Tag: aliens

The Time Traveler has FREE STORIES by Alfred Bester, James H. Schmidtz and Mack Reynolds!

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

The Time Traveler Show PodcastOur favorite Time Traveler is back from a forced hiatus (those darned time blisters) but he’s doing us right with the dispensation of three early Christmas gifts! As he himself puts it:

Three big stories for the price of none. Makin’ up for lost time. Read by three excellent narrators.

Now would be the perfect time to subscribe to the The Time Traveler Show podcast via this feed:

http://www.timetravelershow.com/shows/feed.xml

Or if you’re still in the downloading by the digital stone-age route:

The Time Traveler show Podcast #21: An SF TrilogyAn SF Trilogy
By various; Read by various
1 |MP3| – Approx. 1 Hour [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: The Time Traveler Show
Podcast: December 4th 2007

Prone
By Mack Reynolds; Read by Corey Redekop
If Ringworld‘s Teela Brown was on the extreme right of the bell curve of luckiness who was on the extreme left? This story will tell ya.

An Incident on Route 12
By James H. Schmidtz; Read by Mark Nelson
A gangster makes good, with the goods, only to get car trouble along the way.

Will You Wait?
By Alfred Bester; Read by Pat Bottino
Deals with the devil may be hard to get in the modern era, but they’re harder to enforce in the modern business climate.

Subscribe to the Time Traveler Show via this feed:

http://www.timetravelershow.com/shows/feed.xml

Posted by Jesse Willis

Review of Eifelheim by Michael Flynn

Scott D.

SFFaudio Review

Eifelheim by Michael FlynnEifelheim
By Michael Flynn; Read by Anthony Heald
2 MP3-CDs – 17.5 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2007
ISBN: 1433206129
Themes: / Science Fiction / Philosophy / Religion / Catholicism / Aliens / Physics / First Contact / Black Death /

“Eifelheim” is a novel that’s not in a hurry. It’s a multiple course meal that offers helpings of philosophy, science, and religion at a leisurely pace that’s refreshing in today’s hurry-up climate. It was also a Hugo nominee for Best Novel of 2007.

The novel takes place in two times. In “Now”, two live-in scientists discuss and compare their findings on seemingly different subjects. One of them is investigating the absence of people in Eifelheim, a German town whose population disappeared during the 14th century. According to calculations of population patterns, this is a mathematical anomaly. The other scientist, a physicist, is trying to figure out why the speed of light is slowing down. That these two things are related is part of the story.

In the 14th century, a parish priest named Father Deitrich, who is dealing with the beginnings of the Black Death in his area, experiences first contact with an alien race that appears in his town of Eifelheim. Father Deitrich is a smart, compassionate priest, and, as he considers the aliens God’s children, he befriends them and cares for them as he can.

The focus occasionally switches back to the two scientists from “now”, who have conversations that shed light on the happenings in Eifelheim in the past. The main charm of this novel for me was the realistic portrayal of this honorable priest, and his culture. It portrays a medieval religion that was considered the source of all knowledge, and as such, the priest’s logical reasoning makes for compelling listening. To readers who enjoy philosophy and speculative science, and the history of both, it would be hard to find a modern novel more interesting.

Author Michael Flynn provides historical and physics notes at the end of the novel, and thanks should go out to Blackstone Audio for including them here in the audiobook. Narrator Anthony Heald does a tremendous job with the narration. He’s an excellent match with the material, handling accents and characters with unobtrusive skill. Choices he made with the alien voices were particularly effective.

Posted by Scott D. Danielson

Norman Spinrad Audio Drama COMPLETED and DOWNLOADABLE

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Update

Norman Spinrad's Voice OverBroken Sea Audio ProductionsTwo months ago we told you about an unproduced Norman Spinrad, audio drama that was written for Omni magazine, and that was languishing unrecorded. Broken Sea contacted Spinrad and secured the okay for go-ahead. Mark Kalita and the good folks at Broken Sea Audio Productions have now COMPLETED it. Reportedly, Spinrad has given the dramatization a thumb’s up and it is available for listening…

Voice Over by Norman SpinradVoice Over
By Norman Spinrad; Featuring a full cast
1 |MP3| – [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Broken Sea
Published: August 2007
Talk radio shows are always a source of interesting characters, sometimes originating from the most unexpected places. But amiable, unflappable talk show host Bobby Edwards gets more than he bargains for when his airwaves are suddenly hijacked by a strange cast of callers from beyond the stars.

Featuring the vocal talents of:

Mark Kalita as Bobby Edwards
Elie Hirschman as: The Announcer, Debbie, Caller #3, Electronic Voice, Daffy Duck, JFK, Groucho Marx & Ma Bell
Chip Joel as: Mr. Spock, Porky Pig, Rod Serling, Orson Welles & Bert Parks
Doug Manllen as: Caller #2 & The Director

Directed by Mark Kalita
Post-production by Paul Mannering
Music by Scott Shannon – podsafeaudio.com

posted by Jesse Willis

BBC Radio 3 talks about Life, But Not As We Know It

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Online Audio BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 has an intriguing program available through their Listen Again service. A three part series about the consequences of the existence of alien life…

The Essay – Life, But Not As We Know It
3 Radio Broadcasts – Approx. 45 Minutes [DOCUMENTARY]
BROADCASTER: BBC Radio 3
BROADCAST: July 16th, 18th and 19th 2007
A biologist, a writer and a philosopher each explore their fascination with the notion of extraterrestrial intelligence and what such a discovery could mean for the future of humanity.

Part 1 – “Biologist Jack Cohen on why the discovery of aliens would change our view of biology, evolution and organised religion.”

Part 2 – “Writer Andrew Crumey delves into our literary past to discover a fascination with alien life dating back to the middle ages and beyond.”

Part 3 – “Philosopher Nick Bostrom explains why he believes that the discovery of aliens would be a disaster for the future of humanity and lead to the end of civilisation as we know it.”

All three parts are available HERE via the BBC Radio 3 Listen Again service for the next few days or so.

posted by Jesse Willis

Decoder Ring Theatre reaches farther with Deck Gibson

Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Decoder Ring TheatreDecoder Ring Theatre SUMMER SHOWCASE continues with an all new two episode series about a manly space adventurer named Deck Gibson. I got an advance listen of this show, and it lives up to the stupendous quality Decoder Ring is becoming so well known for. The series is called:

“Deck Gibson – Far Reach Commander”

Both shows are written by Matt Wallace, the Parsec Award-winning writer and creator of The Failed Cities Monologues which first podcast through Variant Frequencies. The cast is, as always, made up of the talented actors and actresses from the Decoder Ring Theatre stable.

Deck Gibson Far Reach Commander

The first show is available now…

“Deck Gibson And The Star Dust Dancers” |MP3|

And in two week’s you’ll be able to hear the second adventure “Deck Gibson And The Last Squadron Fighter”!

Subscribe to the podcast feed to insure prompt delivery:

http://decoderring.libsyn.com/rss

posted by Jesse Willis

Zombie Astronaut collects BBCR4’s Chillers – Four Tales Of Terror

Jesse Willis

Online Audio

MP3 webzine - Zombie AstronautIn early 2002 a limited run series of chilling Science Fiction tales aired on BBC Radio 4. The series was entitled Chillers (or Chillers – Four Tales of Terror). The scripts were by Gold Sony award winning dramatist Mike Walker, the original stories were by top SF authors. Before today I’d recommended to everyone who’d listen, the first of these, Who Goes There?. It is the finest half-hour of Science Fiction Audio Drama I’ve ever experienced. But now the entire four episode series is available in the Zombie Astronaut‘s latest issue. I’m going to be savoring the rest thanks to ZA!

Chillers Four Tales Of TerrorChillers – Four Tales of Terror
Dramatized by Mike Walker; Performed by full casts
4 x 30 Minute Programs – Approx. 2 Hours [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4
Broadcast: Jan. – Feb. 2002

“Who Goes There?”
Based on story by John W. Campbell; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Penned under the name Don A. Stuart, the novelette that this play was based on was first published in the August 1938 issue of Astounding Stories.
An alien being is found frozen in the ice of Antarctica. When it is thawed, it awakens, to become a threat to the small base camp. In fact, it’s a threat to all life on earth, as it can change shape and absorb the life and bodies of every living thing it comes in contact with.

“I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream”
Based on story by Harlan Ellison; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
The Hugo Award winning short story this play was based on first appeared in the March 1968 issue of Worlds Of If.
This is a tale of five people kept alive by AM, a computer that came alive, waged war and won against mankind. It’s hatred of mankind is so profound, that it kept these five alive only to torture them.

“Delta Sly Honey”
Based on story by Lucius Shepard; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
First appeared in a 1987 anthology entitled In the Field of Fire, which was a collection of SF and Fantasy stories dealing with Vietnam.
Taking place in the Vietnam War era, this is the story of a Southern country boy who exorcises his demons making late night broadcasts to phantom military units. Then, one answers.

“Corona”
Based on story by Samuel R. Delaney; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
First published in Fantasy And Science Fiction Magazine‘s October, 1967 issue.
This is the story of an injured man and a girl who seeks death to free her from the pain that comes from her telepathic ability. Their common bond is a pop musician who offers peace to both.

posted by Jesse Willis