New Arrivals – Christmas “Card” and more

Science Fiction Audiobook Recent Arrivals

The holiday season is upon us. Don’t forget that favorite stocking stuffer―audiobooks. The gift of the word that can be heard!


By Orson Scott Card; Read by Scott Brick and Stefan Rudnicki
2 CDs, 2.5 hrs – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: 2007
ISBN: 9781593976316
LISTEN TO A CLIP!

The children come from many nations and many religions; and while they are being trained for war, religious conflict between them is not on the curriculum. But Dink Meeker, one of the older students, doesn’t see it that way. He thinks that giving gifts isn’t exactly a religious observation, and on Sinterklaaus Day he tucks a present into another student’s shoe.

This small act of rebellion sets off a battle royal between the students and the staff, but some surprising alliances form when Ender comes up against a new student, Zeck Morgan. The War over Santa Claus will force everyone to make a choice. This audiobook is a must-give stocking stuffer for every Ender fan on your Christmas list.

magickingdom150.jpgMagic Kingdom for Sale – Sold
By Terry Brooks; Read by Dick Hill
12 CDs -14 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Brilliance Audiobooks
Published: 2007
ISBN: 9781423350125

Landover was a genuine magic kingdom, with fairy folk and wizardry, just as the advertisement promised. But after he purchased it, Ben Holiday learned that there were a few details the ad had failed to mention.

The kingdom was in ruin. The Barons refused to recognize the king, and the peasants were without hope. A dragon was laying waste the countryside, while an evil witch plotted to destroy everything.

Ben’s only followers were the incompetent Court Magician; Abernathy, the talking dog who served as Court Scribe; and the lovely Willow – but she had a habit of putting down roots in the moonlight and turning into a tree. The Paladin, legendary champion of the Kings of Landover, seemed to be only a myth and an empty suit of armor.

Metal Swarm by Kevin J. AndersonMetal Swarm; Book Six in the Saga fo Seven Suns
By Kevin J. Anderson; Read by David Colacci
16 CDs -19 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Brilliance Audiobooks
Published: 2007
ISBN: 9781597372275

For years, the alien Klikiss robots have pretended to be humanity’s friends, but their seeming “help” allowed them to plant an insidious Trojan Horse throughout the Earth Defense Forces. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating war, swarms of ancient black robots built by the lost insectoid Klikiss race continue their depredations on helpless worlds with stolen and heavily armed Earth battleships.

Among the humans, the Hansas’ brutal Chairman struggles to crush any resistance even as King Peter breaks away to form his own new Confederation among the colonies who have declared their independence.

And meanwhile, the original, voracious Klikiss race, long thought to be extinct, has returned, intent on conquering their former worlds and willing to annihilate anyone in the way.

StoneheartStoneheart; Book One in the Stoneheart Trilogy
By Charlie Fletcher; Read by Jim Dale
Playaway Digital-10 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2007.

Here’s an audiobook we received from Playaway. We reviewed the Playaway earlier this month. Read the review.

We also have a special discount code for first time purchasers.

To receive 20% off, just go to www.playawaydigital.com and during checkout enter this code:

SFFaudio20

This title is also available as a 6 CD set from the publisher, Scholastic. And yes, Jim Dale is the ever-popular narrator of the Harry Potter series.

A city has many lives and layers. London has more than most. Not all the layers are underground, and not all the lives belong to the living. Twelve-year-old George Chapman is about to find this out the hard way. When George breaks the head from a stone dragon he awakes an ancient power that has been dormant for centuries. Now that George has disturbed the fragile truce between the warring statues of London, he is forced into a race for survival where nothing is what it seems and and it´s never clear who to trust. And this is just the beginning as the statues of London awake…

SFFaudio’s Make An Audiobook Win An Audiobook Challenge (#1) NEWS!

SFFaudio Update

Meta SFFaudio - SFFaudio Contest - Make audiobook win an audiobookWhoa… retro! Yes we’d almsot completely forgot about our First SFFaudio Challenge.

When I first thought up the idea I didn’t think it’d generate much interest – it was just an idea – maybe somebody would do one or two. Boy, was I wrong! Wonderfully wrong!

Six audiobooks from the first challenge were completed within a year of the announcement. And since we’ve long since run out of prizes I figured we’d run out of challengers too, especially considering we’ve got the All New 2nd Annual SFFaudio Challenge to consider. But, I’m pleased to say I was wrong.

Scott D. Farquhar from Prometheus Radio Theatre (and Star Surgeon fame) has written in to claim The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell. This is one of the titles from in our first SFFaudio Challenge!

Scott released Star Surgeon through both LibriVox.org and Podiobooks.com. This time, Scott thinks he’s going to release The Black Star Passes through Podiobooks.com alone. Which I think is absolutely terrific. Podiobooks.com’s system will allow people who appreciate Scott’s narration to drop a dime or three in his virtual hat, as it were. 3/4’ths of every dime will end up in Scott’s hands, which means that he might be inclined to make even more audiobooks for us! Woot!

The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell

Look for the first few chapters of The Black Star Passes to show up on Podiobooks.com in the near future.

Posted by Jesse Willis

BBC7’s The Seventh Dimension has a Arthur C. Clarke short story Summertime On Icarus

SFFaudio Online Audio

BBC 7's The 7th DimensionOn Friday BBC7’s The 7th Dimension will rebroadcast an UNABRIDGED reading of Arthur C. Clarke’s short story Summertime On Icarus. This hard-sf tale, first broadcast in 2005, was first published in Vogue magazine’s June 1960, as “The Hottest Piece of Real Estate in the Solar System.”

Everything had been carefully planned, years in advance, as part of the International Astrophysical Decade. Here was a unique opportunity for a research ship to get within a mere seventeen million miles of the sun, protected from it’s fury by a two-mile-thick shield of rock and iron. In the shadow of Icarus, the ship could ride safely round the central fire which warmed all the planets, and upon which the existence of all life depended.

BBC 7 Unabridged reading Summertime On Icarus by Arthur C. ClarkeSummertime On Icarus
By Arthur C. Clarke; Read by Tim Pigott-Smith
1 Broadcast – [UNABRIDGED]
Broadcaster: BBC7 / The 7th Dimension
Broadcast: Friday November 30th 2007 @ 6:30pm and 12:30am (UK time)

Posted by Jesse Willis

New Releases

New ReleasesScience Fiction Audiobook - Escape Route by Peter F. HamiltonEscape Route
By Peter F. Hamilton; Read by Jared Doreck
– 2 hours and 35 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Infinivox
Published: 2007
The starship Lady Macbeth encounters a long-abandoned alien spacecraft, with its escape route still intact – but leading where? If the crew claims salvage rights, the technology inside could make them wealthy enough to buy planets. But first they need to make sure it’s as empty as it seems.
Listen to an |MP3| sample.

This one is a follow up to the “Infinite Crisis” series from DC Comics…

Superhero Audio Drama - 52 Part 1 - DC Comics52 – Part 1 (of 2)
By Greg Cox; Based on the DC Comics series; Performed by a full cast
6 CDs, 1 MP3-CD, or WMA Download – Approx. 6 hours [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Graphic Audio
Published: December 2007
ISBN: 1599503689
A year without Superman. A year without Batman. A year without Wonder Woman. But not a year without heroes… Earth’s most revered heroes have vanished. In their absence, the cities of Metropolis and Gotham have fallen prey to the machinations of super-villains and the criminal activities of Intergang. Booster Gold, a hero from the future, has stepped into Superman’s boots only to find them too big to fill, especially when rival hero Supernova arrives on the scene. Recruited by the mysterious crime fighter known as the Question, detective Renee Montoya investigates an even more mysterious vigilante prowling the streets: Batwoman. These and other veteran and rookie heroes around the world must unite against a vast conspiracy of evil about to usurp control of the Earth once and for all… (Part 1 of 2)

The first book in the Doc Smith’s “Skylark” series…

Science Fiction - Space Opera - Audiobook - The Skylark Of Space by E.E. Doc SmithThe Skylark Of Space
By E.E. Doc Smith; Read by Reed McColm
Audible Download, CDs, Tapes or MP3-CD – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Books In Motion
Published: November 2007
ISBN: various
The Skylark of Space is the first and one of the best space operas ever written. Breezy dialogue, romantic intrigue, fallible heroes, and complicated villains infuse humanity and believability into a conflict of galactic proportions.

Two Neil Gaiman titles that somehow flew-in under the radar…

Science Fiction Audiobook - Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Christopher ReavesInterworld
By Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves; Read by Christopher Evan Welch
CDs – 5 Hours 40 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Harper Audio
Published: June 2007
ISBN: 0061254606
“Nationally best–selling, award–winning author Neil Gaiman teams up with Emmy Award–winning screenwriter Michael Reaves for an exciting science fiction tale of teenagers saving many universes from evil. Fourteen–year–old Joey Harker always had a terrible sense of direction–one day he gets lost in his own town and finds himself in another version, where there’s a family and a school almost like his. When an older version of himself tracks Joey down, Joey learns that he’s a Walker–one who can travel between dimensions–and that an army of different versions of himself is battling the two evils that want to conquer all the worlds. Joey finds himself in a battle against the forces of magic and science that could destroy him–and all the others like him.”

Fantasy Audiobook - M Is For Magic by Neil GaimanM Is For Magic
By Neil Gaiman; Read by Neil Gaiman
CDs – 5 Hours 29 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Harper Audio
Published: June 2007
ISBN: 0061254592
“Stories to delight, enchant, and surprise you. Bestselling author and master storyteller Neil Gaiman here presents a breathtaking collection of tales that may chill or amuse readers—but always embrace the unexpected. Collection includes: The Case Of The Four And Twenty Blackbirds, Troll Bridge, Don’t Ask Jack, How To Sell The Ponti Bridge, October In The Chair, Chivalry, The Price, How To Talk To Girls At Parties, Sunbird, The Witch’s Headstone, Instructions.”

This one, from infrequent SFF provider Highbridge Audio, has one of the best titles ever…

HighbridgeAudio - Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin GrossmanSoon I Will Be Invincible
By Austin Grossman; Read by Coleen Marlo and Paul Boehmer
CDs – 10 Hours 18 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Published: June 2007
ISBN: 1598870963
Listen to an |MP3| sample.
Doctor Impossible—evil genius, mad scientist, diabolical time-traveler, wannabe world dominator—has just broken out of prison�again. He�s tried to take over the world in every conceivable way: doomsday devices (nuclear, thermonuclear, nanotechnological), armies (robot, insect, dinosaur, fungus, fish), mass mind control, even a corporate conquest (Impossible Industries LLC). Each time, he has been foiled. This time, it’s going to be different.

Posted by Jesse Willis

LibriVox: Short Science Fiction Collection Vol. 001

OnlineAudio

Librivox Audiobook - Short Science Fiction Collection Vol. 001Short Science Fiction Collection Vol. 001
By various; Read by various
10 Zipped MP3s – 5.5 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007
“Science fiction (abbreviated SF or sci-fi with varying punctuation and case) is a broad genre of fiction that often involves sociological and technical speculations based on current or future science or technology. This is a reader-selected collection of short stories originally published between 1931 and 1963, that entered the US public domain when their copyright was not renewed.”

Get the individual stories:

1 . The 4D Doodler
By Graph Waldeyer; Read by Elanor
1 |MP3| – Approx 34 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
First published in the July 1941 issue of Comet magazine

2. Bread Overhead*
By Fritz Leiber; Read by Mark F. Smith
1 |MP3| – Approx. 38 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
*There is also a variant reading of the same story by another LibriVox reader HERE.

3. Image Of The Gods
By Alan E. Nourse; Read by Jodi Krangle
1 |MP3| – Approx. 36 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
First published in Orbit magazine’s September 1954 issue.

4. Martian V. F. W.
By G. L. Vandenburg; Read by Qhali
1 |MP3| – Approx. 14 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
From Amazing Science Fiction Stories May 1959.

5. One Shot
By James Blish; Read by Reynard T. Fox
1 |MP3| – Approx. 33 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
“You can do a great deal if you have enough data, and enough time to compute on it, by logical methods. But given the situation that neither data nor time is adequate, and an answer must be produced… what do you do?”

6.
Science Fiction Short Story - Out Around Rigel by Robert H. WilsonOut Around Rigel
By Robert H. Wilson; Read by Anton
1 |MP3| – Approx. 43 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
“An astounding chronicle of two Lunarians’ conquest of time and interstellar space.”




7. Pygmalion’s Spectacles
By Stanley G. Weinbaum; Read by Chrystal Layton
1 |MP3| – Approx. 45 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]

8. The Repairman*
By Harry Harrison; Read by Anton
1 |MP3| – 29 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
*There is another reading of this tale HERE.

9. Toy Shop
By Harry Harrison; Read by Cori Samuel
1 |MP3| -12 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]

10.
Science Fiction Short Story - Warning From The Stars by Ron CockingWarning From The Stars
By Ron Cocking; Read by Rowdy Delany
1 |MP3| – Approx. 42 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
The box read: TO BE OPENED ONLY BY: Dr. Richard Forster, Assistant Director, Air Force Special Research Center, Petersport, Md. CAUTION: Open not later than 24 hours after receipt. DO NOT OPEN in atmosphere less than equivalent of 65,000 feet
above M.S.L.

Or get the whole collection via the unique podcast feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/short-science-fiction-collection-vol-001-by-various.xml

Posted by Jesse Willis

Subterranean Press’ Fall 2007 mag has Promises To Keep by Charles de Lint

SFFaudio Online Audio

Subterranean PressSubterranean Press, which produces the “Subterranean Online” magazine, the Fall 2007 issue includes another free audiobook! Colour me impressed. This isn’t the first time the prestige paperbook press has released free audio versions of their wares. There was Wax by Elizabeth Bear, Rude Mechanicals by Kage Baker and The Sagan Diaries John Scalzi. I’m just wondering when full fledged audiobook lineup will appear in the Subterranean catalogue.

Fantasy Audiobook - Promises To Keep by Charles de LintPromises To Keep
By Charles de Lint; Read by Yanni Kuznia
7 MP3s – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Subterranean Press
Published: Fall 2007

|MP3 Introduction|MP3 Chapter 1|MP3 Chapter 2|
|MP3 Chapter 3|MP3 Chapter 4|MP3 Chapter 5A|
|MP3 Chapter 5B|
Featuring Jilly Coppercorn a talented painter in the magical Canadian town of Newford

Posted by Jesse Willis