science fiction – Page 154

Review of Voodoo Planet by Andre Norton

Tuesday, February 17, 2009Tuesday, February 17, 2009 Scott D.

SFFaudio Review

Voodoo Planet
By Andre Norton; Read by Chuck McKibben
3 CDs – 3 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Audio Realms
Published: 2007
ISBN: 9781897304372
Themes: / Science Fiction / Adventure / Space Travel / Africa /

Voodoo Planet is the tale of three crew members from The Solar Queen spaceship who are invited to go on a hunting safari on a Khatka, a planet colonized by people from Africa. Dane, Medic Tau, and Captain Jellico soon run up against Lumbrilo, a local witch doctor, who has strong reasons for not wanting outsiders to explore the jungle. After their flitter crashes in the wild, the spacemen and their local hosts soon become the targets of bizarre attacks from wildlife as they try to make their way back to civilization. Tau has studied magic on many different worlds and a battle of wills emerges as he must counter the attacks and provide the edge to overcome their enemy.

This is a short and simple tale of adventure, it is best enjoyed at face value – a sampling of classic science fiction. It makes foe an exciting story as one waits to see what Lumbrilo will next launch against the heroes. Andre Norton is a legendary author in science fiction and fantasy, but this is one of her earlier and lesser works. That does not mean that one should ignore the book, but simply that one should not expect a master work.

The narration of the story is fine with slight shading added to various characters’ voices to provide both personality and help the listener differentiate when a conversation is occurring. However, the editing is not very careful. There were several occasions when a sentence or two was repeated as the narrator corrected a misstep. Failing to catch a duplication is common enough in free podcasts but when one is paying for an audiobook it is inexcusable. One hopes that the editors will more carefully proof the other books from this publisher.

Overall, well done and recommended.

Posted by Julie D.

Story Speiler: Accidental Death and All The World A Grave

Thursday, February 12, 2009 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Here are another two excellent unabridged audiobook short story offerings from Roy Turnbull…

The first, Accidental Death by Peter Baily, is definitely Science Fiction. It’s about an ill-fated expedition to an alien planet with some friendly, though dangerous, tennis-playing aliens. It speculates on the nature of luck in a first person present tense narrative – which is fun.

The second story, All The World A Grave by C.C. MacApp, is either Fantasy or Science Fiction, depending on your view of human nature. I take it as very apt satirical SF, in the same vein as The Space Merchants – as such, and despite its vintage, it has some very promising economic stimulus ideas for the new Barack Obama administration. Go economy, go!

Accidental Death
By Peter Baily; Read by Roy Turnbull
1 |MP3| – Approx. 20 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Story Spieler Podcast
Published: 2009?
Provider: Internet Archive
From Astounding Science Fiction February 1959. The most dangerous of weapons is the one you don’t know is loaded.

And All The Earth A Grave
By C.C. MacApp; Read by Roy Turnbull
1 |MP3| – Approx. 16 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Story Spieler Podcast
Published: 2009?
Provider: Internet Archive
From Galaxy Science Fiction, December 1963. There’s nothing wrong with dying—it just hasn’t ever had the proper sales pitch!

Posted by Jesse Willis

Story Speiler: Scrimshaw by Murray Leinster

Thursday, February 12, 2009 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

The old man just wanted to get back his memory—and the methods he used were gently hellish, from the viewpoint of the others…. that’s the internal description of Murray Leinster’s Scrimshaw, a short story from Astounding Science Fiction’s September 1955 issue. I’d heard that word before, but had to look it up:

scrimshaw [noun]: the name given to handiwork created by whalers made from the byproducts of harvesting marine mammals. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of Sperm Whales, the baleen of other whales, and the tusks of walruses. It takes the form of elaborate carvings in the form of pictures and lettering on the surface of the bone or tooth, with the engravings

Scrimshaw
By Murray Leinster; Read by Roy Trumbull
1 |MP3| – Approx. 39 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Story Spieler Podcast
Published: 2009?
Provider: Internet Archive
From Astounding Science Fiction, September 1955. A mining colony on the moon is home to a murderer and to his victim who is slowly recovering memories lost when he was left for dead. A bold attempt is made to hijack $5 million in diamonds from the mine.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Spider Robinson’s podcast: Thirteen O’Clock by David Gerrold

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

The latest Spider On The Web podcast features Thirteen O’Clock by David Gerrold. It’s a first-person, stream of consciousness singularity story (I think). It’s also a down and gritty story of life, death, true love, sex, war, sex, gay sex, drugs, sex, and thousand light-year stares. Robinson performance is tour-de-force! It reminded me very much of John Varley‘s Persistence Of Vision (Spider podcast it previously). Also on board in the latest podcast is Spider Robinson’s introduction to the David Gerrold collection called The Involuntary Human – which is where the paper version of Thirteen O’Clock can be found.

Thirteen O’Clock
By David Gerrold; Read by Spider Robinson
1 |MP3| – Approx. 83 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: Spider On The Web
Podcast: February 7th, 2009
Collected in The Involuntary Human. First published in Fantasy & Science Fiction, February 2006. A first-person, tale of a lonely wanderer told in a stream of consciousness manner. Our hero is a Vietnam vet who’s finally comfortable with his homosexuality. After years on the road, he comes across a young and pretty gang of gaybashing college kids. After he teaches the kids a lesson he takes one of them out on a date and tells his story. That “pinging” sensation he’s been feeling all these years just draws blank stares from everyone he meets. It must mean something tho’ right?

Posted by Jesse Willis

On Spec: Sticky Wonder Tales by Hugh A.D. Spencer

Tuesday, February 3, 2009 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Sticky Wonder Tales
By Hugh A.D. Spencer; Dave Nichol and Hugh A.D. Spencer
1 |MP3| – Approx. 25 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: On Spec Magazine
Published: Fall 2006
You have to love a story that opens with: “Squiffy: Sorry to hear about the bowel infection. Even sorrier to hear that itâs one of the intelligent ones.” Through a series of back and forth letters, we follow the evolution of two brothers who, via government sponsorship, undergo physiological and mental changes in order to understand alien telepathy or technology. Stephen is busy turning into an alien turtle with an IQ of 350. Andrew grows breathing pores and tendrils that link him to an alien ship’s software. Neither foresees what happens when government mavens cut their programs. By the end of the story, a worse fate than being shelved looms on their horizon.

[via BoingBoing]

Posted by Jesse Willis

Podiobooks.com: The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell

Monday, February 2, 2009Friday, November 19, 2010 Jesse Willis

SFFaudio Online Audio

Scott D. Farquhar‘s latest audiobook effort is COMPLETE!

He’s finished reading, recording, and posting one of our original SFFaudio Challenge titles…

And, don’t forget about Scott Farquhar’s other challenge title… STAR SURGEON!
Both audiobooks are 100% free, but donations made through Podiobooks.com will put $$ into the audiobook kitty – making Scott all the more likely to record another. And that’d be a good thing.

The Black Star Passes
By John W. Campbell; Read by Scott D. Farquhar
20 MP3s or Podcast – Approx. 7 Hours 34 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Podiobooks.com
Published: July 2008 – January 2009
Three separate SF stories by Campbell, written for Amazing Stories magazine: The Black Star Passes, Piracy Preferred, Solarite. These tales are tied together by a recurring cast of characters (Arcot, Morey and Wade).

For those interested in a collectible hardcopy Scott says:

“I’m intending to do an MP3 data disc version of both Star Surgeon and The Black Star Passes on a single disc which should be ready and available in a couple of weeks.”

Posted by Jesse Willis