Octopus Overlords

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2019 2:59 pm Bronson Pinchot has made a job out of doing it. He has, iirc, hundreds of titles on Audible.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2019 9:35 am So, not exactly a niche reader, is he?

Oh, I forgot to mention Neil Gaiman. I don't always care for his books, but if he's doing the reading, I'm in.

msteelers wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2019 9:48 am

Jeff V wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2019 9:35 am So, not exactly a niche reader, is he?

Oh, I forgot to mention Neil Gaiman. I don't always care for his books, but if he's doing the reading, I'm in.

His reading of Norse Mythology was fantastic.

MonkeyFinger wrote:

msteelers wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2019 9:48 am

Jeff V wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2019 9:35 am So, not exactly a niche reader, is he?

Oh, I forgot to mention Neil Gaiman. I don't always care for his books, but if he's doing the reading, I'm in.

His reading of Norse Mythology was fantastic.

Interesting... I have the book but may look into getting the audio version as that may be the only way it actually gets "read" anytime soon.

Jaymon wrote: ↑Tue May 07, 2019 11:27 am recording an audio book sounds really cool.

hentzau wrote: ↑Tue May 07, 2019 11:04 am I just grabbed Adam Savage's "Every Tool's A Hammer". I'll report back after a listen.

• Alien III
• You Do You: Proud to Be Fabulous
• Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues
• Jukebox Joyride - Children's
• Olio Live
• The Dead Drink First

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:47 pm June Originals

• Alien III

msteelers wrote: ↑Sun Jun 16, 2019 10:06 am I just finished recording my first audiobook. The author must have enjoyed it because he asked me to narrate the 2nd book in the series. I think I’ll have some promo codes to give away, if you’re willing to leave a review. It’s a post-apocalyptic zombie book. Let me know if you are interested.

Jeff V wrote:I do lots of book reviews and my reviews are always based on the merits of the story (and audio production if that is impactful). As long as you don't expect a forum-friend advantage, feel free to shoot me a copy if you'd like it reviewed (I'll post on Amazon and Librarything).

• A Grown-Up Guide to Dinosaurs
• Screwball - Babe Ruth in the minor leagues
• The Man Who Knew the Way to the Moon - Science history
• Proof of Love - play
• Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World
• The Adventures of Tom Stranger, Interdimensional Insurance Agent

msteelers wrote: ↑Mon Jul 01, 2019 9:48 am The audiobook I recorded is now on sale! Zombies! Book 1: A Small World is about three groups of survivors trying to get by in the zombie apocalypse. It's a pretty light read (listen?), even though things get pretty bleak for the characters really quickly. It clocks in at around 7.5 hours.

I do have some promo codes available, so shoot me a message if you are interested in getting a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

• Wally Roux, Quantum Mechanic - teen sci-fi
• It's Not What It Looks Like - Molly Burke
• Foreverywhere - kid fiction
• It Burns - The Scandal-Plagued Race to Breed the World’s Hottest Chilli
• Treasure Island
• The Conception of Terror: Tales Inspired by M. R. James - Volume 1

• The Sisters - prequel to the Cormac Reilly mystery series
• The Mystwick School of Musicraft - kids
• The Home Front: Life in America During World War II - narrated by Martin Sheen
• Press Pause: A Young Person's Guide to Managing Life's Challenges
• Body of Proof - true crime
• The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey - police procedural, LGBTQIA+

• Carnival Row: Tangle in the Dark - prequel to the Amazon series
• Carmilla - erotic gothic horror
• Camp Red Moon - R. L. Stine
• the way she spoke - drama about women and Juarez
• The Burnout Generation - all about Millenials
• My Lost Family - fiction, sequel to My Mother’s Lost Children

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2019 4:15 pm October Originals

• Carnival Row: Tangle in the Dark - prequel to the Amazon series
• Carmilla - erotic gothic horror
• Camp Red Moon - R. L. Stine
• the way she spoke - drama about women and Juarez
• The Burnout Generation - all about Millenials
• My Lost Family - fiction, sequel to My Mother’s Lost Children

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2019 2:32 pm I ended up sticking with Audible, and still use it primarily to listen to while I work out. So, recommend me a few books. I've found that workout listening doesn't lend itself well to overly detailed, complex novels or plots. William Gibson, for instance, made a great car listen, but I couldn't follow it while working out, as my mind isn't on the book 100% of the time - I also need to be thinking about the workout itself. Gibson had plots that were 2/3 implication that weren't explained to the end, and had extensive descriptions along the way. I'd miss a line here or there and have no idea what was going on five minutes later.

I just listened to Jurassic Park and Lost World by Crichton. It was a great match for the workout, as it had enough plot and events to keep me interested, but wasn't so detailed and convoluted that a 20 seconds of focusing on my breathing broke the story.

I love sci-fi and fantasy, although right now I'm not really in the mood for either. I've thought about Clive Cussler, which I've heard compared to Alistair MacLean (one of my favorites when I was younger), but the books available on Audible seem to be all over the place, continuity wise (IE - they have 13, 14, 17, and up from there, but none of the others.) I've also considered The Dresden Files.

Any thoughts, either on my ideas or other suggestions? I really only have Audible available.

gbasden wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2019 4:10 am

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions By Randall Munroe. By the gentleman who does XKCD, I found this super fascinating. Starting with the initial opener, what would happen if a baseball pitcher threw a ball at the speed of light (spoiler - everybody dies) it was almost uniformly awesome.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2019 2:32 pm I've found that workout listening doesn't lend itself well to overly detailed, complex novels or plots. William Gibson, for instance, made a great car listen, but I couldn't follow it while working out, as my mind isn't on the book 100% of the time - I also need to be thinking about the workout itself. Gibson had plots that were 2/3 implication that weren't explained to the end, and had extensive descriptions along the way. I'd miss a line here or there and have no idea what was going on five minutes later.

I just listened to Jurassic Park and Lost World by Crichton. It was a great match for the workout, as it had enough plot and events to keep me interested, but wasn't so detailed and convoluted that a 20 seconds of focusing on my breathing broke the story.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 11:47 pm
Monster Hunter series - Larry Correia

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Nov 01, 2019 2:52 pm Reality: If Buffy was written by an extreme right-wing gun nut survivalist as a self-masturbatory power fantasy. Ugh. I got through three chapters. Chapter three was one hour long. The first half consisted of the main character having his resume read to him. Our accountant protagonist? A towering genius, 400-pound bench pressing, raised by special forces, one of the nation's top marksmen, former pit fighter with multiple black belts. So much for him growing into his new profession.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Nov 01, 2019 2:52 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 11:47 pm
Monster Hunter series - Larry Correia

Wow, was that a mistake. The premise: An accountant discovers that the supernatural and monsters exist, and that he has a talent for fighting them. Ratings in the 4.5 star range out of 1k+ reviews on Amazon. My expectation: A more grown-up version of Buffy's world.

Reality: If Buffy was written by an extreme right-wing gun nut survivalist as a self-masturbatory power fantasy. Ugh. I got through three chapters. Chapter three was one hour long. The first half consisted of the main character having his resume read to him. Our accountant protagonist? A towering genius, 400-pound bench pressing, raised by special forces, one of the nation's top marksmen, former pit fighter with multiple black belts. So much for him growing into his new profession.

The second half of the chapter consists of a job interview during which he hits on the interviewer (naturally the most beautiful woman he's ever seen) repeatedly while describing her gun in painful detail, most of which was just lists of brand names of components. Seriously, it goes on and on and on about the effing guns, then just when he hands her gun back they start discussing the ammunition in exactly the same tone. All while Joe Macho the accountant is trying to get into his right-wing fantasy girl's pants (she's wearing combat boots with a business suit, FWIW.)

It is absolutely apparent from the beginning that this whole thing is the power fantasy of an author who would carry an assault rifle into a Wal-Mart after a shooting just to make a point about his rights.

This will be the first Audible title I return.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 11:47 pm

gbasden wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2019 4:10 am

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions By Randall Munroe. By the gentleman who does XKCD, I found this super fascinating. Starting with the initial opener, what would happen if a baseball pitcher threw a ball at the speed of light (spoiler - everybody dies) it was almost uniformly awesome.

I'm almost done with this, and it was a good suggestion. It wasn't a perfect fit for my needs, and is outside of what I usually listen to, but it was a fun listen and a good palette cleanser.

I'd like to ask for a more general recommendation this time. Here is my earlier criteria:

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2019 2:32 pm I've found that workout listening doesn't lend itself well to overly detailed, complex novels or plots. William Gibson, for instance, made a great car listen, but I couldn't follow it while working out, as my mind isn't on the book 100% of the time - I also need to be thinking about the workout itself. Gibson had plots that were 2/3 implication that weren't explained to the end, and had extensive descriptions along the way. I'd miss a line here or there and have no idea what was going on five minutes later.

I just listened to Jurassic Park and Lost World by Crichton. It was a great match for the workout, as it had enough plot and events to keep me interested, but wasn't so detailed and convoluted that a 20 seconds of focusing on my breathing broke the story.

I'm trying to figure out what on my list would be a good match. My wish list right now, based mostly off of suggestions that I found for dead tree books before I started listening to many audiobooks:

Dresden Files
Clive Cussler (various)
Monster Hunter series - Larry Correia
Red Queen's War series - Mark Lawrence
The First Law Trilogy - Joe Abercrombie
Honor Harrington series - David Weber

Are any of those good matches? Are any of them particularly bad matches?

• Climbing with Mollie - William Finnegan autobio
• Find Another Dream - Maysoon Zayid autobio
• How Chefs Holiday
• Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons - kids
• You Can Thank Me Later - family holiday stories
• Midnight Son - Alaskan True Crime