• Hard Luck Hank: Dumber Than Dead

  • By: Steven Campbell
  • Narrated by: Liam Owen
  • Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,212 ratings)

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Hard Luck Hank: Dumber Than Dead  By  cover art

Hard Luck Hank: Dumber Than Dead

By: Steven Campbell
Narrated by: Liam Owen
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Publisher's summary

Hank is getting married!

The space station Belvaille has become home to a species of actors. The newest edition to the Post Colmarian Confederation are the Damakan race. As a species they are capable of “broadcast empathy”. Their acting skills are so powerful they are able to make people believe their portrayals are literally happening - even over remote transmission.

Belvaille, with its access to powerful radio telescopes, becomes an entertainment powerhouse, cranking out Damakan dramas and tragedies across the empire. As the city modifies is resources to accommodate the new cash cow, Hank is hired to protect important actors by the city’s premier talent agent: his butler Cliston. But the good times don’t last as Damakans start getting murdered and whole productions are sabotaged and even outright attacked.

The navy threatens to get involved as their favorite tele programs are interrupted and Garm, the Adjunct Over-watch of the city, enlists Hank to find the source of the violence and put an end to it. Hank fears his own betrothed is in danger as the city gets dragged into a gang war of which no one knows the cause.

©2018 Steven Campbell (P)2019 Steven Campbell

What listeners say about Hard Luck Hank: Dumber Than Dead

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As Good As The First

A long time ago, Audible incessantly recommend Hard Luck Hank to me and I ignored it. In my view, it was just another low brow sci-fi/fantasy book about a cliché "hard to kill" hero. One day, however, I was out of books to read, had an abundance of credits, and a lot of time to fill driving. When I purchased the first book, I soon discovered exactly how ignorant and incorrect I was. Needless to say, several books later the author has not lost his voice and the characters continue to be as interesting, diverse, and vibrant as ever. The world is novel and well constructed, the stories are crazy and often hilarious, and Hank is always himself. He never disappoints. The series has strong noir/mystery overtones that fit surprisingly well in the sci-fi/fantasy world the author has built. Everything is always fresh and interesting, even in the most recent entry, which is surprising. Most series get sort of dull and watered down by this point, but not Hank. While the universe evolves and changes around him, Hank always stays his usual self as if he is some sort of a cosmically singular counterweight to the chaos that is existence. Bless Hank and bless Steve Campbell for creating him. Truly a treat.

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18 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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More Hank!

Longer book than usual, enjoyed every extra minute. Can’t imagine ever getting sick of this series. New Hank book is always a treat.

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6 people found this helpful

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Another crazy mess for Hank

Overall the story was fun and kept me interested the whole time. The issue was with the quality of the audio. I can’t remember if all the books are this way but the narrator would routinely say “he said “ or “I said” etc. as if it were a question or an amazing discovery. There also was plenty of background noise, papers rustling and even a cell phone going off. It’s too bad because it distracted me quite often and made the book a lot less enjoyable.

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4 people found this helpful

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Best Hank So Far

Hank actually gets fleshed out. Pathos, grief, acceptance, philosophy, all the things you’d not really expect from the normal Hank you’ve grown to love. And yet, still Hank, but a bit better known. I think it’s the best one yet. I better add that yeah, still funny and fun to listen to. That voice is still perfect.

Plus really strange, yet somehow oddly relevant, life lessons..

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Mutant Charlie Brown delivers again.

These books always run from side splitting laughter to flabbergasted frustration (at the same time whe. these idiots try a heist) and I wouldn't have it any other way.

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Almost gave up on the series, but glad I didn't

Hard Luck Hank has been a guilty pleasure for me since joining Audible, but the writing and story has been waning the last few books. I almost skipped this book, but so glad I didn't It's definitely the best book in the series. I feel like Steven Campbell spent a lot more time perfecting the story and just not leaning on easy jokes stuck to a loose plot.

Liam Owen is amazing as always. I'd love to see an animated series of Hard Luck Hank where Owen does all the voices. His comedy timing with Campbell's jokes are just perfect.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Hilarious!

If you enjoy this series, then you'll enjoy this just as much.

Between the writing and the voice acting, I found I was laughing out loud more than I have in awhile. It may be because it's been awhile since I listened to a Hard Luck Hank book, but I found this one to be the funniest.

The story was on par with the other Hard Luck Hank books. The strengths lie in the characters and their interactions. As well as the voice acting. Liam Owen kills it again. I got lost with the various characters and almost forgot this was done by a single VA.

Overall I would recommend this book to those who enjoy the series.

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More more!!

Hilarious, funny, I love these books! Great narrative, excellent books. Buy the series!
Suck face!

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Another Winner

I’m not sure why, but Hank’s escapades continue to amuse and pique my curiosity regarding what living on an isolated space station could possibly expose him to. And this is one of the better stories. “Fat Mutant Hank” is oddly one of the most emotionally deep characters in literature, and his reactions to his world and interactions with his entourage make me smile (and occasionally laugh) while demonstrating just how human he actually is.
And Liam Owen’s voice characterizations continue to be amazing.

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An edgier Hank

Stephen Campbell continues to develop his skills as an author. In a much longer than usual narrative, the story has many of the series favorite characters adding their 2 cents (minus Cliston's 15%) or 3 brains to the chaotic life of Hank. Still heavy laden with comedy, there are more than a few insults hurled that seem a bit rougher than usual, like dental surgery with a brick and novacaine instead of proper instruments and novacaine. After a few hours of listening I made a surprising connection between what I was hearing and what is going on in the real world around us today. Weaving several plotlines together smoothly does take skill and Stephen has done it well. I eagerly wait for his next book/series and his unique storytelling style.

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