A Wrinkle in Time
By Madeleine L'Engle; Read by Madeleine L'Engle
5 CD's - 5 hours, 17 minutes - [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Random House/Listening Library
Published: 2005
ISBN: 0307243230
Themes: / Fantasy / Space travel / Family / YA / Psychic Abilities / Newberry /

The elementary school I attended as a kid had a big poster in the library showing the covers of all the Newberry Medal award winners. I remember A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle jumping off of the poster; the cover featured an almost photo-realistic mother-of-pearl centaur that was pretty damn cool looking to a ten year-old. I checked the book out, read it, and loved it, but my recent listen of the new audio edition of A Wrinkle in Time (Listening Library, 2005) made me wonder how much of the book I really understood as a kid. I’ve often thought that they should just come right out and say that books win the Newberry Medal not because they are outstanding children’s books, but rather outstanding children’s books for adults. A Wrinkle in Time definitely falls within this category. The fast-moving story and sympathetic characters definitely make it appealing to kids, but, like Philip Pullman’s stuff , there are thematic elements that are very mature, and maybe even a little subversive. If the book were any less intelligently or subtly written, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it show up on banned-book lists.

L’Engle reads the book herself, and does a fine job. She obviously has an intimate understanding of the material, and her expressive voice lets her keep the story flowing without having to use different voices to distinguish the characters. L’Engle apparently suffered a cerebral stroke in 2002, the effects of which are obvious in her voice; it’s slurred a lot like Johnny Cash’s on his later albums. The only criticism I have of this production is of the decision to use an echo effect for the dialogue of Ms. Which. In the book all of this character’s dialogue appeared in italics, but the in the audio book, the effect comes off as a little cheap.

The audiobook starts off with an introduction explaining how L’Engle read the story to her children as she was writing it. Those were some lucky kids. Hop in bed with A Wrinkle in Time, some cocoa and some good headphones and you’ll probably come pretty close to recreating that experience.

posted by Cory 10:17 AM -- (0) comments

 


A few readers have emailed asking where I got the cool 2-CD set of John Boonstra interviewing Philip K. Dick. You know the one I reviewed last fall? I got it from Zack Wood, proprietor of ThePhilDickian.com who also has a few other rare PKD gems for sale on audio as well. Wood actually sells 3 different audio interviews with Philip K. Dick and 2 other related audio Dickiana products:

1. The one I reviewed last fall is called Philip K. Dick Telephone Interviews and was conducted by John Bonnstra. This one was thrilling, like you'd tapped into a conversation between PKD and a big fan. The closest thing to being in the room with the man himself. Definitely a must listen for any fan.





2. Another is entitled Piper In The Woods (taking its name from a PKD story) which was conducted by Gregg Rickman. I haven't heard this one myself but am hoping, maybe someday. Hint hint.








3. The one by Paul Williams of Rolling Stone magazine. This one was used by Williams to do the amazing Rolling Stone article on PKD back in the 1970s. That article was probably the biggest boost to Dick's forunes after his Hugo win for The Man In The High Castle up to that point. This cassette was actually an issue of the Philip K. Dick society fanzine back in the 1980s. Cool huh?



4.Wood also sells the two X-Minus One 1950s radio dramas based on PKD short stories (both of which are now in the public domain) one's called Colony and the other is The Defenders. I beleive the Spaceship Radio podcast has released one of these, and the Sci-Fi Friday podcast has released them both. Definitely worth a listen, nicely adapted though as usual the stories themselves work even better. Neither is available on audio in any other form at this time though.


5. And lastly he's got VALIS: The Opera a 2 CD set created by Tod Machover. This is music inspired by Dick's V.ast A.lien L.iving I.ntelligence S.ystem and the novel of the same name (VALIS). I haven't heard it but somebody out there seems to like it. Anybody heard it?






posted by Jesse
12:36 PM -- (0) comments

 


Hey kids, Dragon Page Cover To Cover, the weekly podcast that talks to Science Fiction and Fantasy authors has an AWESOME guest this week! Hosts Michael and Evo are talking with Grandmaster of Science Fiction Larry Niven who's got a new book out, The Draco Tavern, also up for discussion are Lucifer's Hammer, the Ringworld series and plenty more! Click HERE to download Show #207 directly. Or subscribe to the show's XML feed:

http://www.dragonpage.com/podcastC2C.xml

posted by Jesse
10:31 AM --

 


Octavia Butler 1947-2006

Science fiction has lost one of its most precious voices this weekend. Octavia Butler's body of work is outstanding, and she will be missed.

On audio, Recorded Books has three of her best titles; Kindred, Parable of the Sower, and Parable of the Talents.

An obituary can be found at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. From that obit: "Butler's work wasn't preoccupied with robots and ray guns, Howle said, but used the genre's artistic freedom to explore race, poverty, politics, religion, and human nature."

posted by Scott 6:25 AM -- (1) comments

 


Congrats to Telltale Weekly for 2 excellent years! To celebrate, they are giving away an audio version of "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe for 24 hours only. The offer expires at midnight tonight, so run over there and grab one!

We wish Telltale Weekly many more years of success!

posted by Scott 5:16 AM -- (0) comments

 


Hey, are you're a fan of the Dragon Page Wingin' It's TD-0013? If so be sure to make quick Bantha tracks over to the hard-slogginest audio fan fic site on the net - Star Wars Fanworks. This is probably a site you've never heard of before, and that's understandable, SWF's focus is quite targetted, it exists for one purpose - the promotion and admiration of fan created Star Wars audio.

In many ways StarWarsFanworks.com is to Star Wars what SFFaudio.com is to Science Fiction and Fantasy audio literature in general. Both sites are passionately dedicated to an obscure branch of audio goodness. Our younger brother was created in June of 2003 (SFFaudio was birthed in March of 2003) since then they've been gathering together every fan created Star Wars dramatization the net's got. It is clearly a labour only achievable by mastery of The Force - by clicking on over you'll find links to fan created audio of nearly every kind - there are parodies, straight audio dramas, and non-fiction Star Wars audio too - heck they even have terrific details on the officially licenced Star Wars audio dramas. Check them out!

posted by Jesse
7:42 PM -- (0) comments

 


Hey cool! Yog Radio has posted a 7 Minute blooper reel for the upcoming podcast recording of the H.P. Lovecraft short story The Music Of Erich Zann you can dowload it directly HERE.






posted by Jesse
5:08 PM -- (0) comments

 


Our friends at AssistiveMedia.org have been offering online audio to persons with disabilties since 1998, unforutnately the website doesn't currently offer easy access to their terrific resources (regretably the promised podcast feed dedicated to Science Fiction hasn't materialized yet either). In an effort to make the unnavigable navigable we are compiling a collection of the best SF&F related links for you to enjoy:


Science:
The Quantum Physics Of Time Travel
By David Deutsch and Michael Lockwood; Read by Chris Purchis
38 Minutes | RealAudio |
Copyright © Scientific American 1994
"Common sense may rule out such excursions--but the laws of physics do not."

Artificial Intelligence And Human Nature
By Charles T. Rubin; Read by Vi Benner
40 minutes | MP3 | RealAudio | [UNABRIDGED]
Copyright © 2003, The New Atlantis

Essay:
The Fisherwoman's Daughter
By Ursula K. LeGuin; Read by Melissa Stewart
63 minutes | RealAudio | [UNABRIDGED]
copyright © 1990, The New York Times Book Review

Science Fiction:
Nemesis
By Arthur C. Clarke; Read by Ken Phifer
37 Minutes | MP3 | RealAudio | [UNABRIDGED]

Technical Error
By Arthur C. Clarke; Read by David Zinn
37 Minutes | RealAudio | [UNABRIDGED]

Travel By Wire
By Arthur C. Clarke; Read by David Zinn
11 minutes | RealAudio | [UNABRIDGED]

Enjoy!

posted by Jesse
3:03 PM -- (0) comments

 


SFFaudio's got another big scoop for you. There's a new podcast novel that's just launched and it taps into a multiplicity of great SF ideas - politics, technology, bio-ethics, cloning and memory replication. Intrigued? Check it out...

7th Son, Book One: Descent
By J.C. Hutchins; Read by J. C. Hutchins
24 MP3 Files - [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Podiobooks.com / JCHutchins.net
Published: Commenced February 2006

7th Son, Book One: Descent is the story of seven men, all strangers, who've been gathered together following the assassination of the president of the United States. Though they've never met before they seem to have something very important in common, namely identical childhood memories! It seems they were the progeny of a covert human cloning experiment - now, brought together for the first time since their creation, all seven of these "John Michael Smiths" are tasked with tracking down the assassin who murdered the president. Something they are uniquely equiped to do because their target is the man they were cloned from; the original John Michael Smith, code-named John Alpha.

I got a sneak pre-hear of the first five chapters and I can attest this is no pale replication of any SF thriler you've heard before. Hutchins' prose is lucent, his ideas original 7th Son, Book One: Descent blends the verve of Philip K. Dick with the slick modern storytelling techniques of Lincoln Child.

You can subscirbe to the podcast directly using this XML feed:

http://www.jchutchins.net/7thSonPodcast.xml

Or you can subscribe through the terrific Podiobooks.com service for a more customizable delivery schedule.

posted by Jesse
1:20 PM -- (0) comments

 


Fast Forward: Contemporary Science Fiction is now available as a podcast! FFCSF has long offered MP3 audio files and quicktime videos of their show by direct download from the website but now you caninstantly be updated with the latests interviews with the top Science Fiction and Fantasy authors of our time.

You can search iTunes or subscribe by pasting the XML feed into your podcatcher:

http://www.fast-forward.tv/rssfeed/fastforwardpod.xml

posted by Jesse
11:38 AM -- (0) comments

 


Altered Carbon
By Richard K. Morgan; Read by Todd McLaren
14 CDs or 2 MP3-CDs - 14 Hours 54 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Tantor Media
Published: 2005
ISBN: 1400101379 (Retail CDs), 1400131375 (Library CDs), 1400151376 MP3-CDs
Themes: / Science Fiction / Mystery / Cyberpunk / Immortality / Artificial Intelligence / Galactic Civilization / Conciousness Uploading / Hardboiled Fiction / Noir Fiction /

"Fuelled by every crime noir novel I'd ever read, plus swabs of French and Japanese cinema, the work of William Gibson and M. John Harrison, early Poul Anderson and Bob Shaw, and last but not least the colossal impact of Bladerunner, this was my take on future noir. Fast forward to middle of the new millenium, and down where it counts, nothing has changed, because neither have we. Enter Takeshi Kovacs."
--Richard K. Morgan

Altered Carbon is a stunning debut novel. A near classic, it boils over with solid SF ideas all encased in violent and vivid prose as told in a hardboiled first person narration. Set a few hundred years in the future, humanity has started colonizing the galaxy under the supervision of the United Nations. From one such world comes Takeshi Kovacs, an ex-U.N. Envoy (interplanetary special forces) who's been brought to Earth in order to work as a private detective for a murdered "Meth". Meths are the ultra rich, able to afford new cloned bodies so that they can live forever. This is achieved by means of the "cortical stack" technology, a backup harddrive for one's mind, implanted in the skull shortly after birth. Most people can't afford to be "re-sleeved" after they die, and so languish in storage for centuries. Convicted criminals have their bodies sold out from under them.

Interplanetary travel is done by way of "needlecast", a form of faster than light transmission of data. No bodies are transported - visitors from distant planets are re-sleeved in a local body. With these technologies many of society's values have changed. "Real death" is rare, "organic damage" is far more common. And even real death, the destruction of a cortical stack, isn't necessarily the end since the ultra rich keep backups. Needlecast transmission of stack's data on a regular basis makes one virtually immortal. Like working with any fallible system though you just have to remember to backup, and frequently.

Laurens Bancroft, a centuries old tycoon brought Kovacs to Earth in order to investigate his apparent suicide, something the Meth thinks was really a murder - though he can't say for sure as he was backed up 48 hours before his death. The investigation leads Kovacs into a tangled web of politics, prostitution and power games with stakes as high as an immortal lifespan can offer. Thrown into the mix is a dirty cop, his driven parter, an artifically intelligent hotel, and a whole lot of bloodshed.

Though at first blush this appears to be a straight out neo-cyberpunk novel, it has more depth. The mystery and hardboiled elements are a direct homage to Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep with Kovacs in the Philip Marlowe role. Like The Big Sleep, Altered Carbon is complicated and hard to follow, with many characters double and triple-crossing each other. SF elements, like the conciousness uploading, are not particularily new, but Morgan's take is, and it is well integrated into the plot. One scene which has Kovacs "cross-sleeved" into a female body for investigative purposes illustrates just how wild the concept of this kind of mind swapping can be.

There are several lengthy sex scenes and even more combat scenes. I liked the way they were handled (some of the descriptions were positively Gibsonian) but I grew fatigued at their numerousness and frequency. Another problem was the over-use of "neuro chem" as a cure all for crisis situations. UN Envoy training allows envoys to battle harder and smarter than anyone without such training, so whenever things get rough for Takeshi, and they get rough frequently, he falls back on his "neuro chem." The problem there is it ends up working like an inexaustible turbo boost - he's too powerful, too skilled for sustained anxiety on the part of the reader. Like Neo in the second and third Matrix movies, we stop caring. On the other hand, the plot twists delightfully defy expectation and are cleverly rendered. The way the story is told is reminiscent of the best kinds of noir fiction. It is as solid a modern science fiction novel that reads better than any first novel has any right to be.

Tantor sent us the Library bound CD edition, which came in a clamshell stlye plastic case. Durable and easily accessed. Sound quality is near flawless with high recording levels. Narrator Todd McLaren is Takeshi Kovacs, and his reading is cool and smooth like the confident interstellar hard-case he's portraying. There are at least a half dozen female roles he's equally adroit with, some of which required breathy libidinousness, some irate rage. I look forward to an encore performances in the sequel, Broken Angels.

Incidentally, Tantor Media snapped up all four of the Richard K. Morgan novels released so far, you can check them out HERE along with more than a dozen other Science Fiction and Fantasy titles available so far. Tantor is becoming a solid source for SF&F audio goodness.

posted by Jesse
4:27 PM -- (0) comments

 


SF has an influence in the real world. Need proof? Big Brother isn't just an idea in an George Orwell novel. Political Science Ficion is good stuff and finally there's someone out there proving it...

Good old Doc Brown (Professor Courtney Brown Ph.D) of Emory University in Georgia (USA) is offering a Political Science course entitled Science Fiction and Politics (Political Science 190) and he's making the lectures available as a podcast. The spring 2006 semester has already started, but don't worry there's no cost to audit. SFFaudio gives it an A+!

Lectures already available include:

Class #01: Introduction and Overview |MP3|
Class #02: Foundation by Isaac Asimov (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #03: Foundation by Isaac Asimov (2 of 2) |MP3|
Class #04: Foundation And Empire by Isaac Asimov |MP3|
Class #05: Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov |MP3|
Class #06: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #07: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (2 of 2) |MP3|
Class #08: The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #09: The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (2 of 2) |MP3|
Class #10: The Uplift War by David Brin (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #11: The Uplift War by David Brin (2 of 2) |MP3|
Class #12: Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #13: Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear (2 of 2) |MP3|
Class #14: How to write your essays |MP3|
Class #15: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #16: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #17: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (1 of ?)|MP3|
Class #18: ??? |Forthcoming|
Class #19: ??? |Forthcoming|
Class #20: ??? |Forthcoming|
Class #21: ??? |Forthcoming|

Forthcoming lectures will cover Neuromancer, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.

Were I attending the classes in person I'd have banged my shoe on the desk and insist we talk about a Mack Reynolds novel. Maybe later in the course?

posted by Jesse
9:11 PM -- (0) comments

 


Way back in 2004 we brought you the news that J. Michael Straczynski had sold a series to CBC Radio. We've been patiently waiting two years and nothing has come of it... until today!

Last weekend, JMS was seen in the CBC Toronto studios with his Jeremiah cohort Sara (Samm) Barnes, producing the first batch of twenty 5 minute episodes of his new radio drama The Adventures of Apocalypse Al. The lead role is being voiced by Canadian TV star Cynthia Dale. We've been informed that further details will likely show up in recorded TV interview set to air on Space: The Imagination Station (Canada's version of The SciFi Channel) during the Hypaspace program tommorow afternoon (Sunday February 19th).

In the meantime check out this 50 second preview video by clicking HERE ( Windows Media Player format).

UPDATE: Joe Mahoney, CBC Radio producer and friend to SF&F audio fans worldwide, points out that his blog AssortedNonsense.com has pictures of the recording session! Check them out THERE, along with his posts or peek at his Flickr account directly.

posted by Jesse
3:33 PM -- (2) comments

 


Hurry quick! Head on over to the premiere resource for Science Fiction and Fantasy OTR - The OTR Plot Spot and check out this week's LISTENING BOOTH. There you'll find all the three parts of The Word for World is Forest by Urusla K. LeGuin in two mp3 files. This version is terrific, it was originally produced by CBC Radio for the long running Science Fiction series Vanishing Point.

The Word for World is Forest
By Ursula K. LeGuin; Dramatized by Alberto Manguel
2 MP3 Files - Approx 90 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio / Vanishing Point
Broadcast: March 1989

"The seemingly simple natives of a world blanketed in forest resent the arrogance of human interlopers, and the contempt they show for the local ecology. All the natives need is a leader strong enough and clever enough to match wits with their human exploiters.... Based on a novel by Ursula K. le Guin."

WARNING: Easily embarrassed? Take heed, there's a stunning difference between this series and the OTR of the 1950s. First there's the spotlight on the evils of manifest destiny, social Darwinism, ecological strip mining, genocide, rape and miscegenation. Second, there is a complete absence of censorship, The Word for World is Forest contains sounds (urination), concepts ("hygenic homsexuality") and more even unthinkable - language straight from the book!

posted by Jesse
5:53 PM -- (0) comments

 


Saturday 18th of February 2006 sees the BBC Radio 7 doing a special broadcast in honour of Richard Matheson's upcoming 80th birthday. Along with a specially recorded interview with the man himself is a bonus unabridged reading of Duel, his short story classic inspired by a real-life experience.



Duel
By Richard Matheson; Read by Nathan Osgood
Approx 20 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Broadcaster: BBC 7 / 7th Dimension
Broadcast: February 18th 2006, repeated February 19th 2006

"A huge truck plays deadly games with an innocent motorist. "


NOTE: Those outside the UK can use the BBC7 Listen Again service to catch it for 6 days following the broadcast.

posted by Jesse 1:01 PM -- (0) comments

 



Mech Muse's March/April 2006 Double Issue (Issue 1) is now available! This brand new science fiction and fantasy audio download magazine contains 13 hours of content. Tracks are encoded at a high quality 160 kbps. Though we originally reported it as costing $5.00 USD per issue the price is actually $7.00 USD or $35.00 for a six issue subscription.

Stories included in the first issue are:

After A Lean Winter by David Farland
On My Way To Paradise (Part I of a serialized novel) by David Farland
The Second Rat by David Barr Kirtley
Veil Of Ignorance by David Barr Kirtley
Primary Colors by Richard Raleigh
The River Is Forever by Edmund R. Schubert
Expensive Gifts by Miles Romney
The Elf Trap by Francis Stephens

There are also a column on film and other non-fiction audio features still forthcoming.

Mech Muse guarantees access to a purchased issue for a minimum of 60 days after purchase, and a possibility after that. Also of note are the abilities to download either in a ZIP file or by RSS! Another bonus is what appears to be full downloadable cover art for each individual tale.

The Mech Muse website looks really terrific check it out HERE.

posted by Jesse
12:41 PM -- (0) comments

 


Brad Lansky and the Alien Engineer, a Protophonic audio adventure, Audio Drama
Visit Protophonic.net for audio samples of this retro SF audio drama.

How to Survive a Robot Uprising by Daniel H. Wilson, read by Stefan Rudnicki, Blackstone Audio, Unabridged
This one looks like a lot of fun...

Mystic Quest by Tracy and Laura Hickman, read by Lloyd James, Blackstone Audio, Unabridged
The second book in the Hickmans' Bronze Canticle epic fantasy trilogy.

Star Wars: Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn, read by Jonathan Davis, Random House, Abridged
Another Star Wars title from the guy who started it all back in the early 1990's with Heir to the Empire.

Titan by Ben Bova, read by various, Audio Renaissance, Unabridged
A novel from Bova's Hard SF Grand Tour is always welcome!

posted by Scott 8:17 AM -- (0) comments

 


Slice Of Sci-Fi has just interviewed Chris Mack, author of a new audio drama series entitled Children of the Gods. Nope, its not a sequel to the Erik Von Daniken book Chariots Of The Gods? Instead it's a new audio drama series podcast that reminds listeners of Battlestar Galactica. Here's the teaser:

Our home is in ruins.
Our future is in doubt.
Humanity fights for its very survival against an enemy
it cannot defeat. We are all children of creation, but
which of us are the Children of the Gods?

You can check out the podcast HERE.

posted by Jesse 10:15 AM -- (0) comments

 


Battlestar Galactica
By Jeffrey A. Carver, based on the teleplay written by Ronald D. Moore and Christopher Eric James, based on a teleplay by Glen A. Larson
Read by Jonathan Davis
4 CD's - 4 hours [ABRIDGED]
Publisher: Audio Renaissance
Published: 2005
Themes: / Science Fiction / War / Robots / Military / Government / Space Travel / Mythology / Religion /

Has anyone else noticed how good television has become during the past ten years? Well, 13 years. In 1993 Babylon 5 first aired, ushering in a new wave of science fiction and fantasy television that is both smart and damned entertaining. Following B5 was Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. Many would put Farscape and Stargate in the same category. I haven't seen enough of either to make that judgment. We could quibble about the list of this new wave all we want, but currently at the crest of that wave is the Sci-Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica, which is, without doubt, the best science fiction show currently in production.

This audiobook is an abridgement of the novelization of the first Battlestar Galactica show, which was a 4-hour mini-series that originally ran in 2002. I admit that even typing that makes me wince. An abridgement of the novelization of a television show. How much farther from Shakespeare can a person get? Not exactly high falutin culture here.

But this story is edgy, tense, and complex. It opens with a complacent human race that has gotten used to life without their enemy, the Cylons. The Cylons were human-built machines that rebelled, then accepted an armistice agreement around 40 years before the beginning of this audiobook, which is primarily about the sudden unexpected attack on humanity by the Cylons. The attack leaves the Battlestar Galactica as one of the very few ships that survives, and the immediate aftermath sets up several storylines that are followed in the television series.

Jonathan Davis, who keeps pretty busy with the many Star Wars audio titles, narrates, and does his typical and excellent job with it.

I'm a fan of this series, and was happy to receive this audiobook. Though the audio offers nothing new over the miniseries itself, it was an enjoyable way to experience the story while driving. I'm not sure if Audio Renaissance plans to continue releasing Battlestar Galactica titles, but because of the nature of the series, they would have to release every episode since each one is dependant on what takes place before.

posted by Scott 6:04 AM -- (0) comments

 


This past season we've had about a dozen inquiries about Johnny Chase, Secret Agent of Space the late 1970s early 1980s CBC Radio Drama series. We suspect this is mostly due to it airing on the XM Radio's Sonic Theater channel 163 recently - which is sadly only available in the USA. More unfortuantely the series is no longer available to Sonic Theater, at least in the forseeable future, and no CD or cassette editions of the 79 episode series have been known to have been manufactured. Unlike many USA Science Fiction OTR series like X-Minus One, Johnny Chase is not in the public domain in either Canada or the USA. So what is a Johnny Chase fan to do? Well, we've got some contacts at CBC and we'd be happy to pass along any petition to make the show available on CD. If you're interested in spearheading this petition, or just want to be informed when we get more info you can reply to this post with your contact details and we'll keep you apprised of the Johnny Chase situation.

FYI: You can make your email relatively safe from spammers by turning your @ symbol into something else. For instance my email address is: jessewillis@yahoo.com. But if I want to avoid becoming inundated with spam I can post it like this: jessewillis*yahoo.com.

posted by Jesse 9:44 AM -- (1) comments

 


Click here for a complete list of Audie Award finalists. The awards will be presented on May 19 in Washington, DC at the National Press Club.



In the Science Fiction category, here are the finalists:

Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey, Brilliance Audio

Market Forces by Richard K. Morgan, Tantor Media, Inc., SFFaudio Review forthcoming

Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card, Audio Renaissance, SFFaudio Review

The Rolling Stones by Robert A. Heinlein, Full Cast Audio, SFFaudio Review

The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold, Blackstone Audiobooks, SFFaudio Review

In other categories, Campbell Scott received a nomination for his narration of The Shining by Stephen King. A marvelous audiobook, that is - click here for the review. And I was pleased to see Blackstone's The Sherlock Holmes Theater get a nomination in the Audio Drama category.

Good luck to all the nominees!

On a side note, I was very pleased to serve as one of the judges for this year's awards, though I was not given the Science Fiction category.

posted by Scott 9:11 AM -- (0) comments

 


The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz
By L. Frank Baum; Read by James Spencer
MP3, OGG or AAC files download - 3 hours, 36 minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: TelltaleWeekly.org
Published: 2005
Themes: / Fantasy / Young Adult / Adventure / Magic /

Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident. Having this thought in mind, the story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.

And that, taken from the introduction, is exactly what author L. Frank Baum and narrator James Spenser deliver. The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz is a delightful and thoroughly wholesome romp through a safe fantasy landscape who's denizens are, with the exception of the title character, all exactly what they appear to be. A refreshing and satisfying listen, it is sure to please children of a certain age and the adults who listen along with them. I especially liked the repetitive ritualistic scenes that happened about once a chapter. Dorothy, the Tin Woodsman, Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion each and always decry their bad luck whenever an obstacle blocks their journey along the yellow brick road or proclaim with delight their renewed hope at acheiving their respective goals. One curious point, the Tin Woodsman, who is very prone to tears, keeps rusting up when he cries. In point of fact tin does not rust when exposed to salt water.

Narrator James Spencer brings this classic to life, making about a dozen distinct voices for the many characters. His Scarecrow is thoughtful, his Cowardly Lion loveably fierce, his Tin Woodsman empathetic, his Dorothy girlish, and his Oz is truly a humbug! Sound quality is superb and there was no compression degredation in the MP3 edition I listened to. Priced at $6.00, you are looking less than $0.03 per minute. This is the best audio edition of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz in existence.

posted by Jesse 6:27 AM -- (0) comments

 


While you're at it, check out HistoryPodcast #31 H.P. Lovecraft. It was released way back in November 2005 but it is still available for download. The sound quality isn't the best and the pronunciation is really atrocious, but it is worth the listen.





HistoryPodcast #31 - H.P. Lovecraft
Read by Jason Watts
1 MP3 (12.9 MB) - 13 Minutes 56 Seconds [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: HistoryPodcast
Podcast: Nov 9th 2005

You can directly download the MP3 file HERE.




posted by Jesse 6:02 PM -- (0) comments

 


We've been talking a lot about somebody named H.P. Lovecraft lately but if you're still scratching your noggin and wondering who the heck he is be sure to check out the latest Yog Radio Podcast! They've recorded to MP3 the entire H.P. Lovecraft entry on Wikipedia. Cool biographical details abound; for instance, I didn't know old Howard Philips may have been asexual. Did you?



Lovecraft: A Wiki Biography
Wikipedia Entry; Read by Paul Maclean
1 MP3 (10.74 MB) - 31 Minutes 11 Seconds [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: Yog Radio
Podcast: Feb 4th 2006

Download it directly HERE.




posted by Jesse 5:31 PM -- (0) comments

 


On February 15th, the Silent Universe -- an edgy SciFi drama with a "choose your own adventure" twist -- will premiere on www.silentuniverse.com and iTunes (promo available here).

In the series of monthly episodes, agents of the secret counter-terrorist organization "SERENDIPITY" will fight to undermine the deadly efforts of dictators, assassins, warlords and political extremists. But what makes this dramatic podcast truly unique is that its audience will be able to guide the storyline by giving ideas and feedback through a dedicated set of internet forums.

With a style of drama that mixes elements of "24" and the new "Battlestar Galactica," each episode of the Silent Universe reveals layers of suspense and intrigue that leaves audiences guessing at what twists its plot will take next. Its motley cast of characters includes weapons specialists, a computer hacker, an ex-mercenary and even a casino tycoon, all forced to go to extreme lengths to prevent tragedy from striking the solar system. In a world where nuclear weapons are common to even the poorest countries and the United Nations is nothing but a quaint historical footnote, even the smallest conflict between powers can threaten to plunge mankind into Armageddon.

Interactivity is the key to Silent Universe's appeal, though. Fans will have the opportunity to participate directly in the story development process, working side-by-side with the production team by offering critiques and suggestions in the online forums (www.silentuniverse.com/forums). This kind of "open" storytelling will encourage listeners of the Silent Universe to get invested in the podcast; upgrading them from a passive audience to active loyal partners in the series--a point that is often lost on large scale entertainment producers today.

Starting on February 15th, and proceeding at an episode-per-month pace, the Silent Universe podcast will paint a world that is futuristic, yet hauntingly reflective of modern themes. The 11 episodes of its first season will draw in audiences with its unapologetic exposé of human interest, while maintaining the thrill of a masterfully written SciFi adventure. With a talented cast of professional voice artists and an edgy concept which takes pride in turning space opera clichés on their ear, the Silent Universe will prove the viability of a new paradigm in podcast production.

Sounds interesting!

posted by Scott 6:49 AM -- (1) comments

 


The Codex Writer's Group has just posted a short story in MP3 by Science Fiction author Nancy Fulda! It was first published in the anthology entitled All The Rage This Year. Here are the details:

The Man Who Murdered Himself
By Nancy Fulda; Read by Nancy Fulda
1 MP3 File - 16 Minutes 44 Seconds [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: CodexWriters.com
Published: February 3rd 2006

You can download the MP3 for free HERE.





posted by Jesse 12:21 PM -- (0) comments

 




While you're here, take a look at our new Online Audio page, which contains link to our favorite sources of science fiction and fantasy related audio on the net.

posted by Scott 10:40 AM -- (0) comments

 


Soldier of the Legion
By Marshall S. Thomas, performed by a full cast
MP3 Download – [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Timberwolf Press
Published: 2002
Themes: / Science fiction / Military / Space opera / Aliens / War

"Dat Spitz fight lak hell," said Perrault…
"An' dat Buck fight lak two hells," was Francois's answer.
-- Jack London’s Call of the Wild

War is hell. Ever since Sherman put it so precisely, the rest of us have been forced to merely tip our hats and let the matter rest. Then along comes Marshall S. Thomas’s Soldier of the Legion which can’t help but pick at this scab. But even if comparing war to hell weren’t a holey sock at the beginning of the book, it would be by the end of it. Every time the slightest skirmish breaks out (which is roughly every other chapter), out trots the tired old dog of hell (Cerberus, a holdover from when the Greeks ran the place) to do his duty.

The opening hellish battle is a perfect encapsulation of the kind of mindless action and equally mindless discussion the rest of the audio play offers, proceeding from lurid descriptions of made-up, inexhaustible weapons to the effects of those weapons on the human bodies of the irredeemably evil bad guys (the Systies). Blood splatters, it sprays, it explodes, it flows, it gushes. Sometimes gore does, too, but mostly it’s blood, blood, blood. Then nearly naked women appear, and the hero tries to contain his drool and his bullets as an embarrassingly unconvincing argument breaks out among the blond-haired, blue-eyed heroes.

The rest of the book is exactly the same, with each breakout of violence a laughable attempt to supersede the hell of the previous engagement. The troops fly to another planet, kill dinosaur-like aliens in a deep cave (double hell), save and kill primitive peoples, return to a settled world to “spy” ineptly and engage in a covert operation that plays out as stealthily as a frontal assault (hell squared), and then return to a primitive planet to battle an even worse enemy than they first thought (hell convolved with hell). But it is all just a repetition of the first chapter. In between battles, there will be awkward, pointless conversations; breasts naked and otherwise that the hero will fall in “love” with; love scenes that consist of people telling each other how much they love each other and will die and/or kill for each other; and sexless sex scenes that dither about without titillation or consummation. All acted with a style reminiscent of that seen in movies where people get paid more for how they look without clothing than for how they emote. It’s uncomfortable enough to make you actually look forward to the empty-headed shooting.

Add to this an unthinking first-person narrator called “Thinker” and the attempted multiple use of the adverb “scarily” without ironic intent, and you have a brackish, gritty brew. The story ends, after its single interesting set-piece, with our heroes literally hanging from a cliff over (you guessed it) hell, but I would rather be tasered than be forced to listen to the sequel. This book is like a live grenade: If it comes at you, get the hell out of the way!

This book is available at Timberwolf Press on Audio CD and MP3-CD, or from Audible.com as a download.

posted by Kurt 6:55 AM -- (1) comments

 




CBC Radio One's Saturday Morning program North by Northwest has finally posted both all four parts of that George R.R. Martin Studio One Book Club interview and discussion started last Saturday. Host Sheryl MacKay and the audience talked to Martin about his latest in the Song Of Ice And Fire series of novels: A Feast For Crows. I found it a very candid and interesting look into the creation of the land of Westeros. You can listen to both parts via RealAudio:

Click HERE to listen to Part One (14 Minutes 31 Seconds)
Click HERE to listen to Part Two (17 Minutes 37 Seconds)
Click HERE to listen to Part Three (12 Minutes 42 Seconds)
Click HERE to listen to Part Four (17 Minutes 31 Seconds)

posted by Jesse 10:26 AM -- (0) comments

 


Click here for an NPR story called Amateur Audio Books Catch Fire on the Web.

Literature fans looking for something beyond Oprah Winfrey's book club are discovering a new kind of club on the Internet -- Web sites that offer audio versions of books, voiced by fans instead of professional voice actors.

posted by Scott 7:15 AM -- (0) comments