Final episode of Canadia: 2056 airs today on CBC Radio One

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Canadia 2056The concluding episode of Canadia: 2056 airs today on all CBC Radio One stations across Canada. Tune in and listen @ 11:30am or listen using the Streaming Radio Map. And, just one day prior to the conclusion Canadia: 2056 earned an “honorable mention” for the 2007 Mark Time Awards.

Here’s the official CBC Radio hotsheet description for the final show:

“An illegal upload adversely affects the computer. The Canadia finally reaches the planet Ipampilash, but Faverau and Pickens can’t agree on what to do. Anderson and Lewis take matters into their own hands when the captain is unable to answer the call of duty. Faverau comes across a Canadian on board the USS Pickens and brings them back to the Canadia. Canadia 2056, this morning at 11:30 (noon NT) on CBC Radio One.”

What will the ultimate fate of Canadia: 2056 be? We’ve got no idea. But Matt Watts has posted a bit of info to his site. Matt sez:

“Overall, I’m pretty happy with the quality of the writing. I think I managed to write a couple of great episodes (along with a couple of clunkers.) The two episodes that were co-written turned out great, and I’m glad I had Dave Tomlinson and Bryan Lee O’Malley to write them. I couldn’t have done it at all without Joe Mahoney as my story editor – Thanks, Joe. The cast and crew were fantastic to work with. The whole thing was a great ride, and I hope we get picked up for more. I left the story open ended and there’s nothing I’d like more than to do a second season.”

And he’s posted a pic of the 2056 cast and crew:

Canadia 2056 Cast and Crew

The series seems to have really struck a chord with listeners. One listener compared it with the original broadcast of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, and I think that’s a fair comparison, Matt Watts is not unlike a Canadian Douglas Adams.

I’ve personally received several emails requesting places where previous episodes can be downloaded. Unfortunately I’m not personally able to help you with these requests. But nothing is stopping you from trading files yourselves.

Other than that, for those who missed episodes, or would like to hear the show again all I can say is that the show may be re-run in years to come, or like the two previous CBC SF series by Matt Watts, they may be released on CD. We’ll let you know when and where you can get Canadia: 2056.

posted by Jesse Willis

Mark Time/Ogle Winners Announced!

SFFaudio News

Presented by

The American Society For Science Fiction Audio
(ASFSFA)

The winners of the Mark Time/Ogle Awards have been officially announced! Boy it was difficult keeping my mouth shut for so long!

Mark Time Awards / Ogle Awards
Winners – 2007
Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Audio Production
http://www.greatnorthernaudio.com/MarkTime/MarkTime.html

Mark Time Award
SILVER

Through the Turnstiles
Produced by Sam A. Mowry
Written by Carole Dane
Willamette Radio Workshop
www.radiowork.com

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Canadia: 2056
Produced by Joe Mahoney
Written by Matt Watts
CBC Radio A & E
www.assortednonsense.com

Tears of the Tin God
Produced by Richard Sellers
Story by T. Ray Gordon
www.apexaudiotheatre.com

Ogle Award
GOLD

God of the Razor
Produced by Scott Hickey
Story by Joe R. Lansdale
The Grist Mill
www.amfmtheater.com
and
Dandelion Wine
Produced by Jerry Robbins, & Mark Vander Berg
Script by Ray Bradbury
The Colonial Radio Theatre On the Air
www.colonialradio.com

SILVER

HURF
Produced by Sam A. Mowry
Written by Craig Kenworthy
Willamette Radio Workshop
www.radiowork.com

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
In Science Fiction Audio

* Norman Corwin
* Ray Bradbury

A Gold and a Silver Mark Time Award, and a Gold and a Silver Ogle Award, will be awarded at CONvergence,, July 6-7-8 of 2007.

posted by Dani Cutler

Zombie Astronaut collects BBCR4’s Chillers – Four Tales Of Terror

Online Audio

MP3 webzine - Zombie AstronautIn early 2002 a limited run series of chilling Science Fiction tales aired on BBC Radio 4. The series was entitled Chillers (or Chillers – Four Tales of Terror). The scripts were by Gold Sony award winning dramatist Mike Walker, the original stories were by top SF authors. Before today I’d recommended to everyone who’d listen, the first of these, Who Goes There?. It is the finest half-hour of Science Fiction Audio Drama I’ve ever experienced. But now the entire four episode series is available in the Zombie Astronaut‘s latest issue. I’m going to be savoring the rest thanks to ZA!

Chillers Four Tales Of TerrorChillers – Four Tales of Terror
Dramatized by Mike Walker; Performed by full casts
4 x 30 Minute Programs – Approx. 2 Hours [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4
Broadcast: Jan. – Feb. 2002

“Who Goes There?”
Based on story by John W. Campbell; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Penned under the name Don A. Stuart, the novelette that this play was based on was first published in the August 1938 issue of Astounding Stories.
An alien being is found frozen in the ice of Antarctica. When it is thawed, it awakens, to become a threat to the small base camp. In fact, it’s a threat to all life on earth, as it can change shape and absorb the life and bodies of every living thing it comes in contact with.

“I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream”
Based on story by Harlan Ellison; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
The Hugo Award winning short story this play was based on first appeared in the March 1968 issue of Worlds Of If.
This is a tale of five people kept alive by AM, a computer that came alive, waged war and won against mankind. It’s hatred of mankind is so profound, that it kept these five alive only to torture them.

“Delta Sly Honey”
Based on story by Lucius Shepard; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
First appeared in a 1987 anthology entitled In the Field of Fire, which was a collection of SF and Fantasy stories dealing with Vietnam.
Taking place in the Vietnam War era, this is the story of a Southern country boy who exorcises his demons making late night broadcasts to phantom military units. Then, one answers.

“Corona”
Based on story by Samuel R. Delaney; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| – Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
First published in Fantasy And Science Fiction Magazine‘s October, 1967 issue.
This is the story of an injured man and a girl who seeks death to free her from the pain that comes from her telepathic ability. Their common bond is a pop musician who offers peace to both.

posted by Jesse Willis

Andre Norton’s The Defiant Agents claimed for our SFFaudio Challenge

SFFaudio News

Meta SFFaudio - SFFaudio Contest - Make audiobook win an audiobookCindy Woods, a repertory player and producer for the long running Arbiter Chronicles, has written in to claim The Defiant Agents by Andre Norton. Yep, this is one of the titles in our SFFaudio ‘Make An Audiobook Challenge.’

Cindy is aiming to finish the recording by summer’s end, though as an already busy contributor and editor for the Prometheus Radio Theatre podcast it may take a bit longer.

While this novel fits into the variously titled, “Time Trader,” “Ross Murdock” and “Time War” series it is eminently readable on its own.

The novel’s premise posits a future “cold war” background in which the opposing Russian and U.S. governments use two of their subject peoples (Apache and Mongol) to colonize a distant planet. What starts off as two colonization programs soon escalates into an all-out proxy war. The Defiant Agents is a fun Science Fiction adventure tale from 1962. Here’s the Manybooks.net description:

Alien technology scavenged by U.S. and Russian scientists has started a race to colonize planets outside our solar system — and the U.S. scientists are losing! In a desperate move the American government decides to use a group of Apache volunteers in an experimental attempt to colonize a primitive planet, but before they can even begin their spaceship crashes on the planet Topaz…

And to help Cindy reach her Summer 2007 completion date here’s our inspirational art:Science Fiction Audiobook - The Defiant Agents by Andre Norton

Go Cindy! Go!

posted by Jesse Willis

Pen World Voices Festival features Neil Gaiman, storytelling

SFFaudio Online Audio

Pen.orgThe Moth is a NYC non-profit storytelling organization designed to ‘recreate the the feeling of sultry summer evenings in which a small circle of friends would gather to spin spellbinding tales to each other.’ In April 2007, an event tied into the PEN World Voices international literature festival included a Moth venue. Invited to participate was master fantasist Neil Gaiman! Gaiman accepted and was asked to perform a true story inspired by this question:

“Where did you grow up and what was your home town street?”

Below is Gaiman’s unscripted story based upon an event in his own life. There are no fantastic elements, but I found it very enjoyable, and I think you will too…

Neil GaimanHome And Away
By Neil Gaiman; Read by Neil Gaiman
1 |MP3| File – 15 Minutes [AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STORY]
Provider: Pen World Voices / TheMoth.org
Recorded: April 26th, 2007 (New York City)

posted by Jesse Willis