Good Story 025: Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

Scott D.

SFFaudio Online Audio

In episode 25 of the A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast, Julie and I discussed Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. It’s the 20th book in the Discworld series, but the first I’ve read. A lot has been made of the proper reading order of the Discworld books (see this handy chart, for example), but I didn’t have any trouble at all following this book. Based on this, my advice is to jump into the series wherever you feel like doing so.

Download or listen to the podcast via this link: |Episode #025|

Subscribe to the podcast via this link: Feedburner

Or subscribe via iTunes by clicking: |HERE|

Nigel Planer did a wonderful job reading this book. Pratchett never stops with the clever lines, and Planer delivers them with perfect timing.

Fantasy Audiobook - Hogfather by Terry PratchettHogfather
By Terry Pratchett, Read by Nigel Planer
10 Hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books, via Audible
Published: 2002
 
 
 
 
 

Posted by Scott D. Danielson

Favorite Story – Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace RADIO DRAMA

Jesse Willis

Aural Noir: Online Audio

Archive.org hosts 78 episodes of Favorite Story, a wonderfully inspired radio program that asked a celebrity to name his or her favourite story. The story was then adapted as a radio drama. Host Ronald Colman often played a character. In October of 1947 Greer Garson‘s favourite story was Guy de Maupassant’s classic of short fiction The Necklace.

In Colman’s introduction he claims that Maupassant’s tale of a Parisian housewife with dreams of social mobility is perhaps “The greatest short story ever written.” In my view it’s certainly worthy of approaching that level.

I’m also pleased to report this episode of Favorite Story is a truly fabulous adaptation! It keeps every important story element, doesn’t fiddle with the setting or the character names, the acting is restrained and the plot’s length is perfect in the format (Favorite Story also attempted to adapt novels into the half-hour format).

Favorite Story Favorite Story – The Necklace
Adapted from the story by Guy de Maupassant; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 27 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: KFI
Broadcast: October 7, 1947
Mathilde is a beautiful bride of a mid-level Parisian bureaucrat. Her natural elegance and grace seem somewhat out of place with her husband’s junior position. This is the story of a beautiful woman who works hard and gets everything she wants. First published in the February 17, 1884 issue of Le Gaulois (a French daily newspaper).

Cast:
Heather Angel … Mathilde Loisel
Hans Conried … Pierre Loisel

There’s a terrific series overview HERE.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Upon The Dull Earth by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio News

Upon The Dull Earth, a wonderful novelet by Philip K. Dick, is public domain!

Upon The Dull Earth by Philip K. Dick (illustration by Vidmer)

|ETEXT|

The story was first published in 1954, in a magazine called Beyond Fiction, in its 9th issue (Volume 2, Number 3).

The public domain status was not previously known as the story appeared to have been copyright renewed.

But, it was not.

Upon The Dull Earth Copyright Renewal Detail

Observe the highlighted details in the image above. Note that the story the applicant has claimed that the story was published in “March 1955”, in a magazine called “Beyond Science Fiction” in issue “10” (Volume “2” Number “4”).

No such magazine exists!

Beyond Fiction, aka Beyond Fantasy Fiction, was a sister publication to Galaxy Science Fiction, a long running SF pulp magazine. Beyond Fantasy Fiction (also titled Beyond Fiction) lasted only 10 issues. It was not created to compete with Galaxy, thus it was never titled “Beyond Science Fiction.” Its tenth issue was published in 1955, but it did not contain Upon The Dull Earth, or any other story by Philip K. Dick.

The story was actually published in the preceding issue, #9, in 1954. As such it would not have been eligible for renewal at the time of application.

Beyond Fiction Volume 2, Number 3, Issue #9 (1954) – Table Of Contents (includes Upon The Dull Earth by Philip K. Dick):
Beyond Fiction Volume 2 Number 3 Issue 9 - Table Of Contents (includes Upon The Dull Earth)

Beyond Fiction Volume 2, Number 4, Issue #10 (1955) – Table Of Contents:
Beyond Fantasy Fiction, Issue 10, Table Of Contents

Copyright renewal application RE190631 (aka RE 190-631 aka RE0000190631):

The complete RE190631 (aka RE 190-631 aka RE0000190631) can be looked at on the official US copyright catalog website by using RE0000190631 as the search string HERE.

Posted by Jesse Willis

BBC Radio 4: Great Lives – Series 26 – Philip K Dick

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

BBC Radio 4 - Great LivesThe Great Lives programme, now in it’s 26th series, is a half hour biography show that explores the lives of “the greatest people who ever lived.” Host Matthew Parris interviews an eminent guest who argues for the magnetism of his or her historical hero.

And guess who is was profiled just the other day?

Philip K. Dick!!

Here’s the official description:

Actor Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon; The Queen; Midnight In Paris) champions the life of Philip K. Dick and explains why he had such a big influence on his recent production of Hamlet.

Michael first discovered Philip K. Dick through the film Blade Runner, and moved onto his short stories which got him thinking about science-fiction in a new way. Whilst reading about philosophy, quantum physics, and comparative mythology, it struck him how Dick was intuitively weaving narratives around all the most interesting elements that these fields were throwing up.

He talks about Philip K. Dick’s innate interest in multiples realities, and how they overlap with Sheen’s own family experiences of mental health issues. In fact the more he found out about him, the more he was drawn to this enigmatic writer.

The description fails to mention that SF scholar Roger Luckhurst is also in on the conversation. |MP3|

Podcast feed: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/greatlives/rss.xml

Producer: Toby Field.

[Thanks Dave!]

Posted by Jesse Willis

The Sofanauts: Interview with Stefan Rudnicki

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

SofanautsTony Smith’s revived The Sofanauts podcast includes a recent interview with legendary narrator Stefan Rudnicki!

|MP3|

Podcast feed: http://sofanauts.com/category/podcast/feed/

Posted by Jesse Willis

Short film trailer: The Delivery (starring your favourite audiobook narrators)

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio News

Worthy of FIVE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!! Here’s the trailer for The Delivery (the only movie ever made about audiobooks):

And here’s the description:

“Reading is boring; and audiobooks are worse!”

That’s what Celia thinks. Celia loves to dance, hates to read. She has a book report due on Monday; if she does not deliver, she doesn’t get to be in the Spring Dance Recital. In an effort to secure a pre-written paper, she takes on a delivery to a local audiobook studio.

Simple, no? Not really.

Her delivery catapults her into a journey through a warren of studios which are inhabited by temperamental actors, ghostly apparitions and overtaxed producers. Upon reaching the final studio, her imagination tumbles her headlong into an full blown 1830 enactment of Lewis Carroll’s Mad Tea Party.

Through her wondrous adventure, Celia learns that listening to audiobooks will help her “deliver” her assignment, and open up a whole new part of her imagination!

A short film written and directed by Gabrielle de Cuir. Produced by Stefan Rudnicki

Stars:
Harlan Ellison
John Rubinstein
Orson Scott Card
Sir Michael York
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.
Stephanie Zimbalist
Scott Brick
Emily Janice Card

The movie is available on DVD as a part of Blackstone Audio’s Lewis Carroll boxed set.

Posted by Jesse Willis