Author: Jesse Willis

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy – The 419 edition

SFFaudio Online Audio

419Eater.comAs many of you may know we like our audiobooks UNABRIDGED and read by professionals. Which is why I think you’ll be pleased to hear there is a new UNABRIDGED audiobook version of Douglas Adam’s incomparable The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy available for your listening pleasure. Even better, it’s one hundred percent free!

And… just by giving out your bank account details and password there’s even the prospect of earning FIFTEEN Million US Dollars!!!

Seriously!

No, SERIOUSLY!*


“My apologies. I made an honest mistake. My glasses are not working well today (I forgot to change the batteries) and I was reading the number incorrectly”

Well, that’s almost the story – the nearly unbelievable story of the latest UNABRIDGED production of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy documented on 419Eater.com.

419Eater.com is a website that turns those pesky Spanish Prisoner (AKA Nigerian Prince) scams on their heads – reverse-grifting the criminals. The website chronicles various “baits,” with e-mail exchanges, MP3s of recorded phone calls, photos and more between the baiters and the scammers. The scam that attracted me was one in which a non-existent audiobook company gets a scammer to read and record the entire The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. The entire reverse-scam is documented HERE. And here is the fruit of that bizarre labour….

The HitchHiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas AdamsThe Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
By Douglas Adams; Read by Chinweoke Trevor Nwauzor
36 Zipped MP3 Files – Approx. 8 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: 419Eater.com
Published: July 2007
When contractors arrive at Earthling Arthur Dent’s house in order to demolish it to make way for a bypass. Arthur’s friend Ford Prefect arrives as Arthur is attempting to talk the demolition crew into leaving his house standing, and talks Arthur into coming to a local pub with him, at which point Ford explains that he (Ford) is actually from a planet somewhere near Betelgeuse and that they have to get off the planet before it’s demolished. An alien race of bureaucrats called Vogons intend to destroy Earth to make way for a “hyperspace bypass.”

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 01 Chapter 08 Chapter 15 Chapter 22 Chapter 29
Chapter 02 Chapter 09 Chapter 16 Chapter 23 Chapter 30
Chapter 03 Chapter 10 Chapter 17 Chapter 24 Chapter 31
Chapter 04 Chapter 11 Chapter 18 Chapter 25 Chapter 32
Chapter 05 Chapter 12 Chapter 19 Chapter 26 Chapter 33
Chapter 06 Chapter 13 Chapter 20 Chapter 27 Chapter 34
Chapter 07 Chapter 14 Chapter 21 Chapter 28 Chapter 35

So ya, this is a pretty awful reading, perhaps the worst reading of an audiobook ever. Amazing that it was achieved, but it is not really listenable. The only part of it I thought that works is when we hear the Vogon poetry (Chapter 7). It’s really, really, really bad.

And for you paperbook aficionado’s there’s a handwritten version of J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter book available over on 419Eater.com, all 249 pages of it.

Posted by Jesse Willis

*not seriously

Jeffrey A. Carver halts SUNBORN audiobook

SFFaudio News

Sunborn by Jeffrey A. CarverIn an effort to promote his upcoming novel, Sunborn, author Jeffrey A. Carver had been recording the novel for podcast. But, due to difficulties with equipment, and the frustrations of the task he has now abandoned the project. The first installment of his attempt is still available for listening |MP3|

I’m not someone who’s likely to say “don’t record your novel” but in this case I can see why Carver stopped. When recording interferes with writing time, and your recording isn’t done in a smooth and efficient manner, you’d be crazy to do it.

Another issue, one that Carver doesn’t cite, is that authors don’t always make the best readers. A trained actor can bring a whole new dimension to the text. Carver’s reading isn’t bad, it just isn’t good.

Another issue I’m thinking about: Releasing the 4th book in the series 1st isn’t the best idea. When the first three haven’t been released to audio yet, you’re betting that the audience for the 4th book will be able to step in – and get it. Better, would be to promote a new book is to release an older book, ideally the first in the series. This will get your audience whetted, and more likely to pick up later books in paperbook versions.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Scott Brick investigates the murder of Spider-Man’s GF

SFFaudio Online Audio

Scott Brick PresentsScott Brick wasn’t always a famous audiobook narrator. Before he got into the audio game he was a journalist, a comic book fan — and a detective. In his latest “Brickcast” Scott tells the story of how he uncovered the murderer of Spider-Man’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy. Have a listen to the |MP3|.

Posted by Jesse Willis

SFSignal’s MIND MELD – Favorite Sub-Genre of Science Fiction

SFFaudio News

SFSignal.comSFSignal.com‘s John DeNardo has posted up their latest “Mind Meld” in which a cross section of SF’s semi-celebrities give their answers to a pointed question about SF. This time the question is:

What’s Your Favorite Sub-Genre of Science Fiction and/or Fantasy?

Read the entire post HERE, it includes my own answer (which I think is pretty darn good) as well as some other decent (if not as awesome) ones. I am da vinner!

Posted by Jesse Willis

A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou has Aye and Gomorrah by Samuel R. Delany

SFFaudio Online Audio

A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou - a Resonance FM podcastThe second series of A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou is underway, and the podcast radio show (on Resonance FM 104.4 FM in London, U.K.) has out-done itself by recording a terrific and moving reading of Aye and Gomorrah by Samuel R. Delany. Victoria de Rijke joins Mark Sinker and Elisha Sessions to talk about the story and Delany in general. This is insightful listening about one of the most well written and unusual stories in all of Science Fiction.

Aye, and Gomorrah by Samuel R. DelanyEpisode 11 – Aye, and Gomorrah
By Samuel R. Delany; Read by Elisha Sessions
Podcast – 1 Hour [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: A Bite Of Stars, A Slug Of Time, And Thou
Podcast: September 23rd, 2008
Winner of the 1967 Nebula Award for best short story. First in Harlan Ellison’s seminal 1967 anthology, Dangerous Visions.It takes place in a world where astronauts, known as Spacers, are neutered before puberty to avoid the effects of space radiation on gametes. They are fetishized by a subculture of ‘frelks’, those attracted by the Spacers’ unattainability and unarousability (‘free-fall-sexual-displacement complex’). The mischief-loving Spacers exploit this for amusement and money — and possibly out of loneliness and a desire to recapture their lost sexuality. The story tells of a Spacer’s poignant meeting with a female frelk.

The previous show presents a J.G. Ballard short story, a tough one, not quite as easily accessible (which is saying something)…

Track 12 by J.G. BallardEpisode 10 – Track 12
By J.G. Ballard; Read by Elisha Sessions
Podcast – 1 Hour [UNABRIDGED?]
Podcaster: A Bite Of Stars, A Slug Of Time, And Thou
Podcast: September 16th, 2008
A Science Fiction short story about electromusic? Yup. A retelling of Poe’s The Cask Of Amontillado? Very likely. Fully comprehensible? Maybe. Published in a 1958 issue of New Worlds.

And, the first show, of the second series, has a classic Robert Sheckley tale, only 5 pages long, but also a massive epic [I just wish there wasn’t any background music or SFX during the reading]…

Zirn Left Unguarded, The Jenghik Palace in Flames, Jon Westerley Dead by Robert SheckleyEpisode 09 – Zirn Left Unguarded, The Jenghik Palace in Flames, Jon Westerley Dead
By Robert Sheckley; Read by Elisha Sessions
Podcast – 1 Hour [UNABRIDGED?]
Podcaster: A Bite Of Stars, A Slug Of Time, And Thou
Podcast: September 10th, 2008
“It’s got swords, vast space battles and God’s receptionist.”

The one bad thing about this podcast (other than the lack of title and author name at the beginning of the story) is there are no direct links available (for hotlinking), you’ll have click through or subscribe to the podcast to get the files – which likely means about 75% 60% of the people who listen to podcasts via direct links won’t get to hear it. Slug Of Time guys, it’s time to fix that!

Here’s the podcast feed for the few of you who know how to use it:

http://freakytrigger.co.uk/slugoftime-podcast/feed/

Posted by Jesse Willis

LibriVox: Out Of Time’s Abyss by Edgar Rice Burroughs

SFFaudio Online Audio

LibriVoxPaul Williams of the Librivox admin team writes in to say:

Just wanted to clue all of you over at SFFAudio in that Ralph Snelson has completed Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Caspak series over at Librivox. He completed Out of Time’s Abyss on September 16.

Duly noted and detailed below Paul, thanks!

The entire series is now complete, all read by one guy! Huzzah!

Book one is |HERE|
Book two is |HERE|
Book three is here…

LibriVox Science Fiction - Out Of Time’s Abyss by Edgar Rice BurroughsOut Of Time’s Abyss
By Edgar Rice Burroughs; Read by Ralph Snelson
5 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 3 Hours 43 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: September 2008
Out of Time’s Abyss is a science fiction novel, the third of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Caspak” trilogy. In this conclusion, the mysteries of the lost world’s unique biological systems are revealed.

Podcast feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/out-of-times-abyss-by-edgar-rice-burroughs.xml

This was a triumph.
I’m making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.
It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction.

Posted by Jesse Willis