Review of Steve, The First by Matt Watts

Scott D.

SFFaudio Review

Steve, The First, CBCSFFaudio EssentialSteve, The First
By Matt Watts; Performed by a Full Cast
2 CDs – 2 hours – [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: CBC Radio
Published: 2007
Themes: / Science Fiction / Comedy / Post Apocalypse /

It was a thousand years ago. The Earth: in ruins, a nuclear wasteland. Humanity had written its final chapter. It took only a matter of minutes to destroy what took centuries to build. Greed, materialism… an overall sense of things being off… they would all spell society’s downfall. What few survivors remained were in a state of complete mental chaos. But all was not lost. One man, one hero, one legend, would bring civilization to the uncivilized.

This man… was Steve.

Steve, the First begins with the miraculous birth of Steve, the savior of all mankind, from a pile of rocks. Steve is not impressed with the post-apocalyptic world he sees, nor is he happy with the exploding dogs. The first people he meets are two kids who spend their time collecting dead people, and the hilarious conversation they have sets the tone for the rest of this dark comic radio drama, which was originally broadcast on CBC Radio One in 2005.

Matt Watts, who is Canadian, not that there’s anything wrong with that, wrote the series and also stars as the uninspired Steve. I’ve written about Matt Watts before, but this drama and the one that follows (aptly titled Steve, the Second) were written and broadcast before Canadia: 2056 seasons 1 and 2. That series and this one share some of the same actors, which is a great thing because this crew is wonderful.

The Colleen (Holly Lewis) is perfectly neurotic. My first clue? Her parents. Tim the Melty (Don McKellar) is positively unforgettable – a post apocalyptic Yes Man. And then there’s Steve’s nemesis, Phil Green (Mark McKinney) who still, despite the lack of a good number of people, yearns for political power.

I urge you to give this a listen – you’ll nestle it in your mind somewhere between Red Dwarf and Galaxy Quest in your pantheon of science fiction comedy. Funny, FUNNY, stuff!

Posted by Scott D. Danielson

The SFFaudio Podcast #028

Podcast

The SFFaudio PodcastThe SFFaudio Podcast #028 – Jesse and Scott are joined by Luke Burrage of The Science Fiction Book Review Podcast. First up we talk about Luke’s show and reviewing Science Fiction. Later we ask the question for our time: Are the British taking over Science Fiction?

Talked about on today’s show:
Luke Burrage: International Juggler and Entertainer, Juggling Podcasts, Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas, Gateway by Frederik Pohl, Perdido Street Station by China Miéville, NaNoWriMo, the “Void Trilogy” by Peter F. Hamilton, Richard K. Morgan, Black Man (aka Thirteen) |READ OUR REVIEW|, Altered Carbon |READ OUR REVIEW|, StarShipSofa’s Richard K. Morgan interview, Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer, Dune by Frank Herbert |READ OUR REVIEW|, Nightfall by Isaac Asimov, Nightfall by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg, Use Of Weapons by Iain M. Banks, The Day Of The Triffids by John Wyndham, Alien 3, Blade, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells |READ OUR REVIEW|, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson |READ OUR REVIEW|, Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle |READ OUR REVIEW|, rating systems vs. rankings, The Door Into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein, the PC Gamer Podcast, Singularity Sky by Charles Stross, ebooks, Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick |READ OUR REVIEW|, Market Forces by Richard K. Morgan |READ OUR REVIEW|, Time Station Berlin by David Evans.

Posted by Jesse Willis

BBC Radio 3: Bring Me The Head of Philip K. Dick

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 has just aired Bring Me The Head of Philip K. Dick. Here’s the summary:

BBC Radio 3 - Bring Me The Head Of Philip K. Dick“Gregory Whitehead’s dark, surreal and satirical drama, set in contemporary America, centres on a deadly futuristic weapon in the shape of the android head of science-fiction writer Philip K Dick. Invented by a shadowy research unit inside the Pentagon, the head – which believes it actually is Dick himself – is wreaking havoc on society and must be stopped before it finds its body.”

Credits:
Cryptica Scriptura …… Elizabeth Aspenlieder
Cathy Nebula …… Karen Beaumont
Reverend Darkleigh …… George Bergen
Nancy Robinson …… Hilary Deely
Philip Dooley …… Richard Jackson
Tiffany Splenda …… Karen Lee
The Potato Man …… Jon Swan
Perky Pat …… Anne Undeland
The Patriot …… Gregory Whitehead
Written, produced and directed by Gregory Whitehead.
Music by Laura Wiens and Nick Zammuto.
Poem by Jon Swan

[via TOTAL DICK HEAD]

UPDATE:

So over the past few days I’ve been playing with a cool piece of new software called RADIO DOWNLOADER, it’s a bit tricky to figure out (perhaps because it looks so uncomplicated) but the software works!! It brought me Bring Me The Head of Philip K. Dick – I love that!

Posted by Jesse Willis

Commentary: Where are all the Charles Stross audiobooks?

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Commentary

Charles StrossHere’s a question nobody’s been asking (but should have). Where are all the Charles Stross audiobooks?

Seriously, the guy is super talented. There have only been three commercially released Charlie Stross audiobooks (all from Infinivox). The were terrific, but they’re not enough.

If Saturn’s Children and Halting State were available as audiobooks they’d shoot up to the top of my listening stack.

Forget individual testimony for a minute, let’s just look at the awards…

Stross’ novella The Concrete Jungle won the Hugo award for its category in 2005. Accelerando won the 2006 Locus Award for best science fiction novel.Glasshouse won the 2007 Prometheus Award. The novella Missile Gap won the 2007 Locus Award for best novella. His novels Singularity Sky and Iron Sunrise garnered back to back Hugo Award nominations in 2004 and 2005. Am I missing something here? Is Stross not due for some more professionally made audiobooks?

In anticipation of a big flood of Strossian goodness over the next couple of years I’ve just now made a CHARLES STROSS author’s page, where I’ll put up details of all the Strossian audio we know about.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Recent Arrivals from The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society

Scott D.

SFFaudio Recent Arrivals

The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft
H.P.Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror
The Shadow Out of Time by H.P. Lovecraft
H.P.Lovecraft’s The Shadow Out of Time
 
Shadow Over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft
H.P.Lovecraft’s Shadow Over Innsmouth

These three recent arrivals, along with At the Mountains of Madness |SFFaudio Review|, have great packaging. All kinds of stuff are included with these CD’s, like maps scribbled on the back of a scrap of paper, news clippings, a matchbook with a single match from Arkham’s finest hotel.

Click here to visit and explore the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, who published these excellent editions.

Posted by Scott D. Danielson