Author Topic: Heard any good podiobooks lately? :)  (Read 47196 times)

goatkeeper

  • Guest
Reply #25 on: December 08, 2007, 04:35:30 PM
That's how I feel about Crescent too.  In fact, so far in my podiobooks experience, which isn't much really, 9 or 10 books, they have either been duds or "okay enough for me to want to finish it."
I'm really waiting for one to blow me away, my faith in podiobooks could use a little boost.



Ocicat

  • Castle Watchcat
  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 3722
  • Anything for a Weird Life
Reply #26 on: December 12, 2007, 09:58:58 PM
I haven't started any Podio books yet except Playing for Keeps, which I got into purely off the EP promo (and being a huge comic book dork).  It's lots of fun, but not really blowing me away.

What I'm really into right now is LibriVox - a project to put all sorts of public domain works into audiobooks, for free.  They have direct .zip file downloads, or podcast versions for itunes.  I'm currently going through Innocents Aboard, by Mark Twain.  The reader is fantastic, it really sounds like it could be Twain himself narrating.  After I finish that, there are all sorts of other classics that I never quite got to in book form just waiting for me...



Planish

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 772
  • Fun will now commence.
    • northernelectric.ca
Reply #27 on: December 15, 2007, 07:03:55 AM
Now I'm 2/3 through J. C. Hutchins' 7th Son: Book One - Descent. It's moving along quite nicely in a techno-thriller sort of way.

What I'm really into right now is LibriVox - a project to put all sorts of public domain works into audiobooks, for free.
Me too, but as a reader. I'm currently working on recording Harry Harrison's Planet of the Damned as a solo project, but it's slow going. Reading/recording is easy enough but I'm really nit-picky in the editing, so it takes me a loooooong time to finish a chapter. I have a much higher regard now for the folks who can churn out a weekly podcast.

Librivox mostly does works that pre-date 1923 (and are found on gutenberg.org), but there are a lot of later works that were published in SciFi pulps and just never had the copyright renewed. Hence the handful of more recent SF and Fantasy authors in the Librivox catalogue (Andre Norton, H. Beam Piper, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Keith Laumer, Nourse, Farmer, Del Rey, etc.) See "science fiction" catalog search.

I'll be the first to agree that the technical quality and voice talent on Librivox projects can be somewhat uneven, since it's all done by enthusiastic volunteers using whatever recording facilities they have. Some are pretty good though, and sound quite professional.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2007, 07:08:17 AM by Planish »

I feed The Pod.
("planish" rhymes with "vanish")


Russell Nash

  • Guest
Reply #28 on: December 16, 2007, 12:14:01 PM
Now I'm 2/3 through J. C. Hutchins' 7th Son: Book One - Descent. It's moving along quite nicely in a techno-thriller sort of way.

I really liked part one.  Part two started getting really stupid.  I've been putting off listening to part three.



DKT

  • Friendly Neighborhood
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 4980
  • PodCastle is my Co-Pilot
    • Psalms & Hymns & Spiritual Noir
Reply #29 on: December 18, 2007, 12:38:43 AM
That's how I feel about Crescent too.  In fact, so far in my podiobooks experience, which isn't much really, 9 or 10 books, they have either been duds or "okay enough for me to want to finish it."
I'm really waiting for one to blow me away, my faith in podiobooks could use a little boost.

Have you listened to the Failed Cities Monologues?  The podiobook version of that is awesome (you can actually understand the Russian guy, now). 

I'm enjoying Playing For Keeps so far, too. 


BrandtPileggi

  • Matross
  • ****
  • Posts: 192
    • My website: awesomeology.org
Reply #30 on: December 23, 2007, 06:00:15 PM

BrandtPileggi, when you get done listening to the second one I'd be interested to know what you think.



Thanks for letting me know it's out Tim. I'm looking forward to hearing it.

7th Son: Destruction - Pretty good. I liked it better than 2 but at the end of it I was thinking to myself... Am I really enjoying this story about 7 clones with no conflict resolution experience saving the world against the greatest villain of all time and his army of brain copied super assassins? The answer is, yeah, I guess I do.

Playing for keeps - I'm a few chapters in and I LOVE it. The concept is so assinine and the execution is damn near flawless so far. I think this'll end up near Failed Cities Monologues as my favorite.

Crescent - I wasn't too hot on it at first. I think Phil grew as this thing goes on I found my self a bt enhralled by his imagery. The story was decent. I'd probably rank the whole thing in the top 20-25% of the ones I've heard.

Quarter Share - GREAT. Currently my number 2 behind FCM
Half share - SUCKED. The trading stories were the best part but still pretty weak. The love triangles were impotent and didn't do anything to move the story along, make me feel anything for the characters or add anything to the story. I can't remember it well enough to recomend a 'skip this one'/
Full Share - Redeemed. Much better than 2, not as good as 1. Fell into that top 25%. I'd say it's good, not great.



FNH

  • Matross
  • ****
  • Posts: 309
  • F Napoleon H
    • Black Dog Of Doom
Reply #31 on: January 06, 2008, 10:16:32 PM
All from Librivox, and getting a thumbs up from me

Non Fiction

South

Fiction

mysterious island ( classic adventure )
king solomons mines ( classic adventure )

and all of the H Beam Piper stories are excellently well read and produced ( sci fi )



gelee

  • Lochage
  • *****
  • Posts: 521
  • It's a missile, boy.
Reply #32 on: January 28, 2008, 07:16:00 PM
Variable Star - Spider Robinson (and I guess RAH too).
Great story, and Spider does the reading himself.  You can download it for free via his podcast.  I'm really enjoying this one.  He pushes the music aspect a bit hard, but he sings well enough, and David Crosby wrote the song, so It's not terrible.  Just funny as hell, really.  Seven chapters in, so far.



Kurt Faler

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 50
Reply #33 on: January 28, 2008, 09:21:58 PM
Has anyone tried their local library for podiobooks? My library has contracted with a site called
http://www.netlibrary.com/ . You log into their site with your library card and can download a couple thousand audio books and many more ebooks.
This is probably the only thing good that has come from DRM, being that the library can loan stuff out like this because they can put a timestamp on it.
Its a great way find things to listen too when you've ran out of episodes from podiobooks :)



Nobilis

  • Peltast
  • ***
  • Posts: 156
    • Nobilis Erotica Podcast
Reply #34 on: February 08, 2008, 05:19:40 PM
...when you've ran out of episodes from podiobooks

Heat death of the universe, man...  Millennium Space Entropy.



deflective

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 1171
Reply #35 on: February 11, 2008, 01:51:12 AM
if you're not against commercial audiobooks i recently heard two that can't be recommended highly enough:

Neil Gaiman - Anansi Boys
Max Brooks - World War Z

great writing improved by fantastic readings.

if they aren't available at your library you may find access somewhere out on the net.



Kurt Faler

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 50
Reply #36 on: February 11, 2008, 03:06:41 AM
...when you've ran out of episodes from podiobooks

Heat death of the universe, man...  Millennium Space Entropy.

I think I've actually listened (or tried) to just about all the scifi/fantasy on podiobooks, now I sit around refreshing my podcatcher all day then deleting all those damn "youve caught up with the author!" placeholders :P



AarrowOM

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 50
  • "We are fleeting creatures, we humans!" - S Baxter
    • Aaron Morris's Website
Reply #37 on: February 21, 2008, 09:55:55 AM
It's so hard to narrow down favorites.  Earthcore was the first podiobook I heard and is personally my favorite Sigler work.  The Failed Cities Monologues, of course, is another great one.  Mur Lafferty's Heaven series is interesting.  I liked The Immortals and Singularity, too.

In terms of dislikes, there aren't a lot of them.  Only two really come to mind.  I've tried a few times to get into AmerIndian 2192, but haven't made it past the half-hour mark.  Aliens and Satanic Creatures Wanted: Humans Need Not Apply seems initially like a good bet, but I found the plots to be cliche and predictable.

For my own benefit as much as for others', I post reviews on my website (direct link: http://www.vu.union.edu/~morrisa/Podcasts/PBDC.htm)  I should note that I'll be updating shortly since I just discovered a half-dozen oversights when writing this post.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2008, 10:05:09 AM by AarrowOM »

Most that are profound would choose to narrate tales of living men with nouns like sorrow, verbs like lose, and action scenes, and love – but then there are now some, and brave they be, that speak of Lunar cities raised and silver spheres and purple seas, leaving us who listen dazed. -- Irena Foygel


Kurt Faler

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 50
Reply #38 on: March 10, 2008, 09:20:46 AM
Not sure if Second Shift has been plugged. This has matured into a really good story. The voice acting is top notch and the plot is great. The audio was a little shaky in the first episodes, but its much better now. Great background sound too.

http://www.secondshiftpodcast.com/

Summery from the website:
Quote
This Parsec-Award nominated audio drama follows the adventures of three students from Boston who are summoned to another world against their will. There they must either find their places or find a way home. New friends, new enemies, clashes of culture and clashes of personality help and hinder them in their search for answers.




Russell Nash

  • Guest
Reply #39 on: June 15, 2009, 08:39:25 AM
Now that I've gotten rid of my backlog, I'm going through my audio/podiobooks. 

Two chapters in I deleted all of Prophecy of Swords.  The reading was so dull, I couldn't pay attention enough to know what was going on.

Playing for Keeps was a lot of fun, but the intros and outros were WAAAAYYY too Long.  I stopped listening to it in the car, because it's hard to scan forward accurately when your driving.  I also hated the set up for the sequel at the end.

Quarter Share went by in a flash and I'm part way into Half Share.  I think I'll be throuh the whole series in no time.  One problem:  1st person objective form is "I", subjective is "me", reflexive is "myself".  Every single character in these books says, "the Captain told Pip and I."  It's almost enough to make me stop listening, but the rest of it is too good.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2009, 09:00:11 AM by Russell Nash »



Talia

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 2682
  • Muahahahaha
Reply #40 on: June 15, 2009, 03:21:22 PM
haha, another Nathan Lowell addict. Wait till you get till double share. You think you're hooked NOW..


I've been impatiently waiting for Captain's Share for a while now. *sigh*

Incidentally his other book "South Coast" is pretty good as well (same universe, but planet-bound rather than in space. Also, I think it's a bit of a prequel...)



Planish

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 772
  • Fun will now commence.
    • northernelectric.ca
Reply #41 on: June 30, 2009, 07:03:05 AM
Earthcore was the first podiobook I heard and is personally my favorite Sigler work.
I ended up not finishing Earthcore after a few chapters, which put me off Scott Sigler. It took me a long time before I tried listening to Infected recently. That was somewhat entertaining and engaging, so now I'm in the middle of the sequel, Contagious.
(I can put up with having to skim past the ads at the beginning, but I wonder what he was smoking during the selection of the awful music on the outros of Contagious.)

I feed The Pod.
("planish" rhymes with "vanish")


Talia

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 2682
  • Muahahahaha
Reply #42 on: July 10, 2009, 02:52:35 PM
For fellow Solar Clipper addicts, Nathan Lowell states he hopes to get 'Captain's Share' out this summer.

*squee*

http://solarclipper.com/2009/07/01/captains-share/



Planish

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 772
  • Fun will now commence.
    • northernelectric.ca
Reply #43 on: July 16, 2009, 01:38:30 AM
I've started the Theater of the Midnight Sun collection from Podiobooks.com. I finished the first three stories and it's still quite entertaining.
Full cast audio drama, all amateurs, pretty good production, and great choices for theme and incidental music.

For fellow Solar Clipper addicts, Nathan Lowell states he hopes to get 'Captain's Share' out this summer.

*squee*

http://solarclipper.com/2009/07/01/captains-share/
Nate sez:
Quote
The upshot is that I’ve committed to getting Captain’s Share out this summer. No I don’t have a date, and I expect it’ll be at the last possible minute, but I’ve got what I hope is a nice tale lined up that will set up the final chapter of Ishmael Wang so we can tie off the series soon. Maybe as early as the end of the year.
Woo-hoo!

Mod: fixed link
« Last Edit: July 16, 2009, 02:07:22 PM by Russell Nash »

I feed The Pod.
("planish" rhymes with "vanish")


Planish

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 772
  • Fun will now commence.
    • northernelectric.ca
Reply #44 on: July 18, 2009, 03:01:25 AM
I just finished Jon Armstrong's Grey. It's a Romeo and Juliet story set in the near future.
Quite a bit of time is spent describing high-tech fashion and popular culture gone amok, but at least they are entertaining to hear. I give it a 4 out of five.

Don't read the chapter descriptions at the bottom of the page. Too many spoilers, even if some of them are predictable.

I feed The Pod.
("planish" rhymes with "vanish")


Planish

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 772
  • Fun will now commence.
    • northernelectric.ca
Reply #45 on: September 01, 2009, 05:06:54 AM
Earthcore was the first podiobook I heard and is personally my favorite Sigler work.
I ended up not finishing Earthcore after a few chapters, [snip]
I still had it in iTunes, so I gave it another chance. It seemed much better this time around. I must be acquiring a taste for Sigler, because I'm listening to Nocturnal now.

I feed The Pod.
("planish" rhymes with "vanish")


Russell Nash

  • Guest
Reply #46 on: September 01, 2009, 05:52:27 AM
haha, another Nathan Lowell addict. Wait till you get till double share. You think you're hooked NOW..

I got someone else hooked on podcasts.  My bludgeon was EP and Quartershare.  He never had a chance.  He's one of us now.



Jason M

  • Guest
Reply #47 on: September 01, 2009, 12:28:27 PM
haha, another Nathan Lowell addict. Wait till you get till double share. You think you're hooked NOW..

I got someone else hooked on podcasts.  My bludgeon was EP and Quartershare.  He never had a chance.  He's one of us now.

Invasion of the Pod People?



Planish

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 772
  • Fun will now commence.
    • northernelectric.ca
Reply #48 on: December 18, 2010, 08:05:31 PM
Some that I missed posting about, all from podiobooks.com.

Fried Green Zombies - It's a hoot. F'rinstance, a hot dog that is moving around because the creatures it was made of are now of the undead horde. Also there's a hot alien babe.

How To Succeed in Evil: The Original Podcast Episodes
and
How to Succeed in Evil: The Novel
Two versions of the same story. "Alternately funny and dark, a HtSiE is the story of Edwin Windsor, Evil Efficiency Consultant. A biting satire of both modern business and the conventions of the superhero genre."

Dead Mech - Post-apoc mech warrior zombies! Aiyeeee!

Forever Fifteen - Teenage girl vampire. The description makes it sound like Twilight or something awful, but don't let that put you off.

Conjuring Raine
"From San Fransisco's Tenderloin to the Dismal Swamp of North Carolina, human trafficking, vampires, and conjure magic combine in this sexy, funny, spooky story about Raine Black, a struggling comic strip artist with a gift--her comics come true. Enter Joshua: Raine's secret childhood friend, an abolitionist, and a vampire."
Again it's much better than it might sound from the description.
I think she recorded it in her yurt, because you hear the occasional chirping birds and nature sounds. I found that charming even when they didn't fit with the urban settings.

Only finished out of politeness, hoping they would get better:

Doctor Janeway's Plague (I found the plot too complicated, didn't warm up to any of the characters)

Ida (story was just better than "meh" for me, but the author should have gotten someone else to read it. It really annoyed me that the author/reader pronounced the eponymous asteroid colony as "Oida". It caused me to disengage every time.)

Beautiful Red (If it was compressed to half of its length, it would have been a good start of a story. Something about computer hackers, I think.)

Fiddle and Burn, Vol. 1 - The Adventures of Coyote Man (tried to be funny, but didn't quite make it for me)

Murder at Avedon Hill (not bad, really, but it dragged after a while.)

The Doomsday Club (I have no idea why it's categorized under "Alternate history". It's more like "Animal House" morphing into a Noir flick, so I feel like I'm being mislead twice.)

Could not finish:

Dunkin the Vampire Slayer (annoying characters)

The Ex-Wife Files (just annoying)

V and A Shipping (not sure why, we just drifted apart.)

The Failed Cities Monologues (slogged through half of them, too depressing and disconnected)

Tumbler (poor interpretation of physics, some events just too implausible. I think Miley Cyrus would be cast as the protagonist in the movie version.)
« Last Edit: December 18, 2010, 08:12:06 PM by Planish »

I feed The Pod.
("planish" rhymes with "vanish")


ElectricPaladin

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 1005
  • Holy Robot
    • Burning Zeppelin Experience
Reply #49 on: December 18, 2010, 08:11:13 PM
Crescent, by Phil Rossi. It's a really good mash-up of Lovecraft and dark sci-fi.

Murder at Avadon Hill by P.G. Hollyfield. Although definitely flawed in ways - mostly ways that don't bother anyone but me - it's also really good and fun to listen to.

Captain of the Burning Zeppelin Experience.

Help my kids get the educational supplies they need at my Donor's Choose page.