StarShipSofa and the BSFA

SFFaudio Online Audio

Star Ship SofaStarShipSofa and the BSFA are now hitting the home stretch with Day Four. Today the Sofa brings you Ted Chiang’s story The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate. This was first published in September’s F&SF 2007.

O MIGHTY CALIPH AND Commander of the Faithful, I am humbled to be in the splendor of your presence; a man can hope for no greater blessing as long as he lives. The story I have to tell is truly a strange one, and were the entirety to be tattooed at the corner of one’s eye, the marvel of its presentation would not exceed that of the events recounted, for it is a warning to those who would be warned and a lesson to those who would learn.

So that leaves only one story to go. Be sure not to miss it tomorrow, then pop over to StarShipSofa Forums and cast your vote on which one you think will win the BSFA Best Short Story 2007.

Join the StarShipSofa today and subscribe free via iTunes or direct from the StarShipSofa website and collect all five short stories that are up for the award.

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Posted by Tony C. Smith

BBC7 wants us to: Understand

Online Audio

BBC 7's The 7th DimensionBBC7’s the 7th Dimension is re-airing one of my favorite’s from their archives. A terrific story, an unabridged reading of Ted Chiang‘s novelette Understand. It follows in the tradition of Daniel Keyes’ Flowers For Algernon and was first published in “Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine” in 1991. This production has been previously broadcast on BBC7 a few times. If you haven’t already heard it, have a listen, you won’t be sorry.

Understand by Ted ChiangUnderstand
By Ted Chiang; Read by Rashan Stone
4 half-hour segments – Approx. 2 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
BROADCASTER: BBC Radio 7 / The 7th Dimension
AIRING: Weekdays from July 17th to July 20th 2007
Leon is a former coma victim, who has gone experimental medical treatment to repair the massive trauma his brain recieved after he was trapped under ice for more than an hour. He’s regained consciousness, found he has all of his faculties back and a whole lot more.

All four parts will be available via the Listen Again service for six days after each broadcast.

Jesse Willis

BBC Radio 7’s The 7th Dimension does Understand by Ted Chiang

Online Audio

BBC 7's The 7th DimensionBBC7’s the 7th Dimension will be re-airing a truly AWESOME unabridged reading of Ted Chiang‘s novelette Understand.

This story has been broadcast on BBC Radio 7 previously and it blew my mind when I first heard it! This sort of unabridged reading is what makes me so attuned to what The 7th Dimension is up to. If you listen to no other BBC Radio production this year listen to this one!

Here’s a teaser: Leon is a former coma victim, who has gone experimental medical treatment to repair the massive trauma his brain recieved after he was trapped under ice for more than an hour. He’s regained consciousness, found he has all of his faculties back and a whole lot more. In the tradition of Daniel Keyes’ Flowers For Algernon. It was originally published in “Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine” in 1991.

Understand
By Ted Chiang; Read by Rashan Stone
4 half-hour segments – Approx. 2 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
BROADCASTER: BBC Radio 7
AIRING: Saturdays for four weeks @ 6pm (repeats 12am) UK Time

This will be available via the Listen Again service shortly after it airs.

Jesse Willis