December 2011
36 posts
Audiobook release day: Hal Duncan's Vellum: The...
I wasn’t planning on posting today, but then two books popped up which have been high up on my “where’s the audiobook?” list for a while. The first is Vellum: The Book of All Hours By Hal Duncan Narrated by Bernard Setaro Clark For Audible, Inc.:
Duncan’s acclaimed 2005 novel: “It’s 2017 and angels and demons walk the earth. Once they were human; now...
Audible's "Holiday Relief Sale" includes titles...
Audible’s $9.95 Holiday Relief sale goes through January 3, and while there’s a breakout for Fiction the list of 75 titles there isn’t broken down further into genre categories. So, along with a few others that catch my eye:
Split Infinity: Apprentice Adept Series, Book 1 by Piers Anthony Narrated by Traber Burns for Audible Frontiers
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn...
In which I geek out over audiobooks on Episode 85... →
Thanks again to John Anealio and Patrick Hester for having me on, and it was great to talk with John DeNardo as well.
Audiobook release week, 27 December 2011
A quiet final Tuesday for 2011 sees a handful of urban fantasy releases, along with the self-published The Circle of Sorcerers: A Mages of Bloodmyr Novel: Book #1 By Brian Kittrell, Narrated by Justin D. Torres for Kittrell’s own Late Nite Books:
An attractive cover for a mid-length (8 hours) opening novel pitting priests against sorcerers, vying for control over elemental magic.
ALSO...
2011 in review, 4 of 4: My picks for the year's...
This is the last of four posts looking back at 2011 in science fiction and fantasy audiobooks, after my year in listening, what I missed, and the most missing audiobooks. Here, I lay out my picks for the year’s best in science fiction and fantasy audiobooks!
I already spilled the beans on my pick for the best new audiobook of the year, that being Glimpses By Lewis Shiner Narrated by Stefan...
The Guilded Earlobe reviews Isla J. Bick's Ashes... →
Bob offers a “full service” review here, even adding some helpful tips to surviving a zombie apocalypse.
2011 in review, 3 of 4: Where's the audiobook?
This is the third of four posts looking back at 2011 in science fiction and fantasy audiobooks. I started with my year in listening and continued with a look into what I missed. Here, I’ll gripe at the world with my list of the most missing audiobooks of the year — those books I wanted to listen to but for which there was no audiobook. Lastly, I’ll lay out my picks for the year’s best in science...
The perils and rewards of having a public "where's...
I have done a terrible job of categorizing, sorting, and updating my list of missing audiobooks, as the arrival this year of several on my “where’s the audiobook?” list attests. But on the plus side, sometimes folks see the list and let me know that, hey, some of those books are coming. And I get to pass that info along, which is quite fun. So without further adieu, Audible...
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Audiobook release Tuesday: Wild Cards II: Aces...
A fairly quiet Tuesday, past the midway part of December. Still, there’s a great new title this week: Wild Cards II: Aces High by George R. R. Martin, Roger Zelazny, Pat Cadigan, Lewis Shiner, and Walter Jon Williams, Narrated by Luke Daniels For Brilliance Audio:
This volume follows a more unified story arc, as The Swarm-Mother infestation approaches Earth, making for a more novel-like...
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2011 in review, 2 of 4: What I missed.
This is the second of four posts looking back at 2011 in science fiction and fantasy audiobooks. I started with my year in listening and continue here with a look into what I missed. Next I’ll gripe at the world with my list of the most missing audiobooks of the year — those books I wanted to listen to but for which there was no audiobook. Lastly, I’ll lay out my picks for the year’s best in...
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Interview: Robert J. Sawyer on Audible, Triggers,...
Award-winning Canadian science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer is not just the author of a long list of audiobooks (from FlashForward, from which the recent television series was adapted, to his Neanderthal Parallax series Hominids, Humans, and Hybrids, to his most recent series, WWW: Wake, Watch, and Wonder, and several standalone novels besides) he’s also a great fan of audiobooks and of...
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2011 in review, 1 of 4: My year in listening. (70...
This is the first of four posts looking back at 2011 in science fiction and fantasy audiobooks. I’m going to start with my year in listening, continue with a look into what I missed, and then gripe at the world with my list of the most missing audiobooks of the year — those books I wanted to listen to but for which there was no audiobook. Lastly, I’ll lay out my picks for the...
Random House Audio releases a new production of...
Well, this one catches me flat-footed and flabbergasted as to how I missed knowing about it ahead of time, but Random House Audio has released a new production of A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book 4 by George R.R. Martin, this time narrated by the narrator of the original productions of books 1, 2, 3, and 5, Roy Dotrice:
In 2005, a scheduling conflict kept Dotrice from narrating...
The Guilded Earlobe picks its Top 20 Audiobooks... →
And there’s a bunch, bunch that I didn’t get to this year — I’ve loved following Bob’s reviews and look forward to discussing audiobooks with him in 2012 as well. One of the reasons I picked up The Passage was its appearance on his 2010 list, and I’m sure I’ll get to at least a few of the audiobooks on his 2011 list along the way in 2012. But there’s...
Iambik Audiobooks also has some Small Beer Press...
When putting together my notes for my post about ChiZine Publications titles coming to audio, I noticed that Iambik Audiobooks — a fantastic independent publisher which is really putting out some great short and medium length titles — also had recently published a title from (speaking of fantastic and independent) Small Beer Press. That title is Couch by Benjamin Parzybok, but (with...
The Guilded Earlobe reviews Rhiannon Frater's The... →
“Genre: Zombie Apocalypse. Quick Thoughts: The First Days is an action filled, fast paced tale of a Zombie Apocalypse, that gives its props to Romero but also adds its own unique spin on the genre. Despite having my next few audiobook selections mapped out, I was very tempted to start the next book in the trilogy, Fighting to Survive, right away.”
Audiobook release Tuesday: Two from Neil Gaiman...
Neil Gaiman Presents returns today with two new audiobooks. The first is Viriconium By M. John Harrison Narrated by Simon Vance:
It’s the second Harrison audiobook for Gaiman’s line, after Light, and with a big-time narrator in Vance (The Prestige, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Interview with the Vampire, The Third Reich, Casino Royale, The Steel Remains) to boot.
A few words...
The Guilded Earlobe reviews A. Lee Martinez's... →
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Audible.com release day: John Crowley's "Little,...
Oh boy. I’ve been waiting for this one so long that I forgot I was waiting for it — and then, here it is: Little, Big: or, The Fairies’ Parliament written and narrated by John Crowley for Blackstone Audiobooks — this 1981 modern fantasy novel was hailed as “A book that all by itself calls for a redefinition of fantasy.” by Ursula K. Le Guin, it won the 1982 World Fantasy...
Audible.com release day: Drew Bowling's The Tower...
First: The Tower of Shadows (2006) By Drew Bowling Narrated by Paul Boehmer For Audible, Inc. — praised by both Terry Brooks and R.A. Salvatore, Bowling’s 2006 debut is described as: “From the boundless imagination and talented pen of a young storyteller springs the fabulous first novel in a major new epic fantasy series. Steeped in the traditions of its classic forebears, yet...
Audible.com release day: The Postmortal: A Novel...
As I mentioned on Tuesday’s release week post, The Postmortal: A Novel By Drew Magary was due to be available “any minute now”. Well, Narrated by Johnny Heller For Tantor Audio, that “any minute now” ended up being just one day later:
This is the debut novel for Magary, published by Penguin in the US earlier this year: “Imagine a near future where a cure for...
Audiobook release Tuesday: Joe Haldeman's...
December gets off to a rolling start with a fairly sizable first Tuesday of big-title audiobooks:
1. Earthbound By Joe Haldeman Narrated by Annie Henk For Recorded Books — concluding Haldeman’s trilogy which began with Marsbound and continued with Starbound, Earthbound literally brings the story “home”:
2. The Space Merchants (1958) by Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth,...
The Guilded Earlobe reviews Jose Saramago's Cain →
“Quick Thoughts: In Cain, readers will find some laugh out loud moments, and a lot of fun in the early parts of the novel as Saramago gives us a new perspective on old Biblical legends, but be prepared for a major shift in tone as the main character becomes more and more disillusioned by a God he believes is, if not totally evil, at least sadistic.”
The Guilded Earlobe reviews Daryl Gregory's... →
“Quick Thoughts: Raising Stony Mayhall (audiblesff note: just announced as Audible.com’s editor’s pick for Best Zombie Book of 2011) isn’t just a great zombie novel, it’s a great novel. People who want a book with a main character that you can really cheer for and told in a unique and engaging way should give it a chance. Don’t let your prejudice against...
Neil Gaiman (@NeilHimself) talks audiobooks with... →
There’s a very nice interview with author (and audiobook narrator, and, now, presenter) Neil Gaiman by Laura Miller over at Salon.com, ranging from his love of audiobooks, to “Neil Gaiman Presents” and ACX.com, and the ever-fun topic, “is listening to an audiobook ‘really’ reading?”
I have read Gaiman’s thoughts about his affection for Lenny...
Audible.com release day: The Exegesis of Philip K....
We don’t often get Saturday releases, but maybe it’s because Audible.com’s servers finally finished processing the just-over 52 hours of the December 7-released Brilliance Audio production of The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick By Philip K. Dick, edited by Pamela Jackson and Jonathan Lethem, and narrated by Fred Stella:
So, just what is the behemoth? From the publisher...
A (text) excerpt from the forthcoming STELLARNET... →
Being published by Carina Press in e-book, J.L. Hilton’s Stellarnet Rebel is 30 days away — Jan 2, 2012. I’ve been looking forward to it for quite a while, and today there’s an excerpt and, at the bottom, some news I have been waiting to see confirmed: there will also be an Audible.com audiobook!
Audible.com release day: Diane Duane's A Wind From...
Originally published by Badfort Press on Kindle in February, A Wind from the South: Raetian Tales, Book 1 By Diane Duane Narrated by Jessica Almasy comes to audio via Audible Frontiers:
It’s a book I’ve heard nothing about and which I would generally skip over, but a couple of things about the cover give me pause: the first is that it is fairly striking; the second is that it boasts...
The Guilded Earlobe reviews The Night Eternal by... →
“Quick Thoughts: The Night Eternal, and the Strain trilogy in total, may not live up entirely to what I expected, but if you can trudge through the rough patches early in the novel you will be rewarded with a well plotted final confrontation which leaves the series on a high note.”
A great list of ChiZine Publications books are...
As a postscript to unrelated correspondence, I complained to CZP co-publisher Brett Savory that I wanted to see more audiobooks of CZP titles. Well, I should have been paying better attention, as there’s not one but two audiobook publishers working on CZP titles.
Firstly, the folks at Iambik Audiobooks have already produced the first of five CZP titles they have in the pipeline:
Chasing...
A narrator in need: Jay Snyder
Via a Twitter post, narrator Oliver Wyman (The Children of the Sky, Gateway, Finch, …) shares that:
Michal Friedman lost her life delivering twins last week. Please make a donation to help Jay Snyder raise his children: http://sgp.cm/c60302
Jay Snyder is both the narrator for 81 audiobooks at Audible.com, as well as the father of newborn twins. Tragically, his wife died shortly after giving...
Neil Gaiman blogs some thoughts on "Audiobooks: A... →
Audible.com release day: Peter F. Hamilton's 1993...
Mindstar Rising: The Greg Mandel Trilogy, Part 1 By Peter F. Hamilton Narrated by Toby Longworth For Audible Frontiers:
Mindstar Rising is the 1993 first novel from prolific British author Hamilton, whose 10 books have sold more than 2 million copies. “It’s the 21st century, and global warming is here to stay, so forget the way your country used to look. And get used to the free...
Audible.com unveils its audiobooks of the year:...
Picking Stephen King’s 11-22-63: A Novel as its Audiobook of the Year, Audible.com also unveils its lineup of the Best of 2011 in various categories, along with naming Lorelei King as the Narrator of the Year based on customer ratings, providing several lists of selections by editors, and even identifying the site’s Most Helpful Reviewer and Most Followed Reviewer. (I worry that this...