joel_martinez•6d agoProlific Poster

Had to pick between two different audiobook narrators for 'The Martian'

My book club voted 6 to 4 on the Wil Wheaton version, so I went with that one... turns out his voice for the main character made him sound way too sarcastic compared to the book. Now I'm wondering if the other narrator, R.C. Bray, would have been better. Has anyone else had a narrator completely change how they felt about a story?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_viola6d ago

Audiobook narrators can change the tone a bit, but does it really ruin the whole story? The Martian is still the same book regardless of how sarcastic Wheaton sounded. Seems like a minor thing to get hung up on for a book club pick.

eva_thompson6d ago

Ngl, the narrator for The Martian did change things a bit for me. Did you listen to the sample or just read the book? Because Wheaton's delivery made Mark Watney sound like a stand-up comedian the whole time, not a guy who's actually stranded and dying. The book's got a dry humor, sure, but the audio version made it feel like a comedy special instead of a survival story. So the question is, does changing the tone of the main character's voice change the whole feel of the story for you?

the_lee6d ago

I picked up the R.C. Bray version after hearing the Wil Wheaton sample made Watney sound like a guy doing standup on Venus. Bray's take on the character felt more like a real astronaut trying to stay alive, with the humor bubbling up from the situation instead of being the whole point. For me, the narrator's tone changed the entire mood of the story. The jokes hit harder because they felt earned, not forced. I've had a couple other books where the wrong voice just killed the vibe, so I think it's a bigger deal than some folks give it credit for. Your mileage may vary, but I'd say trust your gut on this one.