LibriVox: Short Science Fiction Collection Vol. 016

SFFaudio Online Audio

LibriVox - Short Science Fiction Collection Vol. 16Short Science Fiction Collection Vol. 016
By various; Read by various
10 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 3 Hours 19 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 2009
Science fiction (abbreviated SF or sci-fi with varying punctuation and case) is a broad genre of fiction that often involves sociological and technical speculations based on current or future science or technology. This is a reader-selected collection of short stories, first published between 1951 and 1962, that entered the US public domain when their copyright was not renewed.

Podcast feed: http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/short-science-fiction-collection-vol-016.xml

iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|

Astounding Science Fiction June 1959All Day September
By Roger Kuykendall; Read by Bellona Times
1 |MP3| – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 19th, 2009
Some men just haven’t got good sense. They just can’t seem to learn the most fundamental things. Like when there’s no use trying—when it’s time to give up because it’s hopeless…
From Astounding Science Fiction June 1959.

Fantastic Universe January 1954Beyond The Door
By Philip K. Dick; Read by Gregg Margarite
1 |MP3| – Approx. 14 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 19th, 2009
Did you ever wonder at the lonely life the bird in a cuckoo clock has to lead—that it might possibly love and hate just as easily as a real animal of flesh and blood? Philip Dick used that idea for this brief fantasy tale. We’re sure that after reading it you’ll give cuckoo clocks more respect. From Fantastic Universe January 1954.

Astounding Science Fiction September 1955Blessed Are the Meek
By G.C. Edmondson; Read by M.White
1 |MP3| – Approx. 11 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 19th, 2009
Every strength is a weakness, and every weakness is a strength. And when the Strong start smashing each other’s strength … the Weak may turn out to be, instead, the Wise. This story was first published in the September 1955 issue of Astounding.

Fantastic Universe May 1954The Calm Man
By Frank Belknap Long; Read by Gregg Margarite
1 |MP3| – Approx. 29 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 19th, 2009
Dip the pen of a Frank Belknap Long into a bottle of ink and the result is always bound to be a scintillating piece of brilliant imaginative science fiction. And he’s done it again in the tortured story of Sally. From Fantastic Universe, May 1954.

Planet Stories January 1954The Crystal Crypt
By Philip K. Dick; Read by Gregg Margarite
1 |MP3| – Approx. 42 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 19th, 2009
Stark terror ruled the Inner-Flight ship on that last Mars-Terra run. For the black-clad Leiters were on the prowl … and the grim red planet was not far behind. First published in the January 1954 issue of Planet Stories.

Amazing Science Fiction Stories September 1958The Gift Bearer
By Charles L. Fontenay; Read by Bellona Times
1 |MP3| – Approx. 13 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 19th, 2009
This could well have been Montcalm’s greatest opportunity; a chance to bring mankind priceless gifts from worlds beyond. But Montcalm was a solid family man—and what about that nude statue in the park? From Amazing Science Fiction Stories’ September 1958 issue.

Fantastic Universe January 1957Out Of This World Convention
An essay by Forrest J. Ackerman; Read by Jozef Nagy
1 |MP3| – Approx. [CONVENTION REPORT]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 19th, 2009
An eye-witness account of the 14th World Science Fiction Convention in session. First published in Fantastic Universe in January 1957.


Astounding Stories November 1932A Scientist Rises
By D.W. Hall; Read by dana-allen
1 |MP3| – Approx. 18 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 19th, 2009
All gazed, transfixed, at the vast form that
towered above them.
From the November 1932 issue of Astounding Stories.

Fantastic Universe January 1954Texas Week
By Albert Hemhuter; Read by Bellona Times
1 |MP3| – Approx. 11 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 19th, 2009
One of the chief purposes of psychiatry is to separate fantasy from reality. It is reasonable to expect that future psychiatrists will know more about this borderline than the most learned doctors of today. Yet now and again even the best of them may encounter situations that defy all logic. From the January 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe.

Fantastic Universe May 1954Year Of The Big Thaw
By Marion Zimmer Bradley; Read by Greg Weeks
1 |MP3| – Approx. 17 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 19th, 2009
“In this warm and fanciful story of a Connecticut farmer, Marion Zimmer Bradley has caught some of the glory that is man’s love for man—no matter who he is nor whence he’s from. By heck, you’ll like little Matt.”
From the May 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe.

Posted by Jesse Willis

The DATAJUNKIE blog delivers Octoberish audio

Online Audio

Datajunkie BlogThe DATAJUNKIE blog is run by interesting fellow named Hyperdave. On a regular basis Hyperdave posts cool covers of retro books, comics and interior Science Fiction magazine art. He also occasionally posts up “Old Time Radio” or vintage LPs in MP3 format that matches the pics! This week Hyperdave has posted a number of terrific items….

First and foremost there is a downloadable compressed folder full of H.P. Lovecraft audio goodness, to get it check out THIS post. Included in it are a number of cool vintage H.P. Lovecraft paperback covers, as well as an awesome street map of Arkham, MA that includes info on the layout of Miskatonic University. I find this very helpful because apparently all of Arkham has been strategically erased on Google Maps!

The audio content consists of the following…

MindwebsBeyond The Well Of Sleep
By H.P. Lovecraft; Read by Michael Hanson (Semi-Dramatized)
1 Mp3 File – 26 Minutes 44 Seconds [UNABRIDGED?]
Broadcaster: WHA Radio (Madison, WI)
Broadcast: 197? or 198? Sept. 3rd 1976
I hadn’t heard of the Mindwebs radio show prior to this posting, but a little research over at the always reliable OTR Plot Spot turned up this description:

“Not really audio drama in the strict sense of the definition, this 1970’s series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin featured weekly readings of science fiction stories by some of the genre’s best writers. Nevertheless, since many of the readings were enhanced by music, periodic sound cues, and the occasional character voice, I consider them ‘semi-dramatized’ [SNIP] Besides, the music was so well written, and the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, so evocative of each story’s mood, that the result was often better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Precise episode totals are unclear, though at least 150 were aired between 1976 and 1984. Readings varied in length, but most were in half hour format.”

Also on tap in the same downloadable folder are: A strangely semi-dramatized (and slightly scratchy) anonymous David McCallum reading of Lovecraft’s The Outsider (20 Minutes 43 Seconds).

Even better there is a very good straight reading of Lovecraft’s The Rats In The Walls in two parts (running just under 1 hour). This version has the period racial slurs intact too.

And POSTED just today…

Famous Monsters SpeakFamous Monsters Speak
Performed by Gabriel Dell
2 Mp3 File (from an original 33 1/3 LP Record) – Approx. 50 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Wonderland / AA Records
Published: 1963
Product #: AR-3

It looks like all voices on this recording are actually just the one guy, Gabriel Dell.

An Evening With Boris Karloff And His FriendsAn Evening With Boris Karloff And His Friends
By Forrest J. Ackerman; Performed by Boris Karloff
1 MP3 File – Approx. 24 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Decca Records
Published: 1967
Product #: DL74833

A collection of synopses for the classic Universal films that stared Boris Karloff mixed with his performance are sound bites and musical cues from the films Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Son of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, and The House of Frankenstein.

*Thanks to Roy for the additional details!

posted by Jesse Willis