Ur

Wesley Smith buys an Amazon Kindle to keep his mind off his recent nasty breakup, but he finds that his version is no ordinary e-reading device. Smith's Kindle has a special “Ur” option, which reveals the future and all the works his favorite authors have written in parallel dimensions. However, when the Ur delivers news of terrible events on the way, Smith must decide if he should interfere in fate. While King can certainly spin a good story, the Amazon Kindle focus (the story was written exclusively for and can only be read on an Amazon Kindle) keeps this one feeling like an advertising gimmick. While listeners can easily follow Holter Graham's narration, his style and projection aren't particularly impressive. He is consistent with his characterizations, but his light nasal voice lacks energy and momentum, and given that King's voice is quite similar to Graham's and King can narrate just as well, it seems unnecessary to have enlisted Graham, whose performance adds little additional flare. (Feb.)