The Official Blurb
War of the Worlds by Herbert George Wells (H.G. Wells) was published in 1898 at a time when he wrote a series of novels related to a number of historical events of the time. The most important of these was the unification and militarization of Germany. The story, written in a semi-documentary style, is told in the first person by an unnamed observer. It tells of the events which happen mostly in London and the county of Surrey, England, when a number of vessels manned by aliens are fired from Mars and land on Earth.
My Review
I have read the book in the misty past, probably 20 years ago, I'm very familiar with the story however due to listening to the Musical Story that was released of the story. So it was with amusement that I found the version I knew so well from the songs was quite differn't from the book.
The world falling beneath the heel of alien oppression is told in this book in a very well thought out and detailed way. The fact that you hear nearly the entire book in first person yet still get the feeling that the story is world spanning speaks volumes.
The main character meets and interects with various characters during his adventure and the relationships are brought out very well. You can feel his fear and agitation, his joy and his confusion as his tale is told.
Add to this excellent story an excellent reader and you've got a hit. It's a real bonus that the reader is English and the story is set in England.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book from start to finish.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total score 8/9
Get it from Librivox
Sunday, 27 April 2008
Friday, 25 April 2008
Heart of Darkness
The Official Blurb
Set in a time of oppressive colonisation, when large areas of the world were still unknown to Europe, and Africa was literally on maps and minds as a mysterious shadow, Heart of Darkness famously explores the rituals of civilisation and barbarism, and the frighteningly fine line between them.
We get the tale through a classic unreliable narrator, relating as Marlow, a ship’s captain, tells how he was sent by the Company to retrieve the wayward Kurtz, and was shaken to discover the true depths of darkness in that creature’s, and in his own, soul. Conrad based the work closely on his own terrible experience in the Congo.
This work has been reinterpreted and adapted into many modern forms, the most well known being the film Apocalypse Now.
My Review
This story has become a classic and everyone must have heard the phrase "the horror" which appears to have started in this story.
We have a story that is not quite an adventure and not quite a travelogue. It falls somewhere in between. Oddly we have savages attacking the "white men" on a river boat but yet it never quite reaches the level of excitement that constitutes adventure.
What we have a story that starts as a journey through the jungle and then becomes some odd kind of relationship story between the main protagonist and the mystery character "Kurts".
I have to say that I picked up this story because of its "classic" branding, yet I dont really feel it lived up to that title. The story was fairly bland, the "relationship" was never really developed and appeared to rest on assumptions I could not fathom.
Sadly disapointed.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total score 5/9
Get it from Librivox
Set in a time of oppressive colonisation, when large areas of the world were still unknown to Europe, and Africa was literally on maps and minds as a mysterious shadow, Heart of Darkness famously explores the rituals of civilisation and barbarism, and the frighteningly fine line between them.
We get the tale through a classic unreliable narrator, relating as Marlow, a ship’s captain, tells how he was sent by the Company to retrieve the wayward Kurtz, and was shaken to discover the true depths of darkness in that creature’s, and in his own, soul. Conrad based the work closely on his own terrible experience in the Congo.
This work has been reinterpreted and adapted into many modern forms, the most well known being the film Apocalypse Now.
My Review
This story has become a classic and everyone must have heard the phrase "the horror" which appears to have started in this story.
We have a story that is not quite an adventure and not quite a travelogue. It falls somewhere in between. Oddly we have savages attacking the "white men" on a river boat but yet it never quite reaches the level of excitement that constitutes adventure.
What we have a story that starts as a journey through the jungle and then becomes some odd kind of relationship story between the main protagonist and the mystery character "Kurts".
I have to say that I picked up this story because of its "classic" branding, yet I dont really feel it lived up to that title. The story was fairly bland, the "relationship" was never really developed and appeared to rest on assumptions I could not fathom.
Sadly disapointed.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total score 5/9
Get it from Librivox
Monday, 14 April 2008
Short Sci Fi Collection 004
The Official Blurb
Science fiction (abbreviated SF or sci-fi with varying punctuation and case) is a broad genre of fiction that often involves sociological and technical speculations based on current or future science or technology. This is a reader-selected collection of short stories, originally published between 1931 and 1962, that entered the US public domain when their copyright was not renewed.
My Review
What we really have here is a collection of 10 short Sci Fi stories. It does contain a couple of gems such as "The Repairman" and "The Missing Battleship" by Harry Harrison but I found most of the other stories rather poor fair.
This is not a fault of the readers, I just found most of the stories rather uninspiring. These collections generally suffer from a lack of consistency. Books need to have a theme in order to shine. The stories in this collection are so varied and disparate that you cant really "get into it".
Reading = 2/3
Production = 2/3
Story = 1/3
Total = 5/9
Available from Librivox
Science fiction (abbreviated SF or sci-fi with varying punctuation and case) is a broad genre of fiction that often involves sociological and technical speculations based on current or future science or technology. This is a reader-selected collection of short stories, originally published between 1931 and 1962, that entered the US public domain when their copyright was not renewed.
My Review
What we really have here is a collection of 10 short Sci Fi stories. It does contain a couple of gems such as "The Repairman" and "The Missing Battleship" by Harry Harrison but I found most of the other stories rather poor fair.
This is not a fault of the readers, I just found most of the stories rather uninspiring. These collections generally suffer from a lack of consistency. Books need to have a theme in order to shine. The stories in this collection are so varied and disparate that you cant really "get into it".
Reading = 2/3
Production = 2/3
Story = 1/3
Total = 5/9
Available from Librivox
Saturday, 12 April 2008
Diary of a U-Boat Commander
The Official Blurb
Captain Karl von Schenk of the Kaiser’s Navy is a stereotypical German nobleman - supremely self-confident, touchy about the divisions of class and any infringement on his place. He thinks he is handsome, has a suitably manly physique, an excellent singing voice, and a facility with writing. His wartime service related in his diary is a series of triumphs over harrowing circumstances, bringing his boat back in spite of the best efforts of the Royal Navy to stop him.
His one vulnerability is a young lady he meets on leave in Bruges, Belgium. Although she is the trophy girlfriend of a German colonel who could cause him much harm if he were to find out, von Schenk pursues his Zoe with Teutonic straightforwardness. And both he and the reader are entirely blind-sided by the unexpected thunderclap that puts an end to the sweet affair.
Stephen King-Hall, a Royal Navy officer during the war and writing as “Etienne”, penned this book as if he had simply discovered it on a surrendered submarine. In fact, some editions of the book list the author as “anonymous.” King-Hall’s knowlege of naval affairs lend authority to this yarn of men that go to the sea in ships that sink… on purpose.
My Review
This is a charming combination of war time action and romance. There is enough of both to keep both men and women interested.
The main character comes over as an outwardly cold man but with a soft heart rarely shown. This soft centre makes him appealing to the reader, and the hard Tuetonic crust simply makes him more real.
The ending is as unexpected as it is cruely sweet. All in all an excellent story and well presented.
Reading = 3/3
Production = 3/3
Story = 2/3
Total = 8/9
Available from Librivox
Captain Karl von Schenk of the Kaiser’s Navy is a stereotypical German nobleman - supremely self-confident, touchy about the divisions of class and any infringement on his place. He thinks he is handsome, has a suitably manly physique, an excellent singing voice, and a facility with writing. His wartime service related in his diary is a series of triumphs over harrowing circumstances, bringing his boat back in spite of the best efforts of the Royal Navy to stop him.
His one vulnerability is a young lady he meets on leave in Bruges, Belgium. Although she is the trophy girlfriend of a German colonel who could cause him much harm if he were to find out, von Schenk pursues his Zoe with Teutonic straightforwardness. And both he and the reader are entirely blind-sided by the unexpected thunderclap that puts an end to the sweet affair.
Stephen King-Hall, a Royal Navy officer during the war and writing as “Etienne”, penned this book as if he had simply discovered it on a surrendered submarine. In fact, some editions of the book list the author as “anonymous.” King-Hall’s knowlege of naval affairs lend authority to this yarn of men that go to the sea in ships that sink… on purpose.
My Review
This is a charming combination of war time action and romance. There is enough of both to keep both men and women interested.
The main character comes over as an outwardly cold man but with a soft heart rarely shown. This soft centre makes him appealing to the reader, and the hard Tuetonic crust simply makes him more real.
The ending is as unexpected as it is cruely sweet. All in all an excellent story and well presented.
Reading = 3/3
Production = 3/3
Story = 2/3
Total = 8/9
Available from Librivox
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Warlord of Kor
The Official Blurb
Warlord of Kor was originally published in 1963 as half of an Ace Double, selected by legendary editor Donald A. Wollheim. It is an interplanetary adventure, as humans probe the mysteries of the planet Hirlaj and the few remaining aliens who live there.
Terry Carr never really shone as a writer, though he did write some remarkably thoughtful stories. However, his talents as an editor and anthologist were important and undeniable, and he brought many good writers and authors into science fiction and fantasy. His first couple of novels, of which Warlord of Kor was one, did not have their copyright renewed by Mr. Carr on purpose, one understands. So enjoy the blood and thunder, but don’t think it’s representative of his work!
My Review
A pure Sci Fi story. It's set in a universe of dispersed humanity, and specifically on a planet that has the remnants of an ancient race.
The lead character tries to probe the history of the surviving beings, but finds himself in the middle of a plot the encircles the power struggle between the humans on the planet and an even older race.
The reading of this story is excellent, the characters are fully developed and despite the rather "down" official blurb, the story is very good and I found it very absorbing.
Reading = 3/3
Production = 2/3
Story = 2/3
Total = 7/9
Available from Librivox
Warlord of Kor was originally published in 1963 as half of an Ace Double, selected by legendary editor Donald A. Wollheim. It is an interplanetary adventure, as humans probe the mysteries of the planet Hirlaj and the few remaining aliens who live there.
Terry Carr never really shone as a writer, though he did write some remarkably thoughtful stories. However, his talents as an editor and anthologist were important and undeniable, and he brought many good writers and authors into science fiction and fantasy. His first couple of novels, of which Warlord of Kor was one, did not have their copyright renewed by Mr. Carr on purpose, one understands. So enjoy the blood and thunder, but don’t think it’s representative of his work!
My Review
A pure Sci Fi story. It's set in a universe of dispersed humanity, and specifically on a planet that has the remnants of an ancient race.
The lead character tries to probe the history of the surviving beings, but finds himself in the middle of a plot the encircles the power struggle between the humans on the planet and an even older race.
The reading of this story is excellent, the characters are fully developed and despite the rather "down" official blurb, the story is very good and I found it very absorbing.
Reading = 3/3
Production = 2/3
Story = 2/3
Total = 7/9
Available from Librivox
Sunday, 6 April 2008
The Lost World
The Official Blurb
Imagine a strange, tropical place that is almost inaccessible. Time appears to have stood still there. Species of animal and plant life not seen elsewhere on Earth, except in the fossil record, inhabit the place. The lakes heave with the shapes of huge grey bulks moving under the surface. The woods are places where chittering cries move about above your head, as powerful apes move swiftly in the canopy of leaves. Then, a tree splinters nearby, and a dinosaur steps out from his hiding place… and he’s eyeing YOU.
Jurassic Park? Not quite. The Lost World was an inspiration for Jurassic Park; in fact, a character in J.P. has the same name as one of the chief characters in The Lost World. It also inspired King Kong. But this is the original! Four adventurers go off to find the place shown in a dead man’s sketch book - they find a war between apes and Indians, prowling dinosaurs, a sparkly treasure hidden in the blue clay - they find the Lost World. And because of the treachery of a native guide, their means of escape is destroyed!
My Review
This IS the classic "Professor Challenger" story. High adventure in a land of dinosuars. I originally read this while at school and was facinated by it, it left pictures in my mind that have stuck with me ever since, images that I've compared to every dino' movie I've ever seen.
The story relates how the adventurers find themselves outmatched by these animals and how only human ingenuity can keep them alive.
This recording does a splendid job of bringing the story alive for me once again. The readers voice fits splendidly with the role of the narrator in the story ( much like it did in Ten Days in a Madhouse ).
Listening to this story was nostalgic, exciting and engaging, it made my cycle-commute whizz by.
Reading = 3/3
Production = 2/3
Story = 3/3
Total = 8/9
Available from Librivox
Imagine a strange, tropical place that is almost inaccessible. Time appears to have stood still there. Species of animal and plant life not seen elsewhere on Earth, except in the fossil record, inhabit the place. The lakes heave with the shapes of huge grey bulks moving under the surface. The woods are places where chittering cries move about above your head, as powerful apes move swiftly in the canopy of leaves. Then, a tree splinters nearby, and a dinosaur steps out from his hiding place… and he’s eyeing YOU.
Jurassic Park? Not quite. The Lost World was an inspiration for Jurassic Park; in fact, a character in J.P. has the same name as one of the chief characters in The Lost World. It also inspired King Kong. But this is the original! Four adventurers go off to find the place shown in a dead man’s sketch book - they find a war between apes and Indians, prowling dinosaurs, a sparkly treasure hidden in the blue clay - they find the Lost World. And because of the treachery of a native guide, their means of escape is destroyed!
My Review
This IS the classic "Professor Challenger" story. High adventure in a land of dinosuars. I originally read this while at school and was facinated by it, it left pictures in my mind that have stuck with me ever since, images that I've compared to every dino' movie I've ever seen.
The story relates how the adventurers find themselves outmatched by these animals and how only human ingenuity can keep them alive.
This recording does a splendid job of bringing the story alive for me once again. The readers voice fits splendidly with the role of the narrator in the story ( much like it did in Ten Days in a Madhouse ).
Listening to this story was nostalgic, exciting and engaging, it made my cycle-commute whizz by.
Reading = 3/3
Production = 2/3
Story = 3/3
Total = 8/9
Available from Librivox
Friday, 4 April 2008
Ten Days in a Madhouse
Official Blurb
In 1887 Nellie Bly, one of the first female newspaper writers, and a young reporter who would soon go on to make a career for herself as an investigative journalist and “stunt” reporter, had herself committed to the Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum in New York. Her purpose was to discover what life was like for those who had been deemed insane. She was surprised to discover the depth of mistreatement of the patients. Partially as a result of her reporting, more money was allocated to the asylum and reforms were put into place.
My Review
As the blurb has told you, this is not fiction. It is presented as an extended essay ( book length ). The style in which it is written is captivating and the expose side of it makes it more alluring to the ear.
The discoveries made by Nellie are staggering and horrorific. Hard to believe that we were so ignorant in the past, but here is the truth its distasteful harsh glare.
The reader, a young lady herself, seems perfect for the reading. She comes over as a forceful and determined lady and fits the character of Nellie perfectly.
Reading = 3/3
Production = 2/3
Story = 2/3
Total = 7/9
Available from Librivox
In 1887 Nellie Bly, one of the first female newspaper writers, and a young reporter who would soon go on to make a career for herself as an investigative journalist and “stunt” reporter, had herself committed to the Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum in New York. Her purpose was to discover what life was like for those who had been deemed insane. She was surprised to discover the depth of mistreatement of the patients. Partially as a result of her reporting, more money was allocated to the asylum and reforms were put into place.
My Review
As the blurb has told you, this is not fiction. It is presented as an extended essay ( book length ). The style in which it is written is captivating and the expose side of it makes it more alluring to the ear.
The discoveries made by Nellie are staggering and horrorific. Hard to believe that we were so ignorant in the past, but here is the truth its distasteful harsh glare.
The reader, a young lady herself, seems perfect for the reading. She comes over as a forceful and determined lady and fits the character of Nellie perfectly.
Reading = 3/3
Production = 2/3
Story = 2/3
Total = 7/9
Available from Librivox
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
The Green Odyssey
The Official Blurb
Alan Green is a space traveler stranded on a barbaric planet who has been taken slave and made a consort to an insipid and smelly queen. His slave-wife, though beautiful and smart, nags him constantly. He’s given up hope of ever returning to Earth when he hears of two astronauts who have been captured in a kingdom on the other side of the planet, and sets out on an action-packed journey on a ship sailing across vast grasslands on rolling pin-like wheels in a desperate scheme to save them and return home. Due to the non-renewal of its copyright, this book is in the public domain.
My Review
The Official Blurb says it all. The story has a "John Carter of Mars" feel with Swords as likely to be weilded as Guns, but with a slightly less heroic bent. The main protagonist is a little more human than John Carter ever was.
The epic Ships-on-wheels idea is both funny and odd to our modern ears yet has a subtle appeal in its simple childness.
The story is well written and after a fairly slow start moves up a pace into a genuine action packed adventure.
The reading by Mark Nelson is excellent and without fault. ( He's actually my favourite Librivox reader ).
Reading = 3/3
Production = 3/3
Story = 2/3
Total = 8/9
This story is available from Librivox
Alan Green is a space traveler stranded on a barbaric planet who has been taken slave and made a consort to an insipid and smelly queen. His slave-wife, though beautiful and smart, nags him constantly. He’s given up hope of ever returning to Earth when he hears of two astronauts who have been captured in a kingdom on the other side of the planet, and sets out on an action-packed journey on a ship sailing across vast grasslands on rolling pin-like wheels in a desperate scheme to save them and return home. Due to the non-renewal of its copyright, this book is in the public domain.
My Review
The Official Blurb says it all. The story has a "John Carter of Mars" feel with Swords as likely to be weilded as Guns, but with a slightly less heroic bent. The main protagonist is a little more human than John Carter ever was.
The epic Ships-on-wheels idea is both funny and odd to our modern ears yet has a subtle appeal in its simple childness.
The story is well written and after a fairly slow start moves up a pace into a genuine action packed adventure.
The reading by Mark Nelson is excellent and without fault. ( He's actually my favourite Librivox reader ).
Reading = 3/3
Production = 3/3
Story = 2/3
Total = 8/9
This story is available from Librivox
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)