science fiction – Page 197

2nd audiobook version of Andre Norton’s Star Hunter available

SFFaudio Online Audio

This may be a first, at least for a relatively modern Science Fiction novel – there are now TWO unabridged single voiced narrations of Andre Norton’s public domain novel Star Hunter. Both are available for free download. The first one, which we told you about earlier this year was read and archived by Maureen O’Brien of the Maria Lectrix Podcast. That version is available through the Internet Archive. Now, LibriVox narrator Leonie Rose has completed a second version, available for download in a zipped bundle or by podcast feed. And here it is…

Star Hunter
By Andre Norton; Read by Leonie Rose
13 Zipped MP3 Files or Podcast – 3 Hours 33 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: Aug. 5th 2007
Somewhere on the jungle world of Jumala hid a man whose mind had been reconditioned with another’s brain pattern. There was a fabulous reward out for him. And so began another-worldly game of hide and seek. Between a man who did not know his own powers and an interstellar safari that sought something no man had a right to find.

You can subscribe to the podcast for this novel with this feed:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/star-hunter-by-andre-norton.xml

Now the big question – which version is the better narrated?

posted by Jesse Willis

1921 short story found in Mr. Ron’s Basement

SFFaudio OnlineAudio

Mister Ron thinks we all might enjoy checking out episode number 803 of his podcast, Mister Ron’s Basement — featured is a six minute story called Looking Backward On The Home — In the Year 3000 A.D. by Thomas L. Masson. The tale comes from Masson’s 1921 book titled, Well, Why Not? Ron sez:

“It’s pretty clever and has a laugh or two in it. I can well imagine people in the year 3000 discussing ‘flivvers’ and ‘things called trees.'”

Go have a listen, plug this podcast feed to hear the show:

http://slapcast.com/rss/revry/index.xml

posted by Jesse Willis

AUDIO ROUNDUP: Masters Of Science Fiction

SFFaudio Online Audio

Masters Of Science Fiction aired its first episode last night on ABC stations in the USA. We’ve got all the audio dope on this video program…

HERE‘s an audio recording from NPR and TV critic David Bianculli talking about the show. What makes this series so intriguing is that it is using actual Science Fiction stories (GASP!) for its episodes…

The first tale was based on John Kessel’s A Clean Escape (which was previously adapted into a Seeing Ear Theatre Original Playhouse audio drama (no longer available online). Hardcopies of this audio drama can be found in an out of print collection, available on ABEBooks.com (and one is currently on on ebay.com):

Seeing Ear Theater, Volume 1
By Terry Bisson, Brian Smith, James Patrick Kelly, Allen Steele, John Kessel and Gregory Benford
FULL CAST PRODUCTIONS with introductions by Harlan Ellison
2 Cassettes – Approx 3 hrs. [UNABRIDGED DRAMATIZATIONS]
ISBN: 0787118133
Date Published 1998
Published by Dove Audio

Stories Included:
THREE ODD COMEDIES by Terry Bisson
“They’re Made Out of Meat”
“The Toxic Donut”
“Next”
Into The Sun by Brian Smith
Think Like a Dinosaur by James Patrick Kelly
The Death of Captain Future by Allen Steele
A Clean Escape by John Kessel
The Bigger One by Gregory Benford

Also, BuddyTV.com has an |MP3| interview with Sam Waterson about his role in the Masters Of SF first episode A Clean Escape (and irreverently about his role on Law and Order).

More, WUNC in North Carolina has a terrific radio interview |MP3| with Kessel about the adaptation of his short story A Clean Escape to TV.

posted by Jesse Willis

Silent Universe episode 6 out now

SFFaudio Online Audio

The slicker than ever audio drama, Silent Universe, is out now with “Episode 6.” J. Marcus Xavier’s podcast series is tight and the show is flowing super-smoothly. This time around there’s a free upgrade to the “64kbps stereo” edition in the feed too. Normally you’d have to pay to get the premium sound edition like this. Download direct |MP3| or plug this URL into your podcatcher to have a listen:

http://www.silentuniverse.com/silentuniverse.xml

posted by Jesse Willis

Old Man’s War to become an AUDIOBOOK

SFFaudio News - Science Fiction Audiobook

John W. Campbell Awardee (for “Best New Writer”) John Scalzi has posted some very exciting news to his Whatever blog:

“I had a nice chat with the producer of the audio version of Old Man’s War about the status of that; it’s in production now and everything about it seems to be moving along swimmingly. Neat.

One thing for folks who are interested in the audio version to be aware of: it’s going to be sold online only. I think this is fine, myself; it’s being produced by Audio Renaissance, Tor’s corporate cousin, so it won’t be at all difficult to find online once it’s done (I imagine it’ll be at audible.com and iTunes, etc), and not having to fiddle with packaging means it’ll be ready to go more quickly once it’s done. Also, you know. It’s not as if most of my readers don’t have that whole online thing going on.

I’ll keep you all plugged in with how the audio book version is coming along, and when it will be available, etc. For now, know that someone somewhere is reading OMW, in mellifluous tones, into a microphone, for you, eventually.”

And the plan is to have SFFaudio favorite narrator William Dufris narrating! Cool huh?

posted by Jesse Willis

New FREE AUDIOBOOK: Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Colors Of Space

SFFaudio Online Audio

A new LibriVox title has piqued our interest. It’s Marion Zimmer Bradley’s 1963 novel The Colors Of Space. Sadly, this is not the ideal audio version of it as it has multiple readers – who seem to have randomly chosen their chapters. I think the ethos of LibriVox is absolutely wonderful, but the output, especially in cases like this seems more geared towards project completion and narrator convenience rather than listener preference. That said, the audiobook is 100% free and very easily downloadable either by a Zipped Folder full of MP3s, singly in individual file of MP3 or OGG Vorbis formats and by the podcast feed (including a one click iTunes subscription).

The Colors Of Space
By Marion Zimmer Bradley; Read by various readers
15 zipped MP3 Files or podcast – 5 Hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: LibriVox.org
Published: July 29th 2007
Bart Steele, a Space Academy graduate, has the potential to gain the secret of an alien “warp drive”, a super-fast technology for interstellar travel. He’ll have to get some surgery, and spy upon an alien race to do it but he’s . lucky because by a bit of genetic quirk Bart can see a wider optical range than ordinary humans. Still, countless human spies have already failed to gain the secret.

You can get the entire novel in podcast form, via this handy url:

http://librivox.org/bookfeeds/the-colors-of-space-by-marion-zimmer-bradley.xml

posted by Jesse Willis