LibriVox – Page 52

LibriVox: Short Science Fiction Collection Vol. 025

Saturday, February 13, 2010Friday, February 12, 2010 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

LibriVox Here’s a new collection made possible by volunteer narrators reading public domain Science Fiction (found at Project Gutenberg). In addition, three specific volunteers made the collection as a whole possible:

Book Coordinator: Gregg Margarite
Dedicated Proof-Listener: Wendel Topper
Meta-Coordinator/Cataloging: Lucy Burgoyne

Thanks everybody!

Short Science Fiction Collection Vol. 025
By various; Read by various
Approx. 5 Hours 33 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
Science Fiction is speculative literature that generally explores the consequences of ideas which are roughly consistent with nature and scientific method, but are not facts of the author’s contemporary world. The stories often represent philosophical thought experiments presented in entertaining ways. Protagonists typically “think” rather than “shoot” their way out of problems, but the definition is flexible because there are no limits on an author’s imagination. The reader-selected stories presented here were written prior to 1962 and became US public domain texts when their copyrights expired.

Podcast feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/short-science-fiction-collection-025.xml

iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|

The Game Of Rat And Dragon
By Cordwainer Smith; Read by Gregg Margarite
1 |MP3| – Approx. 32 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
Only partners could fight this deadliest of wars—and the one way to dissolve the partnership was to be personally dissolved! From Galaxy Science Fiction, October 1955.

Hall Of Mirrors
By Fredric Brown; Read by Gregg Margarite
1 |MP3| – Approx. 15 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
It is a tough decision to make—whether to give up your life so you can live it over again! From Galaxy Science Fiction December 1953.

The Hoofer
By Walter M. Miller, Jr.; Read by Gregg Margarite
1 |MP3| – Approx. 24 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
A wayfarer’s return from a far country to his wife and family may be a shining experience, a kind of second honeymoon. Or it may be so shadowed by Time’s relentless tyranny that the changes which have occurred in his absence can lead only to tragedy and despair. This rarely discerning, warmly human story by a brilliant newcomer to the science fantasy field is told with no pulling of punches, and its adroit unfolding will astound you. From Fantastic Universe September 1955.

Martians Never Die
By Lucius Daniel; Read by Barry Eads
1 |MP3| – Approx. 27 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
It was a wonderful bodyguard: no bark, no bite, no sting … just conversion of the enemy! From Galaxy Science Fiction April 1952.

Monkey On His Back
By Charles V. De Vet; Read by Bellona Times
1 |MP3| – Approx. 33 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
Under the cloud of cast-off identities lay the shape of another man — was it himself? First published in Galaxy magazine, June 1960.

The Moon Is Green
By Fritz Leiber; Read by Bellona Times
1 |MP3| – Approx. 43 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
Anybody who wanted to escape death could, by paying a very simple price—denial of life! From Galaxy Science Fiction April 1952.

No Moving Parts
By Murray F. Yaco; Read by mkargo
1 |MP3| – Approx. 37 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
From Amazing Stories May 1960. We call them trouble-shooters. They called ’em Gypsies. Either way, they were hep to that whole bit about….

Small World
By William F. Nolan; Read by mezzogal
1 |MP3| – Approx. 25 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
What will happen when the alien ships strike Earth? And later? Who will survive? What will life be like in that latter-day jungle? William F. Nolan, well known in SF circles on the West Coast, returns with this grim story of the days and the nights of Lewis Stillman—survivor … From Fantastic Universe August 1957.

Spawn Of The Comet
By Harold Thompson Rich; Read by Bellona Times
1 |MP3| – Approx. 1 Hour 4 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
A swarm of huge, fiery ants, brood of a mystery comet, burst from their shells to threaten the unsuspecting world. From Astounding Stories November 1931.

With No Strings Attached
By Randall Garrett; Read by Troy Bond
1 |MP3| – Approx. 34:23 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 3, 2009
A man will always be willing to buy something he wants, and believes in, even if it is impossible, rather than something he believes is impossible.So … sell him what he thinks he wants! First published in Analog, February 1963.

Posted by Jesse Willis

LibriVox: Short Science Fiction Collection Vol. 024

Friday, February 12, 2010 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Who wants FREE Science Fiction short story audiobook collection?

I do! I do!

And here it is…

Short Science Fiction Collection Vol. 024
By various; Read by various
10 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 4 Hours 59 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
Science Fiction is speculative literature that generally explores the consequences of ideas which are roughly consistent with nature and scientific method, but are not facts of the author’s contemporary world. The stories often represent philosophical thought experiments presented in entertaining ways. Protagonists typically “think” rather than “shoot” their way out of problems, but the definition is flexible because there are no limits on an author’s imagination. The reader-selected stories presented here were written prior to 1962 and became US public domain texts when their copyrights expired.

Podcast feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/short-science-fiction-collection-24.xml

iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|

The Altar At Midnight
By C.M. Kornbluth; Read by Gregg Margarite
1 |MP3| – Approx. 14 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
Doing something for humanity may be fine—for humanity—but rough on the individual! From Galaxy Science Fiction November 1952.

The Defenders
By Philip K. Dick; Read by mkargo
1 |MP3| – Approx. 49 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
No weapon has ever been frightful enough to put a stop to war—perhaps because we never before had any that thought for themselves! From Galaxy Science Fiction January 1953.

Foundling on Venus
By John de Courcy and Dorothy de Courcy; Read by Gregg Margarite
1 |MP3| – Approx. 19 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
Venus was the most miserable planet in the system, peopled by miserable excuses for human beings. And somewhere among this conglomeration of boiling protoplasm there was a being unlike the others, a being who walked and talked like the others but who was different—and afraid the difference would be discovered. You’ll remember this short story. From Fantastic Universe March 1954.

The Leech
By Robert Sheckley; Read by Bellona Times
1 |MP3| – Approx. 42 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
A visitor should be fed, but this one could eat you out of house and home … literally! From Galaxy Science Fiction December 1952.

The Repairman
By Harry Harrison; Read by Linda Dodge
1 |MP3| – Approx. 38 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
Being an interstellar trouble shooter wouldn’t be so bad … if I could shoot the trouble! From Galaxy February 1958.

Second Landing
By Floyd Wallace; Read by Linda Dodge
1 |MP3| – Approx. 16 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
A gentle fancy for the Christmas Season—an oft-told tale with a wistful twistful of Something that left the Earth with a wing and a prayer. From Amazing Science Fiction Stories January 1960.

The Talkative Tree
By Horace Brown Fyfe; Read by Linda Dodge
1 |MP3| – Approx. 23 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
Dang vines! Beats all how some plants have no manners—but what do you expect, when they used to be men! From Worlds of If January 1962.

They Twinkled Like Jewels
By Philip Jose Farmer; Read by Gregg Margarite
1 |MP3| – Approx. 38 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
It was only a year and a half ago that Phil Farmer, till then a totally unknown (editorially speaking at any rate) young man of Peoria, wrote himself a novel that won him instantaneous acclaim as perhaps the hottest new science fiction writer currently astir. Its title was The Lovers and since then he has gone right on proving himself a top-hand craftsman. From Fantastic Universe January 1954.

Warm
By Robert Sheckley; Read by Bellona Times
1 |MP3| – Approx. 23 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
It was a joyous journey Anders set out on … to reach his goal … but look where he wound up! From Galaxy Science Fiction June 1953.

Wind
By Charles L. Fontenay; Read by Linda Dodge
1 |MP3| – Approx. 38 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 7, 2009
When you have an engine with no fuel, and fuel without an engine, and a life-and-death deadline to meet, you have a problem indeed. Unless you are a stubborn Dutchman—and Jan Van Artevelde was the stubbornest Dutchman on Venus. From Amazing Science Fiction Stories April 1959.

Posted by Jesse Willis

LibriVox: The Valley Of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Jesse Willis

Aural Noir: Online Audio

LibriVox I’ve previously written about the Sherlock Holmes novel called The Valley Of Fear. It feels like a rather unusual Holmes novel given that Holmes isn’t actually present in the majority of the narrative. But, if you think about the most famous Holmes story of them all (also a novel) The Hound Of The Baskervilles, you may also recall that Sherlock Holmes wasn’t in that one much either. Unlike The Hound Of The Baskervilles, where most of the action stems from a local English legend, most of plot of The Valley Of Fear takes places in the United States – taking inspiration from a real life criminal conspiracy. Still, Conan Doyle isn’t importing everything. We get lots of details about master-criminal Professor Moriarty and his non-fiction inspiration (Jonathan Wild) too.

This newly released version, available free from LibriVox.org, is a complete narration by a single reader, Katie Riley. While she hasn’t given us the definitive FREE edition, there are several mispronunciations in the first few chapters, her reading is serviceable.

The Valley Of Fear
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Read by Katie Riley
15 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 6 Hours 23 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: February 8, 2010
Doyle’s final novel featuring the beloved sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, brings the detective and his friend to a country manor where they are preceded by either a murder or a suicide. A secretive organization lies culprit and an infiltration of it is in order.

Podcast feed: http://librivox.org/rss/3664

iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|

[Thanks also to Diana Majlinger and Leni]

Posted by Jesse Willis

Sir Walter Scott Prize

Wednesday, February 3, 2010Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Scott D.

SFFaudio News

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott A neat story from The Guardian this morning:

He is seen as the father of the historical novel, so it’s perhaps only fitting that a new literary prize honouring the genre is to be launched in the name of Sir Walter Scott.

The £25,000 award is being set up by the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, whose ancestors were closely linked to Scott. They hope the award will help to “properly honour” the author’s “immense achievements”, and “place as one of the world’s most influential novelists”.

Find the whole story |HERE|.

I recall an attempted read of Ivanhoe when I was but a wee man. A quick search for some Sir Walter Scott audio shows that Librivox is on the case.

Posted by Scott D. Danielson

LibriVox: Doctor Ox’s Experiment by Jules Verne

Thursday, January 28, 2010Saturday, November 26, 2011 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Here’s a new audiobook from LibriVox that I am eager to hear. Eric S. Rabkin, who we had as a guest on the SFFaudio Podcast last year, had some fascinating insights about this story in his Teaching Company lecture series Masterpieces of the Imaginative Mind: Literature’s Most Fantastic Works. The narrator for the LibriVox audiobook version is Alan Winterrowd. He’s a blogger and podcaster (he started the Penny Dreadful Podcasts in March 2009).

Doctor Ox’s Experiment
By Jules Verne; Read by Alan Winterrowd
5 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 2 Hours 13 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: January 24, 2010
An early, light-hearted short story, published in 1872 by Jules Verne. It takes place in the Flemish town of Quiquendone, where life moves at an extraordinarily tranquil pace. Doctor Ox has offered to light the town with a new gas, but actually has other plans in place.

Podcast feed: http://librivox.org/rss/3562

iTunes 1-Click |SUBSCRIBE|

[Thanks also to Elli and David Lawrence]

Posted by Jesse Willis

LibriVox: DeathWorld 2 by Harry Harrison

Wednesday, January 27, 2010Saturday, May 26, 2012 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Here’s an SF novel I never expected to see as an audiobook. It’s Harry Harrison’s follow up to his terrific novel DeathWorld. Here’s what one LibriVoxateer (libraryanne) sez of DeathWorld 2 as read by my friend Gregg Margarite:

“Humorous, fast moving story and another superb solo. I am so fortunate to be able to proof listen for such superb readers. Way to go Gregg!”

Indeed, thanks so much Gregg!

DeathWorld 2 (aka The Ethical Engineer)
By Harry Harrison; Read by Gregg Margarite
5 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 4 Hours 9 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: January 24, 2010
The Ethical Engineer also known as Deathworld II finds our hero Jason dinAlt captured to face justice for his crimes, but the ever-wily gambler crashes his transport on a primitive planet populated by clans that hoard knowledge. It’s a difficult situation for a guy who just wants to get back to Pyrrus. First published in the July and August 1963 issues of Analog Science Fact & Fiction.