The Human Division is Coming!

Posted on 2013-01-04 at 07:05 by Dave

We’ve been talking to Steve Feldberg at Audible about the serialization of John Scalzi’s next novel The Human Division. The first episode, “The B-Team,” is going to drop on January 15th, and there will be an additional episode for the following 13 weeks. Here’s some more of what he told us:

We’re going to be publishing THE HUMAN DIVISION to coincide with Tor’s e-book schedule – one chapter a week for 13 weeks, beginning Jan. 15. The pre-orders should be up soon, and you’ll be able to see all the chapters on one series page. William Dufris, who read previous books in the Old Man’s War series, is our narrator.

I was thinking - this is about as close as we’re probably going to get to a Scalzi/Old Man’s War TV series (at least in the foreseeable future), and then I thought - Nah, this is soooooooooooo much cooler! Hours of new Scalzi space opera on a weekly basis? I’m in!

We’re still not sure exactly how much it’s going to cost (I could’ve sworn I saw the episodes available for pre-order on Audible at something like $3.95 a piece, but I can’t find that anymore - maybe it’ll be cheaper).

I’m gonna be listening to the episodes as they come out, and will be doing a recap/listen-along for those interested in joining me! So stay tuned!

In the meantime, here’s some more gorgeous artwork, the synopsis, and a link to the episode descriptions.

Following the events of The Last Colony, John Scalzi tells the story of the fight to maintain the unity of the human race.

The people of Earth now know that the human Colonial Union has kept them ignorant of the dangerous universe around them. For generations the CU had defended humanity against hostile aliens, deliberately keeping Earth an ignorant backwater and a source of military recruits. Now the CU’s secrets are known to all. Other alien races have come on the scene and formed a new alliance—an alliance against the Colonial Union. And they’ve invited the people of Earth to join them. For a shaken and betrayed Earth, the choice isn’t obvious or easy.

Posted in The Human Division Listen-a-Long | Tagged john scalzi, the human division

Review: The Dragon King

Posted on 2013-01-04 at 03:20 by Sam

The Dragon King by Dan Redwine Narrated by Ken MacMillan for Nation9, Inc. Length: 13 mins -- Release Date: 12-28-12

Review by Sam:

Nation9 has been releasing short English and Spanish audiobooks for kids and young teens, starting in mid-December 2012. So far they've a few Sherlock Holmes titles (ex. Sherlock Holmes - Scandal in Bohemia: Intro to Classics) and a pair of adaptations of Japanese tales, the other being Ogre of Rashomon. As I quite often listen to audiobooks with my kids, when I saw this short (short!) story pop up with the description "The brave Japanese warrior Fujiwara Hidesato was always in search of action and adventure... and he suddenly found them one day on the beautiful Lake Biwa. When the Dragon King asked for help to defeat the terrible centipede that was threating his kingdom, Hidesato readily promised to do what he could to help him. This entertaining Japanese fairy tale has all the right ingredients of a great story for young readers: dragons, adventure, warriors, magical rewards, and beautiful underwater castles." I requested a review copy and Nation9 obliged me.

Posted in reviews | Tagged dan redwine, ken macmillan, kids, Nation9, the dragon king

Release Week: Thieftaker, Gun Machine, Great North Road, and Scoundrels

Posted on 2013-01-02 at 03:29 by Sam

Scoundrels: Star Wars By Timothy Zahn, Narrated By Marc Thompson for Random House Audio -- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min -- Concurrent with another New Year's Day hardcover release, this one (obviously) from LucasBooks: "Han Solo should be basking in his moment of glory. After all, the cocky smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falcon just played a key role in the daring raid that destroyed the Death Star and landed the first serious blow to the Empire in its war against the Rebel Alliance. But after losing the reward his heroics earned him, Han's got nothing to celebrate. Especially since he's deep in debt to the ruthless crime lord Jabba the Hutt. There's a bounty on Han's head - and if he can't cough up the credits, he'll surely pay with his hide. The only thing that can save him is a king's ransom. Or maybe a gangster's fortune?"

ALSO OUT TUESDAY:

Posted in Release Week | Tagged great north road, gun machine, release week, scoundrels, thieftaker, warren ellis

TKTK Sam Listening Plans Always Private TKTK

Posted on 2013-01-01 at 05:00 by Sam

TKTK:

RC INBOX:

Downpour:

• FEB? The City of Devi, Farside, Free Lunch
• Teaspoon of Earth and Sky
• Daughters Who Walk this Path
• Birthright
• Jepp, Who Defied the Stars

• Sold
• Midnight Riot

• Gardens of the Moon
• This Book is Full of Spiders
• Valente 2
• Last Dragonslayer

Posted in Uncategorized

Battle of the download sales: Downpour's 40-50% off through Tuesday

Posted on 2012-12-29 at 19:54 by Sam

I posted yesterday about Audible’s $7.95 sale (on 100+ audiobooks) which also runs through Jan. 2, but I should also mention that Downpour.com (Blackstone Audio’s new multi-publisher DRM-free audiobook store) is also running a sale. Theirs is 40% off all downloads, 50% off of “Classics”, as well as a wide selection of MP3-CD and CD audiobooks for sale, through Tuesday. Enjoy! Among other selections, I can certainly recommend, on sale for $11.97:

The Testament of Jessie Lamb (UNABRIDGED)

Posted in Uncategorized

Audible's $7.95 sale through January 2, including Lev Grossman, Haruki Murakami, Cherie Priest, and more

Posted on 2012-12-28 at 14:20 by Sam

Audible is having a “Holiday Relief Sale” which lists 100+ audiobooks for $7.95 through January 2, and includes quite a few good sf/f listings. In particular, if you haven’t yet picked up Lev Grossman’s The Magicians: A Novel, narrated wonderfully by Mark Bramhall, now is absolutely the time. The best “deal” appears to be on Haruki Murakami’s Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World which normally lists for $44. And! Two books in Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century. There are also plenty of new releases from 2012, from Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Drowned Cities to Magnus Flyte’s City of Dark Magic: A Novel. Note: The audiobooks are partitioned by author last name, with an additional “Editor’s Picks” tab which is NOT duplicated across the list by author. Here’s what caught my eye on a scan through:

The Drowned Cities By Paolo Bacigalupi, Narrated by Joshua Swanson — Series: Ship Breaker, Book 2 — Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins — Release Date: 05-01-12

Bearers of the Black Staff By Terry Brooks, Narrated by Phil Gigante — Series: Legends of Shannara, Book 1 — Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins — Release Date: 08-24-10

Soulless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel By Gail Carriger, Narrated by Emily Gray — Series: Parasol Protectorate, Book 1 — Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins — Release Date: 06-22-10

1633 By Eric Flint and David Weber, Narrated by George Guidall — Length: 22 hrs and 15 mins — Release Date: 05-25-12

City of Dark Magic: A Novel By Magnus Flyte, Narrated by Natalie Gold — Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins — Release Date: 11-27-12

PICK: The Magicians: A Novel By Lev Grossman, Narrated by Mark Bramhall — Length: 17 hrs and 24 mins — Release Date: 08-11-09

Delirium By Lauren Oliver, Narrated by Sarah Drew — Series: Delirium Trilogy, Book 1 — Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins — Release Date: 02-01-11

The Song of Achilles: A Novel By Madeline Miller, Narrated by Frazer Douglas — Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins — Release Date: 03-06-12

Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World By Haruki Murakami, Narrated by Adam Sims and Ian Porter — Length: 14 hrs — Release Date: 11-19-10

Betrayer of Worlds By Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner, Narrated by Tom Weiner — Series: Ringworld Prequels, Book 4 — Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins — Release Date: 10-12-10

The Space Merchants By Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth, Narrated by Dan Bittner — Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins — Release Date: 12-06-11

Clementine: A Novel of the Clockwork Century By Cherie Priest, Narrated by Dina Pearlman and Victor Bevine — Series: Clockwork Century, Book 2 — Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins — Release Date: 01-25-11

Ganymede: Clockwork Century, Book 4 By Cherie Priest, Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini — Series: Clockwork Century, Book 4 — Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins — Release Date: 10-03-11

Century Rain By Alastair Reynolds, Narrated by John Lee — Length: 19 hrs and 40 mins — Release Date: 07-13-10

John Carter in ‘A Princess of Mars’: Barsoom Series, Book 1 By Edgar Rice Burroughs, Narrated by Scott Brick — Series: Barsoom, Book 1 — Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins — Release Date: 02-16-12

Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel By S. J. Watson, Narrated by Orlagh Cassidy — Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins — Release Date: 09-01-11

More Than Honor: Worlds of Honor #1 By David Weber, David Drake, and S. M. Stirling, Narrated by Victor Bevine , L. J. Ganser , Khristine Hvam — Series: Honorverse Anthologies, Book 1 — Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins — Release Date: 04-10-12

Worlds of Honor: Worlds of Honor #2 By David Weber, Linda Evans, Jane Lindskold, and Roland J. Green, Narrated by Kevin Collins, Lauren Fortgang, Khristine Hvam, and Allyson Johnson — Series: Honorverse Anthologies, Book 2 — Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins — Release Date: 04-10-12

Changer of Worlds: Worlds of Honor #3 By David Weber and Eric Flint, Narrated by Allyson Johnson, Victor Bevine, Lauren Fortgang, and L. J. Ganser — Series: Honorverse Anthologies, Book 3 — Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins — Release Date: 04-10-12

Robopocalypse: A Novel By Daniel H. Wilson, Narrated by Mike Chamberlain — Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins — Release Date: 06-07-11

Posted in regular

Release Week: Alchemystic, The Ramal Extraction, Half Life, and more

Posted on 2012-12-28 at 03:41 by Sam

The last release week (though not quite the last releases) of the year brings a few interesting titles, but all in all a quiet week.

Alchemystic: A Spellmason Chronicle, Book 1 by Anton Strout, narrated by Linda Borg for Audible, Inc. -- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins. Out in the early fall in print/ebook from Ace: "Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure. A figure who knows the Belarus name... Lexi’s great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason - an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor’s most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis."

The Ramal Extraction: Cutter’s Wars, Book 1 By Steve Perry, Narrated By R. C. Bray for Blackstone Audio --Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins -- "At the close of the 24th century, a series of revolutions has caused the galaxy to descend into chaos. With the Galactic Union’s army stretched thin, mercenary units have arisen for those who have the need - and the means - to hire them. Captained by former Detached Guerrilla Forces Colonel R. A. "Rags" Cutter, the Cutter Force Initiative is one of the best. A specialized team consisting of both aliens and humans, the Cutters offer services ranging from combat training and protection to extraction and assassination - as long as the target deserves it and their employer makes good on payday."

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK:

Posted in Release Week, Uncategorized | Tagged alchemystic, anton strout, release week

The Guilded Earlobe's Top 20 Audiobooks of 2012

Posted on 2012-12-28 at 02:13 by Sam

The Guilded Earlobe’s Top 20 Audiobooks of 2012 are a must-listen list, and, eep, I’ve only gotten to two of them, The Rook and Throne of the Crescent Moon. The question isn’t, really, if I’ll get to his #1 pick for the year (A Gift Upon the Shore by M. K. Wren) but rather, when. (It will be a bit longer before I’ll get to the nearly 48 hours of The Stand.)

Posted in Uncategorized

Release Week: Rip-Off!, Mayan December, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Terry Goodkind's The First Confessor, and more

Posted on 2012-12-21 at 19:00 by Sam

The middle of December brings some ear candy for the holiday season, including an all-star author/narrator anthology, the end of the world, secondary world fantasy, and quite a bit more. Still, with all that, my mind's on a "missing" audiobook, that for Jesse Bullington's The Folly of the World, my most-anticipated title this week. And at the bottom, details for another "Whispersync for Voice" price quirk, this time netting you both the Kindle and Audible formats of Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim. (Sorry for the 2-day delay in the usual Wednesday release week posting -- been quite an unexpected adventure this week!)

The all-star author/narrator anthology is Rip-Off!, bringing authors John Scalzi, Jack Campbell, Robert Charles Wilson, Mike Resnick, Elizabeth Bear, Allen Steele, Daryl Gregory, Lavie Tidhar, Mary Robinette Kowal, Tad Williams, James Patrick Kelly, Nancy Kress, Paul Di Fillipo, and Gardner Dozois (editor), with narrators Wil Wheaton, Scott Brick, Christian Rummel, Jonathan Davis, Stefan Rudnicki, David Marantz, Ilyana Kadushin, Khristine Hvam, L. J. Ganser, Dina Pearlman, Allyson Johnson, Marc Vietor, and Nicola Barber for Audible Frontiers, in partnership with SFWA-- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins -- "13 of today’s best and most honored writers of speculative fiction face a challenge even they would be hard-pressed to conceive: Pick your favorite opening line from a classic piece of fiction (or even non-fiction) - then use it as the first sentence of an entirely original short story. In the world of Rip-Off!, “Call me Ishmael” introduces a tough-as-nails private eye - who carries a harpoon; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz inspires the tale of an aging female astronaut who’s being treated by a doctor named Dorothy Gale; and Huckleberry Finn leads to a wild ride with a foul-mouthed riverboat captain who plies the waters of Hell."

Just in time for the end of the world -- if you start listening now -- is Mayan December By Brenda Cooper, Narrated By Allyson Johnson for Audible Frontiers -- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins -- "Dr. Alice Cameron is a famous scientist - an archeoastronomer - devoted to studying ancient Mayan culture. The era driving her career has always been the end of the Mayan baktun, so she's on the Yucatan Peninsula in December 2012 with her daughter Nixie...and so are fellow serious scholars, plenty of end-of-the-world crazies, and - at an international summit - the President of the United States and other heads of state. When Nixie disappears into the past in the Mayan jungle, rationality and mysticism, the present and the past start merging. Meanwhile, Alice is drawn into the machinations of statecraft by an old friend. A savvy scientist, a handsome dreadlocked time-traveler, an ancient shaman, a noble Mayan couple, a computer nerd, and an 11-year-old traverse the past and present in a search for the meaning of life and a way to save two worlds."

A very well-regarded secondary world fantasy series has started to come to audio, with The Winds of Khalakovo: The Lays of Anuskaya, Book 1 and The Straits of Galahesh: The Lays of Anuskaya, Book 2 By Bradley P. Beaulieu, Narrated By Ray Chase for Audible Frontiers -- Series: Lays of Anuskaya, Book 1 -- each book is 20+ hours -- "Among inhospitable and unforgiving seas stands Khalakovo, a mountainous archipelago of seven islands, its prominent eyrie stretching a thousand feet into the sky. Serviced by windships bearing goods and dignitaries, Khalakovo's eyrie stands at the crossroads of world trade. But all is not well in Khalakovo. Conflict has erupted between the ruling Landed, the indigenous Aramahn, and the fanatical Maharraht, and a wasting disease has grown rampant over the past decade. Now, Khalakovo is to play host to the Nine Dukes, a meeting which will weigh heavily upon Khalakovo's future."

Earlier this year, multiple bestselling author Terry Goodkind raised a few eyebrows when he self-published a book in his Sword of Truth series. Now, via ACX, he's brought the book to audio as well. The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus is narrated By Kellie Fitzgerald for Goodkind's own FINE Group. Some of his thoughts and notes on the audiobook publishing process are at the audiobook listing, with a physical edition coming soon as well.  It's a well-produced audiobook, with music and a very clear and clean studio grade narration. Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins.

OUT TUESDAY:

Posted in Release Week | Tagged brenda cooper, gardner dozois, john scalzi, mayan december, rip-off, sfwa, wil wheaton

Dave Reviews: The Troupe

Posted on 2012-12-20 at 20:13 by Dave

The Troupe, by Robert Jackson Bennett Read by Luis Moreno for Recorded Books Length: 18 hours, 10 minutes

The Troupe is the best new novel I’ve listened to this year – let’s get that out of the way from the start. There are several other books I want to hit before the end of the year, and I’ll be the first to say that what I have listened to is hardly comprehensive of all the amazing books that have come out over the past 12 months. That said, I can confidently say that The Troupe is one of those books that I didn’t want to end, was genuinely sad when it was over, and am very much looking forward to listening to again. It called to mind Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, along with Ray Bradbury, and a dash of Stephen King.

Ever since I first heard about Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Troupe I was intrigued, although I’d be hard-pressed to tell you exactly why. At the time, I hadn’t read anything else by Bennett, and only knew the briefest plot summary – a young man joins a Vaudeville troupe, and discovers the players are harboring a magical secret. That blur of plot is fitting, considering that in the story itself, everyone who sees Heironomo Silenus’s performance can’t remember anything about it, other than a vague sense that they liked it. Well, unlike Silenus’s audience, I remember quite a bit about The Troupe, and I can say with utter confidence I absolutely loved every minute of it.

Bennett recreates Vaudeville, and imbues it with a sense of magic that feels both historical and fantastical. Here’s some more about the plot: George, a teenage pianist,  has been on the Vaudeville circuit for six months searching for his father’s troupe.  All he wants is his father’s acceptance, but when he tracks down the players and begins to unravel the secrets Silenus and his companions carry, he’s plunged into a world of danger and magic beyond his wildest dreams. Because Silenus’s shows seem to have an effect on the very world itself, and there are other entities who’d like to bring down the curtain on it once and for all.

All the different members of the troupe are fully fleshed out, and all deliciously complicated. We meet Franny, the strongwoman; Collette, the beautiful singer and dancer; Kingsley, a bizarre puppeteer; and Stanley - Silenus’s mute right hand-man. Finally, there’s Silenus himself – a master showman who claims he’s been alive for centuries.  They all have secrets of their own, as well as ambitions, and it’s a delight to spend time with them on the road, and to be surprised by their startling revelations.  Knowing what I know now, I can’t wait to go back to it and watch their secrets and twists unfold all over again.

Luis Moreno does a magnificent job of bringing Bennett’s characters to life. I hadn’t heard him read before, and he delivers a subtle reading that manages to give Silenus’s voice a sense of charismatic showmanship, while making George’s a naive, sometimes arrogant teenager, and hits the right notes for all the characters in between. There were a few times in the production where odd pauses fell unexpectedly into the story, which was a little jarring – I’d occasionally look at my iPod to see if it had stopped playing. But all in all, Moreno’s reading is a real treat, and only adds more charm to this already fantastic and riveting story.

The Troupe is a must-listen, a book that will charm, thrill, and give you chills, and once it wraps up, you’ll want to do the whole thing all over again.

Posted in reviews | Tagged dave thompson, luis moreno, magic, robert jackson bennett, vaudeville