February 2012
28 posts
2 tags
1 tag
Feature Friday: Open Letter to Audible: a DRM-free...
Dear Audible,
I love you guys. You’ve brought nearly 700 science fiction and fantasy books to audio, 43 so far this year, and we’re not even done with February yet. (And that’s just Audible Frontiers alone, not counting Audible, Inc. or Neil Gaiman Presents, or Brilliance Audio, or even just the beginnings of what you’re doing with ACX.) I love the narrator features and...
Arcfinity: Arc 1.1: The Future Always Wins. Out... →
arcfinity:
OUT NOW
For iPads and iPhones For Kindle For Android devices, Windows and Mac computers As a collectible print edition
CONTENTS
EDITORIAL: Welcome to the future Simon Ings and Sumit Paul-Choudhury FORWARD: The object of posterity’s scorn (+) Bruce Sterling SHORT STORY:…
I’ve been anticipating this a long while, but… am very sad to see the price for the print...
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Release Week: Eric Flint's 1632, Elizabeth Moon's...
Since, though apparently I missed the memo, TC McCarthy’s Exogene is set for a March 1 release instead of coming out today as I’d mistakenly thought, the big audiobook release this week is 1632: Ring of Fire, Book 1 By Eric Flint, Narrated by George Guidall for Recorded Books:
Published in print by Baen in 2000, 1632 became a bestseller and spawned a bestselling series of alternate...
The 2012 Audies finalists have been announced,...
Via Audiobooker, a Booklist blog, the 2012 Audies Finalists have been announced. Here are some of the titles I thought my readers here would find the most interesting, with links:
FANTASY
The Automatic Detective, by A. Lee Martinez, Narrated by Marc Vietor, Audible, Inc.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor, Narrated by Khristine Hvam, Hachette Audio
The Land of Laughs, by Jonathan...
Feature Friday: The regional digital divide cuts...
Most times, as a reader and listener in the US, I don’t have to worry much about regional rights when it comes to the books I want to read, the films I want to watch, and so on. But as I find myself following the field more and more closely, those exceptions, generally UK and Australia (and sometimes Canadian!) titles which haven’t (yet?) made it to the US begin to gnaw at me.
Last...
The Guilded Earlobe reviews John Brunner's Stand... →
“Quick Thoughts: Despite my struggles and the fact that it took me nearly half the audiobook to get a grip on the overall narrative, I am glad that I finally fully experienced Brunner’s strange, troubling but beautiful novel. This is a book that is hard for me to recommend, because it takes a lot of investment by the reader/listener, but if you’re game, I’ll definitely cheer you on.”
Audiobook release day: John Carter in 'A Princess...
Although I swear I saw Tanith Lee’s Delusion’s Master, read by Susan Duerden no less, show up momentarily today, another title hit Audible’s shelves this evening and seems to have stuck: John Carter in ‘A Princess of Mars’: Barsoom Series, Book 1 By Edgar Rice Burroughs, Narrated by Scott Brick for Tantor Audio:
While it’s the 7th production of A Princess of...
6 tags
Audiobook review: Viriconium by M. John Harrison,...
Last month the blog welcomed contributor Dave Thompson with his review of Tim Powers’s The Stress of Her Regard, read by Simon Vance. Today he returns with another review, setting his ears on Viriconium by M. John Harrison, read by Vance for Neil Gaiman Presents:
Review by Dave Thompson: “A Not As Young Man’s Return Journey to Viriconium”
I have been to Viriconium once...
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Release Week: Stephen King's The Stand; Reese,...
Coming in at nearly 48 hours, the big title this audiobook release week is The Stand By Stephen King, narrated by Grover Gardner for Random House Audio:
Not only is the recording unabridged, it’s the “complete and uncut” version of King’s classic post-apocalyptic tale, “includ[ing] more than 500 pages of material previously deleted, along with new material that...
Steampunk'd : Audible.com "asked Mark Hodder,... →
Includes a little 4-paragraph answer from Hodder, along with a selection of 15 audiobook titles, including Hodder’s Burton and Swinburne series, along with Boneshaker, The Dream of Perpetual Motion: A Novel, The Difference Engine, Infernal Devices, and more:
The Coode Street Podcast (Jonathan Strahan and... →
“This week we invited award-winning actor, broadcaster, editor and writer Ellen Kushner to join us to discuss the excellent audiobook adaptation of her novel Swordspoint, which was recently released by Audible, her thoughts on the rise of audiobooks, and her many other projects.”
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SF/F for Dog-Lovers?
Listening to Kevin Hearne’s Hounded: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1 this weekend two things struck me. First, that narrator Luke Daniels, whom I enjoyed on the first two volumes of the Wild Cards series and have spotted as the voice behind a Red Bull radio spot, really is darn near a soundalike for Nick Podehl, the voice of Patrick Rothfuss’s KingKiller Chronicles. (Side note:...
Problem
harpermedia:
charmedchancer:
Do I want to buy “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac? or “The Great Gasby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald?
Both.
(It’s possible we may have a slight bias, but they’re both great recordings)
One vote for the excellent Tom Parker narration of On the Road. Though I’ve heard good things about Harper’s production, too. :)
The Guilded Earlobe gives an "A" to Saladin... →
“Quick Thought: Throne of the Crescent Moon is the rare fantasy that seems to do everything right in an accessible, highly readable way. This book will thrill fantasy fans, and make them long to discover even more about Saladin Ahmed’s intriguing world. Even better, this is the type of accessible fantasy that I would have no trouble recommending to people whether they are fans of the genre...
Audible.com week-long $4.95 sale on first books in...
Ending Feb 14, Audible.com has unveiled a $4.95 sale for first books in a series. Making things easier on sf/f fans is that this time, the sale does have a dedicated sf/f category. Making things harder is that there are still 85 audiobooks in the category! So, here are the titles which most catch my eye:
The Name of the Wind: Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 1 by Patrick Rothfuss Narrated by Nick...
The Guilded Earlobe reviews Wild Cards Vol. 2:... →
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Release Week: Throne of the Crescent Moon by...
My most anticipated release of a packed week in audiobooks is Throne of the Crescent Moon By Saladin Ahmed, Narrated by Phil Gigante for Brilliance Audio [IndieBound MP3-CD link | iTunes Audiobook link]:
Published concurrent with the DAW hardcover, Ahmed’s debut is a welcome new voice in fantasy. Beginning with a short, dark prologue of torture which introduces us to a powerful, evil...
1 tag
Currently listening to: The Hum and the Shiver by...
Finished up Mr g: a novel about the creation by Alan Lightman (very glad I didn’t give up on it after the first few chapters), and went onto the next review copy that Blackstone Audio sent me. (The sidebar is a bit too much of a pain to update all the time, I think it’s still showing the Gibson essay collection…) Hoping to finish The Hum and the Shiver in time to start on Saladin...
neil-gaiman:
Mr Gaiman and Mr Hodgman continue...
The Guilded Earlobe continues its "Welcome to the... →
Feature Friday: Locus Magazine's 2011 recommended...
One of my more favorite resources in the sf/f world is the yearly recommended reading list from Locus Magazine. Well, their list looking back at 2011has just been published, and I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the list and see which books have audiobooks available and which do not (yet?) along with (maybe!) some commentary:
The first bit of commentary is: if you were looking...
4 tags
Audiobook news: Dina Pearlman to narrate Tobias S....
Audible Frontiers let me know that narrator Dina Pearlman (Clementine: A Novel of the Clockwork Century, Ombria in Shadow, Polgara the Sorceress, and the Kris Longknife, Anna Strong, Vampire for Hire, and Weather Warden series, among other credits) will be narrating Tobias S. Buckell’s Arctic Rising, to be released concurrently with the Tor hardcover on Feb. 28:
“Global warming has...
1 tag
Listening report: January 2012
On the heels of three audiobooks in the last bit of December (The Thirteen Hallows by Michael Scott and Colette Freedman, Earthbound by Joe Haldeman, and The Lost Gate: Mithermages, Book 1 by Orson Scott Card) I listened to six audiobooks this month; not too bad. It’s more than I had planned for, but several of them are quite short, and none of them are 30-hour epics:
AUDIOBOOKS...
Audiobook release day: The Dread by Gail Z. Margin...
I have resisted doing many of these off-Tuesday release posts, but this one is a biggie for me: The Dread: Fallen Kings Cycle, Book 2 By Gail Z. Martin, Narrated by Kirby Heyborne for Tantor Audio:
“The Dread, Book Two of the Fallen Kings Cycle, picks up the adventures of Tris, Jonmarc, and the Winter Kingdoms gang immediately after the events in The Sworn. Summoner-King Tris Drayke takes...
1 tag
Release Week: Lost and Found, When Worlds Collide
A fairly quiet release week to end January, with the most interesting titles for me being previously released books.
The first is Lost and Found: The Taken Trilogy, Book 1 By Alan Dean Foster, Narrated by Oliver Wyman for Audible, Inc.:
Originally published in 2004 by Del Rey: “Not so long ago Marcus Walker was just another young commodities trader in Chicago, working hard and playing...
January 2012
26 posts
Free story download at Audible.com: "The Gentle... →
Narrated by Basil Sands for Crossroad Press: ”Defining Moments is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated collection by author David Niall Wilson. The story “The Gentle Brush of Wings”, first published in this collection, won the Bram Stoker Award for short fiction.”
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Release Week Wednesday: The Curious Case(s) of...
A fairly big release week is highlighted for me by the complete Burton and Swinburne series by Mark Hodder, narrated by Gerard Doyle for Audible Frontiers:
Out concurrently with the Pyr print release of Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon: Burton & Swinburne, Book 3, getting all three of these groundbreaking steampunk/sf books is a huge addition to the world of sf audiobooks. The...
The Guilded Earlobe reviews Arwen Elys Dayton's... →
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Review: The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
What: Mistborn: The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson, narrated by Michael Kramer for Macmillan Audio on 9 CDs, with bonus PDF of The Elendel Daily
How: Review copy requested from Macmillan Audio after seeing it as a loose-leaf late insert in their catalog.
Why: I’ve heard a lot of praise for Sanderson’s Mistborn novels and really enjoyed hearing him read from (and talk about) The...
The Guilded Earlobe continues its "Welcome to the... →
Triffids make an appearance, but my money’s on kudzu.
1 tag
Release Week Wednesday: The Flame Alphabet,...
For this release week (Tuesday, Jan 17) my top audiobook picks are The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus and Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card, along with The Coldest War by Ian Tregillis.
The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus is out from Recorded Books (Knopf, Jan 17, 2012) — a story of a world where the voices of children become lethal to their parents, and a boy who sets out in search of a cure....
Audible 48-Hour Sale: 100+ titles at $7.95 each...
UPDATE: The sale has been extended to Jan 21 at 3 PM EST.
Audible has unveiled a new 48-Hour Sale. As often happens, it’s not sorted in any way, not even fiction vs. non-fiction. So here’s my scan for interesting things, including the recent full-cast American Gods and both The Magicians and the sequel The Magician King:
FICTION:
Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines Narrated by Jay...
Audio Bibiliophile reviews The Walking Dead: Rise... →
“Now I seem to be a sucker for a good zombie book, and I like to think that I know good ones from bad. The Walking Dead: Rise of The Governor is a good one, I mean great one, possibly one of the best zombie stories I have ever listened to. Pure, unadulterated, original, breathtaking and enough surprises to keep you guessing.”
Neil Gaiman: ACX - if you're a writer, an actor, a... →
neil-gaiman:
I thought I’d remind those of you on Tumblr who are writers, producers or actors (and that smaller group of you who are “rights holders”) that ACX - Audiobook Creation Exchange - is a wonderful thing, and it works.
Here’s the press-release type anouncement we did when it went live: …
And there’s some ACX-matched audiobooks coming this year I’m looking forward...
6 tags
Review: The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers,...
I’m pleased to welcome a new regular contributor to the Audible SF/F blog: Dave Thompson. While we have plans (a podcast? two-contributor reviews?) he’s starting out with a review of The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers, read by Simon Vance for Blackstone Audio. Out in April of 2011, the novel was originally published in print in 1989 by Ace Hardcover. A new book, Hide Me Among the...
Interview Monday: narrator Robertson Dean on...
Dear readers of Audible SF/F, you are in for a treat. Today’s installment of Interview Monday is a conversation with narrator (and stage, film, and TV actor) Robertson Dean.
Dean has narrated nearly 200 titles, from Beowulf to all manner of current fiction and non-fiction, and has become for all intents and purposes the voice of William Gibson in audio, having narrated 2007’s Spook...
The Guilded Earlobe reviews Jo Walton's Among... →
“Quick Thoughts: Among Others is a novel full of that magical brilliance that I just cannot properly explain with words. It is the ultimate genre blending novel. It is a fantasy novel for science fiction fans, a character study for those who love well plotted tales. It is an adult novel that embraces the tropes of children and young adult literature, adding texture and created something...
Feature Friday: Ridiculously Huge Preview of 2012
This one comes more than a week later than planned as we’re not just one but two release weeks into the year, but, hey, it’s really, really big. As always a big, big hat tip to Cybermage’s sf book calendar, along with Locus Magazine’s forthcoming books listing, a long list of ARCs offered for the Magick 4 Terri LiveJournal, io9, and a particularly fruitful thread on the...
The Guilded Earlobe continues its "Welcome to the... →
Audiobook release day: Velvet Dogma by Weston...
Velvet Dogma By Weston Ochse is a 2011 novel billed as “Philip K. Dick meets William Gibson.” Narrated by Arika Escalona for Crossroad Press, it is set in the year 2040 in a world of human-machine ocular nerve interaction and sanctioned organ theft, with paroled cyberterrorist Rebecca Mines on the run:
OUT YESTERDAY:
Sixth Column By Robert A. Heinlein Narrated by Tom Weiner for...
4 tags
Release Week Wednesday: Distrust That Particular...
My pick of the audiobooks out this release week is Distrust That Particular Flavor [Goodreads | not yet available at Audible.com] By William Gibson, Read By Robertson Dean for Tantor Audio:
Published last week in print, this collection of essays comes to us from, essentially, the voice of Gibson in audio, as Dean has narrated recent Gibson novels Spook Country and Zero History with more than...
5 tags
Interview Monday: narrator Gayle Hendrix on...
For the second Interview Monday of 2012, I’m very happy to welcome narrator Gayle Hendrix to talk about Stellarnet Rebel, the debut novel by J.L. Hilton released last week in e-book and audiobook by Harlequin e-imprint Carina Press. Stellarnet Rebel sees newsblogger Genny O’Riordan arrive on “Asteria, a corporate-owned deep-space colony populated by refugees, criminals, and...
George Guidall's letter to the NY Times editor, on... →
Referencing James Parker’s article, “The Mind’s Ear”. (Another letter to the editor, not quite as complimentary of audiobooks as “reading”, references John Schwartz’s article “Wired for Sound”.) Hat tip to narrator Simon Vance’s tweet today, to which I join my own: “How did I miss this?” — I did read Schwartz’s...
The Guilded Earlobe's favorite (non-zombie)... →
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Release Week Wednesday: Cinder and Sisterhood of...
My top two picks for the “big Tuesday releases” this week are Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer and Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, both from Macmillan Audio.
Cinder is a futuristic recasting of Cinderella, with the eponymous Cinder a cyborg in the crowded streets of New Beijing. Narrated by Rebecca Soler, there’s an excerpt as...