Review of FlashForward by Robert J. Sawyer

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Review

Science Fiction Audiobook - Flashforward by Robert J. SawyerFlashForward
By Robert J. Sawyer; Read by Mark Deakins
9 CDs – Approx. 10.5 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2009
ISBN: 1433252945
Themes: / Science Fiction / Hard SF / Time Travel / Disaster / Physics / Toronto / CERN / Murder / Mystery / Switzerland /
A scientific experiment begins, and as the button is pressed, the unexpected occurs: everyone in the world goes to sleep for a few moments while everyone’s consciousness is catapulted more than twenty years into the future. At the end of those moments, when the world reawakens, all human life is transformed by foreknowledge. Was that shocking revelation a peek at the real, unalterable future, or was it only one of many possible futures? What happens when a man tries to change it, like the doctor who has twenty years to try to prevent his own murder? How will the foreknowledge of a part of “then” affect the experience of the “now”?

This is the sixth Robert J. Sawyer novel that I have enjoyed. But, I didn’t get into it via the usual route. I started watching the TV series without explicitly knowing that it was an audiobook, that it was by Robert J. Sawyer, or that the novel even existed. But after seeing the TV series go into a mid-season hiatus I discovered the novel, and decided this was the perfect chance to read the story upon which it was based. Having seen the first half of the first season, and having read the novel, I recommend that you don’t watch any of the FlashForward TV series until you have read the audiobook. Both are really good and worthy, but different. The TV show is not spoiled by the audiobook, but seeing how it was adapted should add some value. The novel veers towards Hard SF, whilst the TV show is more of a Hollywood drama with SF leanings.

I personally found a couple of blemishes in the novel’s story that may only bother a few others. George Bernard Shaw and I agree that your particular country is not that interesting just because you were born there. I can understand mentioning TRIUMF and the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, they are useful to the plot and interesting. But the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)? I ride it every day, and I don’t care. This and a few other Canada Canada Canada details are like being beaten with a Canadian hockey stick. Does the truly “True Great North” need to be bragged about? How un-Canadian. Another quibble, for me, was Sawyer use of John A. Wheeler’s Participatory Anthropic Principle, where things exist only when observed by a consciousness. I cannot fathom anybody believing this anthropocentric twaddle, the idea should be banished like the dark matter, astrology, and celestial spheres. Humans are neither that powerful nor that important.

Despite these quibbles FlashForward has an obliging rationalistic science slant. Consistency reigns. If you like to hear scientists with reasonable amounts of emotions talking, this book is for you. The conversations were what I expect from physicists. The visions of the future, caused by the flashforwards of the title, were very down to earth and believable. The audiobook also mixes in a modicum of mystery, via a future “who done it.” I predicted some of the events and was pleasantly surprised by others in this not-too-long a story. The ending, though plausible, did not unfurl as I had expected.

Narrator Mark Deakins gave a realistic delivery. His only error being when he twice mis-pronunced “Dyson” with the accent incorrectly on the last syllable, as in “Die-sown.” FlashForward is definitely worth a listen.

posted by Steen Hansen

Spider On The Web: Pruzy’s Pot by Theodore Sturgeon

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Spider On The Web - Spider Robinson’s podcastSpider Robinson has delivered on his promise of another Theodore Sturgeon short story. In his latest podcast Robinson describes Pruzy’s Pot as the “grossest science fiction story” in history. He also provides an introduction to the story that elucidates Theodore Sturgeon’s potty minded prose. The story in question, Pruzy’s Pot, is read by Sturgeon himself, with some assistance from Spider Robinson.

So, is it the grossest SF story in the universe?

National Lampoon June 1972Pruzy’s Pot
By Theodore Sturgeon; Read by Theodore Sturgeon (and Spider Robinson)
1 |MP3| – Approx. 78 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: Spider On The Web
Podcast: January 8, 2010
First published in National Lampoon’s June 1972 issue.

Podcast feed:

http://www.spiderrobinson.com/iTunes_feed.xml

iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|

Posted by Jesse Willis

Pulp Nocturne: Donovan Pike And The City Of The Gods

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Pulp NocturneWhen Paul Bishop, of the Bish’s Beat takes the time to email me about something on his blog, I have to sit up and take notice. Bish directs my attention to THIS post. And when I follow the links there it leads me to a new adventure novel called Donovan Pike And The City Of The Gods that’s being delivered via blog text posts and in the MP3 format.

Its author, Mark Justice, sez:

I grew up with the pulp adventures of Doc Savage, The Shadow and The Avenger. I even published a Doc Savage fanzine with a high school friend, back in the 70s. In that one issue I began a Doc Savage pastiche novel which, thankfully, remains unfinished and forgotten.

I moved on to different forms of fiction, but I always came back to the pulps, having discovered G-8, Operator #5 and The Spider. I also enjoy modern pulp fiction, particularly the works of Clive Cussler and, more recently, James Rollins.

When I started writing for publication, it was initially in the horror field, with an occasional foray into science fiction. As in my reading, though, I came back to the pulps.

I plan to use this blog to serialize new pulp fiction. Some of the stories will have a contemporary setting, like our initial offering. A future project will be set in the blood and thunder 1930s pulp world.

Regardless of the era, my goal is to bring you tales of two-fisted adventure, venomous villains and larger-than-life heroes.

I hope you have fun with the stories. I know I will.

Here is Chapter 1 |MP3| of Donovan Pike And The City Of The Gods by Mark Justice.

Posted by Jesse Willis

ESCAPE: North Of Polaris and SUSPENSE: Report From A Dead Planet

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Bill Hollweg, one of the creative dudes at BrokenSea Audio Productions, just sent me an email suggesting I listen to an episode of Escape titled North Of Polaris. He describes it as “fantastic” and “dark.” Sez Bill:

“This sounds so Rod Serling and Twilight Zone-ish and Planet Of The Apes-ish– it’s uncanny. No talking apes mind you- but the new rulers of the world are pretty ravenous.”

EscapeEscape – North Of Polaris
By Charles Smith; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 26 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBS Radio
Broadcast: May 17, 1953
Provider: Escape-Suspense.com
A group of astronauts travels twenty million miles to explore a post-apocalyptic planet. They will have to spend 48 hours before their ship returns. Their challenge is to stay alive on this dead world until their ship comes back to get them.
Stars: William Conrad, Hy Averback, Eddie Firestone, Vivi Janiss, Ralph Moody and Frank Gerstle.

The Escape-Suspense blog also points out that Suspense did a similarly themed show called Report From A Dead Planet in 1960.

SuspenseSuspense – Report From a Dead Planet
By George Bamber; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 20 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBS Radio
Broadcast: July 10, 1960
Provider: Archive.org
A four-man crew lands on a newly discovered, dead planet – which once held life. They find a dead city where once a civilization stood.
Stars: Lester Damon, John Larkin, William Mason and Phil Meader

Posted by Jesse Willis

Tantor Media is offering a FREE audiobook for feedback

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio News

Tantor MediaHow does a great audiobook company celebrate its 10 year anniversary? How about giving away a free audiobook?

Indeed, so to promote their 10th anniversary, test out their newly redesigned website, and get some feedback on their new ordering system, Tantor Media is offering a FREE audiobook by mail!

To get your free audiobook it looks like you’ll need to peruse the newly redesigned website and fill out a questionnaire. After that they’ll send you the audiobook by mail.

That is, you’d get one of these…

TANTOR MEDIA - Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis CarrollTANTOR MEDIA - The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

…your choice of either H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine or Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.

Now that’s a sweet deal. Happy 10th Tantor!

[via The Cimmerian blog]

Posted by Jesse Willis

Review of A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo

Scott D.

SFFaudio Review

Science Fiction Audiobook - A Hymn Before Battle by John RingoA Hymn Before Battle
By John Ringo, Read by Marc Vietor
12 CDs – 15 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: 2009
ISBN: 9781423395089
Themes: / Science Fiction / Military SF / Battle / Aliens / Computers /

First published in 2000, John Ringo’s A Hymn Before Battle is the 1st book in his Posleen War series, also known as the Legacy of the Aldenata. It is 2001 and America is at peace. Former Lieutenant Mike O’Neal is now a website developer. Despite throwing in some web development jargon I was impressed that it didn’t sound dated, even after nine years. Mike is recalled to a top secret briefing where it is revealed that aliens have contacted the heads of the major governments. Their message warns that there is a rampaging alien horde, the Posleen, are coming this way through the galaxy and they need our help. Unfortunately for the alien’s Galactic Federation, they have no ability when it comes to war. One race go so far as to revert to a virtual non-sentient state whenever they attempt to take another’s life. Needless to say, they are losing the war against the sauroid aliens, the Posleen. They are nearly as afraid of the humans as they are the Posleen. But with their backs to the wall, they have decided to enlist mankind to fight their war for them. The fact that we would be over run by the Posleen in a few years is enough to rally all the nations to join the cause.

Mike O’Neal, together with many others, including a sly reference to an SF author of space combat novels refered to only as “David”, are tasked to develop the weapons, vehicles and systems that mold Galactic technology to human use. Mike’s own project is the development of the ACS, the Armoured Combat Suit.

The first battle is fought with several international forces attempting to defend one of the worlds of the pacifistic worker race, the Indowy. Perhaps something that might not have been included in books written more than a year later, is the tactical collapsing of inhabited alien megascrapers as weapons. The versatility and vastly changed tactics the Armoured Combat Suits bring to the combat scenes are well thought out, even to the point of a rather grisly flaw caused by the armour being too strong.

The action is well described as Ringo build up the range of abilities embodied by the ACS’s. Lots of characters are introduced and their personalities brought to life by the narrator, Marc Vietor.

It must be said, Marc Vietor dives into the alien words and names with gusto. Ringo surely didn’t have narration in mind when he named Ttckpt Province, or Tulo’stenaloor, First Order Battlemaster of the Sten Po’oslena’ar. For a couple of chapters I was even reading along from the Baen Free Library/WebScription edition. This impressed me as I could see how Vietor added lots of texture and emotion to the dialog and prose, that you might not otherwise have from reading the text alone.

The story doesn’t just follow Mike O’Neal. There are two other plot threads that clearly are building towards something much larger for later books in the series. A Hymn Before Battle sets the stage with, what I presume are it’s major players, for the following books in the series. I look forward to reading more in this series, and to more of John Ringo’s other works.

Posted by Paul [W] Campbell