Review: Gravity Pulls Through / Author: James Hitchins / Publisher: Big Pilot / Release Date: Out Now
Gravity Pulls Through is an atmospheric and clever science fiction tale presented in an audio format. The plot revolves around an entrepreneur called Newmeyer, who has taken the bold and brave step of personally going into space in order to exploit certain mineral rights on a distant world. The set-up is crammed with nods to classic stories in the genre, but key plot elements are given an utterly modern spin, with some darkly delightful wrinkles and shifts in tone. Writer James Hitchins has skilfully taken an old idea and created something that is both modern and retro.
As the only dialogue is between the pilot and the ship’s artificial intelligence, it’s hard to shake the 2001: A Space Odyssey feel to the entire piece. Narration and voice acting duties are performed by Keith Allen, who plays the entire thing in a low-key and knowing way. This adds to the claustrophobic feel of the drama, and Allen is clearly having a lot of fun with this piece, especially toward the end. It’s a great bit of casting, the tone of the work fits the artist’s moody and heavy tones very well, keeping the listener interested all the way through.
The production isn’t perfect; this is Big Pilot’s first audio production, and a few things are out of place; the sound effects don’t quite work and the incidental music does not fit the story at all (though it is quite good). The hour-long piece is one track, and this makes it less friendly to handle on certain types of media player, and the chapters aren’t clearly delineated. Overall, though, this is a great start for Big Pilot, and we look forward further productions.
