Audiobooks: when you're too busy to read

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > Audiobooks: when you're too busy to read

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

Anthony Bourdain's books were brought up a few pages back. I just finished Kitchen Confidential and it was just sublime. I could listen to Bourdain read the phone book and be entertained by it, and moreover it's a really fantastic book, moreso if you're actually interested in cooking and the restaurant business.

Audible also has Shalome Auschlander's Foreskin's Lament, narrated by the author. If you've ever listened to Auschlander's (or however you spell his name) stories on This American Life, you sorta know what you're getting into, but it's still a fairly exceptional study of how badly someone can be psychological broken by oppressive religion. Some people might get bored with his fairly monotone drone, but given that the entire book is about the bitter tragedy and malaise of his life, it works out pretty well.

"MORE INFORMATION THAN YOU REQUIRE" is my bathroom book. I must have read it a dozen times. But seeing the cast they have for the audiobook makes it just about irresistable so I know what I'm getting this month from Audible.

Strange Matter fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Mar 2, 2010

# ¿ Mar 2, 2010 04:04

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 13:59

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

Blood Meridian makes a pretty good audiobook; I'm finding it much easier to follow outloud compared to trying to read Cormac McCarthy's wheeling prose on the page. Plus, the narrator is really on the ball.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2010 04:40

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

I downloaded Audible's unabridged, 44 hour long IT audiobook, and I'm digging it. The narrator does a great job with the different voices, and even changes accent and timber of his narration for different sections.

# ¿ Jul 8, 2010 16:42

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

King Plum the Nth posted:

See, this is a limitation of the medium for me. I wasn't comfortable reading it but having the gang bang scene read to me would be just horribly awkward unto icky.

You weren't kidding.

Still, the format overall really worked well for the book, probably because King's style is well suited for being read outload, between his natural dialog and talent for assembling passages that relate a sense of speed and stress and terror. I'd recommend it.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2010 17:16

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

The General posted:

What's the book about?

Candide is Voltaire's satire of the 18th century Optimist movement, which was the philosophy that this is the best possible world to live in, and that things could probably be worse, so even if you're a filth wallowing poo poo farmer, you should be happy anyway because god loves you.

The book is about the titular character and his all knowing teacher who get marched through a series of increasingly desperate situations, culminating in their becoming filth wallowing poo poo farmers (more or less).

# ¿ Aug 15, 2010 23:36

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

Skellen posted:

Having found myself in a night shift at work, I've discovered audio books to be lifesavers. Blood Meridian's narrator is absolutely brilliant. An older guy, his sort of rougher voice is perfect for the tone of the book.

I had given up on reading Blood Meridian because I found the prose impenetrable at first. Then I listened to about half of the Audiobook, and went back in and devoured it in a single sitting.

# ¿ May 20, 2012 22:17

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

Mister Macys posted:

I've bought up to God Emperor. The first three books are the best.
The next three are a... product of their time. ( )
I just can't get through them.

Also Frank Herbert got old and like most science fiction authors who aren't Clarke or Asimov he got increasingly smutty with age.

# ¿ Oct 8, 2012 19:20

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

I just started Hannu Rajaneimi's The Quantum Thief based on recommendations from the thread in this subforum, and the narration is mesmerizing. I'm only two chapters in and I'm completely hooked.

# ¿ Nov 28, 2012 14:31

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

Kestral posted:

Strange Matter and anyone else who has read The Quantum Thief on audio: how was it? I've skimmed the book at stores and it looks like something I have to read, but I get the impression it would be one of those books like Anathem or The Malazan Books of the Fallen that throw you in the deep end and expect you to start swimming. Those tend not to be well-suited to a format where you can't easily re-read a section or flip to the glossary to figure out what's going on.

I'm not finished with it yet but I've been really digging it. Like mystes said it's a bit tricky to follow along, but with the way that the narrative jumps perspectives and doesn't explain jack, it would be kind of difficult no matter what. I find the first person narration bits from Jean himself to be extremely compelling, however, and the narrator, whose name escapes me right now, has a really smooth voice that I can't get enough of.

# ¿ Dec 11, 2012 17:45

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

magnificent7 posted:

I really like Nick Podehl.

The first book I heard him do was "This Book Is Full Of Spiders" which I loved (by David Wong). I checked out Wong's previous book, "John Dies at The End" which had the same characters in a previous horror story, but a different narrator, and it wasn't as fun.

I gave up on John Dies At the End about halfway through, partly because I didn't really find it that compelling, but mostly because the narrator really rubbed me the wrong way. He seemed to be too far in on the joke and nothing he said had any gravitas.

# ¿ Dec 12, 2012 16:15

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

SnakePlissken posted:

Neal Stephenson's entire Mongoliad trilogy - including a prequel that Neal didn't participate in writing apparently - is on Audible, probably for a little while now. I try not to just follow the herd but I see I've either read or listened to every one of his books up till now, jeez. VERY pleased to have the Mongoliad ready for me.

Also very pleased to see some of Harold Lamb's histories are finally making it to audiobooks too.

I've been plowing through his bibliography as well. I just finished Zodiac, which I almost gave up on in the first hour or so but which really hooked me once the story developed. I've realized that it's impossible for me to listen to two Baroque Cycle books in a row so I've been interspersing other books between them(such as Michael Palin's travelogs, which are really fun). Solomon's Gold is next on my list.

Is The Big U worth reading/listening to? I know Stephenson doesn't really like it and only had it reprinted to water down the collector's market that had formed around it.

# ¿ May 1, 2013 15:48

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

SnakePlissken posted:

I probably feel about the same about it myself. I think you could spend your money and attention more wiserly.

Currently finishing the "Children of the Sky" by Vinge, before I move on the the Mongoliad. If I could recommend any science fiction this past year or two, it would be that "Zones of Thought" trilogy. Not that I read that much science fiction.

ED: About 2/3 through Children of the Sky I have some misgivings about the book and Vinge's writing skills, but it's still pleasurable.

I gave up on Children of the Sky before the end of the first Audible download. A Fire Upon the Deep did an excellent job at exploring the Tines' civilization, and it clearly wasn't necessary to go back to it again. I'd rather have seen Vinge explore a different civilization the way he did with A Deepness In the Sky.

# ¿ May 10, 2013 18:26

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

jeeves posted:

Dune is okay yet for some reason like 2-3 of the chapters they forgot to do the full-cast for or something and it is just the main narrator.

The Baron goes from sounding like a black actor to a poor scottish impersonation.

Haha the Dune audiobook cast is awesome. Sure, let's have Leto talk with an American accent and give Paul an English one. Also have Gurney Halleck be played buy a comedian doing a Jack Nicholson impression.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2013 23:58

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

Doubtful Guest posted:

Definitely. Already a Hodgman fan. I've only heard snippets of the audiobooks, as they weren't available on Audible.co.uk for ages, so I read them in print. Except for the final one, which I'd agree is the weakest of the three.

The best part of all of Hodgman's books is that they include full readings of his vast list of names, with musical accompaniment provided by Jonathan Coulton (apparently the rift caused by Coulton murdering Hodgman's cat and masturbating in his house has been healed).

# ¿ Nov 13, 2013 19:56

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

ZergFluid posted:

My reading rate has slowed down over the last 5 years, and I always found traditional using traditional audiobooks to be a bit cumbersome. I recently got a Nexus 5 and a subscription to Audible and simply adore the combo. Anytime I'm bored/tired at home I just lie down and hit play...and of course it's a godsend on the road, and a great motivator for getting to bed early. ANYWAY, here's how I've spent my credits so far:

1st credit: The Second Machine Age (Nonfiction.) Concerning how software/machines will significantly supplant mental labor, and how this is both good and bad. Interesting thesis but I'm always a bit cautious about big claims concerning the future.

2nd and 3rd credits: "Foundation" and "Foundation and Empire" by Isaac Asimov read by Scott Brick. Classics from the 50s I read a dozen years ago. Still compelling.

Dang, Scott Brick narrates the Foundation books? That guy has the smoothest voice I've heard out of the dozens of audiobooks I've listened to in the past four years.

# ¿ Apr 7, 2014 16:43

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

rypakal posted:

Except Atlas Shrugged. Sorry Scott

Hahahaha that would probably be the smuggest 40 hours of audio in the history of mankind's AV experience.

# ¿ Apr 8, 2014 13:41

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

DONT CARE BUTTON posted:

Looking forward to book 4 which I hear is the best of the whole series.

People actually think this?

Make no mistake, the 4th book is very good and is probably the second best, but I thought it was generally held that they all pale in comparison to the first.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2014 17:26

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

coyo7e posted:

The Quantum Thief - Hannu Rajaniemi. Ultra-futurist sci fi heist thing. Very poetic, fun listen.

Worth noting that the narrator for this is Scott Brick, the man with the smuggest, most velvetty voice in all of narration that I have encountered.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2014 16:09

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

mastajake posted:

Oh man, that was a good read (listen). Thanks for the recommendations guys! I've never read any Stephen King, so now I'm trying out The Stand to see if it's as good.

The audiobook for 11/22/63 is excellent, one of the best I've ever heard.

# ¿ Feb 3, 2015 19:37

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

I've been listening to Andy Weir's The Martian, narrated by R.C. Bray and it's fantastic. Bray totally nails the (somewhat gallows) humor of the main character, and manages to do accents in a largely unobtrusive and natural sounding way.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2015 16:02

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

Syrinxx posted:

One of my favorite audiobooks ever; he was the perfect narrator for it.

Yeah there's an amazing line reading in the chapter where the habitat breaches where Mark sings "I'm aliiiive and I'm in the rover!"

So good. Also Got it. Gay probe coming to save me.

# ¿ Mar 22, 2015 00:57

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

Edit: ^^^Ha, really? Well glad I'm not alone on this one.

I really liked Scott Brick's narration of Hannu Rajaneimi's The Quantum Thief, and I think he did The Fractal Prince as well, although Audible has a different narrator for the third book in the trilogy. Granted Rajaneimi is kind of impenetrable on a first read but Brick's performance is pretty rad and, as far as I'm concerned, he is Jean LeFlambeur.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2015 15:11

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

It's easier to parse what Rajaneimi is trying to get at in the text. The Quantum Thief is the first audiobook that I listed to where I immediately went and read the physical book afterwards, and still had a very rich experience.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2015 16:06

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

XBenedict posted:

The Three Body Problem

God Three Body Problem has been rocking my brain since I bought. It's funny too since the last SF Audiobook I went through was Seveneves and Three Body is a huuuge breath of fresh-air.

# ¿ Dec 15, 2015 04:36

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

BurgerQuest posted:

I quite enjoyed Seveneves and The Martian from audible recently. The latter I think really messed up the movie for me, so many of the lighter/funnier lines just felt wrong in their delivery in the film having listened to this first (not read the paperback).

Definitely get the criticism of Seveneves I see around but still enjoyed it, I guess Three Body Problem should be next for me.

Yeah the Audiobook of the Martian is the best way to enjoy that story; it works real well with the structure of Whatney's narration.

Also yes go listen to Three Body Problem. It is very awesome and only 13 hours instead of 31.

# ¿ Dec 21, 2015 15:18

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

If anyone wants to experience being punched repeatedly in the gut by the slow, dawning understanding of a monumental tragedy of human endeavor eclipsed by their own lack of understanding, against a science fiction backdrop, go ahead and give The Sparrow a listen.

I'm going to go stare at a wall for a while now.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2016 20:57

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 13:59

Strange Matter: Oct 6, 2009; Ask me about Genocide

Mister Macys posted:

The main thing that was hard to understand is that people are so augmented, and personal privacy so... prioritized, that they can block everything about themselves from being seen or heard outside of like, a placeholder image in a half-finished game.
You have to use a physical film camera to be sure you're getting anything 'analogue' (real).
And people have insane control of the fidelity of information and memories they can share with others.

loving 'ed when I heard Scott Brick say, '... weaponized memes'. :iamafag:

On the one hand, the hardcopy is a bit easier to follow-along with because you can pause and go back and ruminate over stuff until you've got something resembling a sense of what's really going on. On the other hand it denies you the smarmy smoothness of Scott Brick's narration, which is amazing.

I never listened to the audiobooks of the sequels because I enjoyed reading the hardcopy of the first book so much after listening to the audiobook first. I can't even fathom trying to make heads or tails of the The Fractal Prince through pure audio, and The Causal Angel has a different narrator, which is, like, what's the point?

# ¿ Oct 31, 2016 17:38

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > Audiobooks: when you're too busy to read