Marv Wolfman – SFFaudio

Blackstone Audio’s $5 audiobook sale – STUNNING DEALS

SFFaudio News

Can anyone resist Blackstone Audio’s just announced $5.00 clearance sale?

This comes not a month after they announced their $9.99 overstock sale!

$5 for an audiobook.

That’s the deal of the year people!

Admittedly, not all of the available titles in this sale are unabridged, but they mostly are. There are a dozen SFF titles, plenty of crime, mystery and noir as well as a shelfload of history audiobooks. There are even a couple of audio dramas in there.

Here’s just a smattering of what excited me:

THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; read by Ben Kingsley
THE AENEID by Virgil; read by Frederick Davidson
BABYLON BABIES by Maurice G. Dantec; read by Joe Barrett
THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London; read by Ethan Hawke
CASINO ROYALE by Ian Fleming; read by Simon Vance
CHRISTOPHER’S GHOSTS by Charles McCarry; read by Stefan Rudnicki
A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR’S COURT by Mark Twain; read by Carl Reiner
CRIMINAL PARADISE by Steven M. Thomas; read by Patrick Lawlor
THE DEAL by Peter Lefcourt; read by William H. Macy
DEATH MATCH by Lincoln Child; read by Barrett Whitener |READ OUR REVIEW|
DON QUIXOTE DE LA MANCHA by Miguel de Cervantes; read by Robert Whitfield
EVIL, INC. by Glenn Kaplan; read by Glenn Kaplan
THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX by Elleston Trevor; read by Grover Gardner
FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley; read by Julie Harris
FRANKENSTEIN, OR THE MODERN PROMETHEUS by Mary Shelley; read by Simon Templeman, Anthony Heald, and Stefan Rudnicki
HOW TO SURVIVE A ROBOT UPRISING by Daniel H. Wilson; read by Stefan Rudnicki |READ OUR REVIEW|
HUCK FINN AND TOM SAWYER AMONG THE INDIANS by Mark Twain and Lee Nelson; read by Grover Gardner
I AM LEGEND by Richard Matheson; read by Robertson Dean |READ OUR REVIEW|
I, CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves; read by Frederick Davidson
THE INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS by Jack Finney; read by Kristoffer Tabori
IT’S SUPERMAN! by Tom De Haven; read by Scott Brick
JAMES BOND BOXED SET by Ian Fleming; read by Simon Vance
KING KONG by Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper; novelization by Delos W. Lovelace; read by Stefan Rudnicki |READ OUR REVIEW|
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE by Richard Condon; read by Christopher Hurt
THE MARTIAN CHILD by David Gerrold; read by Scott Brick
MARTIAN TIME-SLIP AND THE GOLDEN MAN by Philip K. Dick; read by Grover Gardner
MILDRED PIERCE by James M. Cain; read by Christine Williams
MYSTIC WARRIOR by Tracy and Laura Hickman; read by Lloyd James
PETER PAN by J.M. Barrie; read by Roe Kendall
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde; read by Simon Vance
THE PRESTIGE by Christopher Priest; read by Simon Vance
QUANTUM OF SOLACE by Ian Fleming; read by Simon Vance
RINGWORLD’S CHILDREN by Larry Niven; read by Barrett Whitener |READ OUR REVIEW|
ROCKET SHIP GALILEO by Robert A Heinlein; read by Spider Robinson |READ OUR REVIEW|
SUPERMAN RETURNS by Marv Wolfman; read by Scott Brick |READ OUR REVIEW|
SWEENEY TODD AND THE STRING OF PEARLS by Yuri Rasovsky; read by a full cast
TARZAN OF THE APES by Edgar Rice Burroughs; read by Ben Kingsley
THE TEN-CENT PLAGUE by David Hajdu; read by Stefan Rudnicki
THERMOPYLAE by Paul Cartledge; read by John Lee
THE THREE MUSKETEERS by Alexandre Dumas; read by Michael York
THE TIME MACHINE by H.G. Wells; read by Ben Kingsley
THE TRIAL by Franz Kafka; read by Geoffrey Howard
UTOPIA by Sir Thomas More; read by James Adams
V FOR VENDETTA by Steve Moore; read by Simon Vance |READ OUR REVIEW|
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS by H.G. Wells; read by Christopher Hurt
WHERE’S MY JETPACK? by Daniel H. Wilson; read by Stefan Rudnicki |READ OUR REVIEW|
THE WINTER OF FRANKIE MACHINE by Don Winslow; read by Dennis Boutsikaris
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO NARNIA by Jonathan Rogers; read by Brian Emerson

Posted by Jesse Willis

Blackstone Audiobooks OVERSTOCK SALE awesome audiobooks $5.00 each

SFFaudio News

Blackstone Audiobooks is having an absolutely amazing overstock sale! 114 titles are on sale, almost all of them for a rock bottom $5.00 each!

Check out these titles and the AMAZING prices!

KING KONG $5.00 – 5 CDs
By Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper. Novelization by Delos W. Lovelace; Read by Stefan Rudnicki
|READ OUR REVIEW|

CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY $5.00 – 7 Cassettes
By Robert A. Heinlein; Read by Lloyd James
|READ OUR REVIEW|

SUPERMAN RETURNS $5.00 – 8 CDs
By Marv Wolfman; Read by Scott Brick
|READ OUR REVIEW|

DEATH MATCH $5.00 – 10 Cassettes
By Lincoln Child; Read by Barrett Whitener
|READ OUR REVIEW|

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO NARNIA $5.00 – 4 CDs
By Jonathan Rogers; Read by Brian Emerson

SFFaudio Essential V FOR VENDETTA $5.00 – 8 CDs
By Steve Moore; Read by Simon Vance
|READ OUR REVIEW|

Posted by Jesse Willis

Review of Superman Returns by Marv Wolfman

SFFaudio Audiobook Review

Superman Returns
By Marv Wolfman; Read by Scott Brick
8 CDs – 9.5 hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2006
ISBN: 0786145455 (Cassette), 0786171332 (CD), 0786175729 (MP3-CD)
Click here for audio sample.

A review by Jake Black

I loved Superman Returns. I saw the film several times in theaters in both the 3-D and regular versions. It was a tremendous film, and as a die-hard Superman fan (and one who has worked with Smallville and even a Superman Returns book in the UK) I admit a bias. I wanted the movie to succeed. And to me, it did. It was with a similar view that I listened to the Superman Returns audiobook. I wanted it to succeed, and I think it does. It is a very different experience listening to the book than I was anticipating, but that is not necessarily bad.

The audio book is a dramatic reading of the film’s novelization by Marv Wolfman. The reading by Scott Brick is well done. Brick’s voice is pleasing, adding the right mix of excitement and simple narration, providing a colorful read. I was surprised that there were no sound effects or music to augment the reading, but that doesn’t detract from the quality of the audio book. (This is how much of a geek I am, though, I used a second CD player to play segments of the films soundtrack while I listened to each scene…okay, I didn’t really, but I *did* consider it!)

The great strength of the book is Wolfman’s passion for the character. A writer on several DC Comics books over the years, Wolfman has a vast knowledge of the Man of Steel. Utilizing this knowledge, the book ties in to many tellings of the Superman mythos. He does a fine job filling in gaps that better tied the film into the first two Christopher Reeve movies. (This was an unofficial sequel to those films, and Wolfman makes that much more clear.)

Make no mistake, though, a reader looking to relive the movie will find many things different in the novel than the film itself. Based on the script and story by Bryan Singer, Michael Dougherty, and Dan Harris, the book includes several scenes cut from the film, like Kal-El’s trip to Krypton told only through a bump in the movie. A lot of time is told telling that part of the story in the book, and it helps listeners understand better his motivation upon his return to Earth. Also explained more in-depth is the relationship between Martha and Ben Hubbard. It is a wonderful dynamic that I think could have added a lot to the film.

Missing from the book is the story about Jason and his super-parentage. Since it was based on the script, and those portions were not distributed with the script itself, it is understandable why this element would not be included. This is especially the case when one considers the books (including this audio version) were released prior to the film. Even the official merchandise tries to avoid spoilers!

Again, I admit a bias here. I wanted this to succeed. I think all in all it did. I would’ve liked some music on the book, but that is such a minor point, it’s almost not worth mentioning. So let’s pretend I didn’t. If you want to remember the film, and learn a lot more about the characters, this audiobook is a perfect addition your collection. (8 Compact Discs, nearly 10 hours of material.)

Jake Black is a writer based in Utah. Credits include comics, books, magazines, and much more. Visit www.jakeblack.com for more.

Recent Arrivals from Blackstone Audio

The Stonehenge Gate
By Jack Williamson; Read by Harlan Ellison
7 CDs – 8.5 hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2006
ISBN: 9780786146550 (Cassette), 9780786174119 (MP3-CD), 9780786167784 (CD)
Click here for audio sample.

Superman Returns
By Marv Wolfman; Read by Scott Brick
8 CDs – 9.5 hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2006
ISBN: 0786145455 (Cassette), 0786171332 (CD), 0786175729 (MP3-CD)
Click here for audio sample.

posted by Scott

New Releases – July 2006

SFFaudio New Releases

Here are the New Releases for July!

Horror Audiobook - Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton, read by Cynthia Holloway, Brilliance Audio, Unabridged
Click for an audio sample

Science Fiction Audiobook - A Dry, Quiet War by Tony Daniel A Dry, Quiet War by Tony Daniel, read by Jared Doreck, Infinivox, Unabridged

Science Fiction Audiobook - Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz, read by Keith Szarabajka, Random House Audio, Unabridged, (re-release)
Click for an audio sample

Science Fiction Audiobook - Of Fire and Night by Kevin J. Anderson Of Fire and Night: The Saga of Seven Suns Book 5 by Kevin J. Anderson, read by David Colacci, Brilliance Audio, Unabridged
Click for an audio sample

Fantasy Audiobook - Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, read by Jim Dale, Brilliance Audio, Unabridged

Science Fiction Audiobook - The Stonehenge Gate by Jack Williamson The Stonehenge Gate by Jack Williamson, read by Harlan Ellison, Blackstone Audio, Unabridged
This was mentioned by Harlan Ellison in our recent interview. A Grandmaster reading a Grandmaster!
Click for an audio sample

Science Fiction Audiobook - Superman Returns by Marv Wolfman Superman Returns by Marv Wolfman, read by Scott Brick, Blackstone Audio, Unabridged
Click for an audio sample

Science Fiction Audiobook - Voyagers by Ben Bova Voyagers by Ben Bova, read by Stefan Rudnicki, Blackstone Audio, Unabridged
Click for an audio sample

posted by Scott

New Releases for May and June

New Releases

Dontcha just love new releases? I know we sure do, here’s a tasty batch for May and June. Also, I hope you all know that many of these titles are available in multiple formats (CD, Cassette, MP3, etc.) just follow the links to the publisher websites to see who has what.

Leading the charge this time is Random House Audiobooks with… wait for it… wait for it…

Science Fiction Audiobook - A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick A Scanner Darkly
By Philip K. Dick; Read by Paul Giamatti
8 Compact Discs – 9 hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Random House Audio
Published: May 2006
ISBN: 073932392X
Our most requested title (by readers and reviewers alike) . I’m dying to hear how Paul Giamatti will perform it. Expect a review shortly.

Tell Tale Weekly has released a never before adapted audiobook of…

The Valley Of The Spiders
By H. G. Wells; Read by Alexander Wilson
MP3 Download – 29 minutes, 11 seconds [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: TellTaleWeekly.org
Published: May 2006
A SF/Fantasy Pulp Adventure Story from 1903. “Three adventurers face danger, death, and giant spiders, all for the capture love of a woman, in this classic pulp adventure story.” Just $1.00! And be sure to read the nice intro Alex Wilson wrote for it on the TellTaleWeekly site too.

And of course there is no stopping the indefatigable Podiobooks.com, they’ve got a sweet batch of new podcast novels in the offing:

Podiobook - Immortals by Tracy Hickman The Immortals
By Tracy Hickman; Read by Tracy and Laura Hickman
MP3 Files – [UNABRIDGED?]
Publisher: Podiobooks.com
Started: May 2006
It’s 2020, and an attempted cure for AIDS has mutated into a deadlier disease, V-CIDS. The U.S., under martial law, has set up “quarantine centers” in the Southwest. Searching for his gay son, Jon, media mogul Michael Barris smuggles himself into one of centers only to discover that it and the other centers are actually extermination camps. With a strange assortment of allies, including the leader of the camp’s gay barracks, an army officer and a local cowboy, Barris precipitates an inmates’ rebellion that promises the unraveling of the death-camp system and the overthrow of the government that established it.

Discovered Country
By Nora Fleischer
MP3 Files – [UNABRIDGED?]
Publisher: Podiobooks.com
Started: May 2006
Rosemary Halpern, a mild-mannered librarian from Boston, found herself trapped hundreds of years in the future. A future that faced a new Ice Age. A future where ghouls walked the Earth, ravenous for human flesh.

Sonic Fiction
Edited by Jeffrey Kafer; Read by Jeffrey Kafer
MP3 Files – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Podiobooks.com
Started: May 2006
An eclectic mix of authors from a range of ages and backgrounds. Featuring works of Science fiction, gritty war tales, murder and intrigue, comedy and farce, this is a book for any fan of short fiction. Let us tell you a story…

Prophecy Of Swords
By M.H. Bonham
MP3 Files – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Podiobooks.com
Started: May 2006
Nearly a thousand years ago a great warrior named Lachlan sought to unify his people, using the power of the Three Swords of Destiny. Before his victory, Lachlan was killed by his trusted friend, Allarun. Now, Allarun is still in power but haunted by dreams of Lachlan’s death curse: that Lachlan would return to avenge his death. Allarun’s decision is to destroy the very people Lachlan tried to unite.

Brilliance Audio has a lock on lengthy Fantasy titles this quarter – check these out…

Dragon’s Fire
By Todd McCaffrey and Anne McCaffrey; Read by Dick Hill
10 CDs – 12 hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: 2006
ISBN: 9781423314561

More lore from the planet called Pern!

Phantom
By Terry Goodkind; Read by Sam Tsoutsouvas
2 MP3-CDs – 23 hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: 2006
ISBN: 9781593356873
I don’t know much about Goodkind, anybody heard one of his?

Dragons of the Dwarven Depths: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. I
by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman; Read by Sandra Burr
13 Compact Discs – 15 hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: 2006
ISBN: 9781423316107

A new Dragonlance book with the old beloved characters! I loved the classic first trilogy as a kid. I wonder if this one will be as good.

Also Blackstone Audiobooks has “returns” to re-releases, remakes and all look promising…

Ceteganda
By Lois McMaster Bujold; Read by Grover Gardner
1 MP3-CD – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Published: May 2006
ISBN: 9780786175116
This was previously recorded by the now defunct The Readers Chair – Grover Gardner makes this a remake.

Superman Returns
By Marv Wolfman; Read by Scott Brick
1 MP3-CD -[UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Published: June 2006
ISBN: 0786175729
Looks like a Movie-Tie In.

Animal Farm & 1984
By George Orwell; Read by Richard Brown and Ralph Cosham
1 MP3-CD – [UNABRIDGED]
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audiobooks
PUBLISHED: June 2006
ISBN: 0786177144
Released seperately many times and by with many readers before, you can now grab them together. Orwell at his best.

Not much new Spec Fic over at the venerable Recorded Books, but this one caught our eye…

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean
By Justin Somper; Read by John Curless
CDs – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC
Published: May 2006
ISBN: 1428110836

posted by Jesse