LibriVox – Page 71

LibriVox: She by H. Rider Haggard

SFFaudio Online Audio

“She is a classic of the imagination, a milestone and foundation stone of a whole sector of fantastic novels upon which others have built and still build novels of wonder. The sector is that of the lost land, the lost race, the wonder that lies over the next mountain or beyond the farthest sea.” – Donald A. Wollheim (author of H. Rider Haggard’s Empire of the Imagination)

Complete and unabridged, H. Rider Haggard’s She! What’s that you say? You’ve been hankering for a story about a lost civilization ruled by gorgeous 2000 year old female-despot? That’s even what you thought the word Fantasy meant for all these years? Don’t know what I’m talking about?

She was a 19th century best-seller from the author of King Solomon’s Mines, its another tale set in Africa. A mysterious African kingdom in fact. It explores themes of “imperial arrogance, sexual obsession, power and isolation” and it’s all wrapped up in a high adventure format. Best of all, it’s out now in the form of a Public Domain audiobook from LibriVox!

She
By H. Rider Haggard; Read by various
29 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – 11 Hours 36 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: February 2008
At 5 years old Leo Vincey is left in the care of a Cambridge professor by the name of Horace Holly. His father leaves him a strange casket which he is to open on his 25th Birthday. On opening the Casket Leo and Horace discover the strange history of Leo’s ancestors. Leo and his adoptive father Horace must travel all the way to Africa in order to uncover the solve his family’s strange history.

Podcast feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/she-by-h-rider-haggard.xml

Posted by Jesse Willis

LibriVox and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “John Carter / Barsoom” books

SFFaudio Online Audio

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) is best known for his Tarzan series of books. His second best known series is our topic for the day. The first three books in the John Carter of Mars series (AKA The Barsoom Series) are available via the tireless volunteers at Librivox! Enjoy…

A Princess of Mars (book one in the John Carter series)
By Edgar Rice Burroughs; Read by various readers
29 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 2006
“Part One of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Mars-Series. Easy, swank, pulp read about an omnipotent gentleman teleported to Mars, finding an outlandish society of ape-, tree- and lizardmen, red-, white-, yellowmen, brains on legs, strange bastions and curious apparatuses, where the strongest survives and women are needy beauties to be saved. How can something be so platitudinous and at the same time so imaginative and enthralling?”

Podcast feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/a-princess-of-mars-by-edgar-rice-burroughs.xml

The Gods Of Mars (book two in the John Carter series)
By Edgar Rice Burroughs; Read by JD Weber
22 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 7 Hours 41 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 2006
“The Gods of Mars is a 1918 Edgar Rice Burroughs science fiction novel, the second of his famous Barsoom series. It can be said that the novel set the tone for much science fiction to come. Its influence can clearly be seen in franchises such as Star Trek and Farscape. While Burroughs no doubt borrowed liberally from the pulp fiction of his day, particularly westerns and swashbuckling tales, the pacing and themes set the tone for the soft science fiction genre. The protagonist, John Carter, with his proficiency in hand-to-hand combat and flirtations with beautiful alien women, could be said to have set the mold for later influential icons like Captain James T. Kirk and James Bond. At the end of the first book, A Princess of Mars, John Carter is unwillingly transported back to Earth. The Gods of Mars begins with his arrival back on Barsoom (Mars) after a ten year hiatus, separated from his wife Dejah Thoris, his unborn child, and the Red Martian people of the nation of Helium, whom he has adopted as his own. Unfortunately, John Carter materializes in the one place on Barsoom from which nobody is allowed to depart: the Valley Dor, which is the Barsoomian heaven.”

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/the-gods-of-mars-by-edgar-rice-burroughs.xml

The Warlord Of Mars (book three in the John Carter series)
By Edgar Rice Burroughs; Read by JD Weber and Kara Shallenberg*
16 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 5 Hours 24 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: August 2007
“Warlord of Mars is an Edgar Rice Burroughs science fiction novel, the third of his famous Barsoom series. John Carter continues his quest to be reunited with his wife, the princess Dejah Thoris, and discovers more fantastic creatures and ancient mysterious Martian races.”* One point of interest, the reader for Warlord, JD Weber, mysteriously disappeared before recording the last chapter. After waiting several months, Kara Shallenberg recorded the last chapter.

Podcast feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/the-warlord-of-mars-by-edgar-rice-burroughs.xml

Posted by Jesse Willis

Review of A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

SFFaudio Review

A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court
By Mark Twain; Read by Steve Anderson
45 Zipped MP3 files or Podcast – 13 Hours 43 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Librivox.org
Publshed: 2006
Themes: / Fantasy / Time Travel / Satire /

“This is the first book I recorded for LibriVox. As is the first recording, it is a bit rough in places, but I am happy with it, it is certainly enjoyable listening, if you are not me; and you are not. The Yankee is a long time favorite of mine, though some might be surprised to know that. I encourage you to download and listen, it’s free. Give copies to your friends.” – Narrator, Steve Anderson

In the opening chapters of A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court, Mark Twain magically transports the titular Yankee, Hank Morgan, into the mythical world of King Arthur and sets him up to be burned at the stake, then lets Hank weasel his way out with his modern knowledge. The plot is nothing more than a constant rehash of this same type of set-up and escape, but the character is what is most memorable about the book. Twain has a talent for making his characters simultaneously over-the-top and real, creating a person both exasperating and fascinating. Hank, as “The Boss”, is constantly making grand plans and trying to convince his medieval compatriots to adopt a late 19th century lifestyle.

Apart from the unforgettable characters, the other hallmark of Twain’s works is his misanthropy. Toward the end, the sarcasm becomes a bit too harsh to be enjoyable as Twain’s love for persons individually begins to be outweighed by his distaste for people in general. Before this vitriol starts to take effect, though, Twain gently but effectively ridicules organized religion, politics, advertising, personal hygiene, war, and, of course, the Arthurian legend. It helps if you have tried to read (and, perhaps, failed to finish) Mallory’s Le Morte D’Arthur, but anyone familiar with chivalrous tales of knights in shining armor is bound to get the joke.

Librivox volunteer Steve Anderson’s reading is full of enthusiasm. He lends just the right amount of sarcasm to his telling and makes Hank’s story come alive with wit. Anderson doesn’t “do voices” for other characters very often, which since the story is told as a 1st person narrative, is just fine. There’s a bit of background hum and the louder tones are cut off, giving the voice a tinny character at times. The sound quality, however, should not distract most people from Twain’s excellent story or the reader’s infectious love of the book.

Here is the podcast feed for the audiobook:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court-by-mark-twain.xml

Posted by Listener of the Free Listens blog

LibriVox releases Horror Story Collection 003 stories by Poe, Wells, Lovecraft, Howard and more!

SFFaudio Online Audio

I think we’re getting spoiled…

Horror Story Collection 003
By various; Read by various
10 Zipped MP3 Files, or podcast – 3 Hours 18 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: January 23rd 2008
An occasional collection of 10 horror stories by various readers. We aim to unsettle you a little, to cut through the pink cushion of illusion that shields you from the horrible realities of life. Here are the walking dead, the fetid pools of slime, the howls in the night that you thought you had confined to your more unpleasant dreams.

Caterpillars
By E.F. Benson; Read by Andy Minter
1 |MP3| file – Approx. 21 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]

The Cats of Ulthar
By H.P. Lovecraft; Read by: Sarah Jennings
1 |MP3| file – Approx. 8 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]

The Crawling Chaos
By H.P. Lovecraft; Read by D.E. Wittkower
1 |MP3| file – Approx. 26 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]

The Nameless City
By H.P. Lovecraft; Read by Mark Nelson
1 |MP3| file – Approx. 37 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]

The Raven
By Edgar Allen Poe; Read by Zoe Earley
1 |MP3| file – Approx. 8 Minutes

Skulls in the Stars
By Robert E. Howard; Read by Paul Siegel
1 |MP3| file – Approx. 22 Minutes

The Spook House
By Ambrose Bierce; Read by Scott Bush
1 |MP3| file – Approx. 9 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]

The Statement of Randolph Carter
By H.P. Lovecraft; Read by Glen Hallstrom
1 |MP3| file – Approx. 14 Miuntes [UNABRIDGED]

The Strange Orchid
By H.G. Wells; Read by Pete Williams
1 |MP3| file – Approx. 21 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]

The Tomb
By H.P. Lovecraft; Read by D.E. Wittkower
1 |MP3| file – Approx. 32 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]

Subscribe to the podcast feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/horror-story-collection-003.xml

Posted by Jesse Willis

PUBLIC DOMAIN AUDIOBOOK: The Master Of The World by Jules Verne (via LibriVox)

SFFaudio Online Audio

Mark F. Smith, the narrator behind The First Men in the Moon, Greylorn, Tarzan Of The Apes, The Mysterious Island, and plenty more public domain Science Fiction, has released another classic SF novel through LibriVox.org. Mark sez of his latest: “This book is a sequel to an earlier Verne novel, Robur the Conqueror, but enough detail is given to fully appreciate this story without having first read the other.”

The Master Of The World
By Jules Verne; Read by Mark F. Smith
18 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – Approx. 5 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: January 2008
Chief Inspector Strock gets the tough cases. When a volcano suddenly appears to threaten mountain towns of North Carolina amid the non-volcanic Blue Ridge Mountains, Strock is posted to determine the danger. When an automobile race in Wisconsin is interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a vehicle traveling at multiples of the top speed of the entrants, Strock is consulted. When an odd-shaped boat is sighted moving at impossible speeds off the New England coast, Stock and his boss begin to wonder if the incidents are related. And when Strock gets a hand-lettered note warning him to abandon his investigation, on pain of death, he is intrigued rather than deterred. Set in a period when gasoline engines were in their infancy and automobiles were rare, and when even Chief Inspectors had to engage a carriage and horses to move about, the appearance of a vehicle that can move at astounding speeds on land, on water – and as later revealed, underwater and through the air – marks a technological advance far beyond the reach of nations. It is technology invented by and for the sole benefit of a man who styles himself (with some justification) “The Master of the World.”

Subscribe to the complete podcast audiobook via this feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/the-master-of-the-world-by-jules-verne.xml

Posted by Jesse Willis

LibriVox: Short Science Fiction Stories Collection #002

SFFaudio Online Audio

Short Science Fiction Stories Collection #002
By various; Read by various
10 Zipped MP3s – Approx. 4 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007
“Science fiction (abbreviated SF or sci-fi with varying punctuation and case) is a broad genre of fiction that often involves sociological and technical speculations based on current or future science or technology. This is the second volume of reader-selected collection of short stories originally published between 1941 and 1963, that entered the US public domain when their copyright was not renewed.”

Subscribe to the podcast feed via this URL:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/short-science-fiction-collection-vol-002.xml

Or get the stories individually:

LibriVox - 2BR02B by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 2BR02B
By Kurt Vonnegut, Jr; Read by Bruce Bell-Myers
1 |MP3| – Approx. 18 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007
In the not so distant future an over-populated planet requires that every birth be balanced by a death. When Edward K. Whelig, Jr.’s wife births triplets he needs to find three people willing to enter a local suicide booth and give him the receipt…

The Answer
By H. Beam Piper; Read by Nicodemus
1 |MP3| Approx. 25 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007

The Blue Tower*
By Evelyn E. Smith; Read by Betsie Bush
1 |MP3| Approx. 34.5 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007
*This is an SFFaudio Challenge #2 title!

Bread Overhead*
By Fritz Leiber;Read by Betsie Bush
1 |MP3| Approx. 33 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007
*There are two other readings of this story available too! Here and here.

The Burning Bridge
By Poul Anderson; Read by Nicodemus
1 |MP3| Approx. 57 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007

Second Sight
By Alan E. Nourse; Read by Jodi Krangle
1 |MP3| Approx. 27 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007

Solomon’s Orbit
By William Carroll; Read by Anton
1 |MP3| Approx. 21 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007

The Troubadour
By Robert A.W. Lowndes; Read by Cori Samuel
1 |MP3| Approx. 9 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007

The Ultimate Experiment
By Thornton DeKy; Read by Nicodemus
1 |MP3| Approx. 9 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]

Untechnological Employment
By E. M. Clinton, Jr.; Read by Tysto
1 |MP3| Approx. 6 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: November 17, 2007

Posted by Jesse Willis