Game Rant recently got the opportunity to sit down with voice actor Jennifer Hale to talk about her experience reading a new audiobook, plus a few other details of her extensive career. Hale may be particularly well known as the voice offemale Commander ShepardinMass Effect, but she is also recognized as one of the most prolific voice actors in video games and animation, with roles in countless classic titles and series. She will be the narrator forTo Sleep in a Sea of Stars, a sci-fi novel written by Christopher Paolini, the author of acclaimed fantasy novelEragon.
As Hale describedTo Sleep in a Sea of Stars' space-faring, galaxy-spanning plot filled with complex character development and weighty consequence, we couldn’t help but be reminded of her previous roles inMass Effect,Metroid Prime, andStar Warsmedia. Some ofHale’s most iconic roleshave been powerful women charting their way through stars and negotiating the complexities of alien contact, and it would appear that the main character of this book, Kira, is cut from the same cloth.
RELATED:5 Changes That Have Been a Long Time Coming for The Mass Effect Remastered Trilogy
Hale discussed her views on strong female charactersin-depth, but we also wanted to get a grasp of her opinions on the space-faring sci-fi settings that she is just as familiar with. It’s easy to pick out patterns in such a huge number of roles even if the apparent trend is nothing more than chance, but we still wanted to know whether there is something that draws Hale to stories set in space. Her answer indicates that rather than her choosing sci-fi roles over others, the genre is simply common ground for many great stories.
I think sci-fi appears a lot because it’s place to play and imagine our future as what we’d like it to be, and that always a good place to go play.
Hale had a lot more to say aboutTo Sleep in a Sea of Stars, bringing up some details that make the story and setting sound trulyintriguing for any fan of science fiction. The story covers the journey of the main character, Kira, as she becomes deeply wrapped up in first contact with alien species and is sent on a far-ranging journey through the stars. However, from the small snippets that Hale was able to talk about ahead of the book’s release, we were able to gather that there is more to it than just an interstellar action romp. When asked about some of her favorite parts to do the voice work for, Hale dropped this tantalizing clue:
One of my favorite parts of the book, there are sequences where Kira has something happen to her, and it’s becoming a deep piece of her that communicates with her when she sleeps. There was a vocal tone that that took on, and I really enjoyed being in that zone. There was something kinda magical about that space…. There were four specific moments near the end where I had to stop because I was just choked up. I could not talk, the writing just got me and I had to take a second.
After that stunning endorsement, we couldn’t help but get excited for whatTo Sleep in a Sea of Starshas in store. Hale clearly has a deep appreciation for, and plenty of experience in science fiction settings, and she seems to think that this book may bring some fresh new ideas to the genre.
I’m really excited for people to discover this book and dive into this universe- to really live this experience because it’s awesome, it’s fun, and I’m really excited to share it…. I’m excited for what this universe of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is going to bring into our sci-fi world, and to our fictional playground.
To Sleep in a Sea of Starsis available in audiobookand print formats.
