Wednesday, December 02, 2009

"Angel Time" by Anne Rice

"Angel Time"
by Anne Rice
read by Paul Michael
produced by Random House Audio
Approx. 9 hours


Anne Rice is best known for her vampire chronicles, including the most popular "Interview with the Vampire," but any Anne Rice fan knows she's written more than just tales of vampires. She's written about witches and mummies, as well. Okay, all kidding aside, Anne Rice has written romance novels and even some stories about Jesus, so don't be surprised to hear this latest novel is about angels. Angels, hit men and Jews of the 13th century are the focus of this novel. To be a little more forthcoming about the subject matter a hit man is "hired" by an angel of God to defend the Jews of Norwich, England.

The story is told first person through the voice of Toby O'Dare, a hit man that is known as "Lucky the Fox" by his boss who Lucky calls "The Right Man." Lucky knows "The Right Man" just enough to know that he is favored and loved by him. "The Right Man" insists that Lucky knows that he is working for the "good guys." Lucky doesn't want to know who "the good guys" are. A fascinating aspect of Toby/Lucky is that he is a expert lutist.

The story is told first by Toby as he is to perform a "hit" on a Swiss Banker in the Mission Inn, in San Juan. The Mission Inn is Toby's sanctuary, where he goes to escape his hitman life. So actually performing a hit in the sanctuary rattles the soul of this soulless man. This first section of the book seems at first drawn out and, to be honest, boring at first, but once the story gets rolling this section starts to pay off and by the end of the book the listener is glad to have heard this section in full. After Toby pulls off the hit, a stranger walks into the room where the murder was committed and begins to tell Toby an almost unreal story. This person is an angel of God and was sent to recruit Toby for a redeeming mission.

Before the mission can begin the angel tells the second part of the book. In this section the listener learns all about Toby's life and what led him to become a hit man. From Toby's dark past where growing up the son of alcoholic parents, he is forced to care for and raise his younger brother and sister, while at the same time learning to play the lute and excel at all scholarly tasks. Toby's father, a crooked police officer is sent to prison and knifed within three days of being sent up. Toby's mom devolves into a drunken, mostly incoherent, person that most of the time Toby buys her liquor just to shut her up. When Toby comes home to find his brother and sister drowned in the bathtub and his mother bleeding from her wrists, he leaves everything behind, his scholarship to study music, his girlfriend, everything. He goes to New York where an Italian restaurateur is impressed with his musical abilities and hires him to entertain in the restaurant. Soon the Russian Mafia threatens to take the restaurant, the house of ill repute (also run by the Restaurant) and any other properties. Before anyone dies Toby kills off all the Russian mafia involved and soon is recruited by "The Right Man."

Once this story is told by the angel, Toby realizes he is who he says he is, and asks why God would need him. The angel only remarks that God forgives him.

The mission now can be performed. Traversing through "angel time" Toby and the angel are taken to 13th Century England. There Toby becomes what he has most desired in life, a Dominican Friar.
As the friar, Toby is to save the lives of the King's Jewry in Norwich England.

A Jewish mother's daughter has disappeared after the young girl attended the Christmas Pageants at the encouragement of her Christian friends. She then takes ill and disappears. The Christians, seeking a Saint, like Little Saint William of Norwich, accuse the Jews of poisoning the girl and demand the Jews all be killed and the girls clothing be produced so all can be healed by the touch of the garments. The actual story is that the girl died of a burst appendix and the truth would not be accepted by the Christians in search of another Saint killed by Jews.

In an amazing story set in 13th Century England, Anne Rice proves again she's more than just a vampire novelist. This intriguing and thrilling story with many twists and turns is sure to appeal to any fiction lover.

The reader of this audio book, Paul Michael does an excellent job of voice characterization, including the subtlest of accents in the characters to establish who is speaking at the moment. His low soft voice definitely kept my ear tuned-in to the story.

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posted by Gil T. @ 8:53 PM Comments: 0

Monday, April 06, 2009

"Wigfield: The Can Do Town That Just May Not" By Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello & Stephen Colbert

"Wigfield: The Can Do Town That Just May Not"
By Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello & Stephen Colbert
Read by the Authors
Produced by Highbridge Audio
4 hours 47 minutes

An out of work highway line painter, Russell Hokes, decides that he already knows how to draw lines, why not add curves to those lines and form words and become a writer. After a shady meeting with the editors at Hyperion books Hokes decides to tell the story of disappearing small town America. He receives a large sum for an advance on the book and gets prepared to write that book.

After blowing all the money on the beaches of Mexico and annoying calls from the publisher, Russell Hokes lets panic set in and tries to find small town America and find out why it's dissappearing. That's when his car breaks down outside the small town, or squatter village, of Wigfield. Here is the small town he's been looking for. Wigfield is a small town, sorta, that consists mainly of strip clubs and used auto parts stores. It seems Wigfield is on the brink of destruction, due to the local Congressional representative wanting to destroy a dam and unleash the waters to flood out. Wigfield. Okay actually the people are really only squatters that found out the dam was going to be destroyed and settled there hoping to get relocation money from the government.

Russell Hokes wants to save this town and writes his book using the towns characters/citizens to tell their story. Wigfield has it's resident arsonist/maniac/chief of police. Three mayors (due to a mysterious fire at the fire station / polling place on election night) who all vie for control except one who really likes his fudge, a coven of 2 lesbian witches, a strange taxidermist/mortuary manager, 2 women in their late 40s who both claim to be the oldest living resident of Wigfield, numerous strippers and a "Doctor" who practices medicine out of his van (mainly performing enhancements for the strippers.)

The best part of the audiobook is that you get to hear the extreme acting and vocal talents of the authors portraying all the citizens. Stephen Colbert plays the part of Russell Hokes and several other characters. Amy Sedaris' and Paul Dinello's characterizations are just too hilarious.

This entire book including the explosive conclusion is one that will have you laughing out loud.

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posted by Gil T. @ 7:59 PM Comments: 0

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Doctor Who – The Evil of The Daleks

Doctor Who – The Evil of The Daleks

Written by David Whitaker

Multicast performance starring Frazer Hines

Published by BBC Audiobooks America

Running time 2 hours 51 minutes

Published 2007

One of the many things that got me on the path to loving science fiction was my exposure to “Doctor Who” every Saturday night on PBS (at least in my hometown). Doctor Who was a time and space traveler with many dimensions to his character. He also had many incarnations through the years, which provided a plausible explanation when different actors portrayed him. Although all of the doctors were unique and well-worth watching, I will have to admit my favorite was Tom Baker. He’s the one who portrayed the doctor with the long scarf and the frizzy hair.

The series was set up as somewhat of a sci-fi soap opera, or better yet, a television serial, with a cliffhanger at the end of every episode. One unique aspect of older programs is the “cheap” special effects, which, by today’s standards, are completely unbelievable. Fortunately, they really didn’t drive the story so viewers forgave them and sometimes got a good giggle. Now, if you were to take away the visual effects, every episode is brilliant storytelling. With writers such as David Whitaker the concepts in the world of the Doctor make for some dramatic science fiction. So, what happens if you take the visuals away from the series? A very interesting and fun audiobook from BBC Audio, that’s what.

This production is more than a single narrator reading a TV script adaptation – it’s an audio performance that lets you experience the broadcast using the recording of the original soundtrack (combining the voices from the TV show with the music and sound effects) along with added narration that describes scenes and provides the set-up for action sequences. The narrator, Frazer Hines, should feel right at home because a much younger Hines is the actor who portrays the Doctor’s assistant in this particular TV episode. Using the original soundtrack, the listener is treated to the voice of the second incarnation of the Doctor, portrayed by Patrick Troughton. Also experienced is the full effect of the loud dischordant voice of the Daleks, a treat in itself. So, with the story narrated and the voices of the original actors, it becomes pretty much a radio play, which makes for some fun sci-fi listening. As a side note, the original copy of this television broadcast was destroyed in the 60s but, due to fan efforts, the audio was saved, which allowed the creation of this audiobook.

The episode begins with the Doctor and Jamie trying to track down thieves who stole the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space – it is a time machine and spacecraft used by the Doctor). After some mysterious and “too convenient” clues the Doctor and Jamie track down an antiques dealer whose antiques are authentic but new. This leads the Doctor and Jamie to be captured by the dealer and the Daleks and taken back in time to 1866. During their stay in 1866, the Doctor is forced to trick Jamie into passing some tests for the Daleks so the “human factor” can be extracted by the Dalek’s to use in their plans to conquer humankind.

With clever twists and deceptions, the performance finally leads to the Dalek home planet of Skaro, where the Doctor intends to defeat the Daleks once and for all. Can he do it? Ahh… I will not give that away, Enjoy this audiobook and you will find out. This audiobook will bring back some great memories for Doctor Who fans of all ages and could create some new ones with a great science-fiction time traveling adventure with Doctor Who.

Listen to the audio review below.



Click here to get the MP3 podcast file from sfsite.com

Or click on the graphic below for other sci-fi audiobook reviews...some by me..some not.

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posted by Gil T. @ 2:48 PM Comments: 0

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

"Diary: A Novel" Chuck Palahniuk (pub. 2003)

I'm not sure what I really expected out of this book, but I got a really good read, that much is certain. Many people know Chuck Palahniuk as the author of "Fight Club" and "Choke" and expect some really interesting social commentary and this book provides more views of society through the cynical eyes of Chuck Palahniuk. Keep in mind though, he has also written some good horror like "Lullaby" and "Haunted." When he does write the horror it also contains some social commentary/satire, and this book contains all that with what starts out as in interesting view of society through the eyes of a failed artist to a horror novel of a woman held hostage by a community.

Before I run through the gist of the book, I would like to point out that this is book is told through the view of a woman, this is rare for a Palahniuk novel (in fact, it is the only one I've read so far) and he pulls it off well. Another aspect is that this book is not the typical non-linear storytelling Palahniuk uses, but there are some aspects of the non-linear through some flashback sequences.

The book begins as a "coma diary," in which Misty Wilmot is keeping because her mother-in-law, Grace Wilmot, insists on her keeping because Misty's husband, Peter Wilmot, is in a coma after a failed suicide attempt. As the book progresses more is learned about the community of Waytensea Island where Peter calls home and he and Misty moved back to after Peter's father's death.

Waytensea Island is a tourist based community that has fallen on some hard times. The hard times though, are part of a 4 generation cycle in which every 4th generation a famous artist creates art on the island and draws tourists and the money is back. The catch is that this artist is a reincarnation of the previous artist that brought fame and fortune to the Island. Misty learns all about this from clues left behind by her husband, Peter.

Peter and Misty met at art school when Peter found she was "attracted" to the cheap costume jewelry he would wear and that the paintings by Misty were of landmarks on Waytensea Island, which Misty had never seen. After Peter's father's death they move back to the Island to help his mother. Peter becomes a contractor and remodels peoples homes and Misty becomes a waitress at the Island's hotel/restaurant. Peter however leaves clues in the form of "missing rooms" from the summer tourists homes he's remodeled. Some of the summer homes are missing closets, kitchens, dining rooms. Peter has sealed up the rooms but before sealing up the rooms he paints graffiti on the walls warning Misty, "You will die, when they are done with you."

The people return to their homes and discover the missing rooms, one Angel Delaporte has an interest in graphology (handwriting analysis) has a missing kitchen and upon discovery of the warnings and rantings of Peter he goes with Misty to try to solve the mystery of the warning. It is later discovered that Angel is more than he lets on to be as are many of the characters in this book.

Misty is soon held captive by her mother-in-law, Grace Wilmot, and forced to paint. Misty becomes bed-ridden thanks to the drugs from the island's doctor and is fitted with a catheter and has her eyes taped shut. The paintings then flow out of Misty like automatic writing and after she has completed 100 paintings the full story of the island's dark secret kept by all the families on the island.

In a haunting story of reincarnation, betrayal and greed Chuck Palahniuk has created a very intriguing novel that is very hard to put down. Each chapter ends with something new revealed and a new puzzle to solve.

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posted by Gil T. @ 8:22 PM Comments: 0