
Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
Ellen Ripley finally returns to Earth, only to discover that LV-426 — where the crew of the Nostromo first came into contact with the deadly xenomorphs — has been renamed Acheron. Protected by Colonial Marines, the colonists seek to terraform the storm-swept planet against all the odds. But in the face of brutal living conditions and the daily struggles of a new world, there is humanity and hope. Anne and Russell Jorden — two colonists who are seeking a fortune that eluded them on Earth — are expecting their firstborn child. The birth of Rebecca Jorden, known to her family as Newt, is a cause for celebration. But as the colony grows and expands, so, too, do the political struggles between a small detachment of Colonial Marines and the Weyland-Yutani scientists posted on Acheron. Willing to overlook their orders in order to serve the Company's interests, these scientists have another far more sinister agenda — to covertly capture a living Alien. The wildcatters discover a vast, decaying spaceship. The horseshoe-shaped vessel is of particular interest to Weyland-Yutani and may be the answer to their dreams. But what Anne and Russell find onboard proves to be the stuff not of dreams but of nightmares. This terrifying, cinematic, multicast dramatization — directed by the multiaward-winning Dirk Maggs, best known for his adaptations of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere for the BBC — is the sequel to Audible Original's Alien: Out of the Shadows (nominated for Best Audio Drama at the 2017 Audies). Starring Golden Globe-nominated Anna Friel ( Pushing Daisies , Limitless ), Alexander Siddig ( Star Trek: Deep Space 9 , Game of Thrones ), Michelle Ryan ( Bionic Woman , Doctor Who ), Colin Salmon ( Alien vs Predator , Arrow , James Bond), Marc Warren ( Mad Dogs , Saving Private Ryan , Hustle ) and Philip Glenister ( Outcast , Life on Mars ), with special guest star William Hope returning as Lt. Gorman from James Cameron's Aliens .
Tags
Alien: River of Pain: An Audible Original Drama: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
This is an adult horror-SF audio drama set in the Alien universe with graphic violence, body horror, xenomorph attacks, mass casualties including children, and intense terror. The Alien franchise is known for visceral horror and this is no exception.
What to know going in
This book has graphic violence, no sexual content, and strong language. Content notes include graphic violence, gore, death, death of child, and mass death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Mature listeners who love the Alien franchise will appreciate this tense dramatization exploring what happened to the doomed colony before Ripley's return.