LibriVox Science Fiction Audiobook – Storm Over Warlock by Andre Norton

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Ace Books published Storm Over Warlock as F-109 and F-329 in paperback form in the 1960s. Nearly a half century later the first audiobook version was published – today! Narrator R.J. Davis also has another Norton set for release very soon too.

LibriVox Science Fiction Audiobook - Storm Over Warlock by Andre NortonStorm Over Warlock
By Andre Norton; Read by R.J. Davis
19 Zipped MP3s or Podcast – 7 Hours 18 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: May 15th 2008
The Throg task force struck the Terran survey camp a few minutes after dawn, without warning, and with a deadly precision which argued that the aliens had fully reconnoitered and prepared that attack. Eye-searing lances of energy lashed back and forth across the base with methodical accuracy. And a single cowering witness, flattened on a ledge in the heights above, knew that when the last of those yellow-red bolts fell, nothing human would be left alive down there.

Get this free audiobook via podcast:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/storm-over-warlock-by-andre-norton.xml

Posted by Jesse Willis

Sci-Phi Show interviews Rudy Rucker

Jason Rennie’s The Sci Phi Show, has has an exclusive podcast interview with Rudy Rucker. You may recall that The Sci Phi Show ran a short Rucker story called Panpsychism Proved a while back. Jason talks to Rudy about the “singularity”, the philosophical idea of panpsychism (the idea that the entirety of the universe is “mind”), quantum physics, cyberpunk, his novels and his philosophy on book distribution. Have a listen |MP3| or subscribe to The Sci Phi Show’s podcast feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheSciPhiShow

Fledgling – a Liaden Universe novel, podcast

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Only two more chapters are left to go before the latest Liaden Universe novel by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller is entirely available as a podcast novel. I listened and reviewed the first novel in this series, it was released by Buzzy Multimedia. This is about the 12th novel in the series (it’s hard to tell exactly), but as the official website says:

Fledgling is a “side book.” A “side book” is a book that is coincidental to the main action of a series, which is expected to be of little interest, except to stalwart fans — and to the authors.

There are also plans to release the next novel (Saltation) as a podcast too. If you’re a Liaden Universe addict you probably already know about this, if you’re not, have a listen to a few chapters of this podcast – those who love it, REALLY LOVE IT!

Fledgling (a Liaden Universe novel)Fledgling (a Liaden Universe novel)
By Sharon Lee and Steve Miller; Read by Sam Chupp
Podcast – [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: Fledgling Podcast
Podcast: January 2007 – ???? 2008
This is the story of Theo Waitley and how she came to have a “kind of complicated” problem to lay before the delm of Korval.

You can subscribe to the podcast via this feed:

http://fledgling.fireheartfoundry.com/?feed=podcast

[Thanks Esther!]

Posted by Jesse Willis

PRI’s Selected Shorts: Beyond Lies The Wub by Philip K. Dick

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Public Radio International’s Selected ShortsPublic Radio International’s Selected Shorts (an event at New York’s Symphony Space, in which actors read classic and new short fiction before a live audience) recently had Art Spiegelman (comic book auteur) and Françoise Mouly (art editor of The New Yorker) pick some short stories for a series of live readings. One of them was Philip K. Dick’s Beyond Lies the Wub! Spiegleman introduces the tale. It’s interesting to hear this familiar and excellent tale read live. Narrator Denis O’Hare doesn’t perform it as a regular audiobook narrator would, but it’s kind of fun to hear a different take on it. Compare this version to the excellent Wonder Audio version.

Beyond Lies The Wub
By Philip K. Dick; Read by Denis O’Hare
1 |MP3|* – Approx. 22 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Broadcaster: PRI / Selected Shorts
Broadcast: April 13, 2008
*The story runs from 13:54-35:05

Here’s the podcast feed:


http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=510202

[Thanks Esther!]

Posted by Jesse Willis

Review of Infected by Scott Sigler

SFFaudio Review

Infected by Scott SiglerInfected
By Scott Sigler; Read by Scott Sigler
9 CDs – 12 hours – [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Random House Audio
Published: 2008
ISBN: 9780739328859
Themes: / Horror / Science Fiction / Mystery / Bio Chemical / Self Mutilation / Scott Sigler / Podcast

Maybe you’ve been away on vacation. Maybe you’re new here. Maybe you fell asleep 100 years ago and you’re just waking up. Maybe you’ve been locked inside your house with a pair of chicken scissors. Who knows? But, if you are a fan of audiobooks and audio fiction and DON’T know about Scott Sigler, you’ve been missing out.

So, for those of you who don’t know who Scott Sigler is, he started out as a rogue novelist that decided to record his own novels and distribute them for free, over the internet, as podcasts, to build an audience for his writing. And my, oh my how it has worked! Who would have ever thought that you could make money, or at least get yourself a big time publishing deal with a major company just by giving your stuff away for free? For those of you who, like me, have been following his rise, you’ll be happy to hear that our little Scott Sigler is all grown up now. He’s out of diapers and he’s using his “big boy” voice.

The basic premise of Infected is this: Some strange virus, disease, or biological weapon is turning normal people in to stark raving lunatics. This mysterious disease, whatever it is, causes its victim to become paranoid, psychotic, and just a little more than grumpy. There’s suspense, gore, disturbing self mutilation and of course, lots and lots of violence. But, as you may well know, adult themes and disturbing images only work if they are used to serve as a backdrop to great writing. Infected is most certainly well written and that’s why it is a good listening experience from beginning to end.

CIA operative Dew Phillips is burdened with the task of figuring out what this thing is and why it causes such behavior from its victims. Even with the help of CDC Epidemiologist Margaret Montoya, he does not know much about the disease. Because of its nature, all infected victims have been found dead. The investigation takes them from city to city, hoping to catch a live host.

Then there’s our “host” Perry Dawsey. He’s a gigantic former college football player, with a slight twinge towards problems of an anger management nature. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s about to take you on a wonderful ride of beautifully written “gross”. Perry is a man who has struggled for years to control his anger and you begin to feel for him as you witness his downward spiral in to violence. You may find yourself fighting for Perry the perfectly crafted underdog. Normally you wouldn’t consider such a hugely athletic man as an “underdog”. But, in Infected, his strength is literally his weakness.

I first heard Infected in its original form as a free audio podcast. When I sat down to listen to this professionally produced and released unabridged recording, I thought I was about to take a trip in to a wonderfully relaxing nostalgia. But, I was wrong. From the first page, the book has been completely re-worked, tightened, tweaked, improved upon, and added to. Infected is as fit as a boxer getting ready to fight for the title belt and every page, chapter, and verse has a polished feel that resonates with the listener. There is also new material, previously unreleased, including twenty-two pages that you won’t even find in hardcover book.

For fans of Sigler’s podcast, you will be happy to hear that he narrated the entire book himself. It comes complete with elements that you don’t normally find in a big budget release, such as voices and a mild amount of sound effects that help the recording spring to life. Yet the entire thing feels like his podcast. I kept expecting him to come in and say, “That’s all the story I’ve got for you this week…” but he never did. Not until the end, almost twelve gruesome hours later.

The sound quality is very good. There are no flubs, exterior sounds, or flaws. It not only sounds good, but Scott Sigler has actually never sounded better. That’s a lot to be said for someone who jokingly claims to have been doing this perfectly for over eighteen years now.

I realized when I first pressed “play” on this audiobook that I had never actually listened to anything written by Scott Sigler in one extended sitting. I had been consuming his fiction, just like every other person out there, one week at a time, for just a few minutes at a time. I am happy to report that he is not like one of those annoying friends that you enjoy only in small doses. I started listening to Infected, and even though I already had a good idea of what the story and characters were going to be, I just kept listening all the way through to the end. The writing is solid and the plot twists and character arcs are all perfectly juxtaposed. You can never relax or let your guard down because there is something even worse coming to get you from just around the corner.

So, if you’re in to a little romantic comedy where all is well at the end and everyone loves each other, Infected is not for you. But, if you are looking for something that is page burningly well written with great characters, violence gore, a dash of self mutilation and some chicken scissors thrown in for good measure, definitely give Infected a shot. I’m sure Scott Sigler would thank you personally, but he’s locked in his closet right now recording his next great hit, which he is still giving away for free, every week. Well, almost every week. It isn’t exactly clockwork.

Posted by Michael Bekemeyer of the Scatterpod podcast.

The Canadia: 2056 Unofficial Podcast is here!

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“Let me hear the first one again”
-Commander Margot Fabreaux, first officer, HMCSS Canadia

Canadia: 2056 Unofficial PodcastI have some kruckin’ good news! All our wishes have finally been fulfilled, and somebody up there (in orbit) likes us! The Zombie Astronaut, the proprietor of the ghoulishly great OTR and audio drama website (and his own Frequency Of Fear podcast) has set up an “unofficial Canadia: 2056 podcast” feed! This follows in the tradition of other unofficial podcast feeds for other CBC Radio shows like Wiretap and The Age Of Persuasion.

ZA, who is orbiting high above the earth in his Zombie Space Station, plans on podcasting one episode of the program daily until he’s caught up with the radio broadcasts! Episode 18 of Canadia: 2056 airs on all CBC Radio One stations this week.

Subscribe to the unofficial podcast via this feed:

http://thezombieastronaut.com/podcasts-only/rss2.aspx

Posted by Jesse Willis