Horror Aficionados discussion
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What Books Are You Listening To?
Tressa I know you liked the Ruins I am one of the few who did not like it at all.Did enjoy the Strain Trilogy. It could have ended better.
I've listened to some Stephen King I liked. Full Dark and Under the Dome. Also The Shining. But I'm sure you read these. I did too, but years later I listened to them and enjoyed them even more. I looked on my audio shelf but some of those are just general fiction.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a great listen.
I plan on reading that one. I've tried listening to Gaiman read a story before and I'll just come out and say it: I didn't like his accent for the narration. I enjoy hearing him speak, but didn't enjoy him reading his book.
Michael wrote: "Help!Of 20 or so books in my "to read" folder none are on audio. Looking for Recs."
What are you in the mood for? I listen to a lot of audio books maybe I could help.
I'm currently reading, The Innocent after listening to the first few chapters I was about to return the book and try something else. It's really picked up and turning into a good read. It's the first audio book I've read that comes with sound effects, gun shots, things blowing up. It's different in a good way.
I don't always like reading thrillers, but they are fun to listen to. I bet some old John Grishams you haven't read would be good; or some Stuarts Woods or James Lee Burke. Or We Need to Talk About Kevin or Gone Girl (or her other books)>
Michael, have you listened to the Monster Hunter International series? They're excellent audio books, I highly recommend them.
Tressa wrote: "I plan on reading that one. I've tried listening to Gaiman read a story before and I'll just come out and say it: I didn't like his accent for the narration. I enjoy hearing him speak, but didn't e..."Awww...I love listening the Gaiman read his books. In fact, I ordered the new one on CD just for that reason!
Tressa wrote: "I bet those are great on audio, Lin. I remember listening to Ron Perlman read The Strain and it was fantastic. I just finished You Came Back and really enjoyed it, and now I'm listening to Someo..."
The Strain was pretty awesome too, listened to the whole trilogy on CD for that reason, couldn't get into the printed versions. Didn't love the ending, but that's neither here nor there.
I'm loving the narration on Lincoln & The Passage. They did well for that voices of both in my opinion.
LinBee wrote: "Awww...I love listening the Gaiman read his books. In fact, I ordered the new one on CD just for that reason! ..."I know. Maybe it was that one book I tried listening to. I love hearing him talk, just not reading. And I guess to my ears there is a difference.
I don't often listen to audiobooks, but I just finished listening to Everett Smiles which is a 45 minute short production and I was very impressed with it. Great production values, narration and damn creepy story. Well worth the £0.89 it cost me :)
I also don't often listen to audiobooks but Cleveland morning radio sucks and I now have an hour round-trip commute to work. So I got Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyondon Audible and just finished it this morning. Really good collection of original stories based on the Oz books. I liked the narrator because he managed to do lots of different voices. A few stories, the ones that were more from Dorothy's POV, were told by a female narrator who was also pretty good. I just downloaded The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius to listen to next.
I'm listening to Someone Knows My Name and The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat and I'm underwhelmed by them. Someone Knows My Name started off a fascinating read, taking place in Africa and highlighting a young woman who was kidnapped by slave traders and her trip on the Middle Passage. But the story gets confusing going forward in time and now I'm at a place where I've lost a chunk of detail and am not sure what's going on. I like to listen to these in the kitchen and my son was at the table eating lunch at the moment a character said the N-word; so I switched to the other story and heard "balls." I'm going to have to find a classic to listen to.
Just finished listening to Robin Fox's lecture series, Alexander of Macedonia: The World Conquered. Now on to another lecture series, The Anglo-Saxon World by Michael Drout. The professor sounds like a sixteen year old boy, and started spamming his other work early on, but he's an excellent lecturer, really knows his subject, and does a great job of conveying it to the listener (Fox's droning could put one to sleep). If the quality remains constant, may have to look for more of his stuff.
I listened to Martian Chronicles years and years ago and remember loving it. Michael, I plan on reading that for the group read, just haven't found my copy yet.
I'm really enjoying the Modern Scholar series. Just finished listening to Michael Drout's The Anglo-Saxon World, now on Thomas Madden's A History of Venice: Queen of the Seas.
Not listening to anything right now. Need to remedy that soon. I miss my audios. Those books sound relaxing, Walter. :-)
Insofar as Michael Drout is concerned, Tressa, not sure 'relaxing' catches the full flavor of his work. Madden drones, while Drout sounds like a twelve year old who's just discovered Playboy. Quite the enthusiastic lecturer, he be. :)
I have that book, Latasha. Been a while since I last read it, but as best I recall, it was very good. Hope you enjoy. :)
Walter wrote: "I have that book, Latasha. Been a while since I last read it, but as best I recall, it was very good. Hope you enjoy. :)"at first i didn't like it but i'm on chapter 11 and it's gotten better.
I've been getting into psuesopod lately. I much prefer to read a full length novel than listen to one, but I can cope with short stories as audio.
i don't mind listening to a full audio book but i listen to a lot of Librivox recordings and various other podcast. some books are better read, though. i downloaded some psuesopods but didn't like the ones i picked.
I've only listened to the two most recent ones. I really liked The Pit if you ever give it another try.
I've started listening to Dracula with a full voiced cast. Aside from the overly breathy Lucy, it's fantastically voiced and has been a real highlight of my commute the past week. I got it for Tim Curry, but I stayed for the dulcet tones of Simon Vance and Alan Cumming. I cannot recommend it enough, especially for people who find it hard to get through the classics.
I tend to listen to most of my short fiction these days on Pseudopod and Wily Writers. Right now I'm listening to The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. It's not that good.
Veleste wrote: "I've started listening to Dracula with a full voiced cast. Aside from the overly breathy Lucy, it's fantastically voiced and has been a real highlight of my commute the past week. I got it for Tim ..."heck ya! I love Tim Curry! where did u find it?
I just listened to
I really, really liked this story! this is the 1st thing I've read by this author. I didn't know very much about this story going in. we meet Humphrey Challoner. he's dying and handling it very well. he has a very well cataloged collection of skeletons which he leaves to his dear friend(forgot his name!) the story is the reading of the catalogs for these skeletons. we learn where they came from. Challoner is very, very funny and clever. there was so many times I laughed during the reading. the story was easy to follow. it was very good & creepy at times.
it was maybe...6 hrs long? but I really liked it.oh! and it's in the public domain so you should be able to find it somewhere for free. I got my copy from Librivox off iTunes.
I started The Turn of the Screwbut only made it about 30% in. a while ago I watched the movie version with Julian Sands and it was almost word for word so I didn't finish the book.
Finished A History of Venice: Queen of the Seas. Enjoyed it.Now on to From Troy to Constantinople: cities and societies of ancient Turkey.
I love the Modern Scholar lecture series. :)
Latasha wrote: "I started The Turn of the Screwbut only made it about 30% in. a while ago I watched the movie version with Julian Sands and it was almost word for word so I didn't finish the book."I've had this happen, too, and not just when listening. I watched No Country for Old Men and loved the movie so much I wanted to read the book right afterward, but it was so word-for-word and I didn't see anything in the book that wasn't in the movie.
I've found some new (to me) podcast on iTunes. podcast are kinda like talk radio but way way better. I've not listened to any of these yet so if they are awful, sorry!this one is reading of short, spooky stories-chilling tales for dark nights-
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
scott sigler audiobooks. this is an author reading his books. "Stephen king meets Michael Crichton meets chuck Palahniuk..
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
HP Lovecraft Live- readings of his works-
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
midnight circle:horror stories. reading of short stories
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m...
the passing showman- all about ambrose bierce!!agh!!! I love him!!!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
cromcast- all about Robert e. howard
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
FINALLY!!! edgar allan poecast- all about edgar allan poe. I've been waiting for a podcast like this. omg, I hope its good!-
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
well, there you go! I downloaded at least 1 from all of these but the scott sigler podcast. I have high hopes for the ambrose bierce & edgar allan poe one! *fingers crossed*
If not previously mentioned:M.R. James discussion: A Podcast For The Curious
Clark Ashton Smith discussion: The Double Shadow
Tales To Terrify: Tales To Terrify
Nightmare Magazine: Nightmare Magazine
Dark Fiction Magazine: Dark Fiction Magazine
Surreal Grotesque: Surreal Grotesque
Bizarrocast: Bizarrocast
Dark Dreams Podcast: Dark Dreams Podcast
No Sleep Podcast: No Sleep Podcast
Nightvale: Nightvale
And my own humble endeavor (big name author coming up for episode 350!)
Pseudopod: Pseudopod
What Have I Been Listening To Recently - Not counting music, a lot of fiction readings and podcasts to check out and keep up with PSEUDOPOD'S peers (and still more to catch up with). Listened to BBC radio readings like the excellent GHOST STORIES OF WALTER DE LA MARE (a very subtle writer - the reading of his "All Hallows" finally allowed me to tease out the theme, and a good version of "Seaton's Aunt" as well), FANTASTIC JOURNEYS (nice reading of Wells' "The Door In The Wall" and I'm still a bit unsure of my take on Kelly Link), A NIGHT WITH A VAMPIRE (David Tennant - yes, that one - reads vampire stories classic and modern. Gotta love his 'Merican accent! Nice to hear Angela Carter, Fritz Leiber & Richard Matheson). On the drama front, I re-listened to the BBC drama of Thomas Mann's THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN (excellent), CRIME & PUNISHMENT (amazing, I always tear up at the end), Le Fanu's SCHALKEN THE PAINTER (well done), Mark Gattis' take on THE MAN IN BLACK anthology staple (fun!), some goofy stories done for TALES FROM THE CRYPT (very broad, and often having next to nothing to do with the original comic story) and, finally, Patricia Highsmith's THE CRY OF THE OWL (very moving crime story of a man with mental problems persecuted by his ex-wife)On the Podcast scene: A PODCAST FOR THE CURIOUS (http://www.mrjamespodcast.com/) examines and discusses single stories by M.R. James, THE DOUBLE SHADOW does the same for Clark Ashton Smith (http://thedoubleshadow.com/). I've also been listening to THE NO SLEEP PODCAST (http://www.thenosleeppodcast.com/) while I'm at the gym, which does something similar to Pseudopod but more along the lines of urban legend stories (lots of serial killers, stalkers, pedophiles, etc). Closer to Pseudopod are TALES TO TERRIFY (http://talestoterrify.com/) who just did all of "At The Mountains Of Madness", NIGHTMARE MAGAZINE (http://nightmare-magazine.com/) which had an excellent reading of Ramsey Campbell's "At Lorn Hall", and DARK FICTION MAGAZINE (http://www.darkfictionmagazine.co.uk/). Still have to start listening to a few others like NIGHTVALE, THE BIZARROCAST, etc. etc.
Thx Shawn! I'm gonna check some of those out. The edgar Allan Poe podcast, well they are just starting out. Be patient. The Ambrose Bierce one- the host is just reading all of his work :( it's not what I thought. I've read a lot of his stuff already.
b
Shawn wrote: "What Have I Been Listening To Recently - Not counting music, a lot of fiction readings and podcasts to check out and keep up with PSEUDOPOD'S peers (and still more to catch up with). Listened to BB..."Excellent Shawn! That's just the kind of stuff I've been looking for.
Being new to Stephen King & so far enjoying the Sept. group read, I hit iTunes to see if I could find any freebies. well I did. I found "The Man in the Black Suit" over at Chilling Tales for a Dark Night podcast. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/c...it was recorded on sat. April 6,2013. that may help u find it easier. it was narrated by John Collum.
OMG! I absolutely loved this story & the narrator. it was FABOULOUS!!!! if you count the shining, which i'm about 40% through, this is the 3rd thing I've read/heard of Stephen King's. the story is 1 hr. 6 min. long and if u have the time I highly recommend it. when Gary actually meets the man I started thinking "oh no, I do NOT need to be listening to this so close to bedtime!" (I work nights & sleep during the day). I just enjoyed this so much and hope u all like it too!
I'm currently listening to Mistborn: The Final Empire and loving every minute of it. I'm just sorry I waited so long do read this.
Books mentioned in this topic
On the Beach (other topics)Iron Flame (other topics)
The House Across the Lake (other topics)
Midnight Is the Darkest Hour (other topics)
Don't Fear the Reaper (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Stephen Graham Jones (other topics)Ray Porter (other topics)
Jonathan Maberry (other topics)
George R.R. Martin (other topics)
Jonathan Van Ness (other topics)
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The Strain by del Toro is great, too.