Gil T's Pleasure

Audio Drama podcast based on "Autumn" By David Moody

Audio Drama podcast based on "Autumn"
By David Moody
Multicast performance
produced by DarkerProjects.com
Approx 3 hour podcast.

Recently I listened to the audio book "Hater" by David Moody and I really enjoyed the story and the original concept behind this horror story. I decided to look into the author's other works and found some really cool stuff on this David Moody. He's published most of his books on the web and offered them for free and it looks like it has paid off. He now has movie companies interested in turning his books to movies. During this research I found the website DarkerProjects.com. Darker Projects is a darker audio drama company who present original projects such as Tales from the Museum, The Byron Chronicles, and The Falcon Banner in addition to other popular Star Trek and Doctor Who interpretations. All you have to do to listen to these creative works is, download audio or subscribe to their podcasts. One of their projects is to take this book by David Moody and turn it into one of their audio dramas.

All in all the production was some very good listening. They sound effects and music were very well mixed with som pretty decent acting. My biggest complaint is that it lacked narration. Many times during production there would be a series of events happening and all you heard was sound effects and some small dialogue. I found myself wondering what was happening, the sound effects were enough to tease but not enough to tell the story. There were some moments with narration but not nearly enough to tell the story. Once the story got rolling along the dialogue between characters would keep the story going, but when moments of action I was left wonder what was happening. It would be like listening to a television cop show car chase with your eyes closed, you hear the sounds but don't know who is gaining on who. Aside from that the dialogue and acting were enough to keep me interested. Don't get me wrong, the sound effects were very well done for the most part, but without that extra narration I would get frustrated. There were some "Dukes of Hazzard" sound effect moments that made me giggle but nothing too bad. By "Dukes of Hazzard" sound effect moments I'm talking about the tires squealing on a dirt road effect. But I still enjoyed the story.

Okay as for the story the book and this audio drama are about zombies. Zombies can be a fun genre of horror. In this story a plague kills off about 99 pecent of the population. The stricken immediately choke to death and die. The survivors in this story are few and as humans do seek out other survivors. Keep in mind the dead are not zombies, yet, they are just dead bodies that died instantly and the land is covered by them where they fell. Soon many of the living come together in a community center and begin to "survive." After a day or so some of the dead bodies begin to get up and walk around. Nothing threatening, just walking. Some members of the group decide it would be safer in the country and leave the group. After a few more days the dead become full blown zombies and begin to attack.

I will definitely have to pick up this book and give it a good read after this thrilling introduction. "Autumn" by David Moody is book one of a 6 book series with a bit of an original take on the Zombie Genre. Also I'm going to be checking out some other productions by Darker Projects.

By the way the movie based on this book is slated for release in 2010.

Labels: autumn, darker projects, david moody, podcast, zombies

posted by Gil T. @ 9:47 PM Comments: 0

"Hater" by David Moody

"Hater"
by David Moody
Read by Gerard Doyle
Produced by Blackstone Audio
approx 7.5 hours


In the modern world the internet is king. This is proven simply by you reading this review here online. David Moody took advantage of the mass audience created by the internet, by first publishing his book "Hater" online. Once the novel became popular publishers scrambled to make this book a publishing success. Now "Hater" is available as and audio book, and I'm here to tell you this apocalyptic novel is well performed by Gerard Doyle and Blackstone Audio.

In "Hater" the world seems to be tearing itself apart through the madness of man. Seemingly normal people are reacting as if a switch goes off and suddenly killing their fellow man. In the beginning of the book the main character, Danny McCoyne, through whose eyes we watch the destruction of society, witnesses a man in morning rush hour foot traffic attack an elderly woman with brutality unexplained. The man viciously attacks and doesn't stop until he finally kills her by stabbing her with an umbrella. When the crowd tries to stop the man he turns on them and fights to the end. Upset by the scene Danny arrives at work shaken. Danny is an everyday average guy with a wife and three children who works in the parking division for the city. His job consists of a constant barrage of anger from the people who get tickets or worse, their car gets clamped. He is also under constant scrutiny from his supervisor. So Danny has a bit of anger he keeps under control all the time. But no anger he holds could measure up to what horror unfolds in his world.

As the days progress Danny is witness to several people snapping and just killing without remorse and always in brutal fashion. One of Danny's children's school has a child that snaps and brutally attacks and kills a teacher. Soon the television news is reporting several of the violent crimes and it seems something is happening to the city. Those that snap are soon labeled as "Haters." The big question is, what? Is it a virus, a disease, mental instability? Soon the government steps in and takes over the news broadcasts, issues pamphlets and worse yet send out troops and begin gunning down the "Haters." Danny and his family take the government's advice and lock themselves inside the house but with a "Hater" being anyone are they locking out the danger or locking it in?

Gerard Doyle delivers this first person view this end of the world novel with great vocal command. He portrays the gamut of emotions as seen through Danny McCoyne's eyes, flawlessly.

David Moody has written a piece here with intense drama and horror that keeps the listener to the audio book constantly looking into the eyes of a stranger to make sure they are not a "Hater." As a very interesting side-note; filmmaker/Author Guillermo del Toro has purchased the movie rights to this book and is in production to be released some time in 2010.

Labels: apocalypse, audio book, book review, books, david moody, disease, hater, horror, novel, society

posted by Gil T. @ 9:01 PM Comments: 0