I love the content of this 6 Minute lecture |MP3|. It was created by Simon Willison – but all the laughing from the audience, for some reason, makes me really, really mad.
Airships are FUN, not FUNNY.
Here’s the accompanying slideshow…
And while were at it:
And back to audiobooks, here’s the trailer for Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel…
|HERE| is the audiobook version at Full Cast Audio.
[via many of HuffDuffers]
Posted by Jesse Willis
They are still “recent arrivals” when I borrow them from my local public library right?
Yeah, I thought so.
The Complete Ripley Radio Mysteries
Based on the novels by Patricia Highsmith; Performed by a full cast
4 CDs – Approx. 5 Hours [RADIO DRAMA]
Publisher: BBC Audio
Published: 2009
ISBN: 9781408409473
Ian Hart stars in these BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of Patricia Highsmith’s five Ripley novels. Tom Ripley detests murder unless it is absolutely necessary. He prefers someone else to do the dirty work. But if he’s called on to act there is no one more cool, calculating and clever. In these dramatisations, BBC Radio 4 brings all Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels together in one thrilling series. In The Talented Mr Ripley, Tom makes a bid for another man’s inheritance and succeeds, but has he really got away with it? Ripley Under Ground is set a few years later, when Tom is living in luxury in a French chateau with his beautiful wife Heloise – but the clever art forgery which funds Tom’s expensive tastes is about to be uncovered. In Ripley’s Game,Tom sets up a man he dislikes to carry out two perfect murders, while in The Boy Who Followed Ripley, a rich young stalker arrives at Belle Ombre and he and Tom end up fighting for their lives. Finally, in Ripley Under Water, strange new neighbours show an overdeveloped interest in Ripley’s past. Will Tom’s shady dealings be exposed? Tense, thrilling and atmospheric, these dramatisations are perfect evocations of Highsmith’s unique, complex and brilliantly twisted crime novels.
Catwings
By Ursula K. Le Guin; Read by Ursula K. Le Guin
1 CD – Approx. 30 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Recorded Books
Published: September 2008
ISBN: 9781428174375
Le Guin wrote this highly acclaimed novel about a very special litter of kittens. Mrs. Jane Tabby has always longed to get away from the cramped alleys of the city. She knows it is too late for her, but she thinks her longing may be the reason her litter of kittens was born with wings. When they are old enough to fly, she sends the four kittens, who become known as catwings, out into the world to find their home. But they find that danger does not lurk only in city alleyways.
Posted by Jesse Willis
The Radio Times is an invaluable resource for radio drama fans. I truly wish it was available at my local newstand here in Canada. I fuzzily recall something similar back in the 1980s for CBC Radio – but I can’t quite find anything online that matches that memory. Luckily a friend of the site, Roy, has a subscription to the U.K.’s Radio Times and he happily points us to these clippings. So here’s a clipping from next week’s BBC Radio 4 schedule…
Afternoon Play: Grey Expectations
By Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 45 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 / Afternoon Play
Broadcast: Monday 30th November @ 14:15-15:00
Grey Expectations is the third – but not necessarily the last – in a trilogy of stories written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran.
It follows on from the surreal My Blue Heaven (2006) and My Blue Wedding (2007) which told the story of Graham Slater, a redundant and downtrodden mouse-pusher whose life was transformed when he was offered a job by his childhood friend Laz. However, Laz turned out to be imaginary, blue and furry and lived in a parallel universe.
In this story, Graham learns what happened to all the billions the international bankers lost during the credit crunch – they have turned up in Laz’s blue furry world. Nobody knows what to do with the mountain of waste paper, but can Graham just get rid of it?
Stars:
Stephen Mangan
Rebecca Front
Phyllida Law
Toby Longworth
[Thanks Roy]
Posted by Jesse Willis
No doubt recalling my fondness for August Derleth’s Solar Pons, my friend Julie D. dropped me a line saying:
“the Sebastian Thorn stories paint a nice ‘modern’ Holmesian figure.”
Who? Thorn? Never heard of the fellow.
So, curious, I followed the link that Julie provided and saw that a young gentleman named Andrew Evelyn has been self-publishing his own present day Sherlock Holmes pastiche stories (starring a character named Sebastian Thorn).
Here is the series description:
Consulting detective Sebastian Thorn follows in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot in solving baffling crimes and mysteries accompanied by his friend and partner James Ashton.
And most importantly there are audio versions! Andrew Evelyn has posted his stories into an iTunes podcast feed…
iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|
But, a little detective work also turns up the regular podcast feed too:
http://sebastianthorn.podbean.com/feed
[Thanks Julie!]
Posted by Jesse Willis
Listening to the Nero Wolfe radio dramas again has got me on another Rex Stout kick!
So, curious as to what I had left to share, I’ve gone into my stacks and dug out what remains of my once vast Rex Stout stocks. Sadly, I don’t have a whole lot left but I do have a few great productions created by DH Audio as companions to their CBC radio drama releases.
DH Audio started out life as a 1970s audiobook company based out of Ontario, Canada. It first published under the name “Listen For Pleasure.” In the 1980s the name was changed to “Durkin Hayes Audio.” Then finally, in the 1990s, shortly before it went bankrupt, there was a final name change, “DH Audio.”
To make it easy I’m going to bundle four Rex Stout/Nero Wolfe audiobooks (each a single cassette) together and sell them for $20 for the set (the original retail price is $4.99 each). Here’s what I’m offering:
I’ve got 4 of these bundles left. I take PayPal. Shipping by mail will be extra, but these are pretty light so they won’t cost a ton to ship. If you’re interested, send me an email with the subject line:
Nero Wolfe AUDIOBOOK Bundle
and be sure to include your mailing address. I will then send you a PayPal invoice that includes shipping cost.
My email address is: [email protected]
Posted by Jesse Willis
In 1982 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation aired a fantastic 13-episode radio series:
Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe
It stared Mavor Moore (as Nero Wolfe), Don Francks (as Archie Goodwin), Cec Linder (as Inspector Cramer), Frank Perry (as Fritz), and Alfie Scott (as Saul Panzer).
“It took [Toronto actor and producer] Ron Hartmann two years to adapt, direct and produce the 13 episodes for radio,” reported the Globe and Mail. “Ron and I are ardent Nero Wolfe fans, and we’re out to convert the listener,” Moore said.
The series was released on cassette by Durkin Hayes Audio (aka DH Audio) in the late 1990s. But DH is out of business, the cassettes out of print, and the CBC hasn’t licensed any replacements.
What’s a serious Wolfe fan to do?
Well, he can do do a search on RadioArchive.cc! It’s the premier place to find publicly funded programming, and it just now happens to have a new collection of old-off air recordings!
Episodes:
Episode 01 – Disguise For Murder
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: January 16, 1982
When Wolfe hosts a flower showing, a women is killed by someone she recognizes — but who?
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Layly Cado, Jack Krely, Neil Monroe, Eric Peterson, Fiona Reed
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 02 – Before I Die
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: January 23, 1982
A mob boss wants Wolfe to stop a blackmailer, and protect his daughter — who then dies.
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Jane Eastwood, August Shellenburg, Maria Loma
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 03 – Counterfeit for Murder
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: January 30, 1982
An old woman gives Archie a package — containing lots of counterfeit bucks.
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Joy Coghill, Brent Craver, Gilly Fenic, Lynn Griffin, Sandy Webster
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 04 – The Cop Killer
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: February 6, 1982
Wolfe’s barber is on the run for murder — and Archie hides them in the front room!
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Jackie Buroughs, Brian George, Arch MacDonald
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 05 – Christmas Party
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: February 13, 1982
Archie, Wolfe and Santa are all under suspicion when a man dies at a Christmas party!
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Marty Meriden, Linda Sorenson, Patricia Hamilton
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 06 – Cordially Invited To Meet Death
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: February 20, 1982
A prominent woman is blackmailed — then murdered — while Archie is standing beside her!
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Barbra Hamilton, Terry Tweed, Lynn Deigon, Ken James, Tom Harvey
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 07 – Man Alive
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: February 27, 1982
An heiress’s uncle returns to life — and then dies at her office!
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Lynn Griffin, Neil Monroe, Sandy Webster, August Shellenburg
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 08 – Instead of Evidence
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: March 6, 1982
A man hires Wolfe to provide evidence if he is murdered — and then he is!
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Laly Cadoe, Sean Sullivan, Eric Peterson, Martha Gibson
Episode 09 – Eney Meeny Murder Mo
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: March 13, 1982
When Wolfe’s necktie is used to kill a potential client visiting his home, he is outraged!
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Charmin King, Bud Knapp, Aileen Seaton, Neil Monroe
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 10 – The Squirt And The Monkey
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: March 20, 1982
A comic artist hires Wolfe to find his stolen gun – but who uses it to kill his assistant — or is it Archie’s gun?
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Jack Krealy, Patricia Collins, Sheri Flet, David Hemlin
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 11 – The Next Witness
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: March 27, 1982
Wolfe can’t stand waiting at a trial — so he leaves to solve the murder!
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Dixie Settle, Terry Tweed, Michael Christy
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 12 – Death Of A Demon
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: April 3, 1982
A women confesses a would-be murder plot, then finds out her husband — the would-be target is dead!
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Mary Peery, Bud Knapp, Patricia Hamilton, Meana E. Meana, Helen Hughs
Music by: Don Gillis
Episode 13 – Murder is No Joke
Based on a story by Rex Stout; Adapted by Ron Hartman; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 55 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio
Broadcast: April 10, 1982
Wolfe and Archie hear a murder on the phone — but if it’s real, can they solve it?
Stars: Mavor Moore, Don Francks, Cec Linder, Frank Perry, Alfie Scott
Special Guest Stars: Joy Coghill, Vivian Reese, Noni Griffin, Richard Monet, Murry Westgate
Music by: Don Gillis
[with props to the Wikipedia entry]
Posted by Jesse Willis
P.S. There’s another CBC radio drama that’s been languishing unlisted to, but there’s no chance anybody’s going to get to hear it ever as it HAS NEVER BEEN BROADCAST!