Review of Blake’s 7 – When Vila Met Gan (Vol. 1.1)

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Review

Blake's 7 - When Vila Met GanSFFaudio EssentialBlake’s 7 – When Vila Met Gan (Vol. 1.1)
By Ben Aaronovitch; Performed by a full cast
1 CD – Approx. 50 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: B7 Media
Published: October 2008
ISBN: 9781906577056
Themes: / Science Fiction / Crime / Dystopia /

Earth. 2230 AD. A time of social and political turmoil. Olag Gan wants to marry the woman of his dreams. Vila Restal wants to steal anything that isn’t nailed down. When they form a partnership, a perfect combination of strength and skill, it seems that nothing stands between them and the easy life. But fate hates to give a sucker an even break and the course of true love never did run smooth.

Though set after the events of the Blake’s 7 – Audio Adventures (Trilogy Box Set) |READ OUR REVIEW| When Vila Met Gan is primarily a prequel showing Gan and Vila back on Earth. There they work in the criminal underworld, Vila as a burglar and Gan as syndicate muscle. This is where the show shines, with Ben Aaronovitch having carefully constructed even more of the world he illustrated in the Trilogy Box Set. Very little of Earth was shown in the original television series – so Aaronovitch makes the tyranny of Earth actually tyrannical by drawing heavily upon the culture and lexicon of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. The story on Earth is set within a framing sequence in which a post-Trilogy Box Set Vila and Gan are visiting a colony world. They are there to take some much needed shore leave – but after they’ve spent all their money boozing up the planet Gan gets misty, and pines for his lost love back on Earth. It is at this point the narrative jumps back to Pre-Trilogy Box Set London (Rog Blake is still just a reformer candidate in upcoming planetary elections).

The story itself runs 30 minutes. The writing is fresh and funny with Gan and Vila make a terrific pair. Michael Keating, reprising the role he created in the original TV series, sounds just like he did on the show (even 30 years on). Owen Aaronovitch plays Gan. Also noticeable in this script is Ben Aaronovitch’s addressing of the original TV series “teleport” capabilities. The TV B7 “teleporter” and Star Trek‘s “transporter” technologies have been seen by SF fans as a kind of deus ex-machina. I think that’s why they were left out of the Trilogy Box Set. But, in When Vila Met Gan, our stranded heroes bemoan the lack of teleport technology. It verges on self-parody, but in the context of the framing story it works very well. This is a serial audio drama series of the highest caliber.

Also included on the CD are the Season 1 trailer, and the Season 2 trailer!

Posted by Jesse Willis

The Agony Column Interviews Jeremy Lassen and Lou Anders

Charles

SFFaudio Online Audio

The Agony Column The Agony Column has the following recordings:

Lou Anders |MP3|

Jeremy Lassen |MP3|

You can subscribe to the feed at this URL:

http://bookotron.com/agony/indexes/tac_podcast.xml

Posted by Charles Tan

Recent Arrivals from Brilliance Audio

Scott D.

SFFaudio Recent Arrivals

Science Fiction Audiobook - Endymion by Dan SimmonsEndymion
By Dan Simmons, Read by Victor Bevine
20 CDs – 23 Hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: 2009
ISBN: 9781423381624

It is 274 years after the Fall and the universe is in chaos. Raul Endymion, onetime shepherd and convicted murderer, is chosen as a pawn in a cosmic game whose outcome will determine the fate of humanity. Selected as a bodyguard to the next messiah, Endymion will cross time, space, and the very fabric of reality as her protector, lover and finally disciple. At the same time, the enigmatic Shrike–part monster, part killing machine, part avenging angel–has also followed the girl into the 32nd century. Yet it is Endymion who has been chosen to rescue Aenea, against all odds. How will her message change the universe–if she is willing to speak it–and if she does, is humankind prepared to hear it?
 
 
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

With the Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the peaceful and friendly races of the Galactic Federation offer their resources to help the backward Terrans—for a price.

Humanity now has three worlds to defend.

As Earth’s armies rush into battle and special operations units scout alien worlds, the humans begin to learn a valuable lesson: You can protect yourself from your enemies, but may the Lord save you from your allies.
 
 
Science Fiction Audiobook - The Tar-Aiym Krang by Alan Dean FosterThe Tar-Aiym Krang
By Alan Dean Foster, Read by Stefan Rudnicki
6 CDs – 7 Hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: 2009
ISBN: 9781423395485

Here was a wide-open world for any venture a man might scheme. The planet attracted unwary travelers, hardened space-sailors, and merchant buccaneers—a teeming, constantly shifting horde that provided a comfortable income for certain quick-witted fellows like Flinx and his pet mini-dragon, Pip. With his odd talents, the pickings were easy enough so that Flinx did not have to be dishonest . . . most of the time.

In fact, it hardly seemed dishonest at all to steal a starmap from a dead body that didn’t really need it anymore. But Flinx forgot one crucial point. He should have wondered why the body was dead in the first place.
 
 
Posted by Scott D. Danielson

Forgotten Classics: The Hiccup Flask by James Powell

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine October 1985First published in the October 1985 issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Hiccup Flask is another jewel from the typewriter of James Powell. Now, thanks to the good Julie D. of the Forgotten Classics podcast, we have an excellent audio version of Powell’s wonderful tale.

The plot concerns: An intractable caliph, his incurable hiccups, an untrustworthy alchemist and the Thief of Baghdad.

For your listening pleasure…

The Hiccup Flask by James PowellThe Hiccup Flask
By James Powell; Read by Julie D.
1 |MP3| – Approx. 1 Hour [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: Forgotten Classics
Podcast: August 22, 2009
A tale of wonder in which we encounter a caliph, a thief, an alchemist, and a hiccup … from the mind of James Powell.

For more James Powell stories in the paperbook format check out his recently released collection A Pocket Full Of Noses.

Posted by Jesse Willis

BBC7: The Coma, The Scarifyers, Vostok, Hothouse by Brian Aldiss

Jesse Willis

Online Audio

BBC 7's The 7th Dimension The upcoming weeks on BBC Radio 7 is mostly made up of repeats. But that aint necessarily all bad. First up, a repeat of its 2006 serialization of The Coma, a novel by Alex Garland. Hopefully you’ll remember him as the screenwriter for the film 28 Days Later and not the god-offal Sunshine. The five part unabridged reading of Coma begins Monday and the five segments air nightly til Friday.

The Coma
By Alex Garland; Read by Tom Goodman-Hill
5 RADIO BROADCASTS – Minutes Approx 150 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 7
Broadcast: Monday to Friday at 6:30pm and 12:30am
“[A] surreal fantasy which delves into the mysterious workings of the subconscious mind.”

Also repeating radio drama on BBC 7: “A thrilling sci fi adventure”…

Vostok
By Bill Murphy; Performed by a full cast
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 7
Broadcast: Friday at 6pm and 12midnight
Three intrepid heroes venture into the depths beneath the Antarctic ice, to the only unexplored lake in the world: Lake Vostok. Cast: Stuart Milligan, Brana Bajic, David Earl and Ingvar Sigurdsson. Produced as a Radio 7 commission by Lawrence Jackson.

Then, there’s one quite a few folks have recommended…

The Scarifyers - The Nazad ConspiracyThe Scarifyers – The Nazad Conspiracy
By Simon Barnard; Performed by a full cast
3 Parts – Approx. 84 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 7
Broadcast: Saturdays at 6pm and midnight
Professor Dunning and Inspector Lionheart face quarrelsome Generals, sinister clowns and Russian demons as they unravel ‘The Nazad Conspiracy’. With Terry Molloy and Nicholas Courtney, The Scarifyers is a Cosmic Hobo Production.

And finally there’s this all new serialization out of Radio Scotland, read by Blake of Blake’s 7 (Gareth Thomas). This one is also special because it is a part of a trial for a limited number of radio series which are being made available with a feature called “series catch-up.” The concept is that the availability window for individual episodes is extended beyond the normal seven days after their broadcast, allowing you the chance to listen to an entire series for up to a week after the final episode is broadcast. It isn’t as convienient as podcasting the show, or even Radio Downloader-ing, but it’s nice to have BBC7 trying out some new things. Check out Hothouse…

Hothouse
By Brian Aldiss; Read by Gareth Thomas
5 Parts – [ABRIDGED]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 7
Broadcast: Sundays at 6.30pm and 00.30am
A “1962 cult classic”, set millions of years in the future. Earth is a dense jungle and in this florid and dangerous environment a young boy with a maverick streak tears his tribe apart as he embarks upon a relentless search for knowledge.

posted by Jesse

Free @ Harper Audio: Richard Matheson, Neil Gaiman, Marcia Talley

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Harper Audio, as part of their “Summer of Books” promotion, is giving away three must download short stories from their recent and upcoming audiobook releases. These are “limited time” releases, so download them right away.

Harper Audio - Road Rage by Richard Matheson, Stephen King and Joe HillDuel (from Road Rage)
By Richard Matheson; Read by Stephen Lang
1 |MP3| – Approx. 63 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Harper Audio
Published: February 2009
“Driving to San Francisco, a businessman finds himself the victim of a deadly game being played by the driver of a huge, mysterious truck. Later to become Steven Spielberg’s classic 1971 film.”

Harper Audio - Fragile Things by Neil GaimanA Study In Emerald (from Fragile Things)
By Neil Gaiman; Read by Neil Gaiman
1 |MP3| – Approx. 50 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Harper Audio
Published: September 2006
Alluding to both the Sherlock Holmes canon and the Old Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos, this Hugo Award winning short story will delight fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.P. Lovecraft, and of course, Neil Gaiman. A Study in Emerald draws listeners in through carefully revealed details as a consulting detective and his narrator friend solve the mystery of a murdered German noble. But with its subtle allusions and surprise ending, this mystery hints that the real fun in solving this case lies in imagining all the details that Gaiman doesn’t reveal, and challenges listeners to be detectives themselves.

Harper Audio - Two Of The Deadliest edited by Elizabeth GeorgeCan You Hear Me Now (from Two Of The Deadliest)
By Marcia Talley; Read by
1 |MP3| – Approx. 20 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Harper Audio
Published: July 2009
“Need can make men desperate, but greed, in my experience, makes men stupid.” – From a new collection of short stories featuring “Lust, Greed, and Murder from Outstanding Women of Mystery”

[via Mary Burkey’s Audiobooker blog]

Posted by Jesse Willis