This book was not my jam and I can tell you it was a me problem and not a book/author problem. This was my 1st book by Craig Falconer but I will certainly give them another read!

#LastManStanding
#NetGalley

I’m always excited to read some good sci-fi. I was very hopeful for this book to be as great as the description sounded but it fell short. The main character wasn’t terribly likable and the narrator fell flat as well. I did like the premise of the story but I’m not sure that I’ll continue the series.

Dear Last Man Standing,
You took me on such a wild ride. In concept, you reminded me a bit of The Martian by Andy Weir. Solo survival in space is a challenging concept. I think what kept me going is the glib, almost humorous narration. Ray's perspective of the whole thing is the only one we have to go off, and he doesn't seem to take anything with a huge level of gravity, which kept what could have been a very dark story to a lighter, more entertaining place. He just seemed to take everything at face value and didn't get into his feelings or dispair about the situation much at all. He was a man of action, and that brought a fresh perspective to the idea for me. I am actually intrigued enough to check out the next book in the series, to see how Ray continues to solve the problems laid before him in his practical, no nonsense way.

This book gives off slight The Martian vibes. It's a little slow but the story is interesting and I look forward to book 2.

I wanted to love this so much. I just felt like:
1. It was very closely comparable to Project Hail Mary
2. It felt like I was being talked to and not immersed in the story.

I will definitely be looking for more from this author and hope the next one will make the mark as this was a DNF for me.

This book starts as a book cut from the same clot as 'The Martian' and 'Project Hail Mary'. If you enjoyed those books, give this one a shot.
As the book goes on, we get an idea of what really has happened and I'm glad the author branched out from the above pigeonhole. I am definitely intrigued enough to pick up the new book. It does drag a bit in the middle with descriptions.
The narrator was great and I would listen to a 'buddy' book about just Ray and the parrot
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

This audiobook had a bit duplicitous bits but overall and enjoyable listen after getting into it. Not sure if I would’ve continued reading if it wasn’t an audiobook though. I am curious how it continues though and could see looking into getting the next one.

This was a really engaging sci fi thriller that pulled me right in (despite a slump sick mood). It takes a special book to grab my attention in this brain fog.

I got the opportunity to listen to the audiobook which I highly recommend. I've heard this particular narrator before and he does an amazing job of making our protagonist immediately relatable. The story itself was fast paced and compelling with a good balance of action and subtle humor.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Scott Aiello
Content: 2 stars ~ Narration: 2 stars

Ray Barclay is a scientist at a space station testing his discovery. After a few days in a sealed module, he discovers he is the only one left alive.

MC is very unlikeable, but this could be ok. It bothered me more that he didn’t feel like an actual person. Ray sounded like a tough guy, but, in reality, he was more of a nerdy scientist. He often felt emotionless, but he was supposed to be a very caring father and husband. I was wondering why was Ray not nervous about being the last human alive? And he was constantly so optimistic. Why? I would expect him to have at least one moment of weakness and freak out or something.

So, no. This novel was not for me. I listened to the whole audio, and it was somewhat interesting. But I kept waiting for some twist that would set things right. A lot of details felt unnatural, and as a result, the whole novel just didn’t click for me. I think it was both the writing and narration.

Thanks to Recorded Books for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

The premise of the story was great. How one man’s will to survive shapes the way he thinks and makes his next moves. The book was great, but I listened to the audiobook, which was kind of disappointing. The narrator did not seem to put a lot of emotion into the performance. He tried but some of the more intense moments just sounded like normal dialogue. I kept listening because of the storyline honestly. The portion of the book that I thought was dragged out was about his accident that left him with nerve damage in his hand, if felt like the author kept sliding it in and it could have just been explained at the beginning and saved a lot of time.

This is an overall good book, but I do think I will stick to reading the next book instead of listening to it.

Last Man Standing is, as its title indicates, the story of one man's survival skills in the face of massive catastrophe. A scientist in the field of bleeding-edge energy sources, Ray is a visiting researcher on board a corporate-owned space station in near-future Earth's orbit. But when the day of his research breakthrough, a day meant to be filled with congrats and plans for home, gets interrupted by disaster, he'll call on every skill he has to make it home and save humanity.

Heavily reminiscent of Andy Weir's near future fiction, I nevertheless highly appreciated the mundane bend to the main character, Ray. He's an expert in his field, all right, but that doesn't mean he has a lick of sense or a clue where comes to any topic beyond the research that he's devoted his life to. I liked the realism inherent in that characterization: the myopia of advanced research that means, contrary to how scientists are often portrayed in fiction, they are not experts in everything.

As the readers, we are tightly wound up in Ray's perspective and backstory. The effect is humanizing, but can lean towards repetitive at times. He's not the most interesting character out there. However, beyond his thoughts about the matter the turning points and plot happenings carry on a stellar clip, with some reveals expected and others wholly surprising. Last Man Standing would be an enjoyable read (along with its follow-ups) for anyone enamoured of The Martian and looking for more.

Great audio, filled a gap between to hardcore horror books. Canny narrator and a 3ngaging plot. Enjoyed the listen, listened as part of a small book club satellite group. Everyone enjoyed it

At first glance I could see the elevator pitch for Last Man Standing being ‘well, it’s kind of The Martian on a space station’. And while in a way that feels semi-accurate, Last Man Standing is way more than just a lone individual struggling for survival in a near unimaginable situation. You’ll need to add in terrorism, conspiracy, a wicked smart parrot, and fate of the world hanging in the balance. (not just a single man). I enjoyed the heck out of this story. This is an intense, gripping adventure that hooked me from start to finish, and our unlikely hero, Ray Barclay, is a fantastic and sympathetic character. If the book has one drawback (and honestly I use that word jokingly), it’s that this is only the first book in the series and I am dying to know what happens next. Seriously, if you enjoy smart, intense thrillers, don’t hesitate to grab this one. This is a 5 star adventure all the way. I should also note that Scott Aiello does an absolutely fantastic job with the narration. I really can’t wait for the sequel. I’d like to thank RB Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced audio copy of Last Man Standing.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RBTTF2HLFNO12/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-man-standing-craig-falconer/1142427937?ean=2940176794304&bvnotificationId=a0e586f7-5543-11ed-960d-0e0e14543839&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/223879280

The story revolves around a literal rocket scientist conducting research at an orbital research station. It should be noted that this book is not, by any standards, 'Hard' Science Fiction - Readers who have some level of knowledge of physics may be put off by the Star Wars style approach to gravity and acceleration. That being said, the story is a light and enjoyable enough, if a little predictable. Scott Aiello did an excellent job of narrating the audiobook which really elevated the experience for me.

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Fun adventure with Ray Barclay as he discovers that he is the only person left alive on a space station. Reminded me a bit of The Martian. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Scott Aiello did a wonderful job narrating the book.

5 Star Book Review

For those who enjoyed Project Hail Mary- this book has similar vibes.

An incident takes out the entire crew of a space station- except for Ray Barclay. This book follows his struggle as the sole survivor to stay alive and find a way back to earth. The story is like an onion, peeling off layers of realization as he discovers what really happened until the very last page.

This is a thriller that takes place in a Sci-Fiction setting. From the moment the book started, the main character is an established expert and he knew his stuff. He could translate complex theories and science-driven plot lines made sense.

I tore through this book in less than 24 hours. My only downside to this book is that there is a continuation of the story coming in book 2, which is not yet released. I will be anxiously awaiting to see what happens next!

first off thank to the publisher and the author for an advanced audiobook copy from NetGalley!

Falconer pens a fun, gritty, lightning paced near future scf-fi thriller/mystery/adventure, an excellent start to a fresh new series! The first third of the book reads like Andy Wier's "The Martin" a little too much for my tastes but after the prottagonist moves through the situation he luckily encounters others to open from a soley self narrative tale. Ray logically explains his plans and motivations so I was always fully understanding his predicament.
Scott Aiello was the PERFECT choice to give life to Ray, and all the cast of this book. The plot is also very inventive in the crowded space of near future sci-fi settings.

I loved this book. The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir are two of my favorite books and this one is a great story in the same vein. It has humor and science in space. I am running right now and hoping that the second one is available because it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. Less swearing than the Andy Weir books too which is a good thing in my opinion. If you like sci-fi with humor this is a great choice!

I listened to it and the narrators performance was also really good. I received the audiobook from NetGalley.

WOW. That was my first thought when I finished this book. I was enthralled from the first chapter to the last. Ray Barclay works on a space station doing research. Ray successfully completed one of his experiments and when he left the lab to tell his coworkers he discovers everyone on the station is dead. When Ray makes it to an observation area he sees that something happens to earth too. Ray starts to put everything together and realizes he is humanity's last hope.

As a character Ray is amazing. The dialogue he has with himself and something I don’t want to spoil was terrific. His dialogue has a lot of comedy to it during these serious events which help to lighten the mood.

The world building was absolutely incredible. I work in a lab so I enjoyed the lab descriptions, but the space station descriptions are absolutely unmatched. This was the best depiction of space I have ever read or listened to. This is the first book in a series and I already can not wait for the next entry to release.

The narration by Scott Aiello was perfect. All his dialogues were performed on par or better than all narrators I have listened to. This book was the total package. It's a well-developed, fast pace story with excellent narration.

As a lover of science fiction and fantasy I was really excited to listen to this book. A story of a man who is stranded in space trying to save himself and the inhabitants of earth. Unfortunately the narration was awful. It did not seem to fit with the story at all. It almost seemed as the story was a comedy instead of science fiction. It takes away from the story leaving me uncertain if I like it. So I will have to read the actual book to see what I think. In the meantime I would suggest you skip this audiobook.