Audio Renaissance
Saucer: The Conquest by Stephen Coonts in both abridged and unabridged versions. This is a sequel to a novel about the discovery of a 140,000 year-old spacecraft. I missed the first one, but would like to hear if it exists on audio – Audio Renaissance does not carry it if it does. Kirkus calls Saucer “a comic, feel-good SF adventure.”
First Meetings in the Enderverse by Orson Scott Card, read by Gabrielle de Cuir, Amanda Karr, and Stefan Rudnicki
I’m a fan of Orson Scott Card’s Ender novels, so this was a real treat. It contains 4 stories, one of which is the original Ender’s Game novella, the others stories from various places on the Ender timeline. All of Card’s unabridged Ender novels are being re-released by Audio Renaissance.
Saturn by Ben Bova, read by Amanda Karr and Stefan Rudnicki and others
Here’s the latest of Ben Bova’s Solar System novels. I’ve heard Mars and Return to Mars, but I’m not sure how these novels are related to this one, Venus and Jupiter.
Blackstone Audio
Ringworld’s Children by Larry Niven
I talked a bit about this last month, but it was really released in September, so here it is again.
Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell by Pat Murphy
I’ve got this one in my to-be-heard pile and I’m eager to get to it. I know very little about Pat Murphy, but I see she won a Nebula Award for the novel The Falling Woman, which I don’t think is available on audio.
Jesse: Pat Murphy won a hugo and a nebula for a short story called “Rachel In Love”, which is a love story from the point of view of a chimpanzee. It’s been recorded a couple of times. There was also a single cassette collection of her short stories published by Durkin Hayes called “Points Of Departure”.
Brilliance Audio
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, read by Jim Dale
I’m starting to see this one everywhere, but haven’t received any feedback from anyone on it. It’s aimed at the YA market – 9-12 year-olds – and is a prequel to Peter Pan. I may have to listen just to hear another Jim Dale performance. There’s an audio sample on Brilliance’s website.
Free Reads
James Patrick Kelly adds three more stories to Free Reads, a section of his site where you can download free audiobooks (MP3 format) of his stories. Included now are “Faith”, “The Best Christmas Ever”, and “Serpent”.
Jesse: This is an awesome value – cool and funny stories read by James Patrick Kelly and all it costs you is guilt if you don’t donate something to his future recording fund.
Harper Audio
The Neil Gaiman Audio Collection by Neil Gaiman, read by Neil Gaiman
This is an hour-long CD that contains readings of some children’s books by Neil Gaiman. Included are: The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, Wolves in the Walls, Cinnamon, and Crazy Hair.
Jesse: Looking forward to this collection. I was worried this was just another repackaging of Coraline and the two Seeing Ear pieces. Glad to see it is all new to audio!
Paperback Digital
As reported here early this month, Paperback Digital is online with two new MP3 format audiobooks for sale: Spirits in the Wires by Charles de Lint and 1634: The Galileo Affair by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis. I haven’t heard either of them, but they appear to be professionally done with William Dufris and Christine Marshall narrating. These books are available as downloads or on MP3-CDs.
Also from Paperback Digital is the X Minus One episode “Drop Dead” by Clifford D. Simak, which is available on Fictionwise.com, a site well-known for eBook sales. Paperback Digital is editing out commercials and doing what they can to improve the sound quality of several old radio shows. Next week they will be releasing these episodes:
The Green Hills of Earth and Destination: Moon by Robert A. Heinlein
The Orson Welles/Mercury Theatre Halloween broadcast of The War of the Worlds
The Orson Welles/Mercury Theatre broadcast of Bram Stoker’s Dracula
With Folded Hands by Jack Williamson
Colony by Philip K. Dick
The Coffin Cure and Prime Difference by Alan E. Nourse
Protective Mimicry by Algis Budrys
The Merchants of Venus by A.H. Phelps, Jr.
Jesse: Coming out of the blue as it did, Paperback Digital is the most exciting and surprising news in Science Fiction and Fantasy audiobooks so far this year!
Recorded Books
Swords of Night and Day, a science fantasy by David Gemmell and narrated by Christopher Kay. I’m unfamiliar with this, but it’s part of a something called the Drenai series.
Last, but certainly not least, here’s what Audible.com has added in the last month, many of which were mentioned above:
An updated edition of First Meetings by Orson Scott Card
Saucer: The Conquest by Stephen Coonts
Saturn by Ben Bova
High Druid of Shannara: Tanequil by Terry Brooks
Dune: The Battle of Corrin by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Ringworld’s Children by Larry Niven
Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card
The Dragon’s Son by Margaret Weis
Stalking Darkness (Nightrunner #2) by Lynn Flewelling
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
Several titles from Brian Jacques’ Redwall series
Bimbos of the Death Sun and Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharyn McCrumb
Titles from the Wingman series by Mack Maloney
Golem’s Eye by Jonathan Stroud
Titles from the Deathstalker collection by Simon R. Green
Collections of Arthur C. Clarke’s stories (The Nine Billion Names of God, The Songs of Distant Earth, etc.)
Wow! An excellent month for science fiction audio. Happy listening!
Posted by Scott D. Danielson
I consider myself lucky to have seen Posing as People last weekend in Los Angeles. If you are in the area, I urge you to check it out. Posing as People is a theatrical adaptation of three Orson Scott Card short stories – “Clap Hands and Sing”, “Lifeloop”, and “Sepluchre of Songs”.
The latest incarnation of Amazing Stories magazine includes audiobook reviews in their content. They’ve published two issues so far, and it’s a good magazine with a wide range of coverage: fiction, TV, movies, games… and audio! Find it on your newsstand or at