Gaia’s Voyages (http://brokensea.com/gaia/), is a sci-fi
audio-drama about a zoo spaceship with the mission of preserving and protecting
ecologies across the galaxy…interesting concept. The first episode of Gaia’s
Voyages came out in 2009 and continued for a staggering four years of
entertaining audio. Elaine Barrett is the driving force behind this production,
and plays Captain Elizabeth Monroe also. David Ault’s distinctive voice is also
a major presence.
Elaine Barrett has plenty of audio drama experience, and fans
across the globe.
I found the plot and characters reminiscent of STNG in that
the characters are of diverse species and the humans have progressed beyond
racist and xenophobic tendencies. Their adventures are aboard a sentient
spaceship called Gaia, and they have a command structure also reminiscent of
the later Star Trek series.
The technical details will appeal to fans of ‘hard’ sci-fi;
the scientific facts and speculation are credible without bogging down the flow
of the story.
The part about the android’s romantic infatuation is a bit
over-the-top, but gives some comic relief.
The sound effects add atmosphere and round out the listening
experience, but were too loud and persistent for my taste, distracting
from the dialogue.
The main protagonist, Captain Monroe, came across as a bit
too cheerful and giggly for someone commanding a starship in deadly-serious
adventures, which may work in audio drama for an adolescent audience, but I
just couldn’t stick with it for that reason. I confess I only listened to a few
complete episodes, and sampled a few more of the later ones to see if it remained
consistent.
Nevertheless, I am just one person. You can check it out for
yourself. By the way, BrokenSea Audio Productions has an extensive website with
many other offerings, well worth visiting.
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