Daniel Bostick, producer director and actor at Full Cast Audio tells us...

"The following recordings are coming down the pipline in the next few of months:

THE WILL OF THE EMPRESS by Tamora Pierce (December 2006)
PRINCESS ACADEMY by Shannon Hale (January 2007)
THE STAR BEAST by Robert A. Heinlein (1st quarter 2007)

For trivia fans: Fantasy Author Tamora Pierce and her husband Timothy Liebe will play cameo voice roles in PRINCESS ACADEMY.

Breaking news: We are in the casting stage of SKYBREAKER, Kenneth Oppel's sequel to AIRBORN [SFFaudio Review Forthcoming]. It will record in February 07 for release later in the year.

We're also considering participation in the Robert A. Heinlein Centennial in Kansas City next summer."

Cool stuff.

posted by Jesse Willis 1:57 PM -- (0) comments

 


Japanese fantasist Haruki Murakami won the 2006 World Fantasy Award for his novel, Kafka on the Shore. Listen to a 20-minute podcast about Murakami's works from that link, then follow up with a listen to an AudioFile podcast with Q & A about the audio version of Kafka on the Shore. The first 6 minutes of the 28-minute linked podcast give the publisher's remarks about the audio production of this work, followed by the AudioFile review.

Then subscribe to hear the "Wind Up Bird Podcast" from Naxos audiobooks via this feed:

http://www.naxosaudiobooks.com/rss-xml/naxosaudiobooks.xml

or just download the MP3 directly. NAXOS is starting to sell its audiobooks as direct download mp3 files without DRM, and with accompanying PDF files of the CD inserts. Check out their new Download Shop for a few free examples, and for Murakami's A Wild Sheep Chase. You can also subscribe to get streaming access to their entire spoken word library.

Posted by Moriond 11:30 AM -- (0) comments

 


iAmplify is an odd website that I find a bit obtuse. Maybe it is a cult of some kind? Here's how they describe themselves:

"iAmplify uses short-form audio and video content platform to bring our expert Amplifiers together with the people who want to learn from them. Our amplifiers are people you know you can trust; they're brand personalities who provide us with diverse content about subjects like health, wellness, and education. We're a leading provider of online innovative mobile audio and video programming in industries like fitness and personal growth. Our headquarters, manned by seasoned visionaries in both the technology and lifestyle markets, are located in New York and Los Angeles."

Hardly enlightening. But, even if it is a cult, you may want to join them as they have a couple of FREE podcasts of Neil Gaiman interviews. Click on their FREE DOWNLOADS section and scroll down until you see Gaiman's name. There are two interviews there. The cult part, a sign-up is required but it should be free.

posted by Jesse Willis 1:09 PM -- (0) comments

 


BBC Radio 3 will be featuring a must listen documentary this Sunday in the "Sunday Feature" slot...

Weird Tales - The Strange Life Of H P Lovecraft
Radio Broadcast - Approx. 45 Minutes [DOCUMENTARY]
BROADCASTER: BBC Radio 3
BROADCAST: Sunday December 3rd 2006 @ 21:30 - 22:15 (UK TIME)

"Geoff Ward examines the strange life and terrifying world of the man hailed as America's greatest horror writer since Poe. During his life Lovecraft's work was confined to lurid pulp magazines and he died in penury in 1937. Today, however, his writings are considered modern classics and published in prestigious editions. Among the writers considering his legacy are Neil Gaiman, S.T. Joshi, Kelly Link, Peter Straub and China Mieville."

This should be available via the 'Listen Again' feature for 7 days after the broadcast too. This is exciting isn't it?

Many thanks to Roy, or intrepid UK sleuth, for this exquisite find.

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

 


Slice of SciFi , the most popular of all the Farpoint Media podcasts (it also airs on XM Satellite in the USA) has been chosen as SCI FI Weekly's Site of the Week! Congrats to Michael, Summer, Evo, Joe, Sam and the rest of the Slice crew. It was about time - so say we all.

Personally I'm going to be listening to shows #83 and #84 today, featuring interviews with Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck) from Battlestar Galactica, and FilmFax magazine editor Michael Stein! If you haven't already subscribed, now is the time.

You too can subscribe, via this feed:

http://sliceofscifi.com/podcast.xml

posted by Jesse Willis 12:22 PM -- (0) comments

 


Keeping apprised of what audio exists out there is very difficult. One technique I use is to join Science Fiction and Fantasy email mailing lists. It is very easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of postings but if people are interested there are some workarounds - use digests, RSS feeds or just vist the archives on occasion. Collected below are some electronic mailing lists I've come across...

Yahoo! Groups electronic mailing lists. Group messages can be posted and read by e-mail. Members can choose whether to receive individual e-mails or daily digest e-mails. Some Groups are simply announcement lists, to which only the Group moderators can post, while others are discussion lists. New users are required to register for membership and typically can't join groups without moderator approval. There are thousands and thousands of groups. Perhaps you know of some that we should add to the list below?

OldRadioShowsOnMP3
Members: 3472
Category: Old Time Radio
Founded: 1999

This group talks about OTR (Old Time Radio) and modern radio theater. Their official line is "talk about MP3 players, Podcasts, web sites to download shows and MP3 trading. Old time radio shows, actors, radios and media to store OTR on. Also any newer radio drama is OK too."

Pendant
Members: 255
Category: Old Time Radio
Founded: 2004

Pendant Productions is a fan-based audio group that produces full-cast serial audio dramas. Signing up will keep you up to date with all the productions and it is also useful for people interested in their casting calls too!

ModernAudioDrama
Members: 197
Category: Programs
Founded: 2001

"A discussion of the production of Modern Audio Drama" which while not being exclusively Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror related, tends to have a lot of all three. Many audio drama podcasters use this one.

SciFiRadio
Members: 95
Category: Radio
Founded: 2004

This is a group dedicated to finding, collecting, and enjoying Science Fiction radio shows. Covering OTR and NTR both. Also useful is their extensive files section which includes an up to date website resource.

SFFaudio
Members: 35
Category: Science Fiction and Fantasy
Founded: 2003

Hey that's us! SFFaudio is a group established to discuss Science Fiction and Fantasy on audio. Audiobooks, podcasts, audio drama, radio... anything you listen to that is Speculative Fiction related is fair game. We're fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy who enjoy the audio experience. This group has been pretty quiet, but is happy to accept new members.

Google Groups works very similarly to Yahoo! Groups, but has the nice addition of an RSS feed. Also neat is the ability to access Usenet newsgroups dating back to 1981!

NinaKimberlyTheMerciless
Members: 58
Category: Arts & Entertainment
Created: 2006

Christiana Ellis runs this group, she's the author of the podiobook from which the group take its name. A very nice example of a narrow-focused mailing list and discussion group.

Do you know of some electronic mailing lists that contain significant SFFaudio related postings? If so please let me know!

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

 


You know, when you admit you have an addiction, in a normal universe it means you can start to take the steps to beat it. I’m finding an audio addiction works a little differently in my universe. It all began with a simple blog yammering on about what I love- audio cinema. Now it covers not only audio cinema, but podcasting, as well as audio hardware and software. Before you can say “psy-jack”, I’m contributing to my absolute favorite audio cinema show Sonic Society with a podcast review, writing stories for Podcast Pickle News, and even contributing on SFFaudio now and then with a review. All of this in addition to my very own podcast, Truth Seekers. So when Jesse approached me about becoming a contributing editor, I fell off my chair, half-laughing hysterically, half-crying.
I’m sure you will understand that I read with great glee Rick’s introduction as a contributing editor, thinking to myself, “Ha-ha! He found another sucker! I’m off the hook!”

Then I got the flowers. And the chocolate. And the big-ass star on my door.

In all seriousness, I’m honored and very excited to be a member of such a great team, and a truly outstanding website. I hope that as a fellow contributing editor I continue to do y’all proud! Please feel free to send any science-fiction or fantasy audio and suggestions my way at tsdiva@gmail.com. This is an addiction I'd rather continue to feed than conquer.

Okay, okay… honestly? It only took chocolate. However, that star looks really nice on my door…

posted by Dani Cutler 9:01 AM -- (3) comments

 


Pseudopod has claimed its first name author with the podcast of Kevin J. Anderson's Redmond’s Private Screening. This story was originally published in the April 2001 issue of Realms Of Fantasy. After listening to it, before sleeping last night, it gave me nightmare! Count that as a recommendation.

It's the nickelodeon era of early Hollywood, and amoral creeps like Redmond have already taken over the film business. And then as now, people will do anything to get their face in the movies. Redmond is approached by a Japanese family with a lucrative proposition: the chance to film an actual hara-kiri suicide by samurai sword. The greedy director unwisely ignores the conventional Japanese belief that "anyone who dies violently is certain to haunt those who caused him to suffer." When Redmond screens his snuff film, he and the seedy audience are treated to a bit of bonus footage.

EP074: Redmond’s Private Screening
By Kevin J. Anderson; Read by Scott Sigler
1 MP3 File - [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: Pseudopod
Podcast: November 24th 2006

posted by Jesse Willis 6:33 PM -- (0) comments

 


The prolific Mike Resnick is one of the winningest Science Fiction writers in history. He is also as a long-time participant in Science Fiction fandom. Like many of his peers, in the 1960s and 70s Resnick wrote sleaze sex paperbacks under pseudonyms. His most praised work so far has been his Kirinyaga cycle, which was inspired by his many visits to Africa. His daughter, Laura Resnick, is also an award-winning SF author. Unfortunately for us Mike Resnick still only has has a small percentage of his fiction available on audio. Here's as much as we've been able to find:

Audiobooks:

One Perfect Morning With Jackals & Kirinyaga (Tales of Kirinyaga #1)
By Mike Resnick; Read by Pat Bottino
1 Cassette - 83 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Infinivox
Published: 1997
ISBN: 1884612237
[READ THE SFFaudio REVIEW]



For I Have Touched the Sky (Tales of Kirinyaga #2)
By Mike Resnick ; Read by Pat Bottino
1 cassette - 71 minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Infinivox
Published: 1997
ISBN: 1884612253
Once before, the Kikuyu tried to become something that they were not, and they became not city-dwelling Kikuyu, or bad Kikuyu, but an entirely new tribe called Kenyans. Those who came to Kirinyaga came here to preserve the old ways - and if women start reading, some of them will become discontented, and they will leave, and then one day there will be no more Kikuyu left.

Sci-Fi Audio - The Hugo Nominees 2002
Edited by Jeremy Bloom; Read by Various
2 CDs - [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Frequency Audio Magazine / SciFiAudio.com
Published: 2001
ISBN:
This collection includes Resnick's Old MacDonald Had A Farm and is read by Hour 25 Online host Warren James. The bio-engineered "butterballs" were saving the Earth's impoverished billions from starvation. Even vegetarians couldn't object to that, right? These animals exist only to be eaten... But when a reporter visits the factory farm where the butterballs are grown, he finds that things aren't quite as simple as they seem.


Escape Pod #055 Down Memory Lane
By Mike Resnick; Read by Alex Wilson
1 MP3 File - [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: Escape Pod
Podcast: May 26th 2006
Escape Pod editor Steve Eley picked this story along with 3 other Hugo nominated short stories for podcast in the Spring of 2006. The podcast of this story has lead to a successful movie rights purchase for Resnick.


Escape Pod #073 Barnaby In Exile
By Mike Resnick; Read by Paul Fischer
1 MP3 File - [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: Escape Pod
Podcast: September 28th 2006
Editor Steve Eley picked this melancholic tale for podcast. The story is reminiscent of Pat Murphy's classic Rachel In Love.


Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia
By Mike Resnick; Read by Paul Michael Garcia
8 CDs or 1 MP3 CD - 10 hours - [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2006
ISBN: 9780786167906 (CD), 9780786174218 (MP3-CD)
[SFFaudio REVIEW FORTHCOMING]




Birthright: The Book Of Man
By Mike Resnick; Read by Adams Morgan
11 CDs or 1 MP3 CD - Approx. 13 hours - [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2006
ISBN: 0786192941 (CD), 0786190531 (MP3-CD)
"Birthright: The Book of Man is a brilliant novel of science fiction that carefully constructs a blueprint of mankind's history—social, political, economic, scientific, and religious—for the next 18,000 years."



We Could Do Worse: A Millennial Collection of Alternate Histories
Edited by Martin Greenberg; Read by various narrators
4 Cassettes - 6 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Dove Audio
Published: 1999
ISBN: 0787119024
Includes as story called Over There by Mike Resnick, read by William Windom
[SFFaudio REVIEW FORTHCOMING]


Interviews with Mike Resnick:

Recorded at Chi-Con 2000 |MP3|
Recorded at ConJose 2002 |MP3|
Recorded at WindyCon 2006 |MP3|

posted by Jesse Willis 1:46 PM -- (0) comments

 


Stop the Time Machine! I'm getting off. That could be taken more than one way, but we won't go there (vibrations and all that).

Jesse Willis has asked me to join SFFaudio.com as a contributing editor. Obviously he thinks since I'm a time traveler, I'm a master of time. Also obviously, he's insane. Because after I told him I had a day job, a family with little ones, a podcast TimeTravelerShow.com, a business WonderAudio.com, and already a reviewer for SFFaudio.com, he still wanted me on board. Since time travel obviously addles the mind, I said in my dopiest voice “Okay!” Jesse suggested to try it on a trial basis to the first of the year. But unless the time patrol catches up to me, I'll be around for a lot longer. Since Scott Danielson, co-creator of SFFaudio decided to depart this site, and Jesse hasn't learned how to clone himself, yet; I'm here to step up and lend a hand.

Actually, I'm thrilled! This has been my home on the net for awhile now, and it just gets better and better, don't you think? My first task as an editor is the receiver of review materials. Yes, I get to get the audiobooks to distribute to our legion of reviewers (well several anyways). If you have materials to be reviewed please contact me at time@timetravelershow.com. Jesse and I are discussing some really exciting future content for this site. We hope you check back often, encourage you to use the RSS news feed, and find the best listens in Science Fiction and Fantasy audio.

Oh yeah! Since the time patrol is breathing down my back, I've created a shtick that I'm just as chronologically challenged as the rest of you. Some of you might think this as a shtick within a shtick, which is like a time paradox wrapped in an enigma. Anyways, under this new alias, you can call me Rick.

8:04 PM -- (1) comments

 


The Starship Sofa podcast, the UK's answer to The Kick Ass Mystic Ninjas, and hosts, Tony and Ciaran, have nearly caught up to the Ninjas in terms of show output. Starship Sofa just posted their 18th show, and the Ninjas are at show #21. In terms of awesomeness, they are neck and neck. Check out this list of shows!



Shows so far:

Show # 1: Classic Author: Alfred Bester |MP3|
Show # 2: Classic Author: John Brunner |MP3|
Show # 3: Classic Author: Algis Budrys |MP3|
Show # 4: Classic Author: Cordwainer Smith |MP3|
Show # 5: Classic Author: Stanislaw Lem |MP3|
Show # 6: Classic Film: Dark Star |MP3|
Show # 7: Classic Author: Philip K. Dick (Part 1) |MP3|
Show # 8: Classic Author: Philip K. Dick (Part 2) |MP3|
Show # 9: Classic Author: Philip K. Dick (Part 3) |MP3|
Show # 10: Classic Film: Capricorn One |MP3|
Show # 11: Classic Author: Henry Kuttner |MP3|
Show # 12: Classic Author: Robert Silverberg |MP3|
Show # 13: Classic Author: Joe Haldeman |MP3|
Show # 14: Classic Author: L. Ron Hubbard |MP3|
Show # 15: Classic Author: Harlan Ellison |MP3|
Show # 16: Classic Author: Douglas Adams (Part 1) |MP3|
Show # 17: Classic Author: Douglas Adams (Part 2) |MP3|
Show # 18: Classic Author: Robert Sheckley |MP3|

To subscribe to the podcast plug this feed into your podcatcher:

http://starshipsofa.libsyn.com/rss

12:08 PM -- (0) comments

 


There is a fascinating interview with J.G. Ballard available from The South Bank Show. This is a show produced by ITV, the U.K.'s Independent Television Network. The programme is hosted by the always erudite Melvyn Bragg whom you may already know from his other podcast BBC Radio 4's In Our Time.

Together, Bragg and Ballard's discuss the creation of fiction, Ballards experiences as a medical student, his childhood growing up in a Japanese concetration camp and the particular importance of Science Fiction.

Ballard also talks about the influence of surrealism in his early novels, which all deal with natural catastrophes: The Drowned World, The Crystal World, The Drought.

Subscribe to the show via this feed:

http://download.itv.com/southbankshow/podcast.xml

posted by Jesse Willis 12:42 PM -- (0) comments

 


Dateline Jasoom, a podcast about the imaginative works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, has an interview with legendary SF author Mike Resnick. Mr. Resnick has written over 50 novels, numerous short stories, has edited 45 anthologies, and won 5 Hugos as well as a Nebula award. Mike was an assistant editor in his younger days for the Hugo award-winning fanzine ERB-dom. He talks about that as well as his early novels that were a pastiche of Burroughs that he is now very discomforted about.

Download the show direct |MP3|, or insert this feed into your podcatcher to subscribe:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/DatelineJasoom

1:12 PM -- (1) comments

 


The Algebraist
By Iain M. Banks; Read by Geoffrey Amis
21 CDs - Approx. 24.25 hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Clipper Audio
Published: 2005
ISBN: 9781419353772
Themes: / Science Fiction / Space Epic / Galactic Empires / Aliens / Worm Holes /

This is a space opera on the epic scale. Fassin Taak is a Slow Seer at the Court of the Nasqueron Dwellers. The Nasqueron Dwellers are a very old race, almost as old as the universe itself. They are inhabitants of gas giants all across the universe. Intra-galactic traveling is done by way of wormholes. The Outsiders from beyond the galaxy are sending in military forces and destroying wormholes. The leader of the Mercatoria, the reigning galactic empire, sends Fassin on a quest to find a fabled book. The book is called The Algebraist. As legends have it, it's a book written by the Dwellers and in it is contained information of a hidden network of wormholes that is held in secret.

The Mercatoria is a corrupt empire headed by the Archimandrite Luseferous. Luseferous is the most evil villain to ever inhabit a galactic empire. Darth Vader couldn't pack this guy's lunch. He creates living punching bags out of the heads of his attempted assassins. He can modify the chemical effects of his semen to make courtesans love him or die for him. He's a false advocate for the official galactic religion. We learn through the course of the book his internalized philosophy that makes his atrocities believable.

This is a long audiobook but it sustains one's interest through its entirety. The narrator is Geoffrey Amis. Mr. Amis has a fine narrative voice but it doesn't express a lot of range to differentiate the individual characters. This is a vast canvas with a large cast of characters and this lack of range makes the individual characters harder to remember.

My American bias surfaced into a silly thought. I was thinking how strange it was that the narrator portrays every character in the book with an English accent. Well, the characters aren't really speaking English in the book but some sort of galactic standard. The author just conveys the dialogue as English as a logical convention. It occurred to me that the many aliens and cultures would have varying accents (as well as languages). I believe it would be impossible to convey alien accents without reference to our own human accents. This would create some rather silly aliens that might be useful in a humorous story, but would undermine a serious work. So the narrator did right to stick to his native accent. I mention my American bias, because if this were read with an American accent it would never have stricken me as strange that all the characters speak with the same accent.

Overall this space opera is a many-layered fugue and Iain Banks pulls out all the stops.

2:45 PM -- (2) comments

 


Alexander Wilson's podcast, The Spoken Alexandria Project, as well as his Tell Tale Weekly webstore, that helps fund it, both have a free unabridged reading of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis!

Grab the three MP3 files |Part 1|Part 2|Part 3| or subscribe to the podcast via this feed and get the entire novella in one MP3 file:

http://www.spokenalex.org/index.xml

The Metamorphosis
By Franz Kafka; Translation by David Wyllie; Read by Alex Wilson
3 MP3 Files - Approx. 2 hours 15 minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: The Spoken Alexandria Project
Podcast: November 16, 2006
From 1915! This is one of the most famous novellas ever written. From 1915!

"One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin." So begins the classic existential tale about the traveling salesman who too late realizes what he's become.

posted by Jesse Willis 11:35 AM -- (0) comments

 


Doctor Who fans take note! A concert of Murray Gold's Dr Who Music (BBC National Orchestra), hosted by the present incumbent David Tennant, has just broadcast from the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff. It appears to feature a number of interviews and Q&A sessions with David Tennant and Russell T. Davies plus a number of other related audio items. The concert runs about 2.5 hours and is available on BBC Radio Wales 'listen again' service.

Thanks Roy!

posted by Jesse Willis 1:55 PM -- (0) comments

 


Singularity
By Bill DeSmedt; Read by Bill DeSmedt
47 MP3 Files - 20 Hours 24 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Podiobooks.com
Published: 2006
Themes: / Science Fiction / Hard SF / Tunguska Event / Black Holes / Time Travel / Near Future/ Cloak & Dagger / Quantum Physics / Soviet Union /

June 30th, 1908 - In the remote Tunguska region of Siberia, the most violent cosmic collision in recorded history flattened ancient forests over an area half the size of Rhode Island. Yet after a hundred years of international scientific research the cause of this impact remains a mystery.

Several people told me Singularity was worth listening to. But of course I figured they we're probably wrong, I'm not easy to please. But because it was FREE I told myself to give it a chance. I have to say I was astounded! After a longish introduction, more of a history lesson, the real story takes off. And boy, does it! Like a Nelson DeMille novel with Saturn V booster strapped to it! This is incisive Hard SF set in a near future with plenty of action, some very cool ideas and even a bit of romance. The plot orbits around the mystery of the 1908 Tunguska Event. The action intertwines cloak and dagger with quantum physics in a tidal dance. I'm no physics major, but the scientific explanations were clear and compelling. You know a story's good when you end up looking up some of the ideas. The tale is fleshed out through a large cast of central characters: Jonathan Knox, a consultant to elite government agencies, is the engaging lead protagonist. Knox has a knack with finding patterns in giant fields of data - a trait attributable to a voyage his mind went on once. Marianna Bonaventure, his soon to be lover, is a federal government agent on the trail of a missing materials scientist. Physicist Jack Adler is on the same trail as Knox and Marianna, but he doesn't know it yet. Together, and apart they are in a race that may have been predetermined as unwinnable before it started, only the laws of causality know. Opposing them is a set of rationally motivated villains - with the weight of an multi-billion dollar corporate empire behind them. Leading them is, Arkady Grigoriyevich, who spends most of his time aboard a converted mega-yacht, that is now a floating laboratory. DeSmedt packs about a dozen terrific SF ideas into his tale. Also included in the podcast feed is an informative question and answer bonus MP3 file with the author himself. I am eagerly awaiting the follow-up novel, cleverly titled, Duality.

I tend to enjoy audiobooks narrated by authors, as they know exactly when and where to pause, what words to accentuate and how to pronounce the character names. But DeSmedt was not a perfect narrator, in fact at the start he sounded nervous. I was worried, but gradually as the chapters flowed the anxiety faded, and by the end I he was reading like a professional. Maybe his female voices need a bit more practice, but I swear, all those Russian accents were perfect.

I downloaded Singularity from Podiobooks.com for free, but when I did I could only get the first half of the novel. It was being released piecemeal, chapter by chapter, as podcasts. I have heard many people enjoy this delivery style; and it probably works for serial adventures or short story collections but I don’t like it for novels. I quickly listened to the first 20 chapters of the book in quick succession only to then have to wait for a whole month to finish it. Next time I visit podiobooks.com I'll be making sure the serialization is completed before starting another novel. Another issue, selecting the next podcast once a chapter was finished was a real bitch. I drive a standard transmission automobile and my iPod is stuck into a faraway cigarette lighter. Every time a chapter of Singularity ended I would be made to reach over to rip my iPod out of the transmitter/charger and then hold on to it and the steering wheel while trying to navigate the menu to figure out which chapter was next. The podcasts delivery system would have been far better if I could have started and the ended the story in the same file, in other words what I needed was one big podcast, the novel in one file.

posted by Steen Hansen 11:18 PM -- (10) comments

 


WOW! I've got to get my hands on these...



Starting at: $25.00
ESCAPE POD: Collections 1 to 3
May 12, 2005 to November 8, 2006

Escape Pod is the world's first audio science fiction magazine. Hosted by Stephen Eley, each week Escape Pod delivers science fiction and fantasy short stories from today's best authors, read by a team of talented narrators.

Now, for a special price, you can own the entire history of Escape Pod! This three-CD set collects the first eighteen months of Escape Pod -- over forty-five hours of science fiction and fantasy short stories, flash fiction, reviews, and bonuses in high-quality MP3 format.
For a complete listing of stories, please see the separate product descriptions:

* Escape Pod Collection 1
* Escape Pod Collection 2
* Escape Pod Collection 3

Custom Message: Make it personal! For another couple of dollars, you can add your own message of up to 60 characters to the bottom of the CD. It's a great way to let a gift recipient know that you're thinking of them. (Your message will be printed to all three CDs.)

To get yourself some click on over to the brand new webstore PodDisc.com!

posted by Jesse Willis 10:40 AM -- (0) comments

 


Hello, all! Scott here.

I'm posting to let all who care know that I am stepping down as co-editor of SFFaudio. I trust that Jesse Willis and crew will keep everyone informed of what's happening in the world of science fiction and fantasy audio. I wish them the very best - the creation of and writing for SFFaudio has been wonderful. Thanks to everyone who makes the audio, from the publishers to the narrators to the podcasters. I have met an unbelievable number of excellent folks here.

For me, it's time to move on. I've been covering the science fiction and fantasy audio industry for 5 years now - 4 years here at SFFaudio, and another year before that at SFSite. It's time to see what's next for me. Hopefully, "what's next" includes building on my first story sale, and the expansion of Deuce Audio.

I'd like to thank all the reviewers and everyone else who has helped in any way to make SFFaudio such a success. I'd like to publicly thank Jesse Willis - a better partner and friend could never be found.

I leave at a very interesting time for the audio industry. A tidal wave of podcasts has dominated the audio landscape for anyone who is online. That podcasts are changing the industry is certain - what form things will take in the end remains unknown. Audible and iTunes continue to be pretty much the only real option out there for downloadable commercial audiobooks - surely that will change soon. Hardcopy audio publishers chug right along, some of them providing MP3-CDs at your local bookstore. To think - when I started doing this, only 5 years ago, finding an audiobook on CD was rare.

If only I could have convinced audio publishers to produce more Hard SF! :) The fight continues...

All my very best, and thanks for reading SFFaudio! The future never sounded so good, and SFFaudio has become and will remain THE place on the internet to find out about it.

posted by Scott D. Danielson 7:30 AM -- (3) comments

 


Darker Projects has a new show! Feedback: A Hero's Calling

This, the first episode is the origin story!

Every morning, I wake up to a mechanical alarm clock, put on my dampening suit, and cross my fingers that the game I'm about to play is going to be the "right" one. If I don't, two things happen. One, my feedback field remains active and I fry every electronic piece of equipment within 30 feet of me. And two, I will have no superpowers to save the world.

My name is Feedback, and these are my stories.

Before the explosion that infused my body with the feedback field, I was simply a computer scientist and a little out of touch with computer games. That's where a remarkable group of people known as Tech Support comes in. They assess my missions, supply me with the games I need, monitor my progress and patch me up -- because the greater the intensity at which I use the powers, the faster they dissipate.

What I haven't told you is ...if I use a game ability, I lose a memory. Every act of heroism that requires these powers is a conscious choice to lose part of who I am. Sometimes that isn't easy to do.

But what other choice do I have?

The world needs a hero.

Subscribe via the feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/Feedback-Superhero

posted by Jesse Willis 11:02 PM -- (0) comments

 


The Time Traveler has effected a Pseudo Meta Beta podcast. If you're not sure what that might be you are not alone. The reason he did it? Just cause. Irregardless of the whens and whatfors, you'll be pleased to hear that the special episode includes an interview with Anne Murphy, president of the Science Fiction Oral History Association a group dedicated to aurally preserving the history of Science Fiction - especially that history found at conventions. You'll also hear a little bit about how The Time Traveler's show is constructed.

Download the show direct (|MP3|), or insert this in your podcatcher to subscribe:

http://www.timetravelershow.com/shows/feed.xml

posted by Jesse Willis 10:27 PM -- (0) comments

 


Paul Levinson, will be giving away 25 MP3 copies of his radio dramatization of The Chronology Protection Case! In the next instalment of his podcast, Light On Light Through, Paul will play a brief clip from the audio drama and then say:

"I'm giving away MP3 copies of the complete Edgar-nominated radio play to the first 25 people who e-mail me at PaulLevinson@LightonLightThrough.com, voicemail me at 206-203-2615 (the Light On Light Through hotline), or send me a voicemail by clicking on the Odeo birdie on my LightonLightThrough.com web page."

In order to win an MP3, the emailers and callers will have to identify a specific image that is on the LightonLightThrough.com web page - an image that does not necessarily have anything to do with time travel, Science Fiction, or him. He'll be of course more specific in the podcast - the idea being that people will need to actually listen to the podcast to receive the specific clue.

Subscribe to the podcast via this feed:

http://lightonlightthrough.com/rss

posted by Jesse Willis 11:43 AM -- (0) comments

 


In November of 2003 David Koenigsberg, creator of the Soul Patrol offered to host MP3 files from other audio drama, radio drama and audio theater creators on his website. Sadly, back then no one took him up on the offer. So he has made the offer again, he has his own server, commercial DSL line and plenty of capacity/bandwidth. David writes "I'll post any show for free on my website, The- Cosmic-Forces. net."

There are however a few conditions:

1. David sez: "The show has to have some quality to it (but he will try not to
reject any show because of subject matter)."

2. You can't directly link to the mp3 download (and bypass the page).

3. He'll remove your show whenever you request.

4. He'll set up links to your page so that users can find out any
information about your show. (He'll post the mp3s--not all the info!)

He could start posting MP3s starting in January 2007.

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

 


Taken Liberty - A Tale From The Artiber Chronicles
By Steven H. Wilson; Read by Steven H. Wilson
Podcast Novel - Approx. 8 Hours [ABRIDGED]
Publisher: Podiobooks.com
Published: September 2006
Themes: / Science Fiction / Drama / Action / Slavery /


"I don't believe you've convinced me of her crime."
"She posed as a human!"
Atal raised an eyebrow. "Is that a crime?"

So begins the intriguing, sad, yet hopeful and inspiring story of a girl who only wanted her freedom. This is the story of Aer'La, a Varthan Feral raised strictly to be a sexual slave. She escapes, and, dying her blue skin and posing as a human, becomes a high-ranking officer on board one of the most esteemed ships in the Confederate Navy- the Arbiter. Only after a routine medical check-up is the truth of what she is discovered. It is ultimately reported to authorities, and then to the media. Aer’La then has no choice but to tell her story to her Captain, Jan Atal. It then becomes a clash of doing what is right, vs. doing what the law states. Aer’La also learns who her allies and her enemies are, as well as a few life lessons about trust and friendship.

Taken Liberty is a tale of truth, friendship, comradery, love, loss, and above all the right to be free. It covers so many genres, you tend to forget that you’re listening to Science Fiction. This is a very key thing for me to say here, because I am not the biggest Science Fiction fan. I know, I know, yet here I am writing reviews for SFFaudio. Let’s just say I’m… picky.

Steven Wilson also does an excellent job with the reading. He gives each character a unique voice, and thanks to his voice acting background, it pays off. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Wilson. The well-driven plot causes you to feel yourself being sucked into the tension of the situation, and really questioning how this poor girl will remain free, instead of being returned to a life of slavery.

If you are a fan of Prometheus Radio Theatre and their Arbiter Chronicles, you will enjoy this book because it goes more in-depth into the characters you know all ready. If you have never heard of the Arbiter Chronicles before, you will still enjoy this book. The story remains separate enough that you are still able to connect and follow the characters and the story without feeling lost. As a matter of fact, my bet will be if you listen to this podiobook, you will want to move on to hear more about the Arbiter and its crew- which can be found via podcast at http://prometheus.libsyn.com/

If a “semi” Science Fiction fan is impressed and enjoyed this podiobook, imagine what a huge science-fiction fan will think!

posted by Dani Cutler
9:02 PM -- (0) comments

 


James Patrick Kelly is back from his summer long vacation. Summer runs until mid-November right? But don't worry, Jim bears gifts! He's debuting a new non-fiction (sort of) podcast. First up is an updated reading of Jim's Asimov's Science Fiction magazine column On The Net. This one was originally published in June of 2004. The subject? Faster than light travel.

Even more exciting, in his intro to his reborn show Jim promises to begin reading his novel Look Into The Sun in early 2007! Resubscribe today, tune your podcatchers to:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/freereads

Welcome back Jim!

posted by Jesse Willis 3:16 PM -- (0) comments

 


The Ninjas have landed and they have a plan...

KAMN #23: Gateway by Frederick Pohl
KAMN #25: Far Seer by Robert J. Sawyer

I liked Gateway but isn't my favorite Pohl novel. Pohl has a history of repeatedly using psychotic breaks as a theme in his novels. This one is probably 1/3 set in a psychiatrist's office. I'm not sure where that would come from, but I liked his The Voices Voices Of Heaven more, also starring a protagonist with a history of mental illness. Interestlingly, Gateway does happen to be Robert J. Sawyer's favorite Science Fiction novel. And speaking of Sawyer, his first novel in the Quintaglio ascension series, Far Seer, is up for KAMN review shortly after. That novel is set on a very interesting world that parallels our own in many ways. The "far seer" of the title refers to a telescope and the novel itself parallels the events surrounding Galileo Galilei's discovery of the moons of Jupiter. If you dig science, science history and dinosaurs, you'll dig Far Seer.

posted by Jesse Willis 2:01 PM -- (0) comments

 


Planet Retcon Radio, is a "Sci-Fi audio theater podcast" that is wrapping up its first year of production. The second season is already in development! Our very own Audio Addict describes Planet Retcon as "Cheers in space - a comedic Science Fiction series that takes place in a cafe/diner on an alien planet."

It sounds fun! So come with me I'm heading on over to the place where everyone telepathically knows our names.

Subscribe to the feed:

http://planetretcon.com/podcast/feed.xml

posted by Jesse Willis 1:19 PM -- (0) comments

 


SFFaudio's U.K. contributor Roy notes: "Further to the previous mention of Stephen King, I see that he is the guest on Desert Island Discs (BBC Radio 4 11:15 Sunday 19th November). This 30 min programme is repeated the following Friday at 09:00 but should be available on 'listen again' for a week. [sadly it turns our this is one of the few shows not available via the listen again service - ed.] For those unfamiliar with this extremely long running programme, the week's guest has to choose eight records that they would take with them should they be cast away on a desert island. However it is much more than a music show (the selected records are only ever played in short excerpts) and it should be an interesting conversation about King's life and works."

That sounds pretty keen, thanks Roy!

posted by Jesse Willis 12:47 AM -- (0) comments

 


Science Fiction author Paul Levinson has a podcast!

Levinson describes Light On Light Through as a "weekly, five-minute-or-so commentary on some technological, media, popular culture, science fiction issue that strikes [his] interest" Topics range from Wikipedia , cellphone technology to television's "platinum age."

You can subscribe to his podcast via this feed:

http://lightonlightthrough.com/rss

Paul was kind enough to send me a DRM-free copy of his Chronology Protection Case radio dramatization of his first novelette, the one I mentioned in an October 25th post. It also seems the file is available in a working format from Audible.com, (and also therefore iTunes) where it is offered in the proprietory AAC format.

The Chronology Protection Case
Based on the novellette by Paul Levinson; Performed by Mark Shanahan
1 AAC File - 38 Minutes 37 Seconds [RADIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Listen & Live Audio / Audible.com
Published: 2003



Interestingly the title of this story comes from an idea of Stephen Hawking's. Hawking conjectured that even though time travel might be possible the universe would not let it happen.

posted by Jesse Willis 10:24 PM -- (0) comments

 


A Stephen King Special is the currently featured book podcast from The Times Online. The 3-part podcast includes a 30-minute interview with King about his latest book, Lisey's Story, a 17-minute reading by King from the book, and a 20-minute Q&A session in which King responds to questions submitted by Times readers. The podcasts are also available by subscription through iTunes. Links to excerpts from the first two chapters of Lisey's Story are given from the Stephen King Special web page. For more about King and Lisey's Story, see the November 12th Sunday NY Times Book Review where this is the featured book review (free but requires registration).

Posted by Moriond 11:15 AM -- (0) comments

 


Jack Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006)

Science Fiction Grand Master Jack Williamson has passed away. Williamson had a long, long legacy in Science Fiction. His first story, The Metal Man, was published in Amazing Stories in 1928. Jack not only wrote iconic SF stories but he penned such horror classics as Darker Than You Think. His most recent book was The Stonehenge Gate. I'm currently listening to it and will post a review soon.

Few of Jack's works have thus far been adapted to audio. But hopefully that will be rectified in the near future. Here's a few:

Radio Drama:
Dimension X - With Folded Hands |MP3|

Audiobooks:
The Stonehenge Gate
By Jack Williamson; Read by Harlan Ellison
7 CDs - 8.5 hours - [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2006
ISBN: 9780786146550 (Cassette), 9780786174119 (MP3-CD), 9780786167784 (CD)

The Humanoids and With Folded Hands
By Jack Williamson; Read by Stefan Rudnicki
8 CDs - 10 hours - [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2004
ISBN: 078612332X (Cassette), 0786191058 (MP3-CD), 0786193468 (CD)

Thanks for all the wonderful stories Jack!

posted by The Time Traveler 10:33 PM -- (0) comments

 


The SFFaudio Challenge - # 1

What do you do if you have a good voice and want to record something Speculative Fiction related but don't have any ideas on what to record?

I have a suggestion!

At SFFaudio our first and best love is UNABRIDGED Science Fiction audiobooks. The good news is there are a large number of public domain Science Fiction or Fantasy novels that have yet to be read aloud. You needn't bother with fancy sound effects. There's no need for incidental music. In fact most audiobook listeners prefer their listening to be without these frills. All you'll need is a microphone and a nice quiet room. This is the way traditional audiobooks have been recorded for nearly thirty years. But even with all those years of recording there are still DOZENS and DOZENS of name-author novels and stories available for your narration. These will be exclusive recordings!

With all the hype about Creative Commons of late you may have forgotten or maybe you never realized that there is so much in the public domain still to be recorded. In researching the complete fiction audiography of Cory Doctorow I came across no fewer than three versions of Cory's Down And Out In the Magic Kingdom audiobook. That is probably two times to many - especially when you consider that so many public domain titles are still languishing unrecorded!

Now it isn't like everyone has forgotten about the public domain. Admittedly, there are a few people recording public domain SF & F - like our very own Time Traveler for instance. His Time Traveler Show has a classic Science Fiction short story in nearly every podcast. There's also Maureen O'Brien, of Maria Lectrix, who has recorded novels like Little Fuzzy and Dawn Of Flame. We're also fond of the folks at Voices In The Dark who have recorded a number of Lovecraft's tales. And no discussion of public domain could forget LibriVox. LibriVox is doing good work, but they aren't, for my tastes, doing enough that is close enough to the modern era. They do stuff like Burroughs, Shelley, Twain, London and Wells, in other words, a lot of stuff that traditional audiobook publishers have already done at one time or another. There are already versions of The Time Machine and Dracula and many, many other relatively familiar novels from dozens of different professional vendors. I think it is about time more people to start doing some SF or Fantasy that isn't from the early 20th century or prior, or if it is, make sure at least that hasn't been recorded commercially previously. To that end I've compiled a short list of potentially do-able novels. Check these puppies out:

COMPLETED TITLES:

The Green Odyssey by Philip Jose Farmer |Manybooks.net|
THIS TITLE HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND RELEASED (Completed December 17th 2006 by Mark Nelson - 1st title to complete) |RELEASE DETAILS|

Badge Of Infamy by Lester Del Rey |Gutenberg Project|
THIS TITLE HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND RELEASED (Completed January 14th 2007 by Steven H. Wilson - 2nd title to complete) |RELEASE DETAILS|

The Cosmic Computer (AKA Junkyard Planet) by H. Beam Piper |Manybooks.net|
THIS TITLE HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND RELEASED (Completed January 15th 2006 by Mark Nelson - 3rd title to complete) |RELEASE DETAILS|

The Answer by H. Beam Piper |Manybooks.net|
THIS TITLE IS CLAIMED AND WILL SOON BE RELEASED (Completed January 22nd 2007 by Mark Nelson - 4th title to complete) |RELEASE DETAILS|

Plague Ship by Andre Norton |Manybooks.net|
THIS TITLE HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND RELEASED (Completed March 2007 by Mark Nelson - 5th title to complete) |RELEASE DETAILS|

Star Surgeon by Alan Nourse |Manybooks.net|THIS TITLE HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND RELEASED (Completed June 15th 2007 by Scott Farquhar - 6th title to complete) |RELEASE DETAILS|


REMOVED FROM THE CHALLENGE:

Triplanetary by E.E. Doc Smith |Manybooks.net|
This title has been COMMERCIALLY RELEASED by Books In Motion.

CLAIMED TITLES:

The Sky Is Falling by Lester Del Rey |Gutenberg Project|
THIS TITLE IS CLAIMED (Claimed by Jeffery Tillotson)

Operation: Outer Space by Murray Leinster |Manybooks.net|
THIS TITLE IS CLAIMED AND MAY BE IN PRODUCTION (Claimed by Daniel)

City At World's End by Edmond Hamilton |Manybooks.net|THIS TITLE IS CLAIMED (Claimed by James Kocher)

The Defiant Agents by Andre Norton |Manybooks.net|THIS TITLE IS CLAIMED AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF SUMMER 2007 (Claimed by Cindy Woods)

The Door Through Space by Marion Zimmer Bradley |Manybooks.net| THIS TITLE IS CLAIMED AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY AUGUST 2007 (Claimed by Christie Nowak)

A Strange Manuscript Found In A Copper Cylindner by James De Mille |Manybooks.net| This 19th century title hasn't been audiobooked even by a commercial audiobook company.THIS TITLE IS IN PROGRESS (Claimed by Robert A. Graff)

The Skylark Of Space by E.E. Doc Smith |Manybooks.net|
THIS TITLE IS IN PROGRESS (Claimed by Mark P. Steele)

The Defiant Agents by Andre Norton |Manybooks.net|THIS TITLE IS CLAIMED AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF SUMMER 2007 (Claimed by Cindy Woods)


AVAILABLE TITLES:

The Secret Of The Ninth Planet by Donald A. Wollheim |Manybooks.net|

This World Is Taboo by Murray Leinster |Manybooks.net| (Manybooks.net has a computer generated audiobook, but of course such a reading sucks compared to a human being)

The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell |Manybooks.net|

Warlord Of Kor by Terry Gene Carr |Manybooks.net| *There is now a multiple-reader version available from LibriVox, but someone wanting to do a single voice reading is still invited to do so).

The Galaxy Primes by E.E. Doc Smith |Manybooks.net|


This is just a smattering of what exists in the public domain. You could turn any one of these into a complete podcast novel or an amateur unabridged audiobook. You could even turn them into copyrighted audiobooks should you so desire - and even try selling them. Your voicing of a public domain book is eminently copyrightable. Podiobooks.com has started hosting Librivox titles, if you do a good job with your reading I think you'd have a good chance of getting your files hosted with Podiobooks - and maybe even get some donations too! If that still doesn't quite do it for you read on...

As an incentive, I will offer a BRAND NEW unabridged audiobook to the first person to complete and release an unabridged reading (in a single human voice) of one of the novels on this list above. As the first person to complete this challenge you'll need to notify me by email and verify to me the existence and availability of these files. As a winner you'll receive your choice of one of the following Blackstone Audio audiobooks:

Galactic Pot Healer by Philip K. Dick
This audiobook has been won by Mark Nelson for his completion of The Green Odyssey by Philip Jose Farmer

Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
This audiobook has been won by Steven H. Wilson for his completion of Badge Of Infamy by Lester del Rey

Animal Farm by George Orwell
This audiobook has been won by Mark Nelson for his completion of The Cosmic Computer by H. Beam Piper

If you have any questions about the contest, or anything written above let me know and I'll add details. SFFaudio wants you to make audiobooks!

** UPDATE ** Nov 13th 2006 @ 1PM

Nate Peterson has written in asking:

"How do I get started? What equipment do I need and what software? What format do you want?"

Here are some answers Nate:

1. Choose a title from the list above. You'll probably want to print out at least one copy of it. Read through the novel, make sure it is something you'll want to record.

2. Get yourself a microphone. I hear USB mics work quite well but many amateur narrators get good use out of cheaper equipment.

3. Audacity is some good freeware that many people starting out using. It is relatively versatile and the learning curve isn't too high. You'll probably also want to grab an MP3 LAME encoder so you can export your files into the MP3 format. HERE is a link on how to do that.

4. MP3 format is the preferred standard, but it isn't required to fulfill the contest. Details on what bit-rate, etc, should be worked out in advance, LibriVox and Podiobooks.com both have resources that can help you choose (more on that below).

5. There is a terrific resource available at Podiobooks.com. Their authoring guidelines (a PDF file) will give you a good general outline of what standards and practices will help you to make a better audiobook. Also, LibriVox has a number of experienced amateur narrators in their forums from which you can draw expertise. They have also created a wiki that will answer many technical questions.

** UPDATE ** Nov 16th 2006 @ 9:30PM

Banshee points out that...

"Manybooks.net apparently has the wrong version of some of those books which Gutenberg is going to post, but hasn't posted yet. For example, the version of The Skylark of Space on manybooks.net is the book version, which is still under copyright. The public domain version is the magazine version, which they have over at durendal.org. Since Smith extensively revised Skylark, that's a problem you can't just sweep under the rug."

Thanks for pointing that out Banshee. Yikes! If someone has already started recording a copyrighted version of one of these novels listed at Manybooks.net they will still be eligible for the prize (but they will still have to prove they recorded the entire novel), they will obviously however not be able to release the audiobook in any sort of commercial capacity. If this turns out to be the case the entrant who recorded a public domain version will still get a prize. I will award two prizes (of your choice) - one to the 'mistaken copyrighted' entrant, one to the public domain entrant. Nobody will be cheated for an error of 'was it copyrighted or public domain?' Sound fair?

** UPDATE ** Dec 19th 2006 @ 11:38PM

Three titles have been claimed! One has already been completed, another is set to release and one is set to begin recording. Nice work folks!

** UPDATE ** Dec 22nd 2006 @ 11:30PM

Four titles have been claimed. One has completed, another is set to release and two others are going to begin recording soon. Cool!

** UPDATE ** Jan 8th 2007 @ 2:10PM

Seven titles have been claimed. One has been completed and released, another has been completed and is being podcast! More updates as they come.

** UPDATE ** Jan 21st 2007 @ 12:10AM

Eight titles have been claimed. Three have been completed and released! All three of the prize audiobooks have been won. I'm still not sure what prizes will be offered to those challengers who are still striving to complete their claimed titles. Suggestions are welcomed.

** UPDATE ** Jan 22nd 2007 @ 8:48PM

Only 9 titles remain unclaimed! I've pulled Triplanetary by E.E. "Doc" Smith from the list because it has actually been commercially released already. The Answer by H. Beam Piper will be appearing in an H. Beam Piper short story collection.

** UPDATE ** March 30th 2007 @ 11:17PM

Only 7 titles remain unclaimed! This is so awesome.

** UPDATE ** May 16th 2007 @ 8:25AM

A mere 6 titles remain unclaimed! Nice work folks!

** UPDATE ** June 18th 2007 @ 12:04PM

6 titles have been completed, and only 5 titles remain unclaimed! Woohoo!

posted by Jesse Willis

Labels: Alan Nourse, Donald Wollheim, E.E. Smith,