Category Archives: audiobooks

Published: November 9, 2023

This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things…

A couple weeks ago, I talked about the upcoming audiobook, and how Recorded Books had made a movie-trailer style promotion for the upcoming audio release of The Narrow Road Between Desires.

(I suppose it’s just a book trailer, isn’t it? Not a Movie-Trailer-But-For-An-Audiobook….)

Anyway, like I said, I was surprised and impressed by how well they turned out. If you’re curious, you can see those trailers and read the blog over here.

What I didn’t mention, is that when they sent me the trailers, I was struck by how cinematic they were and felt bad about how skeptical I’d been when they’d pitched it. So I watched the videos with my boys, and did an audio recording of our reactions as a way of showing that I really *did* like them.

Then, since I was on a roll, I recorded some fake voice-overs for the trailers in my best movie-narrator voice. (I’ll be honest, I’d had a *lot* of coffee that day.)

I didn’t think any more of it, so imagine my surprise when a couple weeks later, they sent me some… edited versions of the videos using the audio I’d sent them.

But not *just* the audio, as you can see from this screencap:

(I already suspected they were proper geeks, but it’s nice to have proof.)

I know not everyone here will get the reference. But I’m guessing if you read this blog, you’re more likely to appreciate it than the general population.

So without further ado, here’s the one with me and the boys:

And here’s the one that’s just me:

(If you’re on your phone, here’s versions of the videos formatted for that.)

Me and the boys (Phone version):

Pat’s voiceover – (Phone version):

I don’t want to say I like these *more* than I liked the originals, but I certainly laughed more while I was watching them. And then cringed more, because I’d forgotten that one of my voice-overs took a turn and ended up being an improvisational love letter to Lin Manuel Miranda…

So… yeah. Audiobook. It’s a thing, and if you appreciate the fact that the folks at Recorded Books took the time to turn my silly joke into something cool I could share with you… maybe consider pre-ordering a copy as a way of thanking them?

Share and Enjoy,

pat

Also posted in a billion links, I mock because I love, upcoming publications, videos | By Pat37 Responses
Published: September 11, 2014

Slow Regard of Silent Things – The Narrationing.

Over the last couple of months, I’ve talked about the upcoming Auri book quite a bit.

rooftop_encounter_by_gunghogrimm-d420vi3

(Everyone’s favorite moon fae. Art from GungGoGrimm)

When I do interviews or events, people ask me questions about the story, and I do my best to answer them without giving anything away. But the end result is that sometimes I have trouble remembering what I’ve officially announced, and what I’ve just kinda talked in one interivew. Or at one particular event at a bookstore.

(My official announcement of the book and the explanation of how it came to be is over here on the blog, if you happened to miss it.)

So. There’s been some news about the book I’ve known for a while. Something that I’ve mentioned a couple of times in various places in various ways. But I’ve never make an official announcement:

I’m narrating the audiobook.

Achievement unlocked - audio_book 2

I’ve always had a great admiration for the people who are able to read their own material. When an author reads their own work, it can add so much to a story. Over the years, I think I’ve probably spent a thousand hours listening to some of the best of the best tell their own stories in their own voices: Neil Gaiman, David Sedaris, and Garrison Keillor.

I’m not at that level. But I enjoy reading my work in front of an audience. I’ve done work with Wisconsin Public Radio. What’s more, I have been told I have a good voice….

Mountainous

(This might be one of my favorite complements ever.)

So I decided to throw my hat into the ring. This is a much shorter book than my usual. A perfect chance to give it a try. Besides, how different could it be, reading in front of an audience vs. reading in a studio?

Well…. quite a bit different, as it turns out.

Luckily, the folks at Random House/Penguin Audio brought in a great producer to work with me. Someone with a ton of experience who has more than a thousand audiobooks under his belt (figuratively.)

His name was Rick Harris, and he worked wonders, setting me at my ease and teaching me the ropes.

I won’t go into the details of what I learned. That should probably be a blog all by itself. Suffice to say now I have a *lot* more respect for people that do this for a living. There’s so much going on. So much craft and artistry. I look forward to working on it and getting better in the future.

Without further ado, let me present to you a brief teaser of the audiobook that the folks at my publisher have made available for you.

I hope you like it. I myself managed to listen to an entire 8 words of it before I turned it off again. For as much as I joke about loving the sound of my own voice, the truth is, I hate the sound of my own voice when I hear it recorded. I just can’t bring myself to listen to it.

Anyway, here it is. All fancy and embedded:

If that doesn’t work, here’s a straight-up link.

I hope you like it. Honestly? I’m nervous as hell about how it turned out, and not being able to listen to it at all, let alone with an objective ear, is not helping with that anxiety.

Be gentle with me, it’s my first time.

pat

Also posted in Achievement Unlocked! | By Pat100 Responses
Published: December 7, 2012

Books from Gollancz, Exterminating Angel Press, and AudioGo

This is a Worldbuilders Blog.

Gollancz has been a big supporter of Worldbuidlers for the last several years. They’re a huge UK publisher, so it’s worth noting that everything from them is the UK edition, which automatically makes it 6 times fancier.

  • 5 box sets of the the Sookie Stackhouse Novels paperback box set by Charlaine Harris.

“Harris does an admirable job of creating a heroine who’s not only interesting but completely believable in a world of the strange and the different. Natural and humorous dialogue and a nicely paced plot.” – Publishers Weekly

“Enthralling . . . a story so packed with thrills, comedy, drama and a bit of red herring that the result is apt to satisfy the most discriminating, and hungry, reader.”— The Denver Post

“Sanderson’s saga of consequences offers complex characters and a compelling plot, asking hard questions about loyalty, faith and responsibility.” – Publishers Weekly

  • A full set of the Gollancz 50 Top Ten: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick,The Book of the New Sun: Shadow and Claw by Gene Wolfe,  I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, Dune by Frank Herbert, The Time Machine by H. G. Wells, Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, Eric by Terry Pratchett, Hyperion by Dan Simmons, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, and Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

 

For it’s 50th’s aniversary, Gollancz polled its readers, asking them to vote on their best titles over the last 50 years.

They printed the top ten books in special retro editions, five sci-fi, five in fantasy. To my delight, The Name of the Wind was one of the five fantasy picks.

These editions are out of print now, but you can win the full here at Worldbuilders by donating to Heifer International.

 

  • Auction: A full set of the Gollancz 50 Top Ten: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick,The Book of the New Sun: Shadow and Claw by Gene Wolfe,  I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, Dune by Frank Herbert, The Time Machine by H. G. Wells, Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, Eric by Terry Pratchett, Hyperion by Dan Simmons, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, and Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

And for those of you who simply HAVE to have it.  We’re throwing a set up in an auction over here.

And now, some books from Exterminating Angel Press:

  • 2 copies of The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid.

“…Even as it delivers its clear-eyed critique of the way mainstream superhero comics have alternately eroticized or deified female characters, The Supergirls gleefully celebrates the medium itself, in all its goofy, glorious excess.” — NPR

“The Supergirls is a long overdue tribute to the fabulous fighting females whose beauty and bravery brighten the pages of your favorite comics.” — Stan Lee

  • 2 copies of 3 Dead Princes: An Anarchist Fairy Tale by Danbert Nobacon.

“Even as an adult reader, the story is interesting and intelligent enough for you to find it worth your while.” — Graham Storrs

  • 2 copies of Dirk Quigby’s Guide to the Afterlife: All You Need to Know to Choose the Right Heaven Plus a Five-Star Rating System for Music, Food, Drink, and Accommodations by E. E. King 

“Impish and delightful—a hilarious Zagat’s Guide to Heaven!”—Ray Bradbury

  • 2 sets of Snotty Saves the Day: The History of Arcadia and Lily the Silent: The History of Arcadia. Signed by Tod Davies

“Dressed up with footnotes, scholarly introductions and a bibliography, as well as lovely line drawings by Gary Zaboly, Snotty’s story seeks to prove that fairy tales rank with quantum mechanics in their ability to establish parallel worlds.”—Publishers Weekly

  • Auction: One set of Snotty Saves the Day: The History of Arcadia and Lily the Silent: The History of Arcadia. Signed by Tod Davies.  Also comes with an adorable teddy bear.

Who doesn’t want an adorable teddy bear with an adorable t-shirt on?  To bid on him and his friends, the books, click here.

From AudioGo:

  • A copy of The J. R. R. Tolkien Collection (BBC Dramatization) by J. R. R. Tolkien.

I’ll be honest with you, this set is cool enough that I considered stealing it rather than putting it in the fundraiser. True story.

  • A set of Immobility by Brian Evenson, Dreadtime Stories: Volume One, and Dreadtime Stories: Volume Two.  All narrated by Malcolm McDowell.

“Evenson is stunning, a postapocalyptic Dashiell Hammett, in this blistering tale. I read Immobility from cover to cover without stirring from my chair, and I imagine most readers will share that fate.” – Jesse Ball, Plimpton Prize–winning author of The Curfew

  • A copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Complete BBC Radio Series by Douglas Adams 

“It’s not just that these are even better than the novels, The Guide, originally conceived as a radio show, still works best in its original medium. All these discs are worth listening to, especially if you have a long commute. Adams’ life was too short, but he left us with enough funny, startling, and original ideas for several lifetimes.” – Tom Marcinko

  • 2 sets of Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome: A BBC Full-Cast Radio Drama and  Superman: On Trial: A BBC Full-Cast Radio Drama by Dirk Maggs

“An interesting, if slightly quirky, audio play about The Dark Knight, as it is the villain’s motivation that drives the tale.” – Tim Knight, Hero Press

“An amusing audio play, well worth the time.” – Brendan’s Reviews

  • A set of Sherlock Holmes: The Rediscovered Railway Mysteries: and Other Stories by John Taylor and The Adventures of Sexton Blake: Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatization by Dirk Maggs

 

I’ve talked on the blog before about how much I loved this production of Sexton Blake. Not only can you get this hard-to-come-by BBC production here, but the Sherlock Holmes audiobook is read by Benedict Cumberbatch himself. As such, it’s very much worth your time….

  • Auction: A set of Sherlock Holmes: The Rediscovered Railway Mysteries: and Other Stories by John Taylor and The Adventures of Sexton Blake: Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatization by Dirk Maggs

Make your ear holes happy by bidding on this lovely prize over here.

  • A copy of Doctor Who: The New Adventures: Two Exclusive Audio Adventures Starring the Eleventh Doctor

Come on.  It’s Doctor Who.  Do I really have to tell you?  By donating just $10 to the team page, you will have a chance to win an audio recording of two episodes of Doctor Who that have never aired on TV.  I think that’s worth it, don’t you?

  • Auction: A set of Doctor Who: The Lost TV Episodes: Collection 2: 1965-1966 and Doctor Who: The New Adventures: Two Exclusive Audio Adventures Starring the Eleventh Doctor.

“DOCTOR WHO – THE LOST TV EPISODES (COLLECTION TWO: 1965-1966) is, like the first collection, a remarkable anthology that demonstrates the enduring quality of the series in delivering agreeable stories for all generations both past, present and future.” –Eye of Horus

That’s right.  Multiple lost-to-television episodes of Doctor Who, all for your listening pleasure, if you bid on our auction over here.

*     *     *

Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on our Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and many, many more.

If you’d like to see all the auctions Worldbuilders is currently running, you can find them over here.

Or, if you want to see the other items that have been donated to Worldbuilders, or learn more about the fundraiser itself, you can head over to the main page here.

Also posted in all sorts of different types of books, Worldbuilders 2012 | By Pat10 Responses
Published: April 21, 2010

The Adventures of Sexton Blake

Let’s get right to the point here….

This, is awesome.

If you like things that are awesome, you should buy it, listen to it, then probably buy it again just to give away to your friends who also like things that are awesome.

Need more reasons? Fine, here you go…

First, it’s BBC. So you know it’s not crap right off the bat.

Moreover, it stars Simon Jones. (Who many of you know as Arthur from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.) He absolutely nails the comedic timing of Blake all the way through this.

Secondarily, this is the best the best radio drama I’ve ever come in contact with.

Sixth and lastly: It’s cleverly written, brilliantly acted, and directed with a smooth, fast-paced clarity I’ve never experienced before.

Thirdly, I have bought no less that eight copies and given them all away as gifts.

And, to conclude, I’d like to officially add the director, Dirk Maggs, to the very short list of people I would unreservedly trust to do an alternate-media version of The Name of the Wind.

pat

Edit: I’m removing all “First” posts in order to nip this behavior in the bud. I did it as an ironcial-type joke in the last blog, and didn’t mean to establish a trend.

Also posted in cool things, recommendations | By Pat56 Responses
Published: March 16, 2010

On the Road

Dear Pat,

I won’t be able to make any of your readings over the next two weeks, but I was wondering. How do you get ready for something like that? I’ve done a little public speaking in the past, and it terrifies me. I can’t help but think that it must be a million times worse if you’re reading your own stuff to a huge roomful of people.

So that’s my question. What does an author do to get ready for a public reading?

Best of luck on your trip.

Dan

The truth is Dan, I’ve wondered the same thing myself.

I mean, I know how *I* get ready for a reading. But I wonder what other authors go through when they’re getting ready.

A lot of authors I’ve talked to admit to having public speaking jitters. Some of them downright hate it. But that’s not a problem for me. Public speaking is old hat. I’ve done commencement addresses, sermons, lectures, and more panels than you can shake a stick at.

Plus I used to do improv comedy. And let me tell you, after you’ve done improv comedy, no other type of public speaking will ever scare you. It’s like a trial by fire.

In general, I imagine other authors think about regular things before a signing tour. They worry about who’s going to show up, or what they’re going to read. Maybe they dither over what sort of shirt they’re going to wear.

Me, I worry about my hair.

At least that’s what I’ve been doing for the last several days. I’m about to leave on a little signing tour, 8 readings in 9 days. I’m looking forward to it, and I’m looking forward to seeing who shows up.

The problem is, I haven’t had a haircut in about 8 months. It’s something that never occurs to me until I have to make a public appearance. Normally every 3-4 months I’m forced to brush up against the edges of civilization. I go to a convention, or a wedding, or something, and so I get a haircut to clean myself up for that.

But lately I’ve been so busy with revisions and the new baby that I haven’t done any of those things. And that means almost a whole year without a haircut. That means that I look like a cross between a hobo, John the Baptist come out of the desert, and a particularly shaggy Muppet. I look, in fact, like one of those green men statues. Except not green.

Normally I’m fine with this. But when I make public appearances I feel bad showing up looking all wodwo. I feel like if people show up to see me, I should try to groom myself down to the point where I won’t frighten small children.

But here’s the problem. This week when I tried to make an appointment for a haircut with the only person I trust to cut my hair and beard… but she couldn’t fit me in to her schedule. And I can’t trust some random barber. Last time I did that the fucker sheared me like a fucking sheep.

So now, the day before I drive off to do my signings, I’m faced with an awful choice. Show up looking like the crazy guy at the bus station, or risk a haircut that would make a prison barber wince. I still haven’t decided…

The other thing that I think about before I go on a trip like this is what I’m going to listen to in the car. I’ve become a sucker for audiobooks lately, and this trip is going to put me behind the wheel for almost 40 hours.

So I’ve got a return question for some of you out there. Do you have any good audiobooks to recommend? I’ve already listened to everything by David Sedaris, Neil Gaiman, and Garrison Keillor.

Here. I’ll start things out with a recommendation or two of my own.

The BBC dramatization of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

These BBC audio productions of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are really great. What’s even better is that they contain different materials than the original books. That means even if you know your the source material inside and out, you can still be pleasantly surprised.

The later ones weren’t done my Adams himself. But I have to say (and this is something that you will probably never *ever* hear me say again) I liked the ending of the final audiobook better than I like the ending of Adam’s original novel.

I know. Blasphemy.

Anyway. Trust me. These are brilliant. Share and enjoy.

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde.

I listened to this just recently, and I was absolutely blown away by it.

That said, I don’t know how I’d describe the entirety of it to someone.

It’s funny without being goofy. It’s clever without being pretentious. It’s original without being desperate. And it has an element of what I consider the divine ridiculousness: a delightful, subtle, strangeness that is funny while still touching on some underlying truth.

I feel like I should say more about it, but I can’t think of what else to say. Except, perhaps, that it’s probably the best book I’ve read in a year or so. And Sarah really liked it too, if that sways you at all…

So what about you guys? Do y’all have any good audiobooks that you can recommend? I’m going to need a few more before I’m done with this trip….

P.S. I’m asking for audiobooks, mind you. Don’t recommend a book that you liked and you’re thinking *would* make a good audiobook. The narrator makes a huge difference in these things, so don’t tell me it’s good if you haven’t listened to it yourself.

pat

Also posted in appearances, Fanmail Q + A, my beard, recommendations | By Pat253 Responses
Published: April 11, 2009

New additions to the family.

Everyone, I would like you to meet the newest edition of The Name of the Wind.

I’m now in trade paperback. Today, I am a man.

(Click to Embiggen)

I don’t know what it is about being in trade paperback, but it makes me feel kinda literary. Which in turn makes me feel kind of dirty. Which makes me feel sexy. Which makes me feel pretty, then embarrassed, and finally kinda tired and confused. Plus hungry.

(I want to make a Goldilocks joke here, but I’m too tired to think of one.)

I never used to appreciate trade paperback books. I just didn’t get them. At best they seemed pointless. At worst they were a type of perversion. They were what happened when a paperback and a hardcover had an illicit, incestuous lovechild.

But now I get the appeal. With trade paperback you have the easy-to-read larger type of the bigger book, but it’s a size that you can actually carry around with you. It can still stop a small caliber bullet, but you can bend the cover back if you’re reading it in the bathtub. It slices. It dices. It’s all things to all people. Ego sum alpha et o.

I really shouldn’t be blogging right now. I’m way too tired to be sure if I’m making much sense. It’s still yesterday for me. I haven’t been to bed yet.

This newest version of the book also proudly proclaims itself to be, “The New York Times Bestseller,” which I have to admit gives me a bit of a tingle.

Also, for those of you who haven’t already heard, The Name of the Wind is now available in all manner of electronic formats. Kindle and Sony and whatever. So now you godless heathens can have your bookless versions of my book. Ick.

Lastly, it looks like we’ll finally be getting an audio book before too long. A few weeks back I spent several hours on the phone pronouncing all the weird names and languages I invented. “Saying things like, “Cealdish. No. Wait. That’s not right. It’s Cealdish. CEaldish. CeALDish. No. Wait…”

It was magical experience, let me tell you. And by magical, I mean vaguely humiliating. I can hear the characters say these things in my head, but it’s hard to make my mouth make the shape of the word. Like Imre. There are two different ways to say it, depending on who’s talking.

Anyway, there are the newest additions to the family. Share and enjoy.

More news on the way,

pat

Also posted in cool news | By Pat79 Responses

  • RSS info

  • Visit Worldbuilders!

  • Our Store

    The Store

  • Previous Posts

  • Archives



  • Bookmark this Blog!

    (IE and Firefox users only - Safari users, click Command-D)