Aliens And Earthlings Experience Interstellar Space Beaming

1st May 2017

Audible Debuts Immersive Audio-Exclusive Drama, Alien: River Of Pain, At the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Planetarium!

Mesmerised guests were treated to an interstellar audio experience last night, as Alien: River Of Pain was beamed up to space for aliens and earthlings alike to intercept. Audible hosted this spectacular first-listen event to mark the launch of its new audio drama at the Peter Harrison Planetarium of the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

To be released on Alien Day, on the 26^th April (a nod to LV-426) – and just ahead of the May theatrical release of Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant – Alien: River Of Pain is an audio-exclusive drama taking place between the cult films Alien and Aliens. Immersed in the pitch-black dome of the Planetarium, attendees to the listening debut were transported to the dark and dangerous environs of planetoid LV-426 (now renamed Acheron) through richly detailed sound-design and striking sonic effects. Hosted under a canopy of moons, planets and stars in the constellation Cancer, the River Of Pain premiere offered a truly extraordinary listening experience.

Guests were also treated to an out of this world encounter, as the audiobook was converted to digital signal and beamed up to space. This marked a first of its kind, dedicated space transmission for the Planetarium at the Royal Observatory and a unique opportunity for our alien neighbours to listen to their kind, as imagined by Homo sapiens in Alien: River Of Pain.

Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomer Tom Kerss said: “With a very powerful and highly directed transmission there is a possibility that our signals could one day be intercepted by intelligent alien lifeforms, listening out for radio signals from space. Simply put, aliens could tune in to Aliens in the future.”

Travelling at the speed of light, the Alien: River Of Pain signal will reach the star 55 Cancri (in the constellation Cancer) and its five known exoplanets* in 40 years, where it could be intercepted by intelligent species listening out for radio signals from space (in just the same way the SETI project** does here on Earth). The 55 Cancri exoplanet system is about the same distance from our planet as the fictional Acheron in Alien: River of Pain and its parent star Zeta² Reticuli.

Alien: River Of Pain is directed by the multi-award 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. The drama brings together a powerhouse of sci-fi and fantasy talent, with lead performances from Anna Friel (Golden Globe nominated, Limitless, Pushing Daisies), Alexander Siddig (Game Of Thrones, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Bill Hope (Aliens), Colin Salmon (Alien VS Predator, Resident Evil, Arrow), Philip Glenister (Outcast, Life On Mars), Marc Warren (Hustle, Green Street Hooligans) and Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman, Dr Who, EastEnders).

Alien: River Of Pain will be released on Alien Day, 26^th April 2017 and is available to pre-order now at www.audible.co.uk/riverofpain (one credit for Audible members, £19.79 for non-members or free with Audible’s 30-day trial).

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