audiobook – Page 138

BBC Radio 4: Chronicles Of Ait and The First Men In The Moon

Thursday, July 16, 2009Thursday, July 16, 2009 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Thanks to Roy and an “advance copy” of the latest Radio Times we’ve got the skinny on a couple cool programs airing on BBC Radio 4 next week!

First up, in the Book At Bedtime slot…

The First Men In The Moon
By H.G. Wells; Read by Tim Pigott-Smith
5 Parts – Approx. 75 Minutes [ABRDIGED?]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 / Book At Bedtime
Broadcast: July 20th – 24th @ 22:45-23:00
An impoverished businessman, Mr. Bedford, and an eccentric scientist, Dr. Cavor,journey to the moon only to find it already inhabited by an extraterrestrial species called “Selenites.” A similar 5 part Book At Bedtime reading was done by Tom Baker back in July 1999.

And in the Afternoon Play slot…

Chronicles Of Ait
By Michael Butt; Performed by a full cast
1 Broadcast – Approx. 45 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4 / Afternoon Play
Broadcast: July 22nd @ 14:15-15:00
A psychologist investigates a young girl’s claims to second sight. Butt is a veteran radio dramatist with many dozens of radio plays to his credit.

[Thanks Roy!]

Posted by Jesse Willis

Review of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Tuesday, July 14, 2009Tuesday, July 14, 2009 Scott D.

SFFaudio Review

The Hunger Games
By Suzanne Collins; Read by Carolyn McCormick
Audible Download – 11 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Published: 2009
Provider: Audible.com
Themes: / Science Fiction / Global Warming / Reality Television / Government / Oppression / Survival / YA /

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

The thing that impressed me the most about this book is how unpredictable it was. I have never listened to anything like it. Every time I expected a certain thing to happen it almost always happened the exact opposite.

The reader of The Hunger Games, Carolyn McCormick, was a very good reader, better than most I have listened to. Her ability to not only read the words, but put so much emotion into them was astounding.

The story is told from Katniss Everdeen’s point of view. Katniss lives in the twelfth district of a country which used to be North America, however due to multiple circumstances is now a country called Panem.

Long before Katniss was born, the districts rebelled against the capital, the capital eventually won. They subdued twelve of the districts and the thirteenth they completely obliterated. This is how the hunger games came about. The capital created the hunger games as a way to show the districts that they are still in control. To me this seems to be a kind of dictatorship.

When this story takes place Katniss is sixteen years old. She is fatherless and being the oldest, she provides food for her family. Since she and her family live on the very edge of District Twelve, which is called the Seam, she and her friend Gail regularly venture out into the wilderness to hunt for food. Katniss is excellent with a bow, and fairly handy with a knife.

To select the participants in each year’s Hunger Games, they have what is called The Reaping. The Reaping is when a representative from the capital comes to the district and calls two names, a boy and a girl. At this particular Reaping, Katniss’s little sister Prim, whom she loves above all else in the world, is called. Katniss volunteers to take Prim’s place, and is taken into the battle that is expected to cost her her life.

The author expertly wove action, tragedy, romance, and suspense all into one book. The book on many occasions had every one of my muscles tensing up because I was scared for Katniss, or it had me crying because of so many bad things happening. It called almost every emotion to come fourth while I listened.

The only thing that disappointed me about this book was the ending. It was a good ending, but it was a sort of cliffhanger. I wanted more, the spot that it left off was very unsatisfactory to me. However this does not damage my opinion of the book very much. I am hoping desperately for a sequel. Five stars all the way.

Posted by DanielsonKid (Age 14)

LibriVox: Stories Of King Arthur’s Knights Told To The Children by Mary MacGregor

Thursday, July 9, 2009Sunday, October 4, 2009 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

New at LibriVox for kids of all ages (especially those who like crossbows and catapults)…

Stories Of King Arthur’s Knights Told To The Children
By Mary MacGregor; Read by Joy Chan
7 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 1 Hour 53 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: July 8, 2009
“More than four hundred years ago there lived a diligent man called Sir Thomas Malory, who wrote in English words many of the beautiful Welsh tales about King Arthur’s Knights, that the people of Wales loved so well. All the stories in this little book were found in Malory’s big book, except ‘Geraint and Enid.’ But it, too, is one of the old Welsh tales that tell of the brave knights and fair ladies of King Arthur’s court. Many times, since Sir Thomas Malory wrote his book, have these stories been told again to old and young, but perhaps never before have they been told to the children so simply as in this little book.”

Too see all the pictures associated with this book look HERE.

Podcast feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/stories-of-king-arthurs-knights-told-to-the-children-by-mary-macgregor.xml

iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|

Posted by Jesse Willis

Recent Arrivals: Blake’s 7, Alan E. Nourse, John W. Campbell

Saturday, July 4, 2009Wednesday, July 8, 2009 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Recent Arrivals

Recent arrivals in the Canadian offices of SFFaudio include a two-in-one MP3-CD from the USA…

Star Surgeon / The Black Star Passes
By Alan E. Nourse and John W. Campbell; Read by Scott D. Farquhar
1 MP3-CD – Approx. 12 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: ScottVox
Published: 2009
Two original SFFaudio Challenge titles, The Black Star Passes and Star Surgeon, are now available on a single mp3 data disc. Both audiobooks are slightly remastered versions of the audio files which are still available for free download at Podiobooks.com and LibriVox. So this data disc version is for folks that want to save some download time. It comes in DVD style packaging and also includes a little 8 page booklet with information about both books, biographies of the authors, and a chapter/filename index. Asking price is $10.

And from the U.K. the first three episodes of the prequel audio dramas set in the Blake’s 7 universe…

Blake’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
Michael Keating reprises his most popular role as the cowardly thief, Vila Restal, the only character to appear in all 52 episodes of the original Blake’s 7 TV series. The new audio incarnation of Olag Gan played by Owen Aaronovitch also stars. (BLAKE’S 7 – THE EARLY YEARS Vol 1.1) is a prequel exploring the origins of key B7 characters prior to them meeting rebel leader, Roj Blake. This, the first of these prequel stories When Vila met Gan was written by lead writer, Ben Aaronovitch. It explores the history and enduring friendship between Gan and Vila, two of the most unlikely rebels to take up arms against the Federation.

Blake’s 7 – Point Of No Return and Eye Of The Machine (Vol. 1.2 & 1.3)
By Ben Aaronovitch and James Swallow; Performed by a full cast
2 CDs – Approx. 70 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: B7 Media
Published: November 2008
ISBN: 9781906577063
Second of the first season of prequel stories on 2 CDs, starring Colin Salmon, Keeley Hawkes, Craig Kelly, Peter Guinness, Jake Maskall, and featuring Geoffrey Palmer.

Point Of No Return (Episode 2) – The right hand of Supreme Commander Servalan, Travis (Craig Kelly) is the relentless security officer dedicated to hunting down the dissident Roj Blake… but what choices made him the man he became? London, 2230. On the eve of a tense election that will send shockwaves throughout the Federation, Major Stefan Travis finds his liberty unexpectedly cancelled and a new assignment thrust upon him. A key political opponent of the government, Carl Varon (Peter Guinness), has been arrested, accused of hate crimes and incitement to violence, but a trail of murder and conspiracy leads Travis to doubt the truth presented to him. When the deadly threat of a terrorist atrocity looms, how far will he go to prevent the deaths of millions of people? Written by James Swallow, directed by Andrew Mark Sewell.

Eye Of The Machine (Episode 3) – The University of Oxford in the year 2230, and the campus is a hotbed of student protest as Roj Blake’s Freedom Party seeks to sweep away a century of corrupt rule. Kerr Avon (Colin Salmon), a young man from the frontier, brilliant, ambitious and naïve, has arrived to make his mark on the future. Working with Professor Ensor (Geoffrey Palmer), the Federation’s eminent cyberneticist, Avon has no intention of getting involved in politics – – he may be naïve, but he isn’t stupid. But, when he meets activist Anna Grant (Keeley Hawes), all bets are off…. Written by Ben Aaronovitch, directed by Andrew Mark Sewell.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Escape Pod: All You Zombies by Robert A. Heinlein

Thursday, July 2, 2009Sunday, December 14, 2014 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Escape Pod’s Episode 200 is finally out! It’s one of my favourite time travel stories. In fact, All You Zombies is one of the most popular time travel stories of all time (according to a quick poll conducted at The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe). Listening to it now reminds me that gender reassignment surgery was a recurring theme in Heinlein’s writing (think I Will Fear No Evil). Thanks Escape Pod!

All You Zombies
By Robert A. Heinlein; Read by Steve Eley
1 |MP3| – [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: Escape Pod
Podcast: July 2, 2009
“I was polishing a brandy snifter when the Unmarried Mother came in. I noted the time—10:17 P. M. zone five, or eastern time, November 7th, 1970. Temporal agents always notice time and date; we must.”

Podcast feed:

http://escapepod.org/podcast.xml

All You Zombies by Robert A. Heinlein - The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March 1959

Posted by Jesse Willis

New Releases – Vintage SF – Frederik Pohl, Robert Bloch, Leigh Brackett and more

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 Time Traveler

New Releases

Wow! Five Great New Titles from Wonder Audio!

This Crowded Earth and Other Stories
By Robert Bloch; Read by William Coon
6hr, 39 min.- [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Wonder Audio
Published: 2009Available at Audible & iTunes

Life changes on Earth when the population tips the scales at over X billion people. Harry lives in a single room without a window and hates the commutrain ride, which is like the black hole of Calcutta on wheels. If he can get his private car out of commugarage, he might be able to get to work on time. If only it wasn’t for his headaches….

Also included are the stories “The Old College Try”, “Black Bargain”, “Founding Fathers”, and “A Good Imagination”.

Wolfbane
By Frederik Pohl & C.M. Kornbluth; Read by Mark Douglas Nelson
5hr, 34min – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Wonder Audio
Published: 2009

Available at Audible & iTunes

“A work of sheer, exuberant imagination.” (Arthur C. Clarke)

The Earth has forcibly been taken from its orbit. It began with an extra-terrestrial pyramid on top of Mt. Everest. And then a “runaway planet” took the Earth as its binary. And now harsh generations have passed since the inhabitants last saw the light of their sun, Sol.

Society has grown rigid. The meek lambs have inherited the Earth, even if it’s a very poor Earth, indeed. It’s a hard world for all. But Glenn Tropile is no lamb, and if his citizens finds out he’s a wolf, it will be the wolf that goes to slaughter.

The Four-Sided Triangle
By William F. Temple; Read by Tim Rowe
53min – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Wonder Audio
Published: 2009

Joan Leeton was certainly a lovely girl. A perfect girl for an English scientist to fall in love with. Unfortunately for Will Fredericks and Bill Josephs that’s exactly what happened, to both of them – and to the same girl too, Joan! But they were no ordinary scientists, and they created the most marvelous invention. A device that could perfectly replicate anything. But could it replicate a lovely girl named Joan Leeton? Could they create a love triangle with four people?

A classic story from Science Fiction’s Golden Age. First published in Amazing Stories in 1939.

The Vanishing Venusians
By Leigh Brackett; Read by Mark Douglas Nelson
1hr 20min – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Wonder Audio
Published: 2009

Matt Harker and his people have journeyed for far too long. They’re a rag-tag group of Earthmen and Venusians floating on the Sea of Morning Opals… floating without a home and with very little hope, victimized by hostile natives, burning fevers, bad soil, and bad luck.

When land is sighted, Harker makes the decision to scale the mountainous terrain in the dim hopes of finding a new home. With two companions, he ascends to encounter unknown malevolent alien beings. Harker thought he’d be lucky to find a habitable land – but now he thinks he will be lucky to just survive!

Plague of Pythons
By Frederik Pohl; Read by Mark Douglas Nelson
4hrs 9min – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Wonder Audio
Published: 2009

The pythons had entered into Mankind. No man knew at what moment he might be possessed! On Christmas, the world’s freedom died. Every man, woman and child lay in the grip of fear, for no one knew at what moment his nearest friend or a casual stranger might suddenly be possessed by some brutal mind… and begin to murder and destroy.

For Chandler it was worse than for most. He was both victim and executioner. He had suffered himself, and he had committed a violent crime while under the strange domination. Accused of hoaxing, he was driven from his home. He wandered the world and found it smashed like a spoiled child’s plaything. Now Chandler was in the very presence of the destroyers! But what could one person do against such power? The power of gods!

Did you know you can get either of these titles, as well as any other Wonder Audio title for just $7.49? Just sign up at Audible.com/WonderAudio

Posted by The Time Traveler of the Time Traveler Show