The SFFaudio Podcast #710 – AUDIOBOOK/READALONG: Black Amazon Of Mars by Leigh Brackett

Podcast

The SFFaudio PodcastThe SFFaudio Podcast #710 – Black Amazon Of Mars by Leigh Brackett; read by Fred Heimbach (for PROTECTING PROJECT PULP)

This unabridged reading of the story (3 hours 4 minutes) is followed by a discussion of it.

Participants in the discussion include Jesse, Paul Weimer, Trish E. Matson, Alex (Pulpcovers.com), and Cora Buhlert

Talked about on today’s show:
Planet Stories, March 1951, Protecting Project Pulp, Fred Heimbach, inchoate, martian names, very enthusiastic, is Jesse going to like this narration?, this excellent work, enthusiastic during high tension, calm and collected, the way its told, the cover on Planet Stories, Allen Anderson, a signature under the Van Vogt, spoils the story, black and white again, Eric John Stark, her costume, there’s no helmet, she’d lost her helmet, boob armour, shakes the hair out in slow motion, use the trope, Jirel Of Joiry’s gender, gorgeous red-head woman, the interior artist, spoil it twice, it doesn’t actual mean, this is advertising, anticipation, enjoyment, you will get a cool woman with an axe, give us the quarter please, Future Science Fiction, before and after WWII, a meta-analysis, chained or unchained, brass brassiere, covers sometimes illustrate stories within, Amazing, Frank R. Paul covers, best story for this cover gets $500 bucks, The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick, background, the gates, gate of death?,a floodlight, a spaceship, the magic sword, widening the aperture, a guy in red, a guy in blue, chained to her wrist, it sells, the interior art makes more sense, dead guy’s hands, the frozen lands beyond the gates of death, the language, a writing technique, focus on particular words, background fundamentals, “burden”, the relationship between Stark and his dying buddy, fulfilling a death quest, The Road Warrior, the ending’s different, the magic quest, inspired by Black God’s Kiss, C.L. Moore and Leigh Brackett knew each other, Edmond Hamilton, Henry Kuttner, sidequest, The Sowers Of The Thunder by Robert E. Howard, Red Sonya, out of nowhere, suddenly the lord is a lady, a stand-in for sexual assault, a convenient portal to the underworld, a cursed kiss, a bit extreme, decking Eric John Stark, “oh, a woman”, a spin-on it, a happy ending, structurally, strong warrior woman, get together, regrets in the very next story, a different genre, more Conan inspired, the Burroughs for the setting, a Tarzan, semi-sentient Mercurian apes, El Borak, planetary romance, some magic item, a lost city in the mountains, a Cossack raid, the gender politics are C.L. Moore, very Planet Stories, Eric John Stark and a beautiful lady, always two women, a young innocent child like woman, a femme fatale, a dangerous woman, noir films, axe-weilding martian warlord, Leigh as a female name, why they are so different, some of the details, the viewpoint character, the female characters have a very interesting relationship, claiming citizenship, the Thanis, Tanis, thanatos, the names are pretty good, Conan-ish, proto-gaelic, defiant, late into the story, our focus is on Stark, more female, black Humphrey Bogart, The Big Sleep (1946), crackles with good dialogue, hardboiled crime, the social justice warrior of Mars, oppressed indigenous people, evil imperial colonialist, the Terran Exploitation Company, anti-capitalist, anti-colonialist, solar rays made him black, George R.R. Martin, Queen Of The Martian Catacombs, a holy-war on Mars, a failed uprising, dying-buddy, frees some slaves, Enchantress Of Venus, never enslave the hero of a pulp adventure story, darkens his skin in a photoshop?, is she just trying to distinguish from John Carter, is she trying to make a point she’s not allowed to make?, insulting words on Mars, the terrible offending word, couldn’t be printed today, character of colour, trying to make a point, Citadel Of Lost Ships, evil colonizers, illegal immigrant (aliens), Rediscovery: Science Fiction By Women Volume 2, the whipping, skins, a palate of skins, our skins too, bed of skins, wearing skins, trappers, I’ll save your skin, she flung aside the cover and rose, white skinned, narrow loins, small virginal breasts, a wildman, play, Brackett has an agenda, almost all action, escape and rest and conversation by noble and different groups, pacy action, Howardian style, Edgar Rice Burroughsy, third in the series, little connecting tissue, Simon Ashton, one of the good Earth police officers, the Skaith trilogy, The Ginger Star, Reavers Of Skaith, The Hounds Of Skaith, interstellar space, planetary romance adventures, Planet Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories, John W. Campbell, Galaxy, Venture Science Fiction, a paperback industry, Ace Doubles, The Dickhead’s Podcast, The Big Jump, Rich Horton on Twitter, 1964 Ace Double, blonde hair, a double Brackett bracket, Queen Of The Martian Catacombs, the name, nude, strong in German, not a muscleman, Eric is leader or ruler, conquer the rest of Mars, the end of Red Nails, re written from Kiara’s point of view, seeing Eric through her eyes, he’s not a prince, he’s not a royal blood, I have my father’s blood, the authority of her ancestry, a bastard, she’s pretty grumpy, retelling it from her point of view, top down rather than bottom up, Eric John Stark is a friend, steals a mount, thieves, steal the sword, he’s a thief, he’s not a royal guy getting back his crown, the same story told the other way, that story retold from an outsider’s point of view, a rival knight, he’s not a lowborn, S.M. Stirling’s The Sky People and In The Courts Of The Crimson Kings, A Princess Of Mars story flipped, the setting, playing in an existing sandbox, playing to the tropes, why we’re focusing on Eric, a pulp science fiction shared solar system, unjustly persecuted, strong female characters, #LegCling, a lot of good stuff in Planet Stories, Ray Bradbury, Frederik Pohl, Manly Wade Wellman, good stuff, Philip K. Dick was in there too, iconic for Planet Stories, well written vs. learned anything, lost civilization, ancient planet, ice monsters, Fantastic Adventures, the coolest covers, terrible badly written, the premise is minor, at the heart of it, the duty to his dead friend, his debt, incompetent or semi-competent high-born nobles, 100% pulp, I can tell stories, it doesn’t feel like science fiction at all, it practically is a straight fantasy, girdle, the belt buckle with the hidden talisman, the polar cap girdles the norlands, dressing and undressing, a writing exercise, extract meanings and ideas from individual words, very basic, there aren’t that many players, the brother and sister in the city and some frozen guy, an episode of He-Man from the 1980s, Skeletor Beyond The Gates Of Death, Conan with a recolour, laser guns, pulp science fiction put through the blender, Clark Kent or Shazam, People Of The Talisman, looks a little bit like he-man, that belt boss, possessed, psychic psionic powers, a true magic item, science you don’t understand, a thing that was lost, a thing to rally the troops around, a way of unlocking things, someone from the past possesses him, an Excalibur vibe, this object can rally people, how it is important to the city or to England, the legend of frozen ice-guy, Harlan Ellison, Charlemagne, El Cid, Barbarossa, come back in Germany’s hour of need, a Welsh character, he did not prevent brexit, Little, Big by John Crowley, Olaf Scholz, The Last Defender Of Camelot by Roger Zelazny, both episodes of The Twilight Zone, George R.R. Martin’s adaptation, you got your money’s worth, one of the most consistent, Astounding has a lot of terrible stories, the most consistently good were Weird Tales and Planet Stories, pass a few minutes very pleasantly, some silly heist movie, what makes you go back to the movie theater, complaints about the quality of their stories in the letters, old-fashioned even then, 30 years after the 1920s, a throwback, 1912, Akira Kurosawa movie, WWII bomber run movies, Dam Busters, 633 Squadron (1964), Mosquito Squadron (1969) movies, blow up some movie with a big ball bearing, Star Wars, propaganda movies made in other countries, just watch Star Wars, look there’s a y-wing going down, people writing this sort of stuff today, the second one’s the best, fun, lost cities at the pole, divinity being a scam, conforming to the scientific knowledge of the time, vaguely based on the astronomical knowledge of the time, Weird Tales mostly pays on time now, hard science fiction, outright technobabble, telepathy, writing something that is accurate vs. being fun, a fantasy story set in a world happened to be called Mars, Eternia, 1944 stories, accurate prediction, Clifford D. Simak, robotic lawnmower, Legoization of planet stories, bubble helmets, most of them were science nerds, retro-illustration, the bug-eyed monster, an 80s night, spandex and Miami Vice, Stranger Things doesn’t look like the actual 80s, frumpy clothes, very brown, fake wood paneling, legwarmers and big hair, big bubble helmets and metal bras, EMSH will do the cover, all of these things are symbols, #LegCling is a symbol, a spreadsheet, very Frazetta, covers are meant to sell magazines, scantily clad women, monsters, Margaret Brundage, maybe there’s sex inside, guides to what you’re going to get inside, swinging axes and male-female dynamics, when Frazetta gets his oils, a very Frazetta move, buttcheeks, Cosmos Science Fiction, classifying spaceships, Futurama, The World Of The Future, The World’s Fair, a talking robot, men are tied up and whipped, bathing suits, evening gown gloves, high boots, locking things up, clones of each other, this is bad, but is it that bad?, maybe they want sex-slaves, death by snu-snu, Doctor David H. Keller, modesty because of head covering, grandma’s bathing suit, women in peril vs. women in charge, amazon planet, tied up, maybe that’s why we’re here?, this is the 1950s, everything makes sense, Algis Budrys, Philip K. Dick, telling you about the people of the period and what is attractive to them, covers today, Frank R. Paul covers for Amazing, technology and grand engineering, those planets give us possibilities on how we can live in another way, a Baen cover for Virgin Planet, very Baen, the same effect of the pulps, Joust, Teucan, Jerome Bixby, Star Trek, copyright length, life plus 70s is way too long, patents are very short, Cora doesn’t have a congresspersons, even Paul and Alex don’t have congresspersons, copyright law is super-national right now, use a VPN, Thomas Mann, reason to punish an entire country, Of Withered Apples by Philip K. Dick, boots and gloves, set on Earth, a fantasy, these are really good fashions, asymmetrical brass bras with belts, don’t gender shame me, uncomfortable to wear, Flash Gordon, Margaret Bras, Return Of The Jedi, brass cups, what it’s supposed to be, this is interesting, sandskiffs, Mars, it has this history, cosplays, modern cartoons, recreating in LEGO an entire Planet Stories cover, you can put some silk under there, Queen Of The Black Coast, only wearing a belt, terrible sunburn, pale pale skin, incredibly strong sunblock, yet another, Leia is pretty passé, an episode of Chuck, Our Flag Means Death, am I crazy or is he wearing The Road Warrior (1981) costume, he’s not wearing a crescent wrench, crazy throwback callback, a wanderer, cowboy, its cosplay, how many things am I missing?, A Princess Of Mars, inspired Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress (1958), Enchantress Of Venus, E.E. Doc Smith cos-playing C.L. Moore’s North West Smith, Han Solo, Mal Reynolds, badly whipped, a loving description of every single scars, scars make you manly, a loving sexy description, obviously sex in the air, all the right ingredients, stories recreating the adventures, the actual story, as cool as it is today, sometime this year I hope, Planet Stories Podcast, bubble helmets and brass bras, a sled with some lady getting kidnapped, dying, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Yondu, scantily clad woman, rocketpack, Nelson S. Bond, Ray Cummings, women having eyes closed, woemn can see to you know, Marilyn Moroe’s lost science fiction movie, saran wrap, an ongoing thing, tanks for holding the oxygen, space accident spacesuit, form over function, in a red bathing suit, the design, these artists are amazing, a metal belt with snaps and such, brass armour, this is beautiful, the colours of these pulp covers, put this on my wall, falling from behind her, her helmet is broken, Elisabeth of Austria, Allen Anderson, so much detail, pink eyes, hatching out of, the pistol, a six-shooter, a western in space, Wagon Train in space, somewhere in Vienna, Archive.org, a scene in the magazine, not quite as pretty inside, evening gowns vs. practical pants, shocking pants, Genevieve Cogman, marvelous museums, hair decoration, Captives Of The Thieve-Star by James H. Schmitz, A Tale Of Two Clocks, target audience, Demon Breed, a real shame, sad story, the entire Protecting Project Pulp archive, Riders Of The Spaceways by Henry Kuttner, The Game Of Rat And Dragon by Cordwainer Smith, The Tree Of Life by C.L. Moore, The Waters Of Bowlegs Creek by J. E. Grinstead, Sex Slaves Of The Dragon Tong by F. Paul Wilson, The Hand of the Mandarin Quong by Sax Rohmer, Prominent Author by Philip K. Dick, a joke story, Child Of Atlantis by Edmond Hamilton, Captain Future, along with Star Trek reruns, Space: 1999, and Time Tunnel, Virgil Finlay throughout, shipwrecked on their honeymoon, The Shunned House, Power In The Era Of Post Human Capitalism, economics, Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher, Red Plenty, Strawberry Spring by Stephen King, Ghostland: In Search Of A Savage Country, The Thing In The Woods by Harper Williams, Bobby Derie wont don’t podcasts, he needs to be forced to do it, a prototype for The Dunwich Horror, Goodreads, the few racist remarks, the werewolf is never clearly seen, the W word, in our story saturated world, The Great God Pan, smiley face, good for a rainy day, a good endorsement for a book, a quoka, a wallaby, marsupial, The Dark Man by Robert E. Howard, a statue of Bran Mak Morn, the weird Robert E. Howard stuff, I want Skull-Face, in The Garden Of Fear, Almuric, The Curse Of The Golden Skull, Kull of Atlantis, very short, read a book, mow a lawn, Nanny by Philip K. Dick, planned destruction, literally trying to murder your children, a robot uprising, evil robot nannies, programmed by evil corporations.

Black Amazon Of Mars by Leigh Brackett - art by Allen Anderson

PLANET STORIES - Black Amazon Of Mars interior art

Black Amazon Of Mars by Leigh Brackett - art by Reno Maniquis (circa 2012/3)

Cirsova Edition - Black Amazon Of Mars - illustrated by StarTwo

Black Amazon Of Mars by Leigh Brackett - art by Jesse

Planet Stories - Legoization by Jesse

Cosmos Science Fiction And Fantasy, July 1954

Virgin Planet - cover by Clyde Caldwell

E.E. Doc Smith cosplaying as C.L. Moore' NORTHWEST SMITH at Worldcon 1963

Posted by Jesse WillisBecome a Patron!

The SFFaudio Podcast #686 – READALONG: Danse Macabre by Stephen King

Podcast

The SFFaudio PodcastThe SFFaudio Podcast #686 – Jesse and Evan Lampe talk about Danse Macabre by Stephen King

Talked about on today’s show:
non-fiction, explain what horror is, what is horror?, King has a lot of good stuff in this book, very casual, easy listening, frothy, an anti-academic style, high school teacher and university lecturer, a chip on his shoulder, It, not enough theme, drawn from life, incidents, a book he wrote later, Misery, the dead cat, Stand By Me (aka The Body), “Lovecraft was a racist”, “Stephen King was an is a shitlib”, conservative, bad takes in general, did you just say Lovecraft was a bad poet?, good ideas, Clark Ashton Smith’s poetry, American Liberals, vote blue no matter who, call for you favourite candidate, makin calls for Joe Biden, talking back to the Black Panthers, King is obsessed with Sputnik, obsessed with JFK, he’s dumb, a fear of political radicals, Randall Flagg, political buttons, a chaos agent, Nyarlathotep, a proud liberal, liberals are fucking idiots, when he got rich, get isolated, an op-ed called Guns by Stephen King, started off well, worn assertions, just got tired of the topic after the first cup of coffee wore off, technical complaints, this Rittenhouse thing, Boogaloo Bois, not a smart or a wise man, the worst case for making guns illegal, Biden got shat all over, other trials going on, inequities in the judicial system, public pressure, the video is exculpatory, “crossed state lines”, gut feeling reaction, where we start to go wrong, a good way of dismissing him, why did he bring that up?, paranoia, boomers, if Johnson had run again in 1968, a quantum leap moment, the Patty Hearst stuff, he lives in the public culture, Carrie, he’s not an idiot, he’s really good at making fun of people, image poems, little horror stories, not just movies, the fiction section, drifted into movies a lot, sitting in the movie theatre, the Sputnik announcement, that’s only horror if you think the United States is the good guy, thinking it through in writing, a broad outline, conspiracy dismissal of facts on the ground, Fred Hampton, extrajudical murder, playing for team America, a nice country(side), Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, Jack Finney, it comes from the same place, social horror, The Amityville Horror, the fear people have about investing in real estate, The Money Pit (1986), how children believe in magic, adult horror, my life is going to leave me, I’m going to lose my job, this is not a disciplined book, Supernatural Horror In Literature, some similarities, the fiction of his lifetime, 1950 to 1980, 1880 to 1930, Dionysian horror, terror, horror, gross-out, how much he researched it, approaching it like a researcher, his love of B-movies, I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957), Lovecraft Explainers, “he was a horror writer”, the cosmic, through the idea, the house never dreamed, it saw reality as it is, Salem’s Lot,

No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more.

ghost don’t exist except where human brains are, a guy with an axe!, a guy with a machete!, chainsaw, reflecting starlight and fears, a literary theory that authors apply, Poltergeist (1982), Bag Of Bones, a buried corpse, noisy ghost vs. spectre, descending levels, 1. terror. 2. , 3. gross-out., see the monsters, At The Mountains Of Madness, he knows Lovecraft, Philip K. Dick, the Dick horror stories, The Father Thing, The Hanging Stranger, The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch, Eye In The Sky, two levels: child, adult, caring about vampires, the horror of bills, financial stuff, what kids are like, those kids all grew up, Joe, semi-good takes, regress himself, afraid of the wrong things, what is it that makes someone capable of writing this stuff, the child in their eyes, author portraits, something in Peter Straub’s eyes, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, James Herbert, Ramsey Campbell, King’s take on Robert E. Howard, The Crabs, The Rats, The Blob (1958), danger in enjoying b-movies, his movie analysis is somehow connected to getting his writing done, getting you into the heads of characters, cinematic influence, watching a bad movie with a good scene, a frisson, your teacher wants you to hit these 6 bullshit points, know what your teacher wants, writing for himself, not hitting series very often, the pull from publishers, in syncopation with a large part of the reading audience, Hollywood, MGM is going to go out of business, they’re not very good at making movies, it drives you up the wall, movies and storytelling, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and The Outer Limits, Pigeons From Hell, Thriller, an old plantation house, axed in the head, like a folktale, Hansel And Gretel, a famine, a horrible truth, why its always the stepmom, the evil witch is the stepmom, dad went along with it, the story dominates rather than the character, built this podcast around audio, audio drama, radio drama, CBS Radio Mystery Theater, Suspense, revelations of horror through the medium of audio drama, Alien (1979) is so dark, it is not obvious in the movie, when watching a b-movie, only the things that you’re given give you the picture, a revival of audio drama as podcasts, genuine practitioners, Julie Hoverson’s 19 Nocturne Boulevard, comics, Philips and Brubaker’s Reckless, superheroes are stupid, the comics medium, a skill, training on watching a play, Arch Oboler, The Mist in 3D sound, a white blackness, hysteria, “I’m going to let a little of you out”, connecting to your anxieties, a healthy interest in horror, 1399 episodes, the Vietnamese refugees and the Metric System!, Alfred Bester, Fondly Fahrenheit, perspective is important, what the mutilation looks like, what the bad guy did to the kid, a guy without the internet, getting the materials and doing the research has never been easier, Starlog magazine, as good as it is without the internet, updated in a few places, an hour of introductory material, you can agree with him or not, like a utuber, Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde, the tarot, the ghost story, the werewolf, the vampire, thing with no name, the technological horror, the outside evil, the thing from within, The Horror At Party Beach (1964), Ghost Story by Peter Straub, Ramsey Campbell, The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson, male anxiety, a feminist reading, the woman’s domain (the house), child molester truck driver, its all about him, apolitical, exploring the agenda (with no agenda), horrors and the terrors, the cat, the bird, the spider, I Am Legend, my personal psychiatric reaction, revisiting the child molester moment with The Talisman, I strictly AC (or DC), straight, a boomer phrase, he uses everything, seeing Revival in Danse Macabre, the horrible death, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, where Thinner came from, fantasy, Matheson is using 20th century magic, bug spray and radiation, The Amityville Horror (1979), Ira Levin, a dabbler in science fiction, an outsider, hanging out with the gutter people, 70s technothriller or urban gothic, This Perfect Day, Rosemary’s Baby, satirist, standing toe to toe with 1984 and Brave New World, doubling down on the utopia, The Giver, a dystopia by way of utopia, “Wood, Wei, Christ, and Marx”, do the genre, more like H.G. Wells, the pulps, mainstream fiction, and literature, the paperbacks on the shelves, snubbed by the best people, anything Asimov wrote, Harold Robbins, Taipan, James Michener, airport fiction, Tom Clancy’s spot, Evan’s podcast, Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, high-end highbrow fiction doing lowbrow fiction, where the gutter starts or ends, he lives in the (movie) gutter, the shudder pulps, Weird Tales, horror fetishing, the cover, the scantily clad woman, torture fiction, cults, satanic panic, weird menace, Pulpcovers.com, man pulp magazines, I escape the Nazi dagger girls, “true stories”, some guy saw an SS wife one time, tapping into a mental space men are into, horror seems to be more popular with women than with men (compared with other genres), watching b-movies on first date, the amusement park roller coaster, terror as you feel you are going to die, you don’t go to a horror movie by yourself, reading a book with somebody is weird, a cheap place to go get cash, Stephen King readers are women (too), Larry Niven, Harlan Ellison, going for horror, Touched By An Angel, bad attitude, Michael Landon, mad scientist, when humans were werewolves, killing spree, the puberty experience, I Was A Teenage Frankenstein, the horror of embarrassment, the mirror, the plot is he’s really ugly, very simple, you’re going to be my assistant, a new race of superhumans to save the earth, young dead people!, collecting body parts, a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein, teenagers are not juvenile delinquents, King signed up for the society he was in, his grandfather with no teeth, sane but incomprehensible, they had a dental program, satellites are useful in space, never class resentment, the rats in the cellar, Graveyard Shift, clean the basement, taken from his own life, progressively bigger rats, this boss sucks, always very personal, Road Work fails, existential crisis unconnected to the bill of goods that is the American dream, the conservatism of horror and Alice In Wonderland, this modernist direction, if things go wrong, if a plague destroys 99% of the people, Lovecraft definitely has that, we don’t want to pick at that (science) scab, his fanzine was The Conservative, Bobby Derie’s tweets, 133 slaves in his will to gift to family members, people still have that same idea, more brownouts, drive a body, things as they are or things better, gas prices, electric cars, groups of people who are pouring co2 into the environment, The Ministry Of The Future by Kim Stanley Robinson, the capitalist system forces you to go where the work is, psychopathy of recycling, this responsibility was shifted to me, tend your own garden, those plastic measures being pushed and pushed and pushed, guillotines are carbon neutral, the great straw debate, carry around metal straws, like straws are the big problem on the planet, something you can push on to the consumer, The Troop by Nick Cutter, to fulfill a kind of niche of that horror experience you get at a movie, a gross out, terror, body horror, contamination, how Jack Finney’s The Third Level, Ray Bradbury, Reading, Short And Deep, a book begging to be filmed, in service, accept your crappy role in your life, fantasy, The Wheel Of Time fantasy TV series, 909 pages, long fantasy series are to escape from the mundanity of your job, the shared survival experience, horror being different, Lord Of The Rings, supernatural elements, magic, a secondary world, low fantasy, fantasy set in our world, the supernatural intruding on our life, On Writing, James Herbert’s The Fog, as close to a supernatural experience as you can imagine, a rational explanation in the idea of the story, terrifying, when you see the world as it truly is, not mediated by your fantasies, Lovecraft’s opening the window, the geometry doesn’t work, the rules of the world don’t work anymore, in dreams we find our way through, it wasn’t a question, he knows that he’s bullshitting, to strawman it, he knows on some level he’s wrong, the wrong messaging, we need to lie to the kids, he’s writing lies most of the time, children create their own kind of magic, the sneezing powder works against the monster (because they believe it), how society and parents deliberately lie to the kids, based on his own experiences, the reader knows its a lie, the Sputnik story, was it constructed?, that really happened to him, stories he’d have told himself over and over again, the hiking story, King on twitter, strawmanning in order to denounce, you need to have a fantasy to not go insane, a theory of reality, constructing the argument, Star Trek episode, Counselor Troi, his wife’s reaction to Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives, Sliver, a satire not considered a satire, Prometheus Award, libertarian science fiction, Heinlein’s Friday, Samuel Delany, Time Square Red Time Square Blue, F. Paul Wilson, Margaret Atwood, can you be a shitlib and a libertarian?, fear of radical institutional change, West Wing episodes, Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow, an American export, State Of Fear by Michael Crichton, ecoterrorists using untraceable drones, buying trucks, underground people, freedom fighter, there’s probably a term he would prefer?, liberal, People Of The Black Circle by Robert E. Howard, Klim’s Journey, Midwich Cuckoos, The Pre-Persons, Croatoan by Harlan Ellison, aborted fetuses, Captain Jellico tweets, the new Stephen King covers are all horrible except for Hard Case Crime, Four Past Midnight, whoever Chomper is he’s wrong, Space Prison by Tom Godwin, science fiction prison, The Doom That Came To Sarnath, 14,000 years ago, politicians willing to go to war over it, 54/40 or fight, PUBG with Americans who don’t read, “Trump’s my guy”, they’ll think he’s Mexican, ex-military, control systems, 3D printing, Dungeons & Dragons, really into games, Norther Saskatchewan, the difference in lifestyles between the Canadians and the Americans, I hate to do this but I need money (for his cat), Patreon for my life, 21st century capitalism doesn’t hit everybody in the mail, mandates, Fauci and Pelosi, smashed in the midterms, banning cars would save lives, gas prices in France, Fight Club and Breaking Bad being expressions of fascism, this is a reality, Game Of Thrones is cultural feudalism, the Queen tweets, the Queen is “entering a new phase”, Charles III, some kind of consort, William and the brats, killing your sister, Princess Eugenie, Prince Andrew went to Fuck Island, that’s the lady that owns this country.

Danse Macabre by Stephen King

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The SFFaudio Podcast #287 – READALONG: The Keep by F. Paul Wilson

Podcast

The SFFaudio PodcastThe SFFaudio Podcast #287 – Jesse, Seth, Mr Jim Moon, and John Feaster talk about The Keep by F. Paul Wilson.

Talked about on today’s show:
1981, to a professor of Slavic languages, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, the “First Age”, Hyperborea, At The Mountains Of Madness, The Mound, high fantasy, monstrous survivals, “two-fisted mighty thewed”, meeting the monster, this is not Lovecraft anymore, “big speeches very evil”, the movie, HBO, the sword is a laser beam?, that thing from Krull?, like Skeletor but less impressive, D’Spayre (Marvel Comics), “I expected you to come in evening-wear”, “He’s not Hitler”, WWII, can you use evil to fight evil, Cuza, shades of grey, chancellorship, “are you with the forces of good?”, a pretty amazing book, the Adversary Cycle, The Tomb, the “Repairman Jack” cycle, Equalizer-style, ancient Hindu mythology, deeply interested in its subject, re-reads, “written with the energy and verve and economy of a pulp novel all the themes, and character and depth of a literary novel”, Protecting Project Pulp, yellow peril, “I’ve heard Lovecraft was good for sales”, Conan The Barbarian (1982), Thulsa Doom, red hair and olive skin, a mystery novel, making assumptions, is Glen a Templar?, “What’s in the box?”, Portugal, Spain, Wales, a little map, not a castle, not a keep, built backwards, go kill Hitler, The Salem’s Lot route, a mute Nosferatu, the seduction of Cuza, Glen is a morally ambiguous character, Magda is the main character, the resonance of the title, Rasalom, Hitler, Molosar, the SS dude (Kaempffer), Woermann, moving the date 1941 to 1942, in 1941 there really is no hope (as opposed to 1942), Twitter, which evil is worse?, Gabriel Byrne, Sir Ian McKellen, WWI, the Spanish Civil War, the Condor Legion, the German anti-fascist legion, “you collaborate with anti Wallachians?”, punch-ups, Germany back on its feet, dissension in the ranks, The Psychology Of Power, George W. Bush, Obama was reading Team Of Rivals, torturing folks but not prosecuting folks, John’s second book, The Beast Within by Edward Levy, The Shining by Stephen King, Dungeons & Dragons, Pnakotic Manuscripts, Cuza uses the manuscripts as a red herring, you can’t destroy knowledge, when Jesse was less sophisticated, somebody’s got to be the publisher that published Mein Kampff, Dianetics, maybe you’re not as committed to the cause?, letting the adults slide, the Hitler Youth was mandatory, excuses might have been deadly, The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall, school children were terrifying, Nineteen-Eighty Four, informing on mommy and daddy, The Cultural Revolution, Die Brucke (aka The Bridge), Volkssturm, MG-42, April 27th, 1945, Doctor Who, Beau Geste, Magneto (Marvel Comics), J. Michael Straczynski, J.R.R. Tolkien, the Vorlons and the Shadows, Chaos and Order, put these old gods to bed, maybe I can finally die, appeasement, Glaeken returns, The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan is a retelling of Dracula and Salem’s Lot, more gloopy gloppy blood, John Carpenter’s The Thing, this book has zombies, traditional zombies, the rats, the muddy boots, the fingers, the reversal, Molosar sounds like a mid-dark age wizard or Romanian lord, Rasalom sounds like a Doctor Who character or Absalom, Mordred, Woermann -> War Man, Kempffer -> fighter, Magda -> Mary Magdalene, Cuza -> count, Glen -> valley, Glaeken -> Glaaki (Ramsey Campbell), the Fungi From Yuggoth sonnet cycle, The Courtyard, Neonomicon by Allan Moore and Jacen Burrows, Aklo,

It was the city I had known before;
The ancient, leprous town where mongrel throngs
Chant to strange gods, and beat unhallowed gongs
In crypts beneath foul alleys near the shore.
The rotting, fish-eyed houses leered at me
From where they leaned, drunk and half-animate,
As edging through the filth I passed the gate
To the black courtyard where the man would be.

The dark walls closed me in, and loud I cursed
That ever I had come to such a den,
When suddenly a score of windows burst
Into wild light, and swarmed with dancing men:
Mad, soundless revels of the dragging dead –
And not a corpse had either hands or head!

the headless corpse, “leave my house”, shaping Cuza, we get tricked, there’s something you’ve both overlooked, “Draculian harmonics”, old Slavonic, he can’t be both ignorant and knowledgeable, psychological warfare, Molasar is so much smarter, Cuza is super-manipulative, double bluff, the Dracula mystique, Molasar has to be telepathic, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Woermann mentions having seen a pirated version of Nosferatu, Molasar was aware of Cuza’s previous visits, he’s had a lot of time to think, bad dreams, he’s not interested in crumbs, the Popes forgot about it, the battery for the enchantment of the keep, the evil events begin on April 30th (Walpurgisnacht), the birds as a barometer of evil, no sequel possible, a blue winged bid with a beak full of straw, Moroi, Highlander, Highlander II (the worst movie ever made), “that’s the quickening McLeod”, a Spanish Egyptian with a Scottish accent, where did Highlander come from?, magic swords drinking power, a katana for cutting wasabi, 1980s movies came out of nowhere (seemingly), Elric (Michael Moorcock), Highlander: The Series, The Red One by Jack London, collecting heads, headless soldiers are unthinking soldiers, puppets of dark sorcery, vampires have the power to heal?, True Blood, did Cuza get the illness as a part of Molasar’s long game?

The Keep

The Keep by F. Paul Wilson - Word Cloud

The Keep

IDW F. Paul Wilson's The Keep

Posted by Jesse Willis

Seeing Ear Theatre

SFFaudio Online Audio

Seeing Ear TheatreSeeing Ear Theatre - Neil Dickson And Marina Sirtis recording THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN FUTURE

Back in 2003, for our features page, I wrote the following about Seeing Ear Theatre:

In the United States, radio drama is virtually dead. But just after the internet blossomed, “radio” drama briefly revived itself. Between 1997 and 2001 dozens of Science Fiction and Fantasy stories were produced by a dedicated and talented crew of multimedia artists, writers, actors and musicians using the RealPlayer technology to delivery “radio” drama via streaming audio. And what a revival it was!

Starting small and building bigger and better productions until its demise, the SEEING EAR THEATRE was arguably much better than the SCI-FI channel that spawned it. It managed to capture some of the top living SF writers of today, like Harlan Ellision, J. Michael Straczynski, and Kim Stanley Robinson. It also produced some classic stories, from the likes of Fredric Brown, Poul Anderson, and William Tenn.

Much of Seeing Ear Theatre‘s output was, until 2007, available at the abandoned SET section of the Sci-Fi Channel’s website. But, since then there has been nothing but fading memories of an amazing dot.com experiment, audio grandeur, flushed away into a shadowy realm of digital flotsam.

Until now.

Below you will find a fairly complete listing of most of the original material produced by Seeing Ear Theatre. There are certainly holes in this collection, but the majority of the goodness that was originally available in RealAudio is now available in MP3 format, thanks to the fans who loved it.

I have also provided the details to the few commercial releases of Seeing Ear Theatre dramatizations.

Enjoy!

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The History Of The DevilSeeing Ear Theatre – Kindred
Based on the novel by Octavia E. Butler; Adapted by Tony Daniel Performed by a full cast
4 or 5 MP3 Files – Approx. [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 2001
Provider: OctaviaButler.net / Archive.org
Based on Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 novel.
Cast:
Alfre Woodard as Dana Franklin
Lynn Whitfield as Sarah
Mykel Bath as Young Boy
P.J. Brown as Patroller #1 and male radio announcer
Leo Burmester as Kevin Franklin
Jacqueline Cuscuna as Harriet
Caroline Clay performing Slave Narratives and female radio announcer
Kevin Daniels as Nigel
Elenni Davis-Knight as Slave Girl, Hagar and Young Alice
Mot Filipowski as Patroller #3
Christopher Gardner as Young Nigel
Michelle Hurd as Alice
Marc John Jeffries as Sammy
Ezra Knight as Isaac and Jacob
Thomas Lyons as Rufus Weylin
Saundra McClain as Hannah
Craig McNulty as Blane and Coach Driver
Corliss Preston as Margaret Weylin and the Doctor
Lou Sumrall as Patroller #2 and Wagon Driver
Margot White as Rufus at Six Years Old
Nick Wyman as Tom Weylin
with Ruby Dee performing Slave Narratives
Crew:
Directed by Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna
Produced by Brian Smith and Laurissa James
Original Score Composed by Ohad Talmor
Foley Sound Effects by Sue Zizza and David Shinn
Sound Design by John Colucci
Voice Editing by John Colucci and David Shinn
Casting by Laura Richin and Judy Bowman
Executive Producer, Brian Smith
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3| Part 3 |MP3| Part 4 |MP3|
Alternative source: Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3| Part 3A |MP3| Part 3B |MP3| Part 4 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The History Of The DevilSeeing Ear Theatre – History Of The Devil
Based on a play by Clive Barker; Performed by a full cast
5 MP3 Files – Approx. 3 Hours 8 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: May 1999
A deprived and lovelorn Satan is sick and tired of living in Hell. He bemoans the loss of his angel-wings, his freedom of flight, his elegance and grace. And he misses God. So he calls a trial to seek re-admittance into Heaven. As the trial moves through space and time we revisit scenes of humanity’s failures — or are they the work of the Devil, his own wicked crimes? If Satan wins his day in court, he’ll be reunited with his Father in Heaven. And if he loses? He’ll spend eternity here with us — on Earth. Based on a play from 1980.
Cast:
Dylan Baker
Katherine Borowitz
Simon Jones
Chip Zien
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3| Part 3 |MP3| Part 4 |MP3| Part 5 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Snow Glass ApplesSeeing Ear Theatre – Snow Glass Apples
By Neil Gaiman; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 46 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre / Harper Audio
Published: 2002
ISBN: 0060012560
|READ OUR REVIEW|
Once upon a time there lived a young princess with skin as white as snow, with hair as black as coal, with lips redder than blood. Most people think they know what happens to this young unfortunate girl. Most people are wrong. Tony-award winning actress Bebe Neuwirth (Chicago, Sweet Charity, and TV’s Cheers) stars as a wise Queen who wants nothing more than to reign over her kingdom peacefully but is forced to match wits with an inhuman child who has an unnatural taste for blood.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Co-Producer, Laurissa James
Art design by Kevin Doherty
Web design by Michael Blancaflor
Cast:
Bebe Neuwirth as the Queen
Martin Carey as the Huntsman
Mark Evans as the Prince
Merwin Goldsmith as the Lord of the Fair
J.R. Horne as the Archbishop & Friar
Alissa Hunnicutt as the Maidservant
Randy Maggiore as a Soldier
Kate Simses as the Princess
Nick Wyman as the King
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|
Desktop Wallpaper |JPG|JPG|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - An Elevator And A PoleSeeing Ear Theatre – An Elevator And A Pole
By Tony Daniel; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 57 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published:
The amazing ensemble of Kyra Sedgwick, Oliver Platt, Peter Gallagher, and Stanley Tucci star in a supremely demented cross between Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, and the Marx Brothers! A strangely compelling “pole” rises up somewhere in the desert. After contemplating the pole (and their own navels) for a moment, our heroes — or are they anti-heroes? — risk being thrown off the Earth if they do not begin climbing. …Meanwhile, another group has been trapped in an elevator for days, assured that soon “the lubricant will penetrate the mechanism” and they can finally get out. Each discovers that any idea of conscious control of one’s own personal destiny is an illusion – and a deadly illusion at that. This may be the wildest, weirdest, and most thought-provoking Seeing Ear Theatre production ever!
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Associate Producer, Laurissa James
Original Score Composed and Performed by Ohad Talmor
Foley SFX by Sue Zizza and David Shinn
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Anne Bobby as Jolene
Peter Gallagher as Del
JR Horne as Ins
Ezra Knight as the Voice
Evan Pappas as Shell
Oliver Platt as Hank
Kyra Sedgwick as Melany
Stanley Tucci as Po
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Martian Crown JewelsSeeing Ear Theatre – The Martian Crown Jewels
Based on the story by Poul Anderson; Adapted by Andrew Joffe ; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 35 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
The Martian Crown Jewels have been stolen! The theft threatens to destroy diplomatic relations between Mars and Earth. Inspector Gregg, of the Earth police force stationed on Mars is stumped! Who can solve the baffling mystery and avert a galactic catastrophe of cataclysmic proportions? None other than Mars’ greatest private investigator, Syaloch, a seven-foot stork who lives in the “Street of Those who Prepare Nourishment in Ovens.” He is a brilliant thinker who (despite being a 7 foot tall bird) is the very image of another ”great detective” from Earth’s past. Can Syaloch, after all his reading of Earth’s Sherlock Holmes, crack the case in this delightful playfair mystery? Elementary!
Crew:
Produced and Directed by George Zarr
Sound Design by John Colucci and David Shinn
Cast:
Bronson Pinchot as Syaloch
Felix Van Dyk as Inspector Gregg and Officer Ybarra
Nicholas Haylett as Yagamata
Marc Fine as Steinman
Martin Carey as Hollyday
Mark Evans as Ramanowitz

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Time MachineSeeing Ear Theatre – The Time Machine
Based on the novel by H.G. Wells; Adapted by Charles Potter; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 62 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published:
A scientist invents a wondrous time machine made of ivory, crystal, brass – and a handheld computer — in our updated drama based on the H.G. Wells masterpiece. Our intrepid inventor uses the device to travel 90,000 years into the future, where he discovers the childlike Eloi, who live in ignorant bliss on the surface while the hideous, subterranean Morlocks dwell below.
Crew:
Produced and directed by Charles Potter
Sound Effects by Arthur Miller
Edit by Molly Thompson
Mix by David Rapkin
Recorded at Back Pocket Studios, New York
Cast:
Joe Morton as the Time Traveler
Timothy Jerome as Herb Wells
Alissa Hunnicutt as Weena
Margaret Albright
Matthew Arkin
John Brady
Jeff David
Ramon de Ocampo
Peter Newman
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Black CanoesSeeing Ear Theatre – Black Canoes
Adapted from the story by Tony Daniel; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Sci-Fi.com / SeeingEarTheatre
Published: September 1, 2000
“the story of two people who venture into the countryside and end up in a series of bizarre adventures involving a primitive village and things that are not what they seem.”
Crew:
Produced and Directed by George Zarr
Sound Design by John Colucci
Voice Editing by David Shinn
Foley Effects by Sue Zizza and David Shinn
Original Music Composed and Performed by Elliot Sharp
Special thanks to Randy Blume and Donna Kat of Hands On Clay
Cast:
Claudia Black as Carol Verdane
Anthony Simcoe as Edward
Peter Waldren as Nestor, Hega, and Bashi
Fran Rizzo as Deti
Dan Anthony as Jodu
Alissa Hunnicutt, Rebecca Nice, Fran Rizzo,
Aeryn Sun, and Ka D’Argo as the Jungian Mississipians

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Titanic DreamsSeeing Ear Theatre – Titanic Dreams
Based on stories by Robert Olen Butler; Adapted by Sarah Montague; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3|- Approx. 44 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Sci-Fi.com / SeeingEarTheatre
Published: January 2000?
In the still night air on April 14, 1912, an iceberg pierces the hull of the Titanic. A young American woman and an aging English bachelor connect briefly on the deck of the doomed vessel. She is unwillingly placed in a lifeboat, and he returns to the smoking lounge to await the inevitable. Decades later, they connect again; he has dissolved into the water that claimed his life, while she has passed through time onboard the lifeboat. Gigi Edgley and Clancy Brown star as the ill-fated couple who embrace life from the depths of death. Based on Robert Olen Butler’s short stories “Titanic Victim Speaks Through Waterbed” and “Titanic Survivors Found in Bermuda Triangle.”
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Laurissa M. James
Cast:
Gigi Edgley as The Woman
Clancy Brown as The Man
Debi Mae West as Roberta
Tuck Milligan as The Husband
Jane Gennaro as The Wife

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Moon MothSeeing Ear Theatre – The Moon Moth
Based on the short story by Jack Vance; adapted by George Zarr
Performed by a Full Cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 73 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published: 2000?
On the planet Sirene everyone wears a mask according to his status — or strahk — in society. Communication is accomplished through singing accompanied by a plethora of instruments, each of which signifies a different emotional mood or is used to talk to a different social caste. The problem is, the assassin Angmark is a master of Sirenese customs and — like everyone else on Sirene — his face is hidden behind a mask. Our doddering ambassador-detective’s only hope: to learn to use his own mask — the lowly Moon Moth — before Angmark relieves him of a head to put it on.
|READ OUR REVIEW|
Crew:
Produced and directed by George Zarr
Sound Design by John Colucci and David Shinn
Music Direction and Sirenese Musical Performance by Douglas Anderson
Cast:
David Garrison as Edwer Thissell and Provisionist Greenward
Tuck Milligan as Haxo Angmark and Messenger Slave
Ian Reed as Esteban Rolver and Bright Sky Bird
Mort Banks as Cornelly Welibus and Maskmaker
Mark Victor Smith as Mathew Kershaul
Leah Applebaum as Computoid, Maiden, Female Slave, and Rex
George Zarr as Steward and Paul
Andrew Joffe as Forest Goblin, Benko, and Sand Tiger
Paul Amodeo as Hostler and Toby
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Lucky StrikeSeeing Ear Theater- The Lucky Strike
Based on the novelette by Kim Stanley Robinson; Adapted by Fiona Avery; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 73 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published:
Was dropping the atomic bomb on the civilian population of Hiroshima the right thing to do back in 1945? Was there a middle path between the A-bomb and invasion? In this gripping alternate history, the Enola Gay isn’t the plane that drops the bomb. Instead it’s the Lucky Strike, as Timothy Hutton plays the pilot of the plane, a man with a burning question on his conscience.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Timothy Hutton as Frank January
Jonathan Davis as Cpt. McDonald
Richard Ferrone as Dr. Forest
Michael Hannon as Cpt. Shepard
Hank Jacobs as Cpt. Jim Fitch
Peter Francis James as Father Getty
Tuck Milligan as Colonel Scholes
Scott J. Rayow as Colonel Dray
Abigail Rose Revasch as Audrey
Ross Stoner as Lieut. Matthews
Mather Zickel as Haddock
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - A Good Knight's WorkSeeing Ear Theater – A Good Knights Work
Based on the short story by Robert Bloch; Adapted by George Zarr; Performed by a full cast
2 Broadcasts – Approx. 44 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published:
A Connecticut yankee serving King Arthur’s court? Tony Danza helps a time-traveling Arthurian knight fulfill his quest, but gets himself in a great deal of trouble with the modern day police as a result in this comic gem from the pen of Robert Bloch, author of Psycho and many other horror and fantasy classics.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by George Zarr
Sound Design by John Colucci
“Old McDonald, You Can Keep Your Farm” Words and Music by George Zarr
Guitar by John Colucci
Cast:
Tony Danza as Butch
Simon Jones as Pallagyn
Sam Coppola as Thin Tommy Malloon
Todd Cummings as Bertram and Sergeant
Andrew Joffe as Roscoe and Door Guard
J.R. Horne as the Wealthy Man
Glenn Zarr as Jefferson
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Jaguar HunterSeeing Ear Theater – The Jaguar Hunter
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 65 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published:
In this lush and seductive drama from award-winning writer Lucius Shepard, Lou Diamond Phillips (star of film and Broadway) plays Esteban Caax, a poor Honduran hunter coerced into tracking the forbidden ‘Black Jaguar of Barrio Carolina.’ Esteban stalks the cat using the method of his ancestors — only to have the jaguar mysteriously transform into a seductive Mayan woman (played by Tony-winner Chita Rivera). The hunter and hunted are soon intertwined in a seductive dance which forces them to tread a dangerous path between everyday reality and a world of ancient Mayan mystery that, in the end, might easily lead to Esteban’s death.
Cast:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Original Music Composed and Conducted by Ohad Talmor
Sound Design by John Colucci
Crew:
Lou Diamond Phillips as Esteban Caax
Chita Rivera as Miranda
Al Espinosa as Juan
Ramon de Ocampo as Eduardo/Raimundo
Denise Casano as Customer/Widow
Rafael Ferrer as Onofrio/Grandfather
John LaGioia as Father
Sara Ramirez as Encarnacion
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - FirewatchSeeing Ear Theater – Firewatch
Based on the story by Connie Willis; Adapted by by Tony Daniel; Performed by a full cast
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published: 2000
Young Bartholomew (played by the star of Broadway’s “The Green Bird,” Sebastian Roché) is a graduate student in history from a future Oxford who is assigned to join and study the famous Fire Watch Brigade-the volunteer corps whose brave members kept St. Paul’s Cathedral from being burned to the ground by Nazi incendiaries. In the course of his stay Bartholomew falls in love—and falls under suspicion of being a Nazi spy. He discovers that history is not only very much alive-it may well be set on killing one ill-prepared graduate student in particular.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by George Zarr
Sound Design by John Colucci
Vocalists, Paul Amadeo and Cheri Leone
Guitars, John Colucci and Robert Legault
Original lyrics by Tony Daniel
Original music by George Zarr
Cast:
Sebastian Roché as Bartholomew
Rika Daniel as Frieda
Ian Reed as Langby
George Holmes as Dunworthy
Rita Ben-Or
Anthony Ferguson
Nicholas Haylett
Gideon Juvenal
Ron Keith
Giovanni Pucci
John Rainer
Dieter Riesele
Vicki Stuart
Felix Van Dyke
Nicky as the Cat
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - FacadeSeeing Ear Theater – Facade
By Amanda Hopkins; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 32 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published:
To be young, and rich, and dead-what could be better? Madison Avenue advertising executives snort the ashes of their dead boss as a means of both getting high and developing ideas for their devastatingly effective campaigns. But who is using whom? How can you win in a battle to the death when your adversary has already been there and back?
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Tony Daniel and Laurissa M. James
Sound Design by John Colucci
Original Music written and performed by Matty Karas and Cheri Leone
Cast:
Anne Bobby as Melania
Craig McNulty as Levin
Jon Adams as Delton
Lisa Nicoll as Amy
Marchand Odette as Hailey
Martin Carey as David

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Sleepy Hollow: The LegendSeeing Ear Theater – Sleepy Hollow: The Legend
Based on a short story by Washington Irving; Adapted by George Zarr; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 20 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published: 1997
A musical retelling of the classic Washington Irving story… Set in early 19th century Tarrytown, New York, the story centers on Ichabod Crane, and itinerant schoolmaster whose spindly outward appearance bears a striking resemblance to his last name… On a chilly October evening in 1997, Seeing Ear Theatre presented its first edition of live Halloween audio drama, performed before an audience from the stage of the Museum of Television and Radio in Manhattan. It was broadcast as it happened on coast-to-coast radio and international webcast. Adapted from the story The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow.
Crew:
Directed by George Zarr
Cast:
P. J. Sosko as Hendrick
Paul Amadeo as Hans and Messenger
Paul Singleton as Ichabod Crane
David Grunner as Kid 1
Laura Sheridan as Kid 2
Timmy Rifesnider as Kid 3
Rebecca Nice as Mrs. O’Brien and Neighbor
Alissa Hunnicutt as Katrina Van Tassel and James
Andrew Joffe as Baltus Van Tassel
Jef Betz as Brom Bones
Cheryl Blake as Neighbor

SEEING EAR THEATRE - A Dry Quiet WarSeeing Ear Theater – A Dry Quiet War
By Tony Daniel; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 2000
A weary warrior from the Big War at the End of Time returns home to his rightful place in the past. His only desires–rest for his battle-torn mind, and the chance to rekindle the love that he thought he’d lost forever. But “glims”—violent killers that our warrior helped to create—are not far behind. These outlaws from the far future are determined to wreak a twisted revenge on the universe that has rejected them, and upon one weary warrior in particular.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by George Zarr
Sound Design by John Colucci
“There Was a Lass From Veller’s Reef” – Lyrics by Tony Daniel, Music by George Zarr
Cast:
Wilbur Fitzgerald as Henry Bone
Sheila Head as Bex Thredmartin
Tuck Milligan as Marek
Fran Rizzo as 2X2L
Mort Banks as Peter Thredmartin
Andrew Joffe as Father Wu
Jane Gennaro as Garnoth the Halandana
Ed Lane as Rall Mfutu and Adjutant
Karen Braga as Proximity
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Diary Of A Mad DietySeeing Ear Theater – Diary Of A Mad Diety
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 45 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published:
What if God were one of us? What if, in fact, God was some hack writer from Queens going by the name of Gunther Black? And say God was having a little problem with multiple personalities and schizophrenia. Say God was losing his frigging mind! With manic abandon and stylish elan, Stanley Tucci, star of such films as Big Night and the up-coming Joe Gould’s Secret, brings you…God. But this is God with a bit of problem. God with His consciousness split into thousands of personas, into dozens of nations.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Associate Producer, Laurissa James
Original Music Composed and Performed by Jeff Van Nostrand
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Stanley Tucci as Gunther Black
Tim Jerome as Dr. Prendergorst
Jackie Angelscu
Joey Diconcetto
Derek Dooley
Joseph Grasso
Michele Santopietro
Larc Spies
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Child's PlaySeeing Ear Theater – Child’s Play
Based on the short story by William Tenn; Adapted by Andrew Joffe; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 36 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Things couldn’t possibly get worse for Sam Weber, the world’s biggest loser. He’s behind on his rent. His girl is falling for another man. And, oh yeah, the worst thing of all. Sam is a lawyer. It seems Sam’s luck has finally changed when the time lines get crossed and he accidentally receives a mysterious package delivered from the future. Sam sets about improving his life–by creating life itself. Even for such a loser as Sam, it’s child’s play when you have a “Bild-A-Man Kit” from 2523 A.D. Oh, Sam is a loser, all right. But now he’s a loser with a powerful chemistry set from over 500 years in the future!
Crew:
Produced and Directed by George Zarr
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Jim Brachitta as Sam Weber
Bruce Altman as Lew Knight
Mort Banks as Census Keeper and Courier
Joan Copeland as Mrs. Lipanti
Jerry Mayer as Bild-A-Man Instructor and Judge
Cyd Quilling as Tina Hill

SEEING EAR THEATRE - In The Shade Of The Slowboat ManSeeing Ear Theater – The Shade Of The Slowboat Man
Based on the short story by Dean Wesley Smith; Adapted by Kristine Kathryn Rusch; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 34 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published:
She cannot allow herself to love him. Yet she loves him so. She is a vampire. She knows better than to fall in love. But he is her “slowboat man,” and he has transported her to reaches beyond both the living and the undead. She cannot allow herself to love him. Yet she loves him so. Can even the heart of a vampire be broken?
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Associate Producer, Laurissa James
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Annabella Sciorra as the Vampire
Richard Edward Long as John Morgan
Christopher Burns
Alissa Hunnicutt
Andrew Joffe
John Kolvenbach
Christine Lavren

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Greedy Choke PuppySeeing Ear Theater – Greedy Choke Puppy
Based on the story by Nalo Hopkinson; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 37 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published: March 10, 1998
Some in Trinidad say the soucouyant is an old woman–a crone who takes the form of a fireball at night and steals the breath of children to add more years to her unnatural life. But these are all foolish folk tales left over from a simpler time, right? So says young Jacky, who is writing her dissertation on such fairy tales at the local university. And just because Jacky’s grandmother believes in such things, that doesn’t make them real, does it?
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Original Music Composed and Performed by Jeff Van Nostrand
Sound Design by John Colucci
Foley SFX created by Sue Zizza and Alex Oliszewski
Cast:
Brenda Denmark as Soucouyant & Narrator
Venida A. Evans as Granny
Jasha Godschilde as Terry
Jacqueline Gregg as Carmen
Melanie Nicholls-King as Jackie

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The NostalgianautsSeeing Ear Theater – The Nostalgianauts
Based on the short story by S.N. Dyer; Adapted by George Zarr; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 29 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 2000
Crew:
Original audioplay written by George Zarr
Based on the short story by S.N. Dyer
Produced and Directed by George Zarr
Starring:
Kate Simses as The Girl
Beng Spies as Gar
Also featuring:
Larc Spies
as Jock 1 and Class President
Derek Dooley
as Jock 2 and Jean-Luc
Jane Gennaro
as Mom and Mrs. Trout
Leah Applebaum
as Net-Girl and Phone Voice
Sound Design by
John Colucci
What would you do if you had the ability to travel twenty-five years into the past? Visit relatives or friends from a quarter of a century ago? Maybe try and alert your younger self to what the future holds? Now look at it from the other end. What would your younger self think about being visited by an older version of yourself?
Crew:
Produced and Directed by George Zarr
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Kate Simses as The Girl
Beng Spies as Gar
Larc Spies as Jock 1 and Class President
Derek Dooley as Jock 2 and Jean-Luc
Jane Gennaro as Mom and Mrs. Trout
Leah Applebaum as Net-Girl and Phone Voice

SEEING EAR THEATRE - KnockSeeing Ear Theater – Knock
Based on the short story by Fredric Brown; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 22 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre / Beyond 2000
Published: 2000?
“The last man on earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock at the door…” The horror of, of course, doesn’t lie in the story but in the ellipses — the implication of *what* knocked at the door? The tale “Knock” opens with those two sentences, then spins a narrative that details a handful of surviving humans imprisoned in a zoo-like environment. They are under study by Zan, an alien race preparing to colonize the Earth.
Cast:
Narrator, Ira Burton
Rene Auberjonois as Walter
Lorna Raver as Woman
George as himself
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Yuri Rasovsky
Recordist, Warren Dewey
Mixer, Jamie Cerniglia

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Man Who Could Work MiraclesSeeing Ear Theater – The Man Who Could Work Miracles
Based on the short story by H.G. Wells; Suggested by a script by David Gold; Adapted by Andrew Joffe; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 29 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published:
An eccentric black comedy inspired by the H.G. Wells short story. To spark a revival of faith on earth, two angels grant a down-trodden human the power to work miracles. Bad idea. Their semi-altruistic spark unwittingly ignites the ultimate big bang.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by George Zarr
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Marc Fine as Ozzie
Rich Jones as Mike
Todd Cummings as George Spellman
Jane Gennaro as Evelyn
Tony Hoty as Pete, Cabbie, and a Light Sleeper

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Propagation Of Light In A VacuumSeeing Ear Theatre – The Propagation of Light in a Vacuum
By James Patrick Kelly – Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – 47 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published:
Seeing Ear Theatre takes you to an strange and illogical place, where our laws of nature have been repealed. In this “unreality,” near is very far away, time ticks at random — from yesterday to tomorrow to today — and imagination is the key to survival. Where did everyone go? When our hero awakes after his starship breaks reality’s speed limit, his fellow crew members have mysteriously vanished. All alone on a ship he barely understands, he stares into the depths of madness but manages to look away — with the help of his imaginary wife. Together they are haunted by the secret of the runaway starship. Dedicated to Blair Hundertmark
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Paul Giamatti as The Spaceman
Alissa Hunnicutt as The Imaginary Wife
Christine Lavren as Varina & Computer Voice
George Zarr as Old Man
Jef Betz as Young Man
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Breakaway BackdownSeeing Ear Theatre – Breakaway, Backdown
By James Patrick Kelly; Performed by a Full Cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 36 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
It’s the future, and living in space is no laughing matter. It’s hard work, and hazardous to your health, cutting life expectancy by 40 to 50 years. What kind of person would give up 40 to 50 years for the adventure of breaking away from Earth? Not Cleo. She tried desperately to break away, to start a new life in space, but failed. She backed down.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Foley SFX created by Sue Zizza and David Shinn
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Jacqueline Cuscuna as Cleo
Tara Sands as Jane
Lynette Sheldon as Elena
Christopher Burns as Pocket Jesus
Alissa Hunnicutt as Lucy
George Zarr as Computer

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Emily 501Seeing Ear Theatre – Emily 501
By Tamara Hladik; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 41 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Publisher:
Sitaine Nuluhaya is an exo-archeologist and a linguist, sent on a mission in the Cygnus system to explore the ruins of an extinct culture. As a scholar of languages, she is delighted to discover an unknown, alien language, but this ancient tongue might not be as dead as she thinks…
Crew:
Produced and Directed by George Zarr
Musical echoes performed by Bobby, Hunnicutt, and Nice
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Anne Bobby as Sitaine Nuluhaya
Alissa Hunnicutt as Computer
Rebecca Nice as Poetry Reader
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Marilyn Or The MonsterSeeing Ear Theatre – Marilyn Or The Monster
Based on a short story by Jack Dann; Adapted by Jack Dann and Brian Smith; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 45 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published:
Jack is haunted. He can’t sleep at night, terrified of an unseen monster; in fact, he hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in over 30 years… since before he was in Vietnam. His psychiatrist believes he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But for Jack, the real problem lies much deeper– and holds a far greater truth than he could possibly imagine… Based on the short story “Marilyn” by Jack Dann.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
John Heard as Jack
Thom Christopher as the Psychiatrist
Michele Santopietro as Marilyn
Christopher Burns as Soldier #1
Jim Carroll as Soldier #2
Tucker Smith as the Sergeant
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Sorry Wrong NumberSeeing Ear Theatre – Sorry, Wrong Number
By Lucille Fletcher; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 25 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Lucille Fletcher’s “Sorry, Wrong Number” originally appeared as an installment of the dramatic series Suspense and was named the greatest show of all time by Orson Welles. In Fletcher’s tense and claustraphobic tale, the bedridden Mrs. Stevenson mistakenly plugs into a telelphone conversation between two men plotting an innocent woman’s murder. The play unfolds from Mrs. Stevenson’s trapped persective, on the bed, alone–the telephone line her only connection to the outside world.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Associate Producer, George Zarr
Live Foley SFX, Sue Zizza and David Shinn
Pre-mixed SFX and Tape Ops, John Colucci
Sound Engineers, Jane Pipik and Miles Smith
Original Music composed and performed by Ohad Talmor
Program announcer, George Zarr
Cast:
Claire Bloom as Mrs. Leona Stevenson
Anne Bobby as Chief Operator & Hospital Clerk
Todd Cummings as Sergeant Duffy & Western Union
Rebecca Nice as Operator
Dick Rodstein as George
George Zarr as First Man & Information

SEEING EAR THEATRESeeing Ear Theatre – Jumping Niagara Falls
By Brian Smith and George Zarr; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 40 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Seeing Ear Theatre proudly presents the world premiere of “Jumping Niagara Falls,” an all-new sequel to Lucille Fletcher’s classic, “Sorry, Wrong Number.” “Jumping Niagara Falls” follows the fatal path of murderous husband Elbert Stevenson and his new (and much younger) girlfriend, Phoebe, as they embark on their first vacation together, to Niagara Falls. Also along for the trip: the implacable, revenge-bent spirit of Mrs. Stevenson. Recorded LIVE at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City.
Written by Brian Smith and George Zarr
Cast:
Claire Bloom
Tim Jerome
Anne Bobby
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Associate Producer, George Zarr
Live Foley SFX, Sue Zizza and David Shinn
Pre-mixed SFX and Tape Ops, John Colucci
Sound Engineers, Jane Pipik and Miles Smith
Original Music composed and performed by Ohad Talmor
Program announcer, George Zarr






SEEING EAR THEATRE - Feel The ZazSeeing Ear Theatre – Feel The Zaz
By James Patrick Kelly – Performed by a Full Cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 65 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published: ????
Play croquet with Muhammad Ali, bake cookies with Gertrude Stein, or take John Wayne’s philosophy course. That’s the allure of Starscape, the interactive VR celebrity Web site, where you can visit with your favorite stars of the 20th century. Live the glamour. Become the legend. Unfortunately for Dylan McDonough, artistic director of the site, the year is 2037, which means that most of the people on the net could care less about old, dead celebrities. Starscape is reeling. Their zaz is way down. Until the arrival of Vanity Mode, superstar wannabe. Vanity is an odd egg, a Down Syndrome patient with a Computer Aided Thinking implant, and a voice and attitude like liquid sex. This is her story.
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|



SEEING EAR THEATRE - Murder MysteriesSeeing Ear Theatre – Murder Mysteries
Based on the story by Neil Gaiman; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Sci-Fi.com / SeeingEarTheatre
Published: 2000?
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In this mystery noir set in heaven’s City of Angels before the fall, the first crime has been committed. It is an awful one. While the angelic hosts labor to create the world and its workings, one of their number is mysteriously slain by one of their own. Raguel, Angel of Vengeance, is mandated by Lucifer to discover both motive and murderer in this holy dominion that had so recently known no sin.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Cast:
Brian Dennehy as Raguel
Anne Bobby as Tink’s Friend
Christopher Burns as Saraquael
Thom Christopher as Lucifer
Ed Dennehy as Zephkiel
Michael Emerson as Narrator
Traci Godfrey as Tinkerbell Richmond
Evan Pappas as Phanuel
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Meet The NeighborSeeing Ear Theatre – Meet The Neighbor
By George Zarr; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 13 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: ????
Fasten your ears, you are about to enter a dialogue-free zone. Seeing Ear Theatre once more takes you to a dimension where, in lieu of words, a world of sound effects, grunts, and breathing paint a remarkably vivid narrative. In this auditory environment, you will join an astronaut on his solitary mission to an uninhabited planet. Or is it? What he encounters, and learns, transcends all conventional wisdom. And aside from brief snatches of Earth transmission, no one speaks — leaving you free to connect the aural dots with your own imagination.






SEEING EAR THEATRE - Orson The AlienSeeing Ear Theatre – Orson The Alien! The Untold Story Behind The War Of The Worlds
Loosely adapted from the novel by H.G. Wells and a play by Orson Welles; Adapted by Terry Bisson, Brian Smith and George Zarr; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 1 Hour 3 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
starring Walter Koenig On October 30th, 1938 Orson Welles shocked the world with his faux “news” broadcast of an Alien invasion from mars; thousands of people believed the reports and streamed into the streets, panicked and screaming for their lives. Now, 60 years later, Seeing Ear Theatre asks the question, “What if two real aliens were listening to Welles’ historic broadcast? And what if they, too, believed the reports to be authentic and felt obliged to travel to Earth to help save us from the dreaded Martians? What then, Orson? Walter Koenig (Star Trek’s Chekov, Babylon 5’s Bester) stars as one such alien, a Commander on a seemingly routine peace-keeping tour of deep space, routine that is until his young Cadet (Paul Singleton) surfs the space dial and finds “news” of Grovers Mill, New Jersey, and heat rays and charred bodies. S.E.T. regulars Jef Betz, Rebecca Nice, and George Zarr star as Bud, Rosie, and Lester, three out of luck Brooklynites with nothing much to lose, including their hapless lives. And Dick Rodstein makes his Seeing Ear Theatre debut as the boy wonder himself, Orson Welles.
Cast:
Dick Rodstein as Orson
Walter Koenig as Commander
Paul Singleton as Cadet
Jef Betz as Bud
George Zarr as Lester
Rebecca Nice as Rosie
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Associate Producer – George Zarr
Live Foley SFX – Sue Zizza and David Shinn
Pre-mixed SFX and Tape Ops – John Colucci
Sound Engineers – Jane Pipik and Miles Smith
Original Music composed and performed by
John Colucci and George Zarr
Program announcer – George Zarr

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The WheelSeeing Ear Theatre – The Wheel
By Jeff Kraus and Sue Zizza; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 51 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: May 17, 1998
In this post-apocalyptic fable, Owen and Topsie cross the near-endless Desert of Glass, staying one step ahead of the radio-active glowwinds, in search of their origins, their childhood home–and a tape machine that will let them hear the one artifact their late father left behind, a voice recording of who they are and how they came to be…
Cast:
Roxann Dawson
Andrew Robinson
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|




SEEING EAR THEATRE - Daughter EarthSeeing Ear Theatre – Daughter Earth
Based on the story by James Morrow; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 36 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Speaking before a Senate subcommittee, Pennsylvania farmer Ben Garber recounts the strange year in which he and his wife brought into the world a very unusual child. Little “Zenobia” (as she comes to be called) is a bouncing baby biosphere, loved by her parents, despised by her older brother and covetted by men of power and authority. But what does Zenobia want, and what does her presence mean for the future of mankind? Science and nature clash in this touchingly humorous fable of family, responsibility and all our hopes for a better tomorrow. James Morrow has been called “America’s best satirist” by science fiction critic James Gunn. Here he has adapted his own award-winning short story exclusively for Seeing Ear Theatre. Fans of Morrow can hear an excerpt of his novel Blameless in Abaddon in our Readings area. Daughter Earth can be found in his short story collection Bible Stories For Adults.
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Other WorldsSeeing Ear Theatre – Other Worlds
By Charles Potter; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 29 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
The astonishing account by the swashbuckling hero Cyrano de Bergerac, playwright, inventor and the greatest of all the King’s musketeers in 17th century France. This 30 minute audio adventure takes our hero to the Moon — via the French-Canadian frontier — for encounters with a threatened race of extraterrestrials and a couple of Earthborn saints. Then it’s on to the Sun for more surprise encounters before our wanderer touches down on terra firma again… but we won’t tell you where. You have to be there, or be square!






SEEING EAR THEATRE - Time's Arrow Time's SpiralSeeing Ear Theatre – Time’s Arrow Time’s Spiral
By George Zarr; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 30 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: Written December 1998
A furious confrontation between two brothers mutates into a non-stop duel of vengeance. As their orbit of homicidal retribution widens, it bursts from the dawn of time and spills into history, embroiling ancient Roman soldiers, sea-journeying Puritans, lawmen of the Old West, and two American Presidents. Who wins and who loses as the fraternal cycle of birth, retaliation, and death erupts into the remote future? Originally titled Til Next Time
*The hymn “being righteous in all need savior mighty in thee heed” (first line is a reference to “Brian Smith.”)
Cast: Paul Amodeo, Jef Betz, Leah Applebaum, Mort Banks, Andrew Joffe, and Rebecca Nice
Sound Design by John Colucci
Directed by George Zarr; Produced by George Zarr and Brian Smith








SEEING EAR THEATRE - Alice In WonderlandSeeing Ear Theatre – Alice In Wonderland
Based on the story by Lewis Carroll; Adapted by Charles Potter; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 55 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
Seeing Ear Theatre’s Original and faithful production features film star Lili Taylor (I Shot Andy Warhol, The Imposters) as Alice and Simon Jones (The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) as the White Rabbit. In an effort to bring a new look to the timeless classic, artist Elaina Ganim has incorporated John Tenniel’s original “Alice” illustrations into an exciting new series of mixed-media set designs, while Rachel Gibbs has set them in motion using RealPlayer’s G2 technology.
Crew:
Directed by Charles Potter and Brian Smith
Sound Design by David Rapkin
Foley Sound Effects by Arthur Miller
Set Design by Elaina Ganim
G2 Presentation by Rachel Gibbs
Starring:
Lili Taylor as Alice
Rebecca Nice as The Queen of Hearts
Alissa Hunnicutt as The Duchess & Doormouse
Dick Rodstein as Mad Hatter
Chris Phillips as March Hare
George Zarr as Gryphon & Knave
Merwin Goldsmith as Cheshire Cat
Tim Jerome as French Mouse & Mock-Turtle
Bill Raymond as Caterpillar & The King
Simon Jones as Charles Dodgson & White Rabbit
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Flat Edge Of The EarthSeeing Ear Theatre – The Flat Edge Of The Earth
By Brian Smith and Terry Bisson; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 70 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: ????
In this haunting tale of magical realism, two strangers, a blind woman (Nana Visitor) and a steely businessman (Alexander Siddig) meet on an ill-fated airplane ride, en route to the sunny beaches of the Caribbean. And though they get off to a bitter and bickering start, with nothing in common, they soon find that there is something more, something strange but familiar between them, unspoken. And when the plane crashes on an uncharted island they find themselves the sole survivors–and like Dante in “Inferno” they realize that they too have come to the middle of their lives, lost and alone, “trapped in a dark and mysterious wood, with the straight way lost.”
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|




SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Country DoctorSeeing Ear Theatre – The Country Doctor
Based on a short story by Franz Kafka; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 13 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1997
Mark Hamill stars in an illustrated dream-narrative about a country doctor called out on a dark and blizzard-filled night… called out, and into the unknown… called out, and swept up into the spiraling fury and forward rush of–what?
Cast:
Mark Hamill








SEEING EAR THEATRE - The First And Last Musical On MarsSeeing Ear Theatre – The First And Last Musical On Mars
By George Zarr; Performed by a full cast
3 MP3 files – Approx. 85 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
The First Internet Musical Features 14 Original Songs, 15 Singers, 7 Musicians And The One And Only Mary Jo Pehl from Mystery Science Theater 3000! The fully orchestrated production features strings, drums, horns and piano performing all styles of music from rock, pop, and blues to contemporary musical theater. Mary Jo Pehl performs in a cameo role, singing a stirring country western ballad which is sure to become a classic. The musical was written, composed and directed by George Zarr.
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3| Part 3 |MP3|






SEEING EAR THEATRE - George And The Red GiantSeeing Ear Theatre – George And The Red Giant
Adapted from a story by Stephen Baxter; Adapted by Eric Brown; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
On Babylon 5, Londo (Peter Jurasik) and G’Kar (Andreas Katsulas) have forged an uncomfortable alliance in order to maintain a tenuous galactic peace. In “George and the Red Giant,” Katsulas and Jurasik are once again forced into an unlikely partnership, this time as two New Yorkers from the 1990s who are trying to escape an alien world millions of years in the future. Further adding to their troubles, the two men have somehow been transformed into flying lemurs.
Based on the short story George and the Comet by Stephen Baxter.
Crew:
Additional Dialogue by Sean Redlitz and Brian Smith
Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Starring:
John Colucci as the Baseball Announcer
Peter Jurasik as Phil Beard
Andreas Katsulas as George Newbould
Rebecca Nice as Carrie Beard
George Zarr as the Builder and Medic
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Bigger OneSeeing Ear Theatre – The Bigger One
By Gregory Benford; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 8 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
The Big One–an 8.1 Richter scale earthquake– has struck Southern California. The Pacific Ocean has broken through new openings in the San Andreas Fault. A tidal wave has buried low-lying Mexicali and is continuing to rush inland… as Pamela Merkle, a news reporter, and Doug Aron, her driver, push 100MPH, dodging traffic in an attempt to stay on top of the ”story” AND outrun the massive wall of water behind them…
Starring:
Jef Betz as Doug Aron
John D’Arcangelo as the First Man
Andrew Joffe as the Announcer
Rebecca Nice as the Woman
Raquel Starace as Pamela Merkle
George Zarr as Herb Walker
Crew:
Sound Design by John Colucci

SEEING EAR THEATRE - Too Late An Experiment In SoundSeeing Ear Theatre – Too Late An Experiment In Sound
By Brian Smith, George Zarr, and Rick Bradley; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 10 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
Sounds paint pictures, often times better than words or photographs; they evoke something different in each of us… This week, we present an experiment in sound, a narrative composed solely of sound effects, grunts, groans, sighs, yawns, and screams… We invite you to write in with your own thoughts, your own version of the events that you hear… Let your imagination loose, let it go… and write!








SEEING EAR THEATRE - The Signal ManSeeing Ear Theatre – The Signal Man
Based on the short story by Charles Dickens; Adapted by George Zarr; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 29 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
It is 1860. A female reporter is drawn into the haunted, frenzied hallucinations of a railroad signal-man. Are the terrors he experiences a form of insanity — or a frightening shade of reality? Are his blood-curdling nightmares simply coincidence — or omens of horror to come?
Starring:
Leah Applebaum as the Reporter
Guy West as the Signal-Man
Paul Amadeo as Eddie, a railroad worker
Joe Curt as Tom, an engineer
Rebecca Nice as Millie
Crew:
Directed by George Zarr
Original Score by George Zarr
Audio Engineering by John Colucci
Audio Mixing/Sound Design by Sue Zizza

SEEING EAR THEATRE - A Clean EscapeSeeing Ear Theatre – A Clean Escape
Based on the short story by John Kessel; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 29 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
In the privacy of her office, a psychiatrist torments a man suffering from a faulty memory. Or does she? When treatment becomes a struggle for power, who can separate reality from illusion, lies from truth, sanity from insanity, guilt from innocence? And what is at stake in the world outside the room? Spend a session with Robert Lynch and Dr. D. S. Evans in John Kessel’s mind-bending dance of reality, fantasy, and psychological horror, A CLEAN ESCAPE. John Kessel’s latest novel, CORRUPTING DR. NICE, has been praised by writer Kim Stanley Robinson as “the best time travel novel ever written.” Kessel’s recent collection THE PURE PRODUCT contains the story version of “A Clean Escape,” plus the novelette “The Miracle of Ivar Avenue,” a finalist for this year’s Nebula Award.
Crew:
Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by Rick Bradley
Foley Sound Effects by Sue Zizza and David Shinn
Starring:
Paul Amodeo as Robert Lynch
Rebecca Nice as Dr. D.S. Evans

SEEING EAR THEATRESeeing Ear Theatre – Herd Mentality
By Kurt Roth; Performed by a full cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
The cast of the hit Sci-Fi Channel TV series, Mystery Science Theater 3000, stars in this original audio comedy by newcomer Kurt Roth. Roth’s short stories have appeared internationally in magazines and anthologies such as Odyssey and The Chronicles of the Round Table. In “Herd Mentality,” he and the MSTies take an absurd comic turn into the old west–back to Roswell, New Mexico, circa 1872, for a look at the “first” Roswell Incident.
Starring:
Kevin Murphy as Luke Logan
Mike Nelson as Tom Garrett, Feldar the Alien, and Hank Harker
Paul Chaplin as Pat Garrett and Vokon the Alien
Mary Jo Pehl as Ma Garrett, Zargon the Alien, and Bessi the Cow
Barbara Halas as Sam Ballinger, Moon the Horse, and Dying Cows
Jef Betz as Cal Harker and Dalton
Crew:
Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Foley Sound Effects by: Sue Zizza and David Shinn
Original Music composed by George Zarr
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|

SEEING EAR THEATRESeeing Ear Theatre – The Death Of Captain Future
Based on the short story by by Allen Steele; Adapted by Brian Smith; Performed by a full cast
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre / Dove Audio
Published: November 1998
ISBN: 0787118133
Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi on Star Trek) and Neil Dickson (Prof. Ian Matheson on She-Wolf Of London) star in this original production of Allen Steele’s Hugo-Award winning novella of the same name. Allen Steele has written numerous short stories including the recent “…Where Angels Fear to Tread,” nominated for a Nebula Award this year. In this comic and bitter piece, he takes us for a tragic trip aboard the Comet, commanded by Bo McKinnon, an obese slob who’s convinced that he’s the 1940’s pulp SF hero, Captain Future!
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|




SEEING EAR THEATRESeeing Ear Theatre – Think Like a Dinosaur
By James Patrick Kelly; Performed by a Full Cast
2 MP3 Files – Approx. 49 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published: ????
Michael O’Hare (Commander Sinclair on Babylon 5) stars in this original dramatization of the Hugo Award winning novelette of the same name, by author James Patrick Kelly. Many of Kelly’s short stories, including this one, have appeared in The Year’s Best Science Fiction. This haunting tale of deep space travel and fractured identities is Kelly’s and Michael O’Hare’s first venture into the medium of audio dramas…
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3|






SEEING EAR THEATRESeeing Ear Theatre – Wanted In Surgery
Based on the novella by Harlan Ellison; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 23 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
Wanted in Surgery” is based on the novella of the same name by Harlan Ellison; it was originally produced for South African radio in the 1950’s but Harlan Ellison and Brian Smith have revised and updated the story for a 90’s audience. Harlan Ellison also performs the lead role in this disturbing, futuristic tale…








SEEING EAR THEATRESeeing Ear Theatre – The Oblivion Syndrome
1 |MP3| – Approx. 27 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Robert is, or was, a long-range government cartographer, used to long periods of isolation… but this is different. His ship is dead in space, with no hope of rescue, the food supply’s diminishing, life support’s failing, etc., etc.; the odd thing is, Robert doesn’t really care. He’s slipped beyond the edge of the sane world… leaving Victoria, the shipboard computer, alone in the fight to bring him back.
Cast:
Paul Singleton








SEEING EAR THEATRESeeing Ear Theatre – The Monkey’s Paw
Based on the story by W.W. Jacobs; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 24 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
Ever heard the irritating “Be careful what you wish for–?” Of course you have, but have you ever truly grasped its meaning or felt its bone-chilling power? You will, after spending a little time with the White family in W.W. Jacob’s “The Monkey’s Paw.”










SEEING EAR THEATRESeeing Ear Theatre – The Tell-Tale Heart
Based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe; Adapted by Brian Smith; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 16 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1997
Come into the dark and listen to the freakish thoughts and deeds of a madman (though he’ll tell you he’s not mad) as you scan the bizarre surface dialogue between him and his helpless victim, an old man–“with an evil eye!”
Cast:
James Urbaniak








SEEING EAR THEATRE - Tripping AstralTripping Astral
By Brian Smith?; Performed by a full cast
7 Zipped MP3 Files – Approx. 1 Hour 37 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1997
Provider: Archive.org
“An illustrated audio adventure, about Jack Torn, a research scientist on the moon, a possible–or probable?–alien invasion, and a stunning new invention that might just save the world, or end it… So kick back, but bring a bit of your mind, welcome to the theater of the imagination…
PLEASE NOTE: Tripping Astral was originally an illustrated audio production (with “synchronized, streaming pictures and animations”) they are not available at this time.

Episode 1 “Pilot” |MP3|
Episode 2 “Oh Holy Night” |MP3|
Episode 3 “Cavescapes” |MP3|
Episode 4 “Hello Again” |MP3|
Episode 5 “Wanting Wings” |MP3|
Episode 6 “The Fall” |MP3|
Episode 7 “Brooklyn Bridges” |MP3|




SEEING EAR THEATRE - Into The SunSeeing Ear Theatre – Into The Sun
By Brian Smith; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 20 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1997
Mark Hamill stars in this audio thriller about Julian Freed, a medical doctor on board a spaceship en route to the nearby, but still quite distant star, Wolf 389. Freed wakes from suspended sleep to find the crew gone, and the ship heading into a sun…One strange morning, after a night of fitful sleep, Dr Freed wakes to find the ship deserted, the crew gone; in shock, Freed searches the cabins, corridors and offices, but finds nothing… not a trace… He makes his way to the bridge, there’s no one there… but he discovers that the ship is on automatic pilot, and is heading straight into a nearby sun!
Crew:
Written & Produced by Phillip B. Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Illustration by Jeff Rigby
Cast:
Mark Hamill as Dr Julian Freed
Alissa Hunnicutt as the singing alarm clock and Marie
Leo Marks as Frank
James Urbaniak as the announcer and Tim


SEEING EAR THEATRE - They're Made Out Of MeatSeeing Ear Theatre – THREE ODD COMEDIES: They’re Made Out Of Meat, The Toxic Donut and Next
By Terry Bisson; Performed by a full cast
RealAudio – Approx. 6 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
A Hugo-winning SF dramatist takes you to the far side of the Universe, where humankind is but an unlikely rumor (“They’re Made out of Meat“)… to rehearsals for the ultimate environmental awards show (“The Toxic Donut” featuring film star Peter Coyote)… and to the City Hall of the near future where racism takes on a romantic new twist (“Next“)…
Starring:
Raquel Starace as Pompous Alien
George Zarr as Bewildered Alien
The Toxic Donut
Next
A young black couple in a Dystopian future aren’t allowed to marry because of an ozone emergency. Only interracial couples that produce interracial babies that could survive the scorching effects of today’s unprotected sun are permitted wedlock. Both are expected to do their patriotic duty.

SEEING EAR THEATRE - DerelictDerelict
By Matt Costello and F.Paul Wilson; Performed by a full cast
RealAudio – Playing time variable [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998?
A mining crew found it floating on the outer reaches of the asteroid belt. When they saw what it was, they called the marines. Now an exploration team has entered the floating hulk of a ship… abandoned, lifeless. Or so they think. But as soon as they enter the open hatch, its locks close behind them. Now they’re racing the clock to figure out what’s going on and how to get out alive. And they look to you for help. Because you’re on the outside, you’re their captain… They’ll all die inside this deserted ship if you don’t act fast. Three people entered this strange craft, this derelict. How many will get out? That’s up to you… Experimental, a “choose your own adventure” style audio drama.
Directed by:
Phillip B. Smith
Starring:
James Urbaniak as Lt. Carlos Ramirez
Steve Rattazzi as Sgt. Wynn Newell
Tricia Sullivan as Cpl. Robyn Hunter

SEEING EAR THEATRESeeing Ear Theatre – Come Hammering
By Brian Smith; Performed by a full cast
RealAudio – Approx. 23 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1997
A bone-chilling ghost story about a reclusive author, John Mcrae, living in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains who’s tortured by the demons and ghosts of his childhood, demons and ghosts that hold a terrible secret, come back to haunt him on Halloween night… John Mcrae wants to be left alone, wants some peace and quiet in order to complete the latest installment in his formulaic series of “Nikki Stone” detective stories, but the local kids are out, intent on trick or treating, and the dog’s barking, and the wind’s whistling–when the past becomes present, and John Mcrae struggles to hold on to his mind… Performed in front of a live audience at The Museum of TV and Radio in New York City on Halloween night, 1997.
Crew:
Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci, Sue Zizza and Butch D’Ambrosio
Sound Engineering by Tom Curley
Starring:
Jef Betz as John Mcrae
Laura Sheridan as Nikki Mcrae
Barbara Halas as Miss Stein
Cheryl Blake
David Grunner
Rebecca Nice
Timmy Reifsnyder
Paul Singleton

Seeing Ear Theatre - Tales From The Crypt

Tales From The Crypt: Carrion Death
By James Patrick Kelly; Performed by a Full Cast
RealAudio – 41 Minutes 16 Seconds [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theater
Published: 2000
Former high school English teacher and current convict for armed robbery “Professor” Wall has a clear goal — never to return to the confines of the institutions (scholarly and otherwise) that have made his life a hell of banality and mediocrity. But sometimes a simple walk to a distinct destination isn’t so uncomplicated after all — especially when the path leads through mirages, deadly illusions, and a merciless desert wasteland of greed and desperation.

SEEING EAR THEATRE - J. Michael Straczynski's City Of Dreams

This series was intended to run 13 episodes. Only eight were completed. |TORRENT|

And so something new begins…

In the Spring of 1998 I recieved a phone call from Kathryn Drennan, author and wife of J. Michael Straczynski; she told me that Joe had heard Seeing Ear Theatre, and was a big fan of the art of radio drama, and if there were anything he could do to help support our cause, to let him know. Wow. Not only had I been a fan of Babylon 5, I credited Joe’s writing with helping to lay the groundwork for Seeing Ear Theatre‘s inception.

You see, long before I ever worked at SCI FI Channel, I read Joe’s expert book on scriptwriting, aptly titled The Complete Book Of Scriptwriting; in it is a 50 page chapter on writing radio drama. That chapter was an integral part of my own development as a radio writer, directer and producer. Without it, who knows where I’d be…?

On my next trip to Los Angeles I visited the Babylon 5 studio; Kathryn gave me a tour of the sets, and then I sat in Joe’s office and we talked radio drama. I had come to ask Joe if he’d be interested in writing something for Seeing Ear Theatre. He was, but we couldn’t quite hit upon the nature of it at first. We thought of doing a Babylon 5 spin-off series, but finally decided upon something completely new, designed specifically for the ear.

Joe had written for the 1980s revival of The Twilight Zone and had long wanted to launch a new anthology radio drama series in a similar spirit to Rod Serling’s TV classic. Joe would write all 13 half-hour episodes, with total creative freedom to go wherever he dreamed, and I would produce and direct them. Joe would also serve as the co-executive producer along with myself, helping to cast, schedule, etc. So here it is, J. Michael Straczynski’s CIty Of Dreams. A world of stories about madmen, dreamers, and fanatics, designed for the imagination, the theatre of the mind. Let us know what you think!

—Brian Smith, July 2000

Episode 1: The Damned Are Playing At Godzilla’s Tonight
By J. Michael Straczynski; Performed by a full cast

A racist club owner is haunted by an all-black band he would rather see dead than hear live.

“For our first story, I wanted something with teeth, something that took one of the more common supernatural tropes and used it in a way that dealt with contemporary themes. It has kind of a Lovecraftian feel, starting at the end, then finding out how we got here, and why. Where else can you get all that *and* a commentary on the state of the music industry?” -JMS

Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Original Music Composed and Performed by Jeff Nostrand
Sound Design by John Colucci
Executive Producers Brian Smith and J. Michael Straczynski
Cast:
Steve Buscemi as Mr. Beresford Mackey
Christopher Burns as Jimmy
Kevin Daniels as Derek B.
Beth Glover as Women
J.R. Horne as Franklin Chase
Ezra Knight as Quint
Kevin Conway as the Narrator Original Music Composed and Performed by Jeff Nostrand

By J. Michael Straczynski; Performed by a full cast

Also Featuring:

Christopher Burns as Jimmy
Kevin Daniels as Derek B.
Beth Glover as Women
J.R. Horne as Franklin Chase
Ezra Knight as Quint
Kevin Conway as the Narrator Original Music Composed and Performed by Jeff Nostrand

Sound Design by John Colucci

Executive Producers Brian Smith and J. Michael Straczynski

Episode 02: Rolling Thunder
By J. Michael Straczynski; Performed by a full cast
A father offers to give up anything to regain his lost child…and a certain Someone takes him up on it.

“We all make mistakes. Big ones, small ones, mistakes that change our lives forever. There’s our life before IT, and after IT, whatever your IT happens to be. This is the story of an IT: the loss of a child’s life, and what one person will endure in an attempt to correct that mistake. I wanted to ask one simple question: what is one person’s life really worth?” -JMS

Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Executive Producers Brian Smith and J. Michael Straczynski
Cast:
Andre Braugher as Martin Anders
Ashley Albert as Secretary
Ami Brabson as Jennifer Anders
Jacqueline Cuscuna as the Bank Clerk
Peter Francis James as Carlyle
Ramon de Ocampo as Gang Leader and Guy
Kevin Conway as the Stranger

Episode 3: The Friends of Jackie Clay
By J. Michael Straczynski; Performed by a full cast
Jackie Clay is the caretaker of a small cemetery in the City of Dreams who speaks to the dead and, when a crisis occurs, learns that he has friends he never knew he had.

“Having done two strong, serious, intense stories, I kinda wanted to write something a bit lighter, more redemptive, with a touch of humor. A guy who works at a cemetery and talks to the residents brings in response a logical question: do they talk back, and if so, what do they say? It’s a story about friends, polite behavior, and the anger of the dead.”-JMS

Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Executive Producers Brian Smith and J. Michael Straczynski
Cast:
Merwin Goldsmith as Jackie Clay
Jayce Bartock as Casey Geller
Mather Zickel as Randy
Chris Burns as Candle
Ross Stoner as Ajay
Ean Sheehy as Zack
Anne Bobby as Elizabeth Castay
Todd Cummings as Policeman and Hamilton Castay
Dick Rodstein as Civil War Soldier

Episode 4: The Tolling Of The Hour
By J. Michael Straczynski; Performed by a full cast
The clock shows no mercy. Neither does the board of directors or the CEO, who demands more than life can give, and finds himself on the business end of the clock he worships.

“We have become a society answerable to the tick of the clock, the Board of Directors, the CEO…with your average corporate employee daily crushed under the wheels of downsizing, working harder for less money so the stockholders get a ten percent per share boost. I felt there needed to be a cautionary tale about the inevitable result of grinding down people’s souls, because sooner or later, the universe downsizes those who downsize unto others.”-JMS

Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Executive Producers Brian Smith and J. Michael Straczynski
Associate Producer, Laurissa James
Assistant Director, Tony Daniel
Voice Editing by David Shinn
Cast:
Campbell Scott as Gregory Ferguson
Anne Bobby as Liz Alworthy
Christopher Burns as Intercom and Staffer #2
Todd Cummings as John the Bartender
Jane Gennaro as Secretary
Merwin Goldsmith as Chester Alworthy
Dick Rodstein as the Doctor
Mather Zickel as Staffer #1
Kevin Conway as the Narrator

Episode 5: Night Calls
By J. Michael Straczynski; Performed by a full cast
Something unusual is waiting for you in the intersection of a conversation between god and a man asked to build a *second* ark…what it will carry, and where it all goes, is not what you may be expecting.

“I told Brian that I wanted to divide CITY into three parts: 1-4 being fairly straightforward stories, and 5-8 being more experimental stories that play with the form of radio drama. Get everybody lulled into a false sense of security, and then start pulling the rug out. This is the first of the experimental episodes. Be sure to listen carefully, because not everything here is what it seems.”-JMS

Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Executive Producers Brian Smith and J. Michael Straczynski
Voice Editing by David Shinn
Associate Producer Laurissa James
Assistant Director Tony Daniel
Cast:
Tim Curry as Ben Joseph and God
Alissa Hunnicutt as Real Audio Voice
Dan Seckel as Mark
Ean Sheehy as John
Kevin Townley as Richie
Kevin Conway as the Narrator

Episode 6: MCSD 00121J
By J. Michael Straczynski; Performed by a full cast
From: Manasee County
Sheriff’s Department
Manasee County, New Jersey

The original audiotape of which this (enclosed) tape is a copy was found near the site of the Clarefield community residence 23 August 2000 by Sgt. Emile Jackson and the original copy was forwarded to the MCSD forensics lab for analysis. A second copy has been forwarded to the FBI Crime Lab in Roanoake VA for more detailed audio study.

In light of the recent tragic events of Clarefield, we appreciate any assistance your office and listeners can provide in establishing any of the identities of the persons recorded on this tape. Needless to say any information emerging from this investigation will be held in the strictest confidence. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.
Sincerely,

Captain J. J. Durham
Manasee County Sheriff’s Department

Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Executive Producers Brian Smith and J. Michael Straczynskii
Cast:
Henry Leyva as Mark
Ashley Albert as Waitress and Child
Guy Blumberg as Doc
Jim Carroll as Jacobson
Thom Christopher as Jeremiah
Alissa Hunnicutt as Child
Andrew Joffe as Frank
John Kolvenbach as Geoff
Tara Sands as Betsy and Child

Episode 07: Samuel Beckett, Your Ride Is Here
By J. Michael Straczynski; Performed by a full cast
Surrealism. Existentialism. Minimalism. Stream of Consciousness. Spaceships. What, you expected something ordinary in the City Of Dreams?

“When you experiment in audio, you can do only so many things with tricks. At some point you have to dive into the form of the narrative itself. So I wanted to try something that played with stream of consciousness, surrealism, minimalism and existentialism, but without losing some SF touchstones. Hence, this week’s episode. One long and very weird conversation. And no tricks.”-JMS

Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Sound Design by John Colucci
Executive Producers Brian Smith and J. Michael Straczynskii
Associate Producer Laurissa James
Assistant Director Tony Daniel
Cast:
John Turturro as Benjamin
Bill Irwin as Carlyle

Episode 08: The Alpha And Omega Of David Wells
By J. Michael Straczynski; Performed by a full cast
A man in search of the Truth undergoes a past-life regression that takes him further than anyone has ever gone before.
Crew:
Produced and Directed by Brian Smith
Associate Producer Laurissa James
Assistant Director Tony Daniel

“People with no tact, noting my sometimes intemperate nature, have tended to tell me, ‘Y’know, you REALLY should have a past-life regression sometime to see where all this anger is coming from.’ Which finally (after smiting them, that is) got me to thinking about what I would do in a story with this device…if there was a way to go FORWARD just as well as BACKWARD through various incarnations. When I figured that one out, The Alpha and Omega of David Wells kind of wrote itself.” -JMS

Cast:
Peter Gallagher as David Wells
Peter Francis James
Alice Barden
Jacqueline Cuscuna
Martin Carey
Tony Daniel
Laurissa James

Commercial Releases:



DOVE AUDIO - Seeing Ear Theatre - Volume 1Seeing Ear Theatre: Volume 1
By various; Performed by a full cast with introductions by Harlan Ellison
2 Cassettes – Approx. 3 Hours [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Dove Audio
Published: November 1998
ISBN: 0787118133
Stories Included:
THREE ODD COMEDIES by Terry Bisson
They’re Made Out of Meat
The Toxic Donut
Next
Into The Sun by Brian Smith
Think Like a Dinosaur by James Patrick Kelly
The Death of Captain Future by Allen Steele
A Clean Escape by John Kessel
The Bigger One by Gregory Benford

DOVE AUDIO -Seeing Ear Theatre: Volume 2Seeing Ear Theatre: Volume 2
By various; Performed by a full cast with introductions by Harlan Ellison
2 Cassettes – Approx. 3 Hours [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Dove Audio
Published: 1999
ISBN: 1787118754
Stories Included:
George And The Red Giant by Stephen Baxter and Eric Brown
The Oblivion Syndrome by Benjamin Wachs
Wanted In Surgery by Harlan Ellison and Brian Smith
The Flat Edge Of The Earth by Brian Smith and Terry Bisson
Too Late: An Experiment In Sound Theater by Brian Smith

DOVE AUDIO - Seeing Ear Theatre: Volume 3Seeing Ear Theater: Volume 3
By various; Performed by a full cast
2 Cassettes – Approx. 3 Hours [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Dove Audio
Published: 1999
ISBN: 0787118788
Stories Included:
Orson The Alien! The Untold Story Behind The War Of the Worlds by Terry Bisson, Brian Smith and George Zarr
Daughter Earth by James Morrow
The First (And Last) Musical On Mars by George Zarr

DOVE AUDIO - Seeing Ear Theatre Clive Barker's The History Of The DevilSeeing Ear Theatre: Clive Barker’s “The History of the Devil”
Based on a play by Clive Barker; Performed by a full cast
2 Cassettes – Approx. 3 Hours 8 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre / Dove Audio
Published: May 1999
ISBN: 0787118869, 0787118133
In Clive Barker’s The History Of The Devil, a deprived and lovelorn Satan is sick and tired of living in Hell. He bemoans the loss of his angel-wings, his freedom of flight, his elegance and grace. And he misses God. So he calls a trial, his appeal, to seek re-admittance into Heaven. As the trial moves through space and time, we revisit scenes of humanity’s great failures — or are they the work of the Devil, his own wicked crimes? If Satan wins his day in court, he’ll be reunited with his Father in Heaven. And if he loses? He’ll end eternity here with us — on Earth.

Fantasy Audio Drama - Neil GaimanTwo Plays For Voices
By Neil Gaiman; Performed by a full cast
2 CDs – Approx. 1.5 Hours [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Harper Audio
Published: 2002
ISBN: 0060012560 (cd),
Includes Snow Glass Apples and Murder Mysteries.
|READ OUR REVIEW|

Science Fiction Audio Drama - 2000X2000X Tales Of The Next Millennia
Produced by Yuri Rasovsky and Stefan Rudnicki
FULL CAST PRODUCTIONS with introductions by Harlan Ellison
6 Cassettes – Approx. 7 Hours [UNABRIDGED DRAMATIZATIONS]
Publisher: Fantastic Audio
Published: 2002
ISBN: 1574535307
Includes:
Knock based on the story by Fredric Brown
|READ OUR REVIEW|

Tales from the CryptSeeing Ear Theatre – Tales From The Crypt
Performed by Tim Curry, Gina Gershon, Luke Perry, Oliver Platt, John Ritter, Campbell Scott and others
4 CDs – Approx. 3 Hours [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Highbridge Audio
Published: 2002
ISBN: 1565116747
|READ OUR REVIEW|

This Trick’ll Kill You
By George Zarr;
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published:
Tales from the Crypt “This Trick’ll Kill You” was written by George Zarr,
adapted from the story in the EC Comic book “Tales from the Crypt”
originally published by William M. Gaines.
“This Trick’ll Kill You” featured Rebecca Nice as Inez Markini, Todd
Cummings as Herb Markini, Simon Jones as Jeffrey Mudgely, Andrew Joffe as
Otto Der Clown, and Francesca Rizzo as Wahdi. Also heard were Alissa
Hunnicutt as series announcer, and John Kassir and the Crypt Keeper.
“This Trick’ll Kill You” was directed by George Zarr. Produced by George
Zarr and Brian Smith. Associate Producer, Laurissa James. Overall sound
design and live effects by John Colucci. Live Foley by Sue Zizza and David
Shinn. Sound Engineers Jane Pipik and Miles B. Smith. Original music
composed and conducted by George Zarr, with Ed Iglewski on bass, Rick
Knutson on keyboards and Billy Masters on guitar. Additional Crypt Keeper
material by Jack Wohl. “Tales from the Crypt” series theme composed by Danny
Elfman with lyrics by Jack Wohl; theme arranged and performed by Ohad
Talmor. Series story editor, Tony Daniel. Executive producers Jack Wohl,
Brian Smith, Richard Donner, David Giler, Walter Hill, Joel Silver and
Robert Zemeckis.

Author Readings:

Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsPat Cadigan Reads From Tea From An Empty Cup
1 |MP3| – Approx. 14 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsWilliam Gibson Reads From All Tomorrow’s Parties
1 |MP3| – Approx. 13 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org

Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsMaureen F. McHugh reads from China Mountain Zhang
1 |MP3| – Approx. 19 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsConnie Willis reads from Bellwether
1 |MP3| – Approx. 20 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsKit Reed reads from The Bride Of Bigfoot
1 |MP3| – Approx. 18 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsJames Morrow reads from Blameless In Abaddon
1 |MP3| – Approx. 26 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsGreg Bear reads from Dinosaur Summer
1 |MP3| – Approx. 16 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsWalter Koenig reads from Warped Factors
1 |MP3| – Approx. 23 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsSkidoo and Bat Boy
By Patrick O’Leary; Read by Patrick O’Leary
1 |MP3| – Approx. 39 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org
Recorded at ReaderCon 10.

Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsPaul Levinson reads an extract from The Silk Code
1 |MP3| – Approx. 15 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsNalo Hopkinson reads an extract from Brown Girl In The Ring
1 |MP3| – Approx. 27 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsRichard Belzer reads an excerpt from UFOs, JFK, And Elvis
1 |MP3| – Approx. 18 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsKristine Kathryn Rusch reads from The Fey: Sacrifice
1 |MP3| – Approx. 24 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsNeil Gaiman reads Chapter 3 of Stardust
1 |MP3| – Approx. 22 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org

Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsGet A Grip
By Paul Park; Read by Paul Park
1 |MP3| – Approx. 26 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsK.W. Jeter reads the first chapter of Noir
1 |MP3| – Approx. 22 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsBruce Sterling reads from Distraction
By Bruce Sterling; Read by Bruce Sterling
1 |MP3| – Approx. 31 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsFruitcake Theory
By James Patrick Kelly; Read by James Patrick Kelly
1 |MP3| – Approx. 34 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsSamuel R. Delany reads from The Einstein Intersection
By Samuel R. Delany; Read by Samuel R. Delany
1 |MP3| – Approx. 24 Minutes [EXCERPT]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsUnto The Daughters and Margin Of Error
By Nancy Kress; Read by Nancy Kress
1 |MP3| – Approx. 30 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org
Recorded at the 1998 Baltimore WorldCon.


Seeing Ear Theatre - ReadingsThe Goblin King and The Dead Boy At Your Window
By Bruce Holland Rogers; Read by Bruce Holland Rogers
1 |MP3| – Approx. 11 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1999
Provider: Archive.org


Other:


Treks Not TakenTreks Not Taken
By Steven R. Boyett; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 12 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Seeing Ear Theatre
Published: 1998
Provider: Archive.org
A parody cross between Star Trek: The Next Generation and Moby Dick.

[via Calfkiller Old Time Radio, OctaviaButler.net and Archive.org and Roy!]

Posted by Jesse Willis

An Hour with F. Paul Wilson (and Joe Lansdale)

SFFaudio Online Audio

Joe Lansdale and F. Paul Wilson at the 1990 World Fantasy Convention in Chicago

Hunter Goatley has posted up an excellent convention recording. F. Paul Wilson was the Guest of Honor at the 1990 World Fantasy Convention in Chicago. His featured presentation was an hour-long interview session, which was hosted by Joe Lansdale. Here is that |MP3| appropriately titled: An Hour with F. Paul Wilson Pictured above Lansdale (left) and Wilson (right). If you are a fan of either Joe Lansdale or F. Paul Wilson, it is well worth a listen.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Review of Slasher by F. Paul Wilson

Aural Noir: Review

Grist Mill - SlasherThe Grist Mill: “Slasher”
By F. Paul Wilson; Performed by a Full Cast
Audio Download – 1/2 hour – [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: STH Productions
Published: 2008

A man loses his daughter to a killer. At the funeral, he is approached by an FBI agent who keeps him up to date on the investigation. When the investigation doesn’t go the way the man wants it to… well, I can say no more. This audio drama is definitely worth 30 minutes of your time, if only to experience the ending.

Sound effects are used in a professional manner and the acting is pretty good. The only thing that turned me off about this drama is a bit of jarring piano music that is used at a couple of points in the story – it wasn’t appropriate for the mood.

This is my first experience listening to an F. Paul Wilson story, and my first experience hearing an audio drama from The Grist Mill – I look forward to hearing stuff from both again.

Posted by Scott D. Danielson