Brendan Fraser Embarks on a Martian Mission in New Sci-Fi Audio Drama
Academy Award-winning actor Brendan Fraser takes listeners on an interplanetary adventure in the newly released Audible series The Downloaded 2: Ghosts in the Machine. The production, which became available on November 7, 2023, features Fraser as Mayor Roscoe Koudoulian, a character tasked with establishing a new colony on Mars as Earth faces imminent destruction from an approaching asteroid.
From Virtual Reality to Martian Survival
This marks Fraser's second collaboration with celebrated Canadian science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer for an Audible production. The sequel continues the narrative established in the original series, where astronauts and convicts found themselves trapped in a virtual reality prison in the year 2059. Their collective mission involved returning to the real world to prevent Earth's annihilation.
In The Downloaded 2: Ghosts in the Machine, the story leaps forward 500 years. The once-unified group of astronauts and convicts prepares to embark on separate missions when tragedy strikes on departure day, forcing Roscoe and his companions back into their virtual silos. The situation grows increasingly complex as the characters encounter mysterious digital duplicates that threaten their stored consciousnesses.
The central conflict emerges as human and digital realities dangerously overlap, creating a survival scenario where the characters must navigate a world where the boundaries between human consciousness and artificial intelligence become blurred.
Fraser's Approach to Sci-Fi Storytelling
Despite his character's interstellar responsibilities, Fraser expressed no personal interest in space travel during discussions about the series. "I'm happy, it's good here," the actor stated from his home in New York state. "Sure, there are prickly sharp edges but I don't need the physical escapism to help lead a more meaningful or productive life."
Fraser, who holds American-Canadian citizenship and attended boarding school in Toronto during his youth, brings a unique perspective to the technically complex material. The series incorporates substantial science fiction terminology that presents challenges even for experienced performers.
"The jargon is something that is another language to me," Fraser admitted. "In many ways, I'm a Luddite, and to read technical language like that can come across as just garbled jargon without knowing what it means. But because I'm an actor, I was able to read it as if I knew exactly what I was talking about."
The actor revealed that he wasn't previously familiar with Sawyer's award-winning work before joining the first Audible series. However, he approaches each voice acting role with professional dedication and confidence.
"Honestly, my process is to just arrive, speak clearly, conclusively, think in long thoughts and have a measured use of breath," Fraser explained regarding his technique for spoken word performances. "Try to have a sense of timing when it comes to how you tell the story, also have confidence, because no one is ever going to be better at doing your job in that moment than you are yourself."
The series explores themes of identity and consciousness in the digital age, with Fraser noting that "there are duplications of individuals who have been downloaded and uploaded" creating additional layers of intrigue about character authenticity.
