Audio Drama – Page 110

Way back in 2004 we brought you the news that J….

News

Way back in 2004 we brought you the news that J. Michael Straczynski had sold a series to CBC Radio. We’ve been patiently waiting two years and nothing has come of it… until today!

Last weekend, JMS was seen in the CBC Toronto studios with his Jeremiah cohort Sara (Samm) Barnes, producing the first batch of twenty 5 minute episodes of his new radio drama The Adventures of Apocalypse Al. The lead role is being voiced by Canadian TV star Cynthia Dale. We’ve been informed that further details will likely show up in recorded TV interview set to air on Space: The Imagination Station (Canada’s version of The SciFi Channel) during the Hypaspace program tommorow afternoon (Sunday February 19th).

In the meantime check out this 50 second preview video by clicking HERE ( Windows Media Player format).

UPDATE: Joe Mahoney, CBC Radio producer and friend to SF&F audio fans worldwide, points out that his blog AssortedNonsense.com has pictures of the recording session! Check them out THERE, along with his posts or peek at his Flickr account directly.

posted by Jesse Willis

Hurry quick! Head on over to the premiere resour…

Online Audio

Hurry quick! Head on over to the premiere resource for Science Fiction and Fantasy OTR – The OTR Plot Spot and check out this week’s LISTENING BOOTH. There you’ll find all the three parts of The Word for World is Forest by Urusla K. LeGuin in two mp3 files. This version is terrific, it was originally produced by CBC Radio for the long running Science Fiction series Vanishing Point.

The Word for World is Forest
By Ursula K. LeGuin; Dramatized by Alberto Manguel
2 MP3 Files – Approx 90 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: CBC Radio / Vanishing Point
Broadcast: March 1989

“The seemingly simple natives of a world blanketed in forest resent the arrogance of human interlopers, and the contempt they show for the local ecology. All the natives need is a leader strong enough and clever enough to match wits with their human exploiters…. Based on a novel by Ursula K. le Guin.”

WARNING: Easily embarrassed? Take heed, there’s a stunning difference between this series and the OTR of the 1950s. First there’s the spotlight on the evils of manifest destiny, social Darwinism, ecological strip mining, genocide, rape and miscegenation. Second, there is a complete absence of censorship, The Word for World is Forest contains sounds (urination), concepts (“hygenic homsexuality”) and more even unthinkable – language straight from the book!

posted by Jesse Willis

Slice Of Sci-Fi has just interviewed Chris Mack,…

Online Audio

Slice Of Sci-Fi has just interviewed Chris Mack, author of a new audio drama series entitled Children of the Gods. Nope, its not a sequel to the Erik Von Daniken book Chariots Of The Gods? Instead it’s a new audio drama series podcast that reminds listeners of Battlestar Galactica. Here’s the teaser:

Our home is in ruins.
Our future is in doubt.
Humanity fights for its very survival against an enemy
it cannot defeat. We are all children of creation, but
which of us are the Children of the Gods?

You can check out the podcast HERE.

posted by Jesse

Radio Drama Series: Johnny Chase

news

Johnny Chase Agent Of Space This past season we’ve had about a dozen inquiries about Johnny Chase, Secret Agent of Space the late 1970s early 1980s CBC Radio Drama series. We suspect this is mostly due to it airing on the XM Radio’s Sonic Theater channel 163 recently – which is sadly only available in the USA. More unfortuantely the series is no longer available to Sonic Theater, at least in the forseeable future, and no CD or cassette editions of the 79 episode series have been known to have been manufactured. Unlike many USA Science Fiction OTR series like X-Minus One, Johnny Chase is not in the public domain in either Canada or the USA. So what is a Johnny Chase fan to do? Well, we’ve got some contacts at CBC and we’d be happy to pass along any petition to make the show available on CD. If you’re interested in spearheading this petition, or just want to be informed when we get more info you can reply to this post with your contact details and we’ll keep you apprised of the Johnny Chase situation.

FYI: You can make your email relatively safe from spammers by turning your @ symbol into something else. For instance my email address is: [email protected]. But if I want to avoid becoming inundated with spam I can post it like this: jessewillis*yahoo.com.

posted by Jesse

Click here for a complete list of Audie Award fina…

SFFaudio News

Click here for a complete list of Audie Award finalists. The awards will be presented on May 19 in Washington, DC at the National Press Club.

In the Science Fiction category, here are the finalists:

Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey, Brilliance Audio

Market Forces by Richard K. Morgan, Tantor Media, Inc., SFFaudio Review forthcoming

Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card, Audio Renaissance, SFFaudio Review

The Rolling Stones by Robert A. Heinlein, Full Cast Audio, SFFaudio Review

The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold, Blackstone Audiobooks, SFFaudio Review

In other categories, Campbell Scott received a nomination for his narration of The Shining by Stephen King. A marvelous audiobook, that is – click here for the review. And I was pleased to see Blackstone’s The Sherlock Holmes Theater get a nomination in the Audio Drama category.

Good luck to all the nominees!

On a side note, I was very pleased to serve as one of the judges for this year’s awards, though I was not given the Science Fiction category.

posted by Scott

On February 15th, the Silent Universe — an edgy S…

On February 15th, the Silent Universe — an edgy SciFi drama with a “choose your own adventure” twist — will premiere on www.silentuniverse.com and iTunes (promo available here).

In the series of monthly episodes, agents of the secret counter-terrorist organization “SERENDIPITY” will fight to undermine the deadly efforts of dictators, assassins, warlords and political extremists. But what makes this dramatic podcast truly unique is that its audience will be able to guide the storyline by giving ideas and feedback through a dedicated set of internet forums.

With a style of drama that mixes elements of “24” and the new “Battlestar Galactica,” each episode of the Silent Universe reveals layers of suspense and intrigue that leaves audiences guessing at what twists its plot will take next. Its motley cast of characters includes weapons specialists, a computer hacker, an ex-mercenary and even a casino tycoon, all forced to go to extreme lengths to prevent tragedy from striking the solar system. In a world where nuclear weapons are common to even the poorest countries and the United Nations is nothing but a quaint historical footnote, even the smallest conflict between powers can threaten to plunge mankind into Armageddon.

Interactivity is the key to Silent Universe’s appeal, though. Fans will have the opportunity to participate directly in the story development process, working side-by-side with the production team by offering critiques and suggestions in the online forums (www.silentuniverse.com/forums). This kind of “open” storytelling will encourage listeners of the Silent Universe to get invested in the podcast; upgrading them from a passive audience to active loyal partners in the series–a point that is often lost on large scale entertainment producers today.

Starting on February 15th, and proceeding at an episode-per-month pace, the Silent Universe podcast will paint a world that is futuristic, yet hauntingly reflective of modern themes. The 11 episodes of its first season will draw in audiences with its unapologetic exposé of human interest, while maintaining the thrill of a masterfully written SciFi adventure. With a talented cast of professional voice artists and an edgy concept which takes pride in turning space opera clichés on their ear, the Silent Universe will prove the viability of a new paradigm in podcast production.

Sounds interesting!

posted by Scott D. Danielson