Review of The Wrong Goodbye by Chris F. Holm

Jenny

SFFaudio Review

Please welcome new reviewer Dan VK!

The Wrong Goodbye (The Collector Book Two)
By Chris F. Holm; Read by Brian Vander Ark
Publisher: Angry Robot on Brilliance Audio
Published: 2012
Length: 10 hours [UNABRIDGED]
ISBN: 978-1-4692-0892-3

Themes: / fantasy / reaper / souls / apocalypse /

Publisher Summary: Meet Sam Thornton, collecter of souls. The souls of the damned, to be precise. Because of his efforts to avert the Apocalypse, Sam Thornton has been given a second chance: provided he can stick to the straight-and-narrow.

Which sounds all well and good, but when the soul that Sam is sent to collect goes missing, he finds himself on a path leading straight to Hell.

What a wild ride Chris F. Holm’s The Collector series has been so far. The initial installment Dead Harvest introduced Collector Sam Thornton cursed in the afterlife to roam the earth via hopping from one body to the next collecting the souls of the damned. The Wrong Goodbye continues the story at a fast pace with minimal emphasis on backstory. Once again Sam finds himself walking a very thin line in the war between good and evil with characters new, old, and in some cases very ancient.

The body hopping aspect in this series often leads to some very intriguing plot twists as the story speeds ahead and will suddenly veer off in a surprising new direction. You literally do not know where Sam Thornton is going to end up next. Added to the mix in the latest installment is the development of other collector characters that share a history with Sam, an apparent no-no in the world of collectors creating for a complex web of interaction.

Chris F Holm expands on the rich universe of demon mythology of the first book, incorporating Biblical era stories and characters into his fiction in a very entertaining way. Each story presents a scenario with Sam Thornton thrust reluctantly into the role of averting an apocalypse due to a soul collection gone very wrong. The narration of Brian Vander Ark of the band Verve Pipe perfectly matches the first-person hardboiled tone of these stories. I especially like what he brings to each of the different characters giving each demon, angel, etc. their own distinctive voices. I am hoping Brian will stay on to wrap up the series with the next installment The Big Reap.

Review by Dan VK

The Man Who Found Out by Algernon Blackwood

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Profound despair, the bloom of outer darkness, the dead sound of a hopeless soul freezing in the utter cold of space filled the face of… The Man Who Found Out.

Having just discovered Algernon Blackwood’s terrific existential horror story, The Man Who Found Out, I am pleased to report that it breaks trail in the territories later mapped out by H.P. Lovecraft and Philip K. Dick.

There’s something fascinating and understated in the clues we get about the story’s central mystery – the purpose of existence – Blackwood knew something of magic, as this story certainly weaves a mystery at the intersection of revelation and science.

And be sure to check out the excellent audio dramatization from Radio Project X too!

LibriVoxThe Man Who Found Out
By Algernon Blackwood; Read by Kalynda
1 |MP3| – Approx. 35 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 30, 2011
First published in The Canadian Magazine, December 1912.

Radio Project XThe Man Who Found Out
Adapted from the story by Algernon Blackwood; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 28 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Podcaster: Radio Project X
Podcast: June 12, 2012

Here’s a |PDF| of the story.

Andrew Knowlton and Marie Jones starred in the Radio Project X adaptation of The Man Who Found Out:

Andrew Knowlton and Marie Jones in The Man Who Found Out (Radio Project X)

Posted by Jesse Willis

Recent Arrivals: Random House Audio – Thomas Jefferson: The Art Of Power by Jon Meacham

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Recent Arrivals

After Jon Meacham’s terrific mini-interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart I was very pleased that Random House Audio sent us Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power. Read by Edward Herrmann, who is an excellent narrator, this audiobook runs almost 19 hours.

I look forward to it.

Random House Audio - Thomas Jefferson: The Art Of Power by Jon Meacham


Posted by Jesse Willis

All three RED PANDA novels are available as audiobooks on Audible.com

Jesse Willis

New Releases

I do not hide my love for the Red Panda.

But, SPOILER ALERT, I’m actually in love with the Flying Squirrel.

Both of my loves show up in the three Red Panda novels that are now available on Audible.com.

Written by a certified genius, Gregg Taylor, and read by a certifiable genius, Gregg Taylor, these are the long-form superhero adventures that we’ve been waiting for. They are:

Tales Of The Red Panda - The Android Assassins by Gregg Taylor

Tales Of The Red Panda - The Mind Master by Gregg Taylor


Tales Of The Red Panda - The Crime Cabal by Gregg Taylor

Posted by Jesse Willis

LibriVox: Naudsonce by H. Beam Piper

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Here’s part of Phil Chenevert’s introduction to his latest LibriVox narration, a novelette by H.Beam Piper called Naudsonce:

The joint Space Navy-Colonial Office expedition was looking for new planets suitable for colonization; they had been out, now, for four years, which was close to maximum for an exploring expedition. They had entered eleven systems, and made landings on eight planets. Three had been reasonably close to Terra-type but were all disqualified by terrible animals or warlike inhabitants. Now, finally here was an ideal world; their last chance before returning in disgrace. Now the only thing was to get an agreement from the local king or whatever to the colonization. Easy, right? Well first, you’ve got to talk to them …… and there the trouble starts.

Naudsonce by H. Beam Piper - illustrated by Leo Morey

LibriVoxNaudsonce
By H. Beam Piper; Read by Phil Chenevert
5 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 1 Hour 56 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 18, 2012
|ETEXT|
First published in Analog, January 1962.

Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3| Part 3 |MP3| Part 4 |MP3| Part 5 |MP3|

Podcast feed: http://librivox.org/rss/7235

iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|

Illustrations by Leo Morey:
Naudsonce by H. Beam Piper - illustrated by Leo Morey
Naudsonce by H. Beam Piper - illustrated by Leo Morey
Naudsonce by H. Beam Piper - illustrated by Leo Morey
Naudsonce by H. Beam Piper - illustrated by Leo Morey

[Thanks also to DaveC]

Posted by Jesse Willis

Radio Project X: The Other Celia [AUDIO DRAMA]

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Radio Project X, a great new audio drama troupe out of Toronto, makes a combination of compelling and humorous audio dramatizations – recorded live on stage. The latest one to reach my ears is centered around a terrific adaptation of a creepy Theodore Sturgeon story entitled The Other Celia (aka The Blonde With The Mysterious Body). Like the other Radio Project X episodes already released, this program is followed by a series of skits, all funny, and all very Canadian – the kind you’d hear on CBC radio in years past.

Highly recommended!

Radio Project XThe Other Celia
Adapted from the short story by Theodore Sturgeon; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 1 Hour 10 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Podcaster: Radio Project X
Podcast: August 14, 2012
Something drastic should happen to all snoopers – but nothing as awful and frightful as this! First published in Galaxy, March 1957.

The Other Celia by Theodore Sturgeon

The Other Celia - illustrated by Dillon

[via The Sonic Society]

Posted by Jesse Willis