The NEW Blake’s 7 Audio Drama IS HERE!

Doctor Who television series screenwriter Ben Aaronovitch has written in to say: “The first chapters of the B7 Audio are now being streamed off the SciFi Channel UK site.” Ben is the author of this Blake’s 7 revival, and the first three chapters of his series are available for streaming listening RIGHT NOW! Here are the details…

Blake's 7 The Audio Adventures

Blake's 7 Audio AdventuresBlake’s 7 The Audio Adventures is based on the original Blake’s 7 television series that aired between 1978 and 1981 in the UK. It is set a few hundred years in the future and follows the exploits of revolutionary Rog Blake as he leads his band of reluctant rebels against the forces of the totalitarian Earth Federation. The Federation rules Earth and numerous other planets in our galaxy with brute military force, mass surveillance, brainwashing, blackmail, and drugs. Framed as a child molester Blake is sentenced to a penal planet, but he and his fellow prisoners escape and find a tool that just might even the odds for the oppressed masses. Its very much Robin Hood in space, created by the man who invented the Daleks! The B7 universe is full of strong characters, hard-boiled morality and a general melancholic tone. I love this stuff!

The Sci-Fi Channel’s site suggests you use Internet Explorer 7 to listen in-browser. But it seems to work just fine with my Firefox 2.0.0.3. I’ve heard the first three chapters, and these three parts race through the plot of the first and second episode of the television series. This is quality audio drama folks.

Rebel – Chapter 1: Hard Targets
By Ben Aaronovitch; Performed by a full cast
Streaming Audio – 7 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Sci-Fi Channel UK
Published: May 2007

Rebel – Chapter 2: Enemy Of The State
By Ben Aaronovitch; Performed by a full cast
Streaming Audio – 9 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Sci-Fi Channel UK
Published: May 2007

Rebel – Chapter 3: First Contact
By Ben Aaronovitch; Performed by a full cast
Streaming Audio – 7.5 Minutes [AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Sci-Fi Channel UK
Published: May 2007

The Imagination X podcast offers cool horror

SFFaudio Online Audio

Imagination XThe Imagination X podcast does cool things with audio. The latest podcast is of a story entitled, Family Radio. It is a pure horror piece written by series scribe Jeffrey Adams. The story takes place in a small town in which a radio station’s program manager struggles for control over one of his new on-air personalities. The DJ in question is the nephew of the station’s owner and is swearing, stumbling and making a general fool of himself on the radio during his Saturday morning slot. The ending on this one is truly unexpected and caps the story very nicely. We reviewed the first Imagination X collection back in 2005, you can read that review HERE.

To experience Imagination X for yourself, subscribe to the podcast via this feed:

http://www.ix.storiesonmp3.com/Imagination-X/Podcast/rss.xml

The Devolutionist by Homer Eon Flint a free UNABRIDGED SF novel

SFFaudio Online Audio

The Maria Lectrix podcast has just finished podcasting a complete short novel by Homer Eon Flint. The original publication date was 1921, but it was later released as half of a1965 Ace double novel. Homer Eon Flint was a promising young writer of Science Fiction, Fantasy and mystery stories when he was killed in 1924 under very mysterious circumstances.

Science Fiction Audiobook - The Devolutionist by Homer Eon FlintThe Devolutionist
By Homer Eon Flint; Read by Maureen O’Brien
10 MP3s – 3 Hours 50 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: Maria Lectrix
Podcast: 2007
In this 1921 novella, four friends travel telepathically from Earth to planets in other solar systems, where they encounter strange alien societies. The story stands alone, but is the third in a series of four about travel to other planets by various means.

Check out the new Maria Lectrix all Science Fiction podcast feed:

http://marialectrix.wordpress.com/tag/fiction/science-fiction/feed/

Sounds Like Canada Interview with Robert J. Sawyer

SFFaudio Online Audio

CBC Radio One - Sounds Like CanadaCBC‘s flagship morning programme, Sounds Like Canada, recently captured an accessible interview with Canada’s foremost SF author Robert J. Sawyer. Here’s how the official program log reads:

Robert Sawyer has won an armload of awards for his science fiction novels including the Nebula and the Hugo. His books often look at the intersection between science and religion and present complicated science and tech ideas in a clear way. His new novel is called, Rollback and it’s the story of a geriatric husband and wife who undergo a rejuvenation procedure. Big ethical questions emerge when the husband’s “rollback” to his mid-twenties is successful but his wife remains eighty-seven. Shelagh speaks with Robert Sawyer in Toronto.

Host, Shelagh Rogers, really knows how to wring goodness from her guests. Sadly, this segment was not included in the “Best of Sounds Like Canada Podcast” for April 25th. So we’ve rectified the situation. You can download the 23 minute interview via our MP3 link.

Read-Along Adventures features COOL downloadable read-along books

SFFaudio Online Audio

ReadAlongadventures.comJoey Chivers’ read along site ReadAlongAdventures.com is another in the recent spate of Record/Book combination sites we’ve been telling you about. Here’s how Joey describes his her mission:

“Remember those great read-along books and tapes from when you were a kid? We sure do. In the days before computers and DVD and VHS, this was the next best thing to watching a movie or a TV show. You put in the tape, open the book, and read along with the cheesy voice over and cool sound effects. And there was no way you could possibly forget when it was time to turn the page.”

More than two dozen adventures have been converted from paper and cassette books into flash animated e-books with accompanying audio. The craftsman-like translation from hard-copy to electronic version has produced an effect very much like the original books. If you’re feeling nostalgic, or have young kids yourself you should definitely download a few. Available on the site are:

Star Wars, Star Trek, James Bond, Mary Poppins, Indiana Jones and many others. Check them all out HERE.

Joey has also assigned himself herself the task of cataloging an ongoing list of all the Read-Along books that have ever been published. If you have some Read Along records or tapes that you think probably aren’t yet listed head on over and look.

*updated May 10th 2007

BBC Radio 2 Science Fiction Comedy pilot Daydream Believers

Online Audio

Our UK correspondent, Roy, has written in with a last minute addition… Daydream Believers on BBC R2 13:00-13:30 Saturday 5th May (hey that’s today!) Roy writes:

“This is apparently a pilot show only, but the BBC has promised a series if successful. SF Comedy (of both the TV & Radio varieties) often falls flat on its face and is one of the most difficult sub-genres, but Mitchell & Webb are riding high on TV at the moment so there is cause for optimism.”

I’m gonna give it a try, here are the details if you’d like to too…

Online Audio - BBC Radio 2Daydream Believers
1 Broadcast – [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 2
Broadcast: Saturday 5th May- 13:00-13:30
“[A] Sci-fi comedy in which David Mitchell and Robert Webb star as tetchy novelist Ray and his flatmate Colin and, in a parallel space adventure concocted by Ray, as Baron Amstrad and his bothersome android companion Info.”

This show has already aired, but it is available via ‘listen again‘ service. Thanks Roy!