Review of Tales of Kirinyaga #1 by Mike Resnick

Science Fiction Audiobooks - Kirinyaga by Mike ResnickTales of Kirinyaga #1
By Mike Resnick; Read by Pat Bottino
1 Cassette – 83 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Infinivox
Published: 1997
ISBN: 1884612237
Themes: / Science Fiction / Orbital Platform / Culture /

This title from Infinivox contains two short stories by Mike Resnick. The first story, “One Perfect Morning, With Jackals”, tells of a Kenyan named Koriba who has decided to leave the Earth for Kirinyaga, an orbiting piece of real estate where he believes that he and others can live in the ancient ways of his own culture, free of the influence of European culture.

“Kirinyaga” is the second story, which takes place on Kirinyaga itself. Again, Koriba is the main character, and is living the culture he wants to live. He witnesses a baby born feet first. Since this is a sure sign of demon possession, he kills the child. “Maintenance” then pays a visit in order to tell him that he can’t be doing such things, and thus the culture clash begins anew. This Hugo Award winning story is very well-written and affecting, leaving you with much to think about.

Pat Bottino is the reader, and I found him a bit wooden, a bit emotionless, but the material is strong enough to shine through. Infinivox has a knack of selecting excellent stories to record – I haven’t heard an Infinivox title yet that I didn’t enjoy.

Posted by Scott D. Danielson

NPR (National Public Radio) asked writer/director …

SFFaudio Online Audio

NPR (National Public Radio) asked writer/director Kevin Smith to speak with with the creators of SIN CITY….nope this aint an April Fool’s joke it’s true! Smith interviews director Robert Rodriguez and comic book kingpin Frank Miller about their collaboration on the film version of Miller’s comic book classic. The 56 minute interview is an an extended version of the segment that aired April 1st 2005 can be found here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4569989

Posted by Jesse Willis

Review of Trailer Trash Savior by Tom Gerencer

Science Fiction Audiobooks - Trailer Trash Savior by Tom GerencerTrailer Trash Savior
By Tom Gerencer; Read by Tom Gerencer
MP3 Download – 10 Minutes 9 Seconds [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: www.TellTaleWeekly.com
Published: 2004
Themes: / Fantasy / Humor / Demons /

So the millennia have passed, and the time of the reckoning is once more nigh … not to mention that you’ve got a busted velvet-Elvis and the oil heat isn’t working. Find out what happens when the owner of a mullet and a used AMC Gremlin becomes “the chosen one,” and has to battle demons, various and sundry. First published in Brutarian magazine. Read by the author.

An underpaid trailer park resident is all that stands between the Earth and its total obliteration. Told in first person perspective, this odd clash of superhero style violence and the trailer park aesthetic works surprisingly well in this short story. The denizens of hell and worse planes of existence always seem to spring up during mealtime and if that isn’t bad enough our hero is forced to fight the unnamable forces of evil in a tackily decorated mobile home. This reading, by the author Tom Gerencer, isn’t bad at all – there is some backround hiss in the mp3 and the misnaming of a trailer park vehicle are all that mar the experience. Gerencer’s narration works pretty well here, and I think that has to do with it being a first person perspective tale – he isn’t forced to do different character’s voices – something best left to professional readers. This is the kind of story you recommend to a friend who’s in need of a really good laugh. Trailer Trash Savior is a full 4.6 Megabytes of downloadable MP3 for just four bits ($0.50 USD)! If you liked Buffy The Vampire Slayer, but maybe thought it was a little unrealistic for a teenage cheerleader to be the chosen one, and that say Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys would have made a better choice, have no fear the Trailer Trash Savior is here.

Posted by Jesse Willis

It’s hard to believe it has only been two years, s…

SFFaudio News

It’s hard to believe it has only been two years, so much has happened! We’re still just a toddler and half of what we say is still babble but but we’ve grown so much! Since our birth on March 31st 2003 new audiobook publishers have sprung up, older ones have started publishing science fiction and fantasy audiobooks like it was going out of fashion (but don’t worry it isn’t) and the downloadable audiobook revolution has continued in earnest. And thanks to our birthday present, a new time travel machine, we happen to know the future of science fiction and fantasy audiobooks looks only brighter and brighter in the coming year… though we were a bit ditressed to learn about the destruction of New Zealand by the rampaging alien ruminant creatures from Fomalhault.

All our best, and thanks for visiting!

Posted by Jesse Willis and Scott D. Danielson

Review of Survival: Species Imperative #1 by Juile E. Czerneda

Science Fiction Audiobook - Survival: Species Imperative 1 by Julie CzernedaSurvival: Species Imperative #1
By Juile E. Czerneda; Read by Christine Marshall and William Dufris
1 MP3-CD, 16hr [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Paperback Digital
Published: 2005
ISBN: 1584390050
Themes: / Science Fiction / Alien Life / Biology /

Survival is the first novel in the planned trilogy entitled Species Imperative. It’s science fiction in the grand tradition – written by a scientist, it contains plenty of science. As I was listening, I likened it to Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama in the way it is a constant detailed unfolding view of an alien mystery. But the comparison would have to stop there, because in this book the aliens are right there; in Rama we never got to actually see them.

The story’s main character is Dr. Mackenzie Connor, who honestly wants nothing to do with aliens. Her thing is salmon, and we first meet her while she’s studying salmon at a research facility in northwest North America. Then, a Dhryn arrives. A Dhryn is a six armed, blue, intelligent alien who seeks out Dr. Connor specifically to share some archaeological information with her. But shortly after the Dryhn arrives, strange things start to happen at the research facility, which propel Dr. Connor into a partnership with the alien as they unravel an enigma. Event by event and discovery by discovery mysteries unfold.

Christine Marshall and William Dufris turn in excellent performances. The two narrators tell the story seamlessly in a masterfully edited dual narration. The Dhryn’s voice (performed by Dufris) is very effective, and is a great example of how audiobook narration can add depth to an author’s character. Marshall has the bulk of the narrating duties here, and she sets a good pace for the prose, which contains much expositional material.

Overall, this is good hard science fiction that like all good hard science fiction leaves us much to consider; in this case about humanity, nature, and the relationship between the two.

Posted by Scott D. Danielson

This is slightly late (because the episode already…

SFFaudio Online Audio

This is slightly late (because the episode already aired), but cool nonetheless…

An interesting new spin on the phenomenon of Podcasting… The Sci-Fi Channel website is offering a podcast of a commentary track for the Season Finale of Stargate: Atlantis. It can be found here:
http://www.scifi.com/atlantis/downloads/podcast/

Ron Moore started the trend with his podcast commentary on Battlestar Galactica episodes.

Posted by Jesse Willis