Audiobook DJ

Vampire Earth: The Way of the Wolf, by E.E. Knight, multicast production. Adaptation ( 11 hrs. combined for part s 1 & 2) GraphicAudio, 2010. Reviewed in SF Site.

E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth series, of which Way of the Wolf is the first, is a tremendous work of post-apocalyptic science fiction with genetically engineered vampires. READ REST OF REVIEW...

Cetaganda, by Lois McMaster Bujold, narrated by Grover Gardner. Unabridged, (9 hrs, 18 min) Blackstone Audio, 2006. Reviewed in SF Site.

The Cetagandan Empire may be Barrayar's main military rival, but when the Cetagandan Empress dies, political niceties must still be maintained. In this case, the young officer Miles Vorkosigan, son of the Barrayaran Prime Minister, and his cousin Ivan are sent to Cetaganda to attend the galactic funeral proceedings. However, they've barely made it off their spaceship -- and haven't, to their knowledge, offended anyone yet -- when they're attacked by a servant of the late empress… The same servant who is later found in the middle of the mourning procession with his throat cut. Read rest of review...

Final Crisis, by Gary Cox, multicast production. Adaptation, 8 hours, GraphicAudio, 2010. Reviewed in SF Site by Steven Brandt. READ SF SITE REVIEW

Publisher's Synopsis: Victorious at long last against his enemies on the world of New Genesis, Darkseid has unleashed the forces of Apokolips on Earth. With the secret of the Anti-Life Equation at his command, Darkseid now possesses the ability to eradicate all free will from humanity—and usher in an end to the  age of super heroes.  Facing an ever-growing army of mindless slaves and corrupted heroes, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the remnants of the Justice League of America find themselves consumed by the spreading darkness. They remain humanity’s only hope—the only light that will not be  extinguished in the world’s darkest hour. But at what cost? 

Blood and Honor: The Forest Kingdom Saga, Parts 1 & 2 of Book 2. by Simon R. Green. Multicast performance, adaptation 10 hours) GraphicAudio, 2010. A guest review by Sarah Trowbridge.

The kingdom of Redhart faces a succession crisis. Old King Malcolm has died, under ambiguous circumstances which may or may not have involved foul play, and it's unclear which of his three sons is destined to take the throne. According to ancient Redhart tradition, the rightful ruler is the one who can produce the official crown and seal and then survive a blood-oath ritual on the ancient Stone beneath the throne. The trouble is, none of the three princes are exactly king material. Lewis, the eldest, is an earth-magic-wielding warrior with a wicked temper and a tendency to rape and murder the daughters of lesser nobles. Dominic, the youngest, though more scholarly than Lewis, is also ruthlessly ambitious and quite possibly psychotic. The middle son, Viktor, viewed by some to be the least of three evils, is merely a headstrong ladies' man ... one who happens to have spent the last four years banished from court for attempting to murder his younger brother over a woman. Read more...

Doctor Who and the Ice Warriors, by Brian Hughes, read by Frazer Hines. Unabridged novelization (4 hrs) BBC Audio, 2010. Reviewed by Andy Howell in suite101.com. Read Review...

A brand new, unabridged reading of this novelisation of a classic Doctor Who story, first published by Target Books in 1976. Doctor Who, with Victoria and Jamie, lands at a top scientific base in England, where they have just unearthed an ancient Ice Warrior. Aliens from Mars, preserved in the ice for centuries and now revitalised, the Ice Warriors feel ready to take over!

This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection, by Carol Burnette, read by the author. Unabridged (5.5 hrs) Random House Audio, 2010.

The comedic actress best known for "The Carol Burnett Show" reveals a life filled with ups, downs, and an undying love for making people laugh. I'm Booking It offers an informative review of this autobiography of one of my all-time favorite comedians. Read the Review...

The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs & the Currently Accepted Habits of Nature, by David Niall Wilson, read by Joe Geoffrey. Unabridged (3 hrs, 32 min) Crossroad Press, 2010

Not much happens in the backwater town of Old Mill, North Carolina. It’s so quiet that Jasper, the local air-conditioner repairman, decides to let his customers swelter just one more day while he goes fishing. But on his arrival at his favorite fishing hole, Jasper discovers a partially submerged body in the middle of his fishing spot. The upper torso and head are hidden under the dark water and Jasper has no desire to see what lies beneath.

Because he pre-tuned for an afternoon of fishing with a few beers, reporting this situation to the local sheriff is not an option. So Jasper heads over to the trailer of his best friend, Cletus J. Diggs. Cletus is a man of many monikers, telling anyone who will listen that he’s an ordained minister, a common law attorney, a private investigator, and a writer for the Weekly Globe Examiner.

Cletus and the Sheriff agree to meet at the crime scene, where they decide they should pull the corpse out of the water. What lies under the water is not what they expect – it’s not even human! Both men are horrified to see the head of a deer (an eight-point, white-tailed buck, to be exact) sitting neatly atop a human body. The state police are called in to investigate, and while they search for a crazed taxidermist, Cletus knows that it’s going to be up to him to solve this mystery. 

So begins a bizarre who-done-it tale that delivers a delightful mix of humor and horror, with the author skillfully balancing what some might consider two emotional extremes. You never know if the next scene is going to be terribly gruesome or cleverly funny, providing an unusual element of surprise that keeps you hanging on every word.  

Narrator Joe Geoffrey does his part to make this unlikely story come to life. His work especially shines when voicing the good ol’ boy characters that Cletus enlists to help him investigate the mystery. Bob, Jasper, Pap, and Earl have accents that would make any redneck proud (and being from Kentucky, I can say this with authority). Geoffrey’s voice is a deep, rumbling bass that is pleasant on the ears. He also does a great job with pacing and intonation, which helps listeners appreciate the humorous asides and off-handed comments liberally sprinkled throughout the book.

As the story unfolds, clues as to the whereabouts of the perpetrators of the crime point toward Eternity, a reclusive community on the edge of the swamp that doesn’t welcome strangers. There’s something about Eternity’s First Church of Light and Starry Wisdom that just doesn’t seem right and Cletus is determined to find out what it is. Before it’s all over, Cletus must deal with a kidnapping, a swamp witch, mad scientists, an ancient pagan fertility god, and a possible alien abduction.

Although these familiar horror/science fiction elements might, at first glance, seem a bit trite, the author effectively uses them to drive the story forward. And best of all, he gives the characters enough personality that they can make you believe (or at least enjoy) each and every situation Cletus and his buddies manage to get themselves into – paranormal, abnormal, or otherwise. It’s a short, fun and entertaining listen.  

Private, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, read by Peter Hermann. Unabridged (6 CDs) Hachette Audio, 2010.

Jack Morgan, having retired from the CIA, takes up his father's famed security and detective firm. However, the caseload becomes a handful when an NFL gambling scandal and an 18-year-old cold case are trumped by the murder of his best friend's wife. READ REVIEW at CHICK WITH BOOKS

Blood Oath, by Christopher Farnsworth, read by Bronson Pinchot. Unabridged (10.5 hrs) Blackstone Audio, 2010.

It is common knowledge that the President of the United States is in possession of highly classified information as part of his job. In Christopher Farnsworth's debut novel, one of the president's secrets is a vampire named Nathaniel Cade. Cade is charged with fighting evil and protecting the United States from all sorts of threats, foreign and domestic. READ REVIEW at SF SITE

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, by Karl Marlantes, read by Bronson Pinchot. Unabridged (20.4 hrs) Balckstone Audio, 2010.

When young Waino Mellas, a Bravo Company lieutenant, is unceremoniously dropped into the jungle of Vietnam, he is instantly forced into manhood. Facing the horrors of war in Southeast Asia, Waino and his comrades embark on a long, torturous, bloody adventure, where the Vietnamese wilderness is just as dangerous as the enemy. READ REVIEW at DOG EARED COPY