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The Sea in the Sky
In this scripted Audible Original, wisecracking marine biologist and astronaut Bee Guerrero has signed up for the trip of a lifetime: a series of dives deep into the pitch-black waters of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus.
Set in the near future when global climate catastrophe has forced humans to search for solutions on new planets, The Sea in the Sky chronicles two astronauts’ journey in what could be the final NASA-sponsored mission to space. In their search for life, Bee and Ty navigate uncharted waters, take on incredible risks, and confront difficult truths about themselves. What will they find at the bottom of it all?
At times epic and intimate, laugh-out-loud funny, and achingly soulful, The Sea in the Sky plumbs the depths of science and faith, triumph and failure. The Audible Original drama is told through daily "dispatches" sent from the space shuttle back to Earth, together with original music and sound design, a never-before-heard space rap, and a full cast of actors.
Dive into a world you need to hear to believe.
[Contains sensitive content]
This Audible Original podcast is 12 episodes, beginning with the Prologue.
Note: This title contains fully immersive sound design and original composition. To enjoy the highest quality listening experience, please use headphones. If you choose to download this title, make sure it’s set to "High" in your settings.
©2020 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC
Set in the near future when global climate catastrophe has forced humans to search for solutions on new planets, The Sea in the Sky chronicles two astronauts’ journey in what could be the final NASA-sponsored mission to space. In their search for life, Bee and Ty navigate uncharted waters, take on incredible risks, and confront difficult truths about themselves. What will they find at the bottom of it all?
At times epic and intimate, laugh-out-loud funny, and achingly soulful, The Sea in the Sky plumbs the depths of science and faith, triumph and failure. The Audible Original drama is told through daily "dispatches" sent from the space shuttle back to Earth, together with original music and sound design, a never-before-heard space rap, and a full cast of actors.
Dive into a world you need to hear to believe.
[Contains sensitive content]
This Audible Original podcast is 12 episodes, beginning with the Prologue.
Note: This title contains fully immersive sound design and original composition. To enjoy the highest quality listening experience, please use headphones. If you choose to download this title, make sure it’s set to "High" in your settings.
©2020 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2020
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453 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
January 11, 2021
I wasn't sure I would like another space book after The Martian which I loved and wanted to see if it was a fluke. I have to say this book was a really enjoyably read I loved the characters and there connection to each other was really unique and special.
December 20, 2020
The voice actors were great but the actual story is uninspiring. It does not represent the rigid protocols of NASA very well and treats the main character, Bee like a class clown who does not take protocol seriously. You can have a character/personality while simultaneously following the rules. It does not represent female scientists very well and did not do a good job of developing the complex characters of Bee and Ty.
October 12, 2020
Beautifully balanced science and fiction. what's not to love in this amazing series. Great characters and a very interestingly developed science fiction premise which maintains its plausibility all through. It raises important questions about life, scientific discovery and ethics. The best part of it for me was the interesting insights into scientific aspects of long distance space travel at sub light speeds and the interweaving of ocean life discovery. We still don't completely understand black smoke vent and its connections to the origins of life. So this was an excellent/ exciting exploration. The actors were great and the sound scape was truly immersive.
October 19, 2020
3/5
I've listened to scripted audio stories my whole life now. Ever since I was little I listened to several different stories and series (back then on cassettes) and as I grew older those scripted audio series grew with me. I still to this day enjoy them very much. I can still remember what «Die drei Fragezeichen» episode was playing when I was playing with certain toys.
So I knew that I would like this format. Sometimes audiobooks lack a certain, theatricality if you so will. Don't get me wrong, they are audiobooks, books in audio form. But I just know from years and years of experience listening to these things that just sometimes I like to have different speakers, different voices, sound design and music.
The Sea in the Sky has a fantastic production quality (of course it would, it's Audible). Especially their sound design was phenomenal. I loved it all. What I didn't like very much was the start and the ending of this story. The middle part where they are on Enceladus is engaging and heart breaking at time.
The beginning is annoying for some reason - I had a hard time getting used to Bee. And the ending is just so... well. Shit. I did not like it one bit. I like two endings:
A) Everything is cleared up. No open questions.
B) It's open. We have no clue what the fuck is going on.
And this was, well, neither of both. I wasn't very satisfied with what Bee found in the end to be honest, after all the build up it just didn't make much sense.
So yeah. A+ for the speakers and the sound design, D for story. (Did I do that right? Swiss grading systems are different.)
PS: I know this is science fiction obviously, but 2037 seems really early for human kind to go to one of Saturn's moons, doesn't it? Considered that we now - in 2020 that is - haven't been to Mars yet and in the story they have been. Several times. And failed.
October 20, 2020
Really liked this story. Lots of suspense. If you like stories about space, it’s a must read!
January 14, 2023
This feels a bit like a primer on deep sea diving at first. Despite that there was very little science in this science fiction. There was a lot of character chatter that could have taken place in any kind of novel. Then there is some drama, obviously. I have to confess that I did not care. The voice acting did not convince me. I considered a DNF, but the last three chapters turned up with something interesting after all.
I was disappointed that the sound effects did not include more atmospheric sounds, aka the sounds of the ship diving through the ocean, wind, ice, etc. Instead there was this meditation music soundtrack. And for parts with more tension, the tempo of that soundtrack just sped up. Less Zen-music and more planetary background noises would have been nice.
Bottomline, nice idea, the plot was not a bad one after all. But the execution did not really grab me. It was ok. Right now I would not get anything else in this world or from this author on Amazon Originals. Probably.
I was disappointed that the sound effects did not include more atmospheric sounds, aka the sounds of the ship diving through the ocean, wind, ice, etc. Instead there was this meditation music soundtrack. And for parts with more tension, the tempo of that soundtrack just sped up. Less Zen-music and more planetary background noises would have been nice.
Bottomline, nice idea, the plot was not a bad one after all. But the execution did not really grab me. It was ok. Right now I would not get anything else in this world or from this author on Amazon Originals. Probably.
February 15, 2023
I’m not mentally ready to write down any thoughts related to this book. Thing is, I’m not sure I ever will be. So, I’m gonna suck it up and go for it.
Audible, apparently, has these stories that I can get for free if I’m a member, It’s great because my wife tends to use all the story credits and I’m left with mostly either listening to her library, which leans towards romance or thriller, or I can peruse the free stuff.
Occasionally, I will stumble across a gem or two doing that. And it lets me listen to a story with a no-risk sort of attitude because I have no monetary loss to consider if I end up not liking the book. I mean, I do have the issue of time wasted, but I’m spending over an hour a day walking to work anyway....
Have I mentioned facing down a poison-spitting frog one night a month or so ago? I’ll have to think through how I can turn that rather boring anecdote into something meaningful without being a lie in a future review.
Anyway, point is, I started listening to this for my walks to and from work. I’ll cut to the chase and list the pros of this production:
1) Great use of voice actors and foley work.
2) Nice early nods to reasonably scientifically defensible descriptions of a subterranean ocean on another world.
3) Nice atmosphere and tone for the story. It felt genuinely lonely and creepy.
And the cons?
1) That NASA’s finest would be this emotionally fragile and unprofessional in the way they execute their duties is frustrating.
2) Seriously, several chapters ended with someone crying uncontrollably for entirely too long. In written form I would probably be annoyed with it, but listening to actors fake cry for minutes on end drove me nuts. Especially when it’s because one astronaut lost contact with another, then, instead of problem solving, just broke down and cried and cried and cried and sobbed and wept and padded running time by forcing me to listen to this. Even speeding up the playback didn’t eliminate it. I mean, I was screaming at my phone for this fella to get his shit together and all that. Have some sort of professionalism.
3) Goddammit, the other astronaut was almost as bad, roles reversed, now they are the one that’s a weepy mess. Most of the drama seemed to be this. Taking turns crying when the other person wasn’t around.
4) Also, astronauts carefully selected to explore the underwater world on the outer edge of the solar system may be hiding a horrible phobia, like one of them has an inexplicable fear of closed in spaces. Shouldn’t something like that come out in the millions of hours spent in simulations and psychological studies before they are selected?
Sigh. It was actually an enjoyable story. One I found frustrating, but also enjoyable. The production was pretty neat, but if I had only read this, I don’t know, I may have enjoyed it way more, or way less, but probably not the same. It reminds me of a lesson I thought I’d learned a long time ago, that performance can improve on a mediocre story, or drag a great story down to mediocre.
This feels like it went one of those two directions, but I can’t tell which one.
Audible, apparently, has these stories that I can get for free if I’m a member, It’s great because my wife tends to use all the story credits and I’m left with mostly either listening to her library, which leans towards romance or thriller, or I can peruse the free stuff.
Occasionally, I will stumble across a gem or two doing that. And it lets me listen to a story with a no-risk sort of attitude because I have no monetary loss to consider if I end up not liking the book. I mean, I do have the issue of time wasted, but I’m spending over an hour a day walking to work anyway....
Have I mentioned facing down a poison-spitting frog one night a month or so ago? I’ll have to think through how I can turn that rather boring anecdote into something meaningful without being a lie in a future review.
Anyway, point is, I started listening to this for my walks to and from work. I’ll cut to the chase and list the pros of this production:
1) Great use of voice actors and foley work.
2) Nice early nods to reasonably scientifically defensible descriptions of a subterranean ocean on another world.
3) Nice atmosphere and tone for the story. It felt genuinely lonely and creepy.
And the cons?
1) That NASA’s finest would be this emotionally fragile and unprofessional in the way they execute their duties is frustrating.
2) Seriously, several chapters ended with someone crying uncontrollably for entirely too long. In written form I would probably be annoyed with it, but listening to actors fake cry for minutes on end drove me nuts. Especially when it’s because one astronaut lost contact with another, then, instead of problem solving, just broke down and cried and cried and cried and sobbed and wept and padded running time by forcing me to listen to this. Even speeding up the playback didn’t eliminate it. I mean, I was screaming at my phone for this fella to get his shit together and all that. Have some sort of professionalism.
3) Goddammit, the other astronaut was almost as bad, roles reversed, now they are the one that’s a weepy mess. Most of the drama seemed to be this. Taking turns crying when the other person wasn’t around.
4) Also, astronauts carefully selected to explore the underwater world on the outer edge of the solar system may be hiding a horrible phobia, like one of them has an inexplicable fear of closed in spaces. Shouldn’t something like that come out in the millions of hours spent in simulations and psychological studies before they are selected?
Sigh. It was actually an enjoyable story. One I found frustrating, but also enjoyable. The production was pretty neat, but if I had only read this, I don’t know, I may have enjoyed it way more, or way less, but probably not the same. It reminds me of a lesson I thought I’d learned a long time ago, that performance can improve on a mediocre story, or drag a great story down to mediocre.
This feels like it went one of those two directions, but I can’t tell which one.
September 17, 2022
3.5⭐ overall
I almost didn't listen to this whole thing. The second episode especially had an over the top annoying part in it that made me want to punch myself in balls. Like why would you even put this part in the story!? It's hard to describe, so just take my word for it, it was bad.
After that second episode things began to get better and I found myself enjoying it more and more with each episode. I'm always fascinated by space and what everyone appears to be Earth's demise at some point. I love the solutions to the problems and people exploring space to find habitable planets. A select few individual people who set out to save humanity and I love it. The feeling of being alone in space and also doing the selflessness of risking your life just for everyone else to have a future always touches me.
There wasn't anything crazy new here. We've heard this story before and frankly you can get it better elsewhere. Project Hail Mary being the first one to come to mind. But that doesn't mean this isn't something fun in the same vein. And the ending was right up my alley. It could have been done a liiiiiitle better, but I appreciate the ambiguous ending.
I've been having fun having an audio drama of sorts on the side and I believe I will continue to do so.
I almost didn't listen to this whole thing. The second episode especially had an over the top annoying part in it that made me want to punch myself in balls. Like why would you even put this part in the story!? It's hard to describe, so just take my word for it, it was bad.
After that second episode things began to get better and I found myself enjoying it more and more with each episode. I'm always fascinated by space and what everyone appears to be Earth's demise at some point. I love the solutions to the problems and people exploring space to find habitable planets. A select few individual people who set out to save humanity and I love it. The feeling of being alone in space and also doing the selflessness of risking your life just for everyone else to have a future always touches me.
There wasn't anything crazy new here. We've heard this story before and frankly you can get it better elsewhere. Project Hail Mary being the first one to come to mind. But that doesn't mean this isn't something fun in the same vein. And the ending was right up my alley. It could have been done a liiiiiitle better, but I appreciate the ambiguous ending.
I've been having fun having an audio drama of sorts on the side and I believe I will continue to do so.
November 9, 2022
The Sea in The Sky is a 12 part Audible Originals audio play set twenty years in the future and millions of miles from earth about two astronauts exploring one of Saturn’s moons in the quest for extraterrestrial life. It’s currently free with an Audible subscription. We chose it because it was shorter than the audiobooks I’ve got pending, and the premise sounded interesting, but ultimately this was underwhelming and I didn’t like the ending.
Bee Guerrero is a young marine biologist sent on a last ditch NASA mission called Pisces, to Enceladus, along with veteran pilot Ty who is still grieving the loss of his wife. As they prepare to dive their submersible into the underground ocean, their dispatches back to Ground Control convey the stress and loneliness of a dangerous mission where only one outcome is deemed acceptable.
This was a good production of a surprisingly tedious story. I never felt engaged with either main character - they were both annoyingly jokey and way too emotionally labile for a journey of this nature.
It’s been compared to The Martian, but doesn’t come close in terms of tension or believability. Bee’s rap scene was excruciatingly awkward, and a lot of the humour fell flat. It wasn’t clear which way the plot was heading until quite late, and I didn’t really “get” it.
Bee Guerrero is a young marine biologist sent on a last ditch NASA mission called Pisces, to Enceladus, along with veteran pilot Ty who is still grieving the loss of his wife. As they prepare to dive their submersible into the underground ocean, their dispatches back to Ground Control convey the stress and loneliness of a dangerous mission where only one outcome is deemed acceptable.
This was a good production of a surprisingly tedious story. I never felt engaged with either main character - they were both annoyingly jokey and way too emotionally labile for a journey of this nature.
It’s been compared to The Martian, but doesn’t come close in terms of tension or believability. Bee’s rap scene was excruciatingly awkward, and a lot of the humour fell flat. It wasn’t clear which way the plot was heading until quite late, and I didn’t really “get” it.
January 2, 2021
I liked the voice acting and audio effects a lot, but the story really lacked a proper plot.
It was like a rip-off from The Abyss but with a lot less depth and plot twists. Nothing much happens for most of the book. And really sending a team of only 2 without any contingency backup? After having read The Martian and the creativity to find solutions to life threatening situations, this almost felt like a one dimensional comic book read.
It was like a rip-off from The Abyss but with a lot less depth and plot twists. Nothing much happens for most of the book. And really sending a team of only 2 without any contingency backup? After having read The Martian and the creativity to find solutions to life threatening situations, this almost felt like a one dimensional comic book read.
February 9, 2021
This is a multi-part serial story on Audible, and as best I can tell, that's the only way it's available. It's done as a performance, with different voice actors for each character and sound effects, etc. Sort of like an old-time radio show.
At first I was on the skeptical side because the science (the details of what a space mission would actually be like) were sketchy and didn't seem great. I thought the characters felt a little bit cliched, kind of like an odd-couple setup, the younger, Latina lesbian atheist who is the biologist doing dive missions (after having been a deep sea dive specialist on Earth) and the older, Southern, Christian good-old-boy captain who is the mission commander who handles the space travel part of the mission. Hijinks ensue, etc. But after I got over my initial skepticism of the setup and just let myself get absorbed in the story, I actually was really entertained. The story is good, the audio performances are quite good, and the whole thing ended up being very enjoyable and entertaining. 2001: A Space Odyssey it is not, but it's well done and fun to listen to.
At first I was on the skeptical side because the science (the details of what a space mission would actually be like) were sketchy and didn't seem great. I thought the characters felt a little bit cliched, kind of like an odd-couple setup, the younger, Latina lesbian atheist who is the biologist doing dive missions (after having been a deep sea dive specialist on Earth) and the older, Southern, Christian good-old-boy captain who is the mission commander who handles the space travel part of the mission. Hijinks ensue, etc. But after I got over my initial skepticism of the setup and just let myself get absorbed in the story, I actually was really entertained. The story is good, the audio performances are quite good, and the whole thing ended up being very enjoyable and entertaining. 2001: A Space Odyssey it is not, but it's well done and fun to listen to.
December 20, 2020
This was a superb full cast audio complete with sound effects and excellent dialogue. It is also an audible exclusive, written for and only currently available on that platform and it's free as a serialisation. I would have happily paid for this, no doubt.
The story revolved around two crew on a mission centred on a Saturn moon, focused on oceanic exploration, looking for any signs of life. The story took the listener through banter, excitement, tragedy and what was reality and what wasn't. I didn't find it predictable and enjoyed the twists and the ending. The story and plot had an eventual melancholy feel but I liked it nonetheless.
I'd definitely seek this author out again.
The story revolved around two crew on a mission centred on a Saturn moon, focused on oceanic exploration, looking for any signs of life. The story took the listener through banter, excitement, tragedy and what was reality and what wasn't. I didn't find it predictable and enjoyed the twists and the ending. The story and plot had an eventual melancholy feel but I liked it nonetheless.
I'd definitely seek this author out again.
June 25, 2021
Oooh, it started so well and it was well worth the listen, even if it didn’t quite go the way I hoped. Full RTC.
3.5
3.5
January 8, 2021
A book read by a full cast on podcast. It consists of 11 episodes of about 25 minutes each.
A crew of two astronauts travel to one of Saturn’s moons to search for signs of life. Of course there is a disaster and the mission is put in peril.
I enjoyed the action of the story, the interaction between the characters, and times that I wasn’t sure how to interpret what was happening. Some excitement and some mystery add up to a lightweight, fun story presented in a different format.
A crew of two astronauts travel to one of Saturn’s moons to search for signs of life. Of course there is a disaster and the mission is put in peril.
I enjoyed the action of the story, the interaction between the characters, and times that I wasn’t sure how to interpret what was happening. Some excitement and some mystery add up to a lightweight, fun story presented in a different format.
November 14, 2020
First time I have listened to an "episodic" type audiobook. The cover is absolutely beautiful and it's honestly the reason why I clicked on the book. I really enjoyed the characters, and the narration was great. It was a decent scifi that held your attention, but the ending was extremely underwhelming.
December 14, 2020
This was a wonderful story, so imaginative but also based on real possibilities in space exploration. The perfect blend for a sci-fi story. I learned some really cool things about marine biology and exploration as well. Great story, highly recommend.
December 21, 2020
Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus
A dramatized, podcast story with cast of narrators.
The narration & audio production was great but the story needed more time to make a solid impact.
Currently on Audible Plus
A dramatized, podcast story with cast of narrators.
The narration & audio production was great but the story needed more time to make a solid impact.
January 28, 2021
Not a huge fan of the ending, but I really enjoyed the journey. A good sci-fi romp with a balance of cool space stuff (although they're never actually in space, I think?) and emotion.
February 24, 2021
I didn't enjoy the start. I thought it was slow and nothing interesting was happening.
Then the book got more interesting, emotional, some hilarious parts. Good science fiction book.
Then the book got more interesting, emotional, some hilarious parts. Good science fiction book.
June 19, 2022
A hidden gem! Great production, great actors, and a good ending to the ups and downs of what the characters have to go through.
Read
August 31, 2024Marsieša fanien patiks.
January 3, 2021
When I finished this book, I felt like it wasn’t that amazing of a book. But as more time passes, I’m really sad there wasn’t more.
March 3, 2021
I do so struggle with audio dramas, but the voice actors for The Sea in the Sky did a great job with a fairly mediocre script. Apart from the coarse language this might have made an exciting and inspirational story for children.
The concept of travelling into the oceans on Enceladus in search for new life is a very exciting one which would have been grand to explore. I think the idea is good enough that if it had been written into a novel it would have been far more enjoyable.
The plot doesn't focus on exploration, rather it comes in like an afterthought with the politics and risks of scientific endeavours taking centre stage. As a novel there could have been scope to achieve a better mix of these things. As an audio drama we were instead subjected to a slew of emotionally forced scenes and disconnected plot devices. The voluntary solution being the lowest of the narrative choices.
Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss. The Sea in the Sky was a miss for me.
The concept of travelling into the oceans on Enceladus in search for new life is a very exciting one which would have been grand to explore. I think the idea is good enough that if it had been written into a novel it would have been far more enjoyable.
The plot doesn't focus on exploration, rather it comes in like an afterthought with the politics and risks of scientific endeavours taking centre stage. As a novel there could have been scope to achieve a better mix of these things. As an audio drama we were instead subjected to a slew of emotionally forced scenes and disconnected plot devices. The voluntary solution being the lowest of the narrative choices.
Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss. The Sea in the Sky was a miss for me.
December 29, 2020
3.5 stars. Very different kind of audiobook but fun a listen, I just wish it had a little more before and after details.
October 28, 2020
Excellent series! Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys science fiction and space exploration books. I hope the author chooses to write a continuation of this story because I'd love to hear what happens to Bianca and Ty next!
October 29, 2020
This was a very memorable space book, and surprisingly profound on so many levels. Great performance too by the narrators. Fun from beginning to end.
February 2, 2021
First and foremost, an enormous A+ to sound design.
Whatever was good in this story was made good by amazing, atmospheric sounds and whoever worked on it deserves a raise.
Now onto the story itself... as others have already noted, it is immediately grating to think that NASA, an agency that prides itself on choosing the most well-adjusted, balanced individuals to join its ranks, would choose the two clowns we are presented as main characters.
There's no end to possible critique here. From childish behavior, to disobeying orders, keeping secrets from your commanding officer, actually sabotaging the mission and indirectly being responsible for the death of the only other crew member on board... The list is long and ugly.
The attempt at the religion vs. science debate was uncomfortably artificial, and I also find it extremely hard to believe a person at ground control would believe, against all evidence pointing to the contrary, that an isolated and unstable person with a history of mental illness isn't lying about the only thing she wanted to find - life on a dead rock.
On the same note, a capcom saying there's more than one way to look at evidence is beyond unbelievable to me, it straight up ruins immersion and by extension, the story.
All in all, interesting idea and amazing sound design (wish I could give it five stars by itself) ruined by outrageously out-of-character astronauts. Reads like a story of a lonely woman going on a suicide mission and slowly losing her sanity in the process.
Made my ears happy and my brain sad. Two stars and a yike from me.
Whatever was good in this story was made good by amazing, atmospheric sounds and whoever worked on it deserves a raise.
Now onto the story itself... as others have already noted, it is immediately grating to think that NASA, an agency that prides itself on choosing the most well-adjusted, balanced individuals to join its ranks, would choose the two clowns we are presented as main characters.
There's no end to possible critique here. From childish behavior, to disobeying orders, keeping secrets from your commanding officer, actually sabotaging the mission and indirectly being responsible for the death of the only other crew member on board... The list is long and ugly.
The attempt at the religion vs. science debate was uncomfortably artificial, and I also find it extremely hard to believe a person at ground control would believe, against all evidence pointing to the contrary, that an isolated and unstable person with a history of mental illness isn't lying about the only thing she wanted to find - life on a dead rock.
On the same note, a capcom saying there's more than one way to look at evidence is beyond unbelievable to me, it straight up ruins immersion and by extension, the story.
All in all, interesting idea and amazing sound design (wish I could give it five stars by itself) ruined by outrageously out-of-character astronauts. Reads like a story of a lonely woman going on a suicide mission and slowly losing her sanity in the process.
Made my ears happy and my brain sad. Two stars and a yike from me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2020
One of the best immersive audiobooks I've "read"!
June 14, 2022
I felt I was part of the mission, part of the control, part of the astronauts, part of the ship.
B and Tay were amazing, I wish them joy and happiness wherever they are now!
Do you think that was real? What they've found Or was she under stress? Regrets?
B and Tay were amazing, I wish them joy and happiness wherever they are now!
Do you think that was real? What they've found Or was she under stress? Regrets?
December 11, 2020
D+ effort. The first couple of episodes were frankly boring to me. There were emotional moments through the series to be sure, but honestly this was a sophomoric and ultimately unsatisfying effort. Other reviews rave about the quality of the recording, but I didn’t feel that way. Sound effects alone do not a good recording make.
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