Hard Luck Harry in Deadtime

By: F.A. Corporan, S.E. Bryan

Narrated by: Kevin Elliott

If you love Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries, don't miss out on Hard Luck Harry in Deadtime.

Fifteen years after a dark matter reactor accident plunged Earth into a nuclear winter, Harry reactivates in a garbage dump. He's an android with amnesia in old New York, presently known as Empire City. He now works for what's left of the federal union as a bounty hunter, trying to raise the money he needs to replace his AI implant before it kills him.

Meanwhile, teenaged Lex arrives in the dystopian city in search of her father, a missing geneticist. With no one to turn to, Lex hires Harry to help her, unaware that he is a potential weapon of mass destruction-should he ever recover his memories. Racing through the city on a rollicking two-fisted adventure, they're aided by a quirky cadre of friends and hunted by nefarious Underworld gangsters. But what no one can imagine is that Harry's cryptic origins will soon come to light and that Lex will turn out to be not only the daughter of a brilliant scientist but the key to immortality itself.

©2025 Black Rose Writing (P)2025 Black Rose Writing

A romp through emotionless dedication to answers

You know when a [volley|soccer|basket] ball has just a bit less air in it than it should to bounce high, but you can still use it and have a great time? Following Harry on his misadventure and interacting with the rest of the upstanding and villainous characters in Empire City is a great time. It's bounce height is just a bit limited by a few non-critical writing choices. There's action, mystery, surprise reveals, and a treacherous plot that must be thwarted quickly. Kevin Elliott does a fine job giving each main character their recognizable cadence and accent, while Harry is all business all the time. At the end of this story, you will have learned practically zero useful facts about quantum physics, but you will have made new friends along the way, and that counts for something. [Disclosure: I received this title for free and listened at 2.1x.]

Fun book to listen to

The first 3 chapters builds the universe. Enough stuff happens there to fill several books and then the and adventure starts as you meet the main character. Hope you all enjoyed it as I did.

Super enjoyable

This is a delightful listen. Really tight writing with an engaging and fast paced plot. More of an action adventure than sci-fi. Some neat characters too, my favorite was Cecil!