories. Featuring a mind-blowing and otherworldly soundscape of liquefying aliens, hissing creatures, and humming spacecraft, listeners get to experience the duo's investigations like never before.
Set after the events of The X-Files: I Want to Believe and providing additional backstory to the incidents that pulled Mulder and Scully out of reclusion prior to 2016's miniseries revival, a database breach at FBI headquarters allows an unknown group to access and capitalize on those investigations left unsolved - dubbed cold cases - by the secret department once known as The X-Files. As friends and foes of the agency long thought gone begin to inexplicably reappear, former agents Mulder and Scully come out of anonymity to face a growing conspiracy that involves not only their former department but the US government and forces not of this world.
Here, fans are treated once again to Mulder and Scully's irreplicable chemistry as only the series' leads could deliver, Duchovny's deadpan and cynical aloofness finding its natural counterpoint in Anderson's unwavering intelligence and rigidity. Appearances from series regulars and the actors who made them fan favorites round out this must-listen arc: the gruff, no-BS righteousness of Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi); the distinctive click-puff of the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis); and the stooge-like hijinks of three beloved conspiracy theorists called the Lone Gunmen (Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund, and Bruce Harwood).
Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, find your "I Want to Believe" poster. Break out that makeshift alien stiletto. Grab a pack of Morley cigarettes.
The truth is out there. You just have to listen.
Join the conversation: #istillwanttobelieve
© The X-Files ™ & © 2016 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Genres: Audiobook, Science Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Horror, Fantasy

5 pages, Audible Audio

First published July 18, 2017

About the author

JOE HARRIS is the co-creator and writer of original comics and graphic novels such as the Image Comics rock ‘n’ roll thrill ride, Rockstars, and the environmental sci-fi epics, Great Pacific and Snowfall; along with the supernatural thrillers, Ghost Projekt and Spontaneous, and the children’s fantasy, Wars In Toyland, for Oni Press. In 2013, Joe began a long stint writing the officially-licensed continuation of the paranormal investigations of Agents Mulder and Scully in The X-Files comics at IDW to the enjoyment of fans around the world. The X-Files: Cold Cases—the best-selling audio dramatization of Joe’s comics scripts featuring the voices of David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson and the entire original X-Files cast—and the follow-up, The X-Files: Stolen Lives were released by Audible beginning in 2017.

As a young creator at Marvel Comics, Joe launched the cult-classic Spider-Man spinoff, Slingers and the Bishop: The Last X-Man series. He has written for just about all major comics publishers including DC Comics, Marvel, Image, IDW, Dark Horse, Valiant, BOOM! and others.

A horror screenwriter and filmmaker, Harris conceived and co-wrote Darkness Falls for Sony Pictures—after his short film, Tooth Fairy was acquired by Revolution Studios and he was hired to develop it into a feature—along with the politically farcical slasher movie, The Tripper for FOX. In 2018, he co-wrote the live-action web series, Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe for Valiant Entertainment.

His latest project is Surviving Nuclear Attack, a paranoid sci-fi thriller, set to launch in 2019 as part of John Carpenter’s Tales of Science Fiction from Storm King Comics.

Reviews

[Sinisa Mikasinovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the sequel. Story - slightly better, voice acting - much better.

Still, not great. You can quickly tell when the dialogue is badly written. Characters start telling you things, instead of showing. I can probably blame that on "Audiobook adaptation" by Maggs the Destroyer of Books, rather than the actual writer Harris.

Again, this book is split into 5 episodes, ranging from 20 to 1 hour and 20 minutes. David Duchovny, shockingly, brought his acting skills with him on the day of recording. He's actually good!!

(If you're reading this and are wondering what I'm on about - I read the series out of order and started with a book #2 first. It's a disgraceful blasphemy and a spit in the face of X-Files fans.)

So yeah, go David! Gillian is standardly good so, for once, I had no objections regarding narrators.

In Episode 3 we get in touch with Purity, the Black Oil. I missed that thing so much without even realizing it. I couldn't even remember they called it Purity, it was such a long time ago. It was still Black Oil for me. I can recall a face of Alex Krycek (Played by Nicholas Lea, of course) getting transformed and his eyes going all black. Yay, this is getting good!

Episode 4 introduces Cigarette Smoking Man. I got goosebumps! Haven't heard or seen Spender anywhere in over a decade! Wow, I'm old :)

It was a welcome comeback. And things started making sense. Just in time, as the story is generally weak. However, in this episode, "More Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man", we get a good backstory that touches many questions left unresolved by the show in the 90s.

And we find out, once and for all, who Mulder's father really is! If you really want to know, you will need to click here and I will tell you to read the book. It's really good :-) <3

Aaaand Krycek is back! No, not played by Nicholas Lea :( but still good. Another miss from the original cast is that John Dogget isn't played by Robert Patrick either. That's a shame, but I realize they couldn't get everyone back in. This is not Alien.

Also, I realized I made a mistake about Laurel Lefkow, the announcer, in my previous review. I misheard her name as Laura and found a single book of hers on Audible. Thank you Audible for not proof-checking names!

When I searched for the cast of Alien just now, I found Laurel! I couldn't believe it! It's the same voice I liked in multiple books now and I failed to make a connection!!

Yep, I'll be adding some new books to my ToDo now... :-)

Anyway, X-Files: Cold Cases is a nice, short, book. Good if you're a fan, probably a 'meh' if you're not. Read it quickly and be done with it.

 

The X-Files: Cold Cases (The X-Files #1)
by Joe Harris (Author), David Duchovny (Narrator), Gillian Anderson (Narrator), Mitch Pileggi (Narrator), Willliam B. Davis (Narrator), Tom Braidwood (Narrator)

Verdict     Not great. Still better than a sequel.
Runtime     04:04
Overall     
Performance 
Story       

[Mike Pluta · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had pre-ordered this title, drawn in by the hype and with high hopes. I am disappointed.

It is painfully obvious that the writers are not used to working with a non-visual medium. The best description I've come up with is that the story comes across like listening to a loud TV from a different room-- dialog and sound effects without context.

Of greater concern is how the voice acting came across as though it was the first cold reading- by all of the actors.

I have more than 200 titles in my Audible library. This will be my first return.

[Chris Lee (away)]

“The X-Files: Cold Cases” is a fairly short, nostalgic audio drama featuring a full cast from the original series. What is an audio drama you say? Well, it’s a full cast format with music and sound effects that harkens back to the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s when families would sit around the radio and listen to their favorite caped crusaders (check out The Shadow – Its voiced by Orson Welles!), detectives that smoke pipes (Sherlock is voiced by Basil Rathbone in the audio production, who is great, but we all know Jeremy Brett portrayed him the best.) and fun horror anthologies. (The inimitable Bela Lugosi guests stars in some of these – need I say more?)

Sorry about the slight tangent. On wards with the review:

I really enjoyed the TV show as a youngster, so once I found out about how this audiobook expands upon some of the original cases, I had to check it out. So, the first thing I would say is that this is extreme fan service. There is practically no backstory, so if you pick this up without a strong knowledge of the show, you might be a bit lost.

Mulder and Scully dust off their trench coats and are pulled back into the X-files after a security breach on the bureau's firewall. Did you use an IDS instead of an IPS? Tsk, tsk, FBI. It is set after the movies, I believe, and right before the revival show.

I’m going to nerd out here, so please skip ahead if you so desire. Each mini-episode is about 15–25 minutes long and covers a vast array of exciting episodes. I was so INCREDIBLY excited and giddy when they chose to cover the Flukeman. Remember the weird, half-man, half-worm creature that floated around in the waste water system? Well, you find out (no spoiler) where it came from. Oh, Mr. X is back, Smoking Man is back, and the Lone Gunman are back. I could go on and on. It’s just so much fun to briefly catch up with the characters.

There is a problem, though. It’s not a turn-off by any means; it's just the nature of the production, I think. Since it’s audio, some scenes have to explain away what is happening. For example, a gunshot will go off and someone has to say, "I think I shot (so and so)" or someone will transform into something and they have to describe what they are seeing. It has a campy feel, so it could be considered humorous, but it could also play as a negative for others. Your results may vary.

The bottom line is if you like the show, ‘I want to believe’ that you will enjoy this. It’s nostalgic and oh, so fun.

📝 | Extra | 📝’s
❖ Trip down memory lane.
❖ Mulder and Scully have to be one of the best duos of all time.

🎵| Soundtrack |🎵
❖ Just one – The X-files theme

⭐ | Rating | ⭐

❖ 4 out of 5

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful experience for a lifetime X-Files fan.

First of all, the production quality was excellent. The "episodes" in this audiobook were written quite well, though I'm not sure how well they'd fare if part of the actual series- which is exactly what I expected and I don't mean this to come off as a deterrent. I think the character of Mulder was the most accurately written of all. I found some plot holes but it isn't like those didn't exist in the series. The bits of invented lore to bring back some key characters was pretty cool. The main cast's voice acting was great and the others were passable. By the way, I'm awful at reviews if you couldn't already tell. I felt I had to try because I saw no others just yet.

I've loved The X-Files since I was a single digit age and really enjoyed listening to this. While it seemed the writer tried to make it suitable for newcomers (or maybe he just intended the lines I'm referring to as refreshers), I don't think it's the place to start getting into The X-Files. I must recommend beginning with the pilot episode.

Loved the mentions of Frank Black from the Millennium crossover (entitled Millennium)- one of my favorite episodes in the series. Millennium was an underrated series, I must add.

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/08/06/...

While I have been listening to audiobooks for years, this is the first time I’ve actually tried one of these much-talked-about audio dramas from Audible Studios. Also known as audio plays or audio theater, these are very much like the old-school radio shows that were so popular in the 1920s-40s before the advent of television, though obviously their successors have come a long way since those days. Still, the idea is the same—with no visual aspect at all, the production relies completely on dialogue, music, and sound effects to tell the story.

As this was brand new territory for me, I was happy to take my first plunge with a franchise that has always been close to my heart. The X-Files dominated my TV time in the 90s and was a show that made a huge impression on my childhood, so despite the disastrous final seasons, the terrible movies, and the most recent lukewarm miniseries revival, I always still find myself returning again and again. The X-Files: Cold Cases caught my eye right away for several reasons, and not least because it features a full cast including David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and several other actors from the original show returning to voice their respective characters. I was also intrigued because this audio drama is actually an adaption of the series of graphic novels by Joe Harris, and I’ve always been curious about those.

Set after the events of The X-Files: I Want to Believe, these stories provide a glimpse into those intervening years leading up to 2016’s television tenth season. When a cyber security breach at FBI headquarters compromises the information of unsolved investigations, former agents Mulder and Scully are pulled out of hiding by Deputy Director Skinner to resume their past work in the secret department known as the X-Files. For Scully, the timing of the database breach is of an even greater concern when she learns that some of the stolen information may involve the child she secretly put up for adoption, and now the boy may be in danger.

So, the nostalgia is there, but is it enough? The answer, I think, will depend on what you were expecting. I wouldn’t consider myself a super fan by any means, but I’ll admit my heart still gave an excited flutter to think about Mulder and Scully being on the case again, going back and forth with their cheeky banter. It’s less about the stories for me, but more about the full experience. Even audio dramas such as these are an opportunity for me to skip down memory lane in the hopes of recapturing and holding on to that old feeling, so yes—personally speaking, anyway—sometimes nostalgia is indeed enough. Even hearing that familiar Mark Snow theme song come through my headphones in the audiobook intro was enough to send a pleasant shiver down my spine.

That said though, not all the stories in here were created equal. Like the first volume of the graphic novel it was based on, this audio drama contains a handful of episodes over a period of about four hours. The first story, ostensibly reintroducing Mulder and Scully back into game while also attempting to link this series to the main body of the lore was, in a nutshell, awkward as hell. Just as well that I wasn’t really looking for story cogency, because there was some major plot gymnastics going down in this first episode in order to tie the X-Files mythology together with the goal of bringing back as many old characters as possible. Calling it messy would be an understatement, but thankfully, not all the episodes were like this. Subsequent stories, particularly the ones that moved away from “mytharc” themes to instead feature more “monster of the week” horror/thriller narratives were a lot more entertaining and easier to follow. I especially enjoyed the return to Flukeman as well as the episode that took our characters on a trip to investigate a case in Saudi Arabia.

As far as my first experience with an audio drama went, I loved it! The performances were amazing, with Duchovny and Anderson bringing their best even when the acting only involved voice work. The characters were true to themselves, and many times I caught myself smiling as I pictured Mulder’s deadpan deliveries or Scully’s epic eye-rolls. The music and sound effects were also mixed in so perfectly that if I closed my eyes I could almost imagine seeing everything play out like it was a TV episode. That’s not to say everything was flawless, because whenever you deal with adaptations, especially from a visual medium to an aural one, it’s inevitable that you’ll encounter some hitches. You’ll get the odd scene where the actor has to talk clumsily to themselves to make up for the listener not being able to see what’s going on (“I’m wearing the same clothes, and here’s the same bullet hole in my jacket….but oh, my arm! There’s not a scratch!”) but on the whole, I think the creative team did a really good job adapting the comic in spite of the limitations.

In sum, I had a great time with this audio drama and would do this again in a heartbeat. While this wouldn’t be the best place to start your journey if you’re new to the X-Files franchise (mainly because there’s so much of the original show’s mythology involved), I definitely would not hesitate to recommend these audiobooks to fans like me who aren’t quite ready to let go of the magic just yet. I still want to believe! Needless to say, I’m already highly anticipating the next audio drama in this series, The X-Files: Stolen Lives.

[Belles · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this would be a fun audiobook to listen to because it has the actors from the TV series performing the story. However it was incredibly stupid. At least it was free.

[Mridu aka Storypals · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is coming from a person who hasn't watched the series so I really didn't care if it had the original cast or not (because well- no nostalgia) I picked it up because audible membership had it and it did intrigue me. Now that I have put that out.
I can talk about if I liked it or not.
For starters I loved the way the audiobook has been performed, it felt like I have a film/ TV show running in the back and I am working alongside (Which I usually do-- so kudos on that, it was visual enough for me to imagine every intricate detail, which is why I was hooked to the book.

BUT.

I kind of lost interest by the end of it and I was like yeah okay lalala get over it.
Now-- At first I thought I am being insensitive but then I realized-- I didn't watch the show which is why I had no connection with the characters and the audiobook was obviously an extension of the series there wasn't a lot of details on the characters which will make you want to empathize with the characters. HENCE.

Coming to a valid conclusion. Hear this only if you have watched the series because then it will make more sense, hell you will enjoy it even better.

[Теодор Панов · Rating 4 out of 5]

Тази книга ми подейства като едно много приятно завръщане към „Досиетата Х“. 4-часово аудио приключение с гласовете на Дейвид Духовни и Джилиън Андерсън като ФБР агентите Фокс Мълдър и Дейна Скъли. Излишно е да споменавам, че сериалът беше един от най-легендарните в края на 90-те на миналия век.

Като звуково изпълнение аудиокнигата е на изключително високо ниво. С гласовете на редица актьори и множество звукови ефекти, които поддържат нивото и атмосферата сравнително страховити.

Разказаните истории/епизоди са общо 5. Като едни ми бяха по-интересни от други. А в началото и края на всеки един от тях звучи добре познатата мелодия ➡ The X-Files - Opening Title (Series 1-11)

Оценка: 3.95 ⭐

[Colleen Houck]

This was really fun if you're an X-Files fan. It was like watching the show. All the cast was included, even people who had died so it was really great to hear their voices again. I liked the medium. The short stories were interesting and well written and they all connected and added to the whole X-Files collection.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

I dont often listen to audiobooks, I just dont have the concentration for them. But lately I've been listening to alot of podcasts and I got to thinking that if I could listen to a podcast then I could certainly listen to an audiobook.

I love The X Files. I'm one of those obnoxious people who discover something old and then go around telling everybody they just have to watch this show that everyone has already heard of. I didn't start watching The X Files until 3 years ago. I had finished my annual rewatch of Breaking Bad and I was in a serious show hangover, so I thought why not try something new. I didn't think I would like The X Files I assumed I watch 2 episodes and then move on to something else(or I just watch Better Call Saul again) but instead I spent the next 2 weeks binging All 11 seasons.

I fell in love!

Obviously the first 5 seasons are the best but 6-8 aren't that bad. I like to pretend season 9 never happened and seasons 10 & 11 are not as bad as everyone claims they are. The first movie is perfection and let's just not talk about the 2nd movie..ok?

Here's where it gets controversial yall...

I don't ship Mulder & Scully. I ship...Scully & Skinner...I just think they would be a power couple.

Sorry Not Sorry.

Now finally on to The X Files Cold Cases. I cant really say much about the 5 stories here because anything I say would be a spoiler. These stories in my opinion did a good job of giving me that X Files feeling. Obviously listening to these stories wasn't the same as watching the show but it did an effective job of scratching my X Files itch.

Also dont sleep on the show The Lone Gunmen. It was a good show that was canceled way too soon.

Recommend for those people who love & miss The X Files.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a quote that summarises the quality of this book pretty well:
"Be careful Mulder. If we're dealing with alien hybrids, you'll need more than your good looks and boyish charm."

Cheesy, campy fun that is ultimately a little unsatisfying.

I used to watch X-files with my Grandpa. We stopped because he started using his classic catch phrase "What bullshit is this?" That was always his signal to stop a show or movie. Despite this, I kept watching the cheesy mess on my own. But I did miss his commentary. (My grandpa is basically Clint Eastwood. He laments the death of the current generation but he's still loveable)



Anyway, my point is, I know a thing or two about X-files. The tasteless exposition and cheesy dialogue really made the show what it's known and loved for today. This Audible Original has both these things, but ultimately the acting fell a little flat. By flat, I mean you could tell some actors weren't enjoying it. Gillian Anderson's acting fell flat. How does that happen? I couldn't decide whether to rate this book based on the quality itself or the level of cheesiness, so I looked at the latter. I laughed out loud at some of the horrendously beautiful Room-level performances in this one.



There are five episodes in this production. Each is interlinked and ultimately come back to - you guessed it:



"Cyka Blyat" (This is an actual quote from the production)
There is a return to the man-worm case (Which was pretty terrifying, if I might add. This was the best episode). There are shapeshifters, Russians, Iranians, the aforementioned man-worm and the return of old friends and enemies. I decided not to go into detail with the episodes since I'd spoil it for people who have seen X-files and those who have not.

The reason I gave this book three stars instead of two is how Skinner, Mulder and Scully's demons all return to haunt them. I won't spoil who they are, but they're all figures that could make or break them.

As you can see, Cold Cases relies too much on intertextuality. I suppose it should, because all the cases were unsolved, but there are no new and shocking elements in this one. I'm hoping that the writers could make a sequel that doesn't rely on references and past events and start with something fresh. I'm getting tired of today's society relying on nostalgia instead of new concepts. (Yes, I know. I fall prey to it anyway.)

Also, Skinner is still my baby.







Edit: spelling and grammar.

[Matt Spaulding · Rating 1 out of 5]

Despite having everything going for it (original cast, produced by Audible, overseen by Chris Carter) this was just terrible. Anderson, Pileggi and Davis are the only actors who turn in good performances. Duchovny is shockingly bad. Mulder has always been a bit flat, but Duchovny's performance here is lifeless. Also the writing is incredibly weak. I am not sure the writer has even written in audio drama format before (because that's what this is, an audio drama, not a book) but it sure doesn't seem like it.

[TS Chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A treat for fans of the series. It was performed well but the story wasn't all that.
I still liked it though :)

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I got this for free from Audible (or Prime? I don't know), for what that's worth, and had no idea what I was getting into, other than "ohh, X-Files!"

So this isn't an audiobook, but a radio drama. Fully voice-acted with sound effects, but no narrator. If you haven't heard a radio drama in a while, or ever, it can be a little strange to hear people saying dialogue to give you an idea of scenery or whatever else a narrator might normally bring to the table. That's nothing specific to this work, but clunky dialogue at times is almost a requirement of the format.

This also isn't a single story, but about 6 different smaller, related (mostly) stories spread across the four hour runtime. It pretty much feels like a little mini-season of the show. They're entertaining for what they are, but aren't anything super impressive. That said, I was happier with this by the end of it than I was expecting to be. It certainly isn't great, but as a fan, and for free, I enjoyed my time back with all of these characters.

Which brings me to one important thing... this drama expects you to know who everyone is, in some cases by voice. You *need* to have seen something of the X-Files prior to listening to this to have any idea who is who and how any of them relate to each other. A season of the show or a movie or some comics or something. This being one's first foray into the X-Files universe would be a terrible terrible idea.

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

X files
It was a full production and was rather good.
There were some characters that were monotone and bland but others that were quiet good vocal actors.

[Sara (A Gingerly Review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a very loud and public relationship with everything Mulder and Scully. They are my original OTP. The humor was there, the story line, the characters, the mystery, all of it was back and I'm only sorry it was such a short book.

I want more.

[Mark Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good audiobook and i would recommend it to any fan of the series. Some of the voice acting was a little wooden in parts but all in all and gripping addition to the franchise.

[Tze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of X-Files since I was a kid and this brings back all kinds of feelings for me to hear the original casts' voice. It's like I'm watching the series in my mind. The story is great as you can expect. The soundeffects and bgm were awesome. I actually binge listened to this audible today and torn between wanting to know the end of the story and don't want to finish it so quickly. It's too short. I hope they will do more of this.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super quick audio - like 4 hours tops? Maybe less.

Now I've never seen the show before but since this book was free I figured, why the hell not?

The X-Files: Cold Cases: was pretty interesting. The audio made it seem like it was a show but it kind of went through the scenes a bit quickly. Throughout the audio, they solve some cold cases while people keep disappearing or being kidnapped. There's also some type of alien taking over people.

The audio was okay and I liked that it was pretty quick. However, I felt a bit lost since I no nothing about this show or the comic books (which I think are a real thing? If not - ignore that comment!). The characters were pretty interesting and I want to know what happened to Scully's baby. I also thought it was a bit interesting that some of the characters were previously "dead" but were alive in this book.

Other than that, I feel like I probably would've liked this a bit more if I was more in tune with the show. Or the characters. Maybe I will dive into that and see how it goes.. or maybe I will just stick to books.

[❤Marie Gentilcore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good. I’m not an X-Files super fan but I’ve watched a number of episodes so the characters were immediately familiar and the cases they investigated were interesting. I would read more of these.

[AudioBookReviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My original The X-Files: Cold Cases audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Let me start this review off by saying that if you are a fan of the X-Files TV series, stop reading now and go pick up “The X-Files: Cold Cases”; it’s that good.

Even though the audiobook is rather short at just over four hours of audio, I did not feel cheated when I was finished it.  If you are not an X-Files fan, or have not watched the series, you may find the multiple show references and a few of the characters hard to comprehend.  It is best if you come to this audiobook with some knowledge or understanding of who and what the X-Files is.  Having an audiobook narrated by the same characters as the TV show really made the difference for me.  I do not like when different narrators attempt to play the role of such iconic characters as these.  I really felt like I was watching a mini-series containing new and updated episodes with my eyes closed.  The character’s mannerism, speech, chemistry, and moods all reflected the characters from the original series.  There is a little bit of everything that will hopefully exceed the expectations of even the most hard-core enthusiast.  The book gets a “highly recommend” from this reviewer.

Take the original X-Files main characters, find a compelling reason to bring them back to their roots of paranormal investigation, fly them all over the world to solve it, throw in some paranormal activities all the while bringing back a few of the characters believed dead, and you have a wonderfully produced and well thought out audiobook drama.  There was mystery, intrigue, suspense, cooperation, friendship, and some abductions all playing out in six mini-episodes.  The humor and banter that you remember from the series is also included here.

Not only are we treated to the same characters, but we are also given views into many of the creatures, villains, or aliens that made the show so wonderful.  We have the alien stiletto, black oil, and the mysterious cigarette smoking man; and many more.   The book does an exceptional job of blending these multiple vignettes to create a mini-series that is consistent and fun.

Audible along with the same cast from the TV series produced and narrated the audiobook.  I have nothing negative to say about either as the quality and voicing were exceptionally well done.  The audio had all the bells and whistles (or sound effects) one expects in a well-produced TV show.  I know some dislike audio drama books, so if that is not your thing, I would not recommend you pick up this audiobook.

A note directed at parents or younger readers.  This book is a bit more progressive than the TV series which included the use of vulgar language, some adult subject matter, and intense action sequences.  Just be aware that it is a bit more edgy than those familiar with the TV series alone.

In summary, I do not think Audible and the team of narrators could have done anything to improve upon this audiobook drama apart from giving us more.  I could have continued listening for double its existing length and still wanted more.  I’m sure that with the overall success of this book, we can hope that more will be released keeping us connected with a TV and movie series that so many came to loved.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.

[Ross Blocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little radio drama that brings back David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, William B. Davis, all the Lone Gunmen, and some other fun X-Files actors. This is an easy sell for fans of the X-Files, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who's not already smitten with the series. It's a few different tales wrapped up into one package, mostly focusing on the conspiracy side of the story line. Many (and I mean MANY) deceased characters are brought back to life, and the reasons for their reappearances are rather flimsy, but it's fun to hear them again. Some of the characters (notably Krycek and Doggett) are played by actors other than the originals. There is a fun little interlude on the "creature" side with a return of the Fluke Man. As you'd expect with a radio drama, there are some awkward moments where unnatural dialogue is employed to give us visuals we're missing. For example, one character cries out, "AAGHHHH!! You just put out your cigarette in my EYE!!" Which is not something anyone would say in that situation. For the most part the audio design adds to the storytelling, but there are bad instances like when Krycek is chained up by Spender (aka Smoking Man) and we keep hearing the limp sound of dangling chains that sound nothing like someone struggling to break free. But hey, it's a few hours of entertainment and nostalgia for fans of the show.

[Nicholas Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review of the audible version.

Phenomenal, nostalgic, and left me wanting more!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The X-Files: Cold Cases?
The flukeman story took me back to my childhood. I didn't step into a porter potty for years after that episode. Now I'm an adult and after listening to the fluke man cold case I once again find myself eyeing toilets suspiciously.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Hearing Mulder and Scully back in action really brought the story to life. David and Gillian both did amazing jobs. The other voice actors were great, too!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Almost. I would have if I had the time.

Cold Cases brings the X-Files back to life. I actually enjoyed listening to the audiobook more than I did watching the last new season. For diehard X-File fans there's new information about old cases and answers to questions many of us have had for years. I can't wait for the next one!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es ist bezeichnend, wenn ein Audible Hörbücher besser ist als die beiden neuen Akte X Staffeln im Fernsehen (die ich wirklich nicht gebraucht hätte. Auch als Fan der ersten Stunde nicht.) Am Anfang klangen die Sprecher noch irgendwie gestelzt, aber das bessert sich mit der Zeit und irgendwann macht die Story richtig Spass. Klar die Story ist teilweise hanebüchen, aber stellenweise auch richtig cool. Und man freut sich bekannte Stimmen zu hören. Dadurch dass man nur die akustischen Settings hat, kann man auch mit Ländern aufwarten, wo sie nie und nimmer hätten drehen können. Und man muss nicht das Gesicht eines schlecht gealterten David Duchovnys ertragen, was zuweilen ein echter Vorteil ist.
Nach anfänglicher Skepsis muss ich sagen: Daumen hoch!

[Gillian Murrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a confusing mess this book was. It was several different cold cases that were very loosely linked together using aliens an adopted son and black goo. Just as I though I was getting a handle on one of the cold cases it was dropped and moved on to another one. Maybe if I had watched the show it would have helped but this audio book did not leave me felling like I needed to binge watch the show at all.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

So here's what I knew when I got this: It's a new X-files audiobook called Cold Cases and features the voices of David Duchovney and Gillian Anderson. That's all I knew. I bought it and played it. So I was quite surprised to discover this is an adaption of the "Season 10" comic book series of a few years ago, which came out before the TV season 10, contradicts it in several ways, and is quite superior. I assumed this would be a sort of lost episodes thing, and an audiobook would be the coolest way to do that....the early years leading up to the movie are my absolute favorite and I would love to have something like this, with Mulder and Scully's voices but not having to see how much older they are, haha. I still hope they do something like that. But no, this is a story arc that takes place after the original TV show. The other thing I was surprised by is that this is done in the format of a radio drama. That means the whole story is told using only dialogue and sound effects. It's really quite an impressive art form, and as you listen you can picture everything remarkably well. I felt like I was watching some really awesome episodes! But there's a downside, and that is that....the whole story is told using only dialogue and sound effects. While it works amazingly well a lot of the time, the rest of the time it reeeeeaaally doesn't. So David and Gillian are in sound booths, obviously, so there's lots of really heavy panting and describing what they see whereas in the show they would just be running from whatever and you would see everything yourself. There's things like "BANG" "Ow, my arm!" (that's how you know someone just got shot in the arm), and there are times when David and Gillian sound like really terrible actors. There's a part when Scully, who's often mono-toned anyways, is being mind-controlled that I almost couldn't take. So there's some rough patches, but it's still impressive how often it works. And the storylines are great. My favorite creature returns, and there's a character who I always thought deserved an origin episode and gets a partial one here, which was awesome. The only other downside is that they revolve some of the plot around William and magnetite, story elememts that I just never cared for at all. But this is absolutely essential for any X-files fan and you will love it for the most part. There's a bunch of cool stuff I don't want to spoil! I wish the TV version of season 10 could have been more like this. But now I can combine all the best elements from this, the comics, and tv and visualize the perfect version in my head :) Although I'm still waiting for that episode that combines the black-eyed children urban legend, the alien black oil, and the anti vaccine movement. ...And the one about the viral video that causes an actual virus. .....And the Uber from hell....

[Emilija · Rating 1 out of 5]

2022 52 Book Challenge - March Mini Challenge - 2) A Circle On The Cover

This was a pretty poor audio drama. The writing was weak and subpar, like the writer was writing an episode for the show and forgot that he was actually writing an audio drama and it would be a non visual form of media.

The standout narrator for me was Mitch Pileggi, and I don't know if he was honestly the best (because Gillian Anderson was also good) or just that I really liked him on Stargate Atlantis and every time I heard his voice, I thought about that show instead.

Aside from them, the rest of the narration felt very flat. If I had ever been in a room with a first read through of a script, this is exactly how I feel it would be. Maybe I've just been spoiled by how excited Paul McGann seems to be every time he does a Doctor Who audio, but I was expecting some level of emotion in this, and it didn't feel like there was any.

[Rachel (Into a Story) · Rating 4 out of 5]

LMAO...this was super funny, I’m hoping it was meant to be. It wasn’t really a regular audiobook but more of a full-on production, like actually watching The X-Files. Although it was harder to follow without actually seeing anything. They had the characters talking to themselves a lot. Lol. Being from Wyoming, I had to laugh at their depiction of the state & how they were dodging geysers in Yellowstone. Ha. But enjoyed it because it was the original cast. There was no way I would have listened to this without Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. I guess the truth is out, I’m a huge X-Files fan.

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

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