Results tagged “audiobooks”

“Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” -Benjamin Franklin, Nov. 13, 1789 (from a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy)

Credit Benjamin Franklin for attempting to warn us about the zombie threat. As with anything else Franklin-ian, you have to read between the lines a bit: if death is a certainty, then rising from the grave to nosh on noggins is soon to follow. If only we’d listened sooner, perhaps we would be rid of the walking undead by now. Of course, Franklin could have been a little clearer on the matter. That would have helped too.

And that’s where Max Brooks steps in. Max has dedicated himself to speaking plainly about the zombie menace and preparing us to deal with their attacks. So, with so many of us preparing to make the arduous journey to San Diego for Comic-Con International, we here at Suvudu felt it was our duty to keep you safe. At least one of you, anyway. But the rest of you will be well prepared!

We’re giving away a Max Brooks prize bundle containing the audio editions of World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide to some lucky contest entrant who will be picked at random. To enter, you need email us your answer to the question below:

What household items (limit of 3) would you pack to be ready for zombie encounters on your road trip to Comic-Con?
Please note that this contest has expired. Thank you!

When we announce the winner, we’ll also list the items that everyone mentioned they’d be packing; that way the rest of you have a fighting chance. You have until July 3 to enter, so get emailing! As always, you should read over the official rules carefully.

Good luck! And, if you want a taste of the books on offer, you can sample them below:

How would you like a chance to win all of the unabridged audiobooks in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series? With Comic-Con right around the corner, we figured riding off into the sunset with Stephenie might be the perfect way to make the trip. Of course if you don’t make it by sundown…

…well, it’s a good thing you’re probably heading west.

Anyway, to enter we want you to email us (info@suvudu) with your answers to the following question:

If you were on a road trip with either a vampire or werewolf what would your itunes playlist be and what snacks would you pack to ensure you’re not the snack?
Please note that this contest has ended. Thank you!

That’s it. So go ahead, enter to win! What do you have to lose other than a few pints of blood? Oh, and be sure to check out the legal! Sorry, this one is US residents only.

Now, perhaps you’d like to get a sneak peek at the audio editions? I’m sure you would. Use the player below to listen to a few clips. And then enter the contest!

Good luck!

Any teens out there who want an 8GB iPod Touch and Signed Audiobooks? Unfortunately we’re not just handing them out, but you can enter Listening Library’s Fantasy Road Trip Contest to win the gear!

C’mon, we’ve all done it. We read a book and the characters are just so appealing that we imagine ourselves interacting with them. Perhaps it’s fighting your way through an army of zombie androids, perhaps it’s sampling an alien meal, or perhaps it’s embarking on a road trip. This last one (or heck, all of them if you can manage it), is the basis of Listening Library’s new Fantasy Road Trip Contest. Listening Library is sponsoring an online video contest for teens this summer asking them to make videos about the fantasy series of Libba Bray, Tamora Pierce and/or Rick Riordan, imagining themselves on a road trip with a character from the books.

And the rules? After the jump you’ll see what Listening Library says you have to do to enter for a chance to win. It’s only three steps, so go ahead and give it a whirl. Or, if you’d prefer, you can just skip over to Listening Library’s contest page for all the details on rules, prizes, and much more: Listening Library’s Fantasy Road Trip Contest

Here’s an early Halloween treat for you: Neil Gaiman has posted his reading of The Graveyard Book free online. And I am not talking about a few samples, I mean the whole fraking book!

I can’t think of a more technologically in-tune big name author than Neil Gaiman. Have you checked out his blog? He is posting frequently while still churning out an incredible amount of work. Let’s face it, being a Gaiman fan is like being hungry on Thanksgiving, you can’t stop yourself from reaching for more and, lucky you, there’s plenty to go around.

More after the jump…

So if you aren’t familiar with the Parsec Awards-they’ve only been around since 2006-here’s the low down from Parsec’s Site:

Mur Lafferty, Michael R. Mennenga & Tracy Hickman founded The Parsec Awards in 2006 to celebrate Speculative Fiction Podcasting, under the banner of Farpoint Media.

Podcast shows are nominated by fans, and finalists are chosen by a yearly steering committee. Those finalists are then voted on by an independent panel of judges from outside of podcasting. Awards are given in several categories ranging from content to audio quality.

[Kyle’s Note: If you’re a fan of podcasting and haven’t checked out Farpoint Media yet, you’re missing out. They are a group of independently produced podcasts (most of which specialize in SciFi and Fantasy) who have come together to form what they call “The Indie Podcast Network.” The shows are fun, informative, and just generally some of the best things to happen to my iPod since time began. No joke.]

The winners will be announced during this year’s Dragon*Con in Atlanta, which means this weekend.

Just a few quick words before I plunge you head first into the nominees. First, I have tried to tell you in previous posts how very very good Mur Lafferty and Scott Sigler are. If my yammering on and on about them isn’t enough to convince you, then hopefully the nominations here will be. Between them, they have 8 nominations (Mur: 3 & Scott: 5) this year. If you still aren’t listening to them (assuming their genres are of interest to you) then you’re missing out big time. I’m trying to help you here, I really, really am.

More after the jump…

I love audiobooks. I don’t know if it’s that I love having something read to me because it hearkens back to an older storytelling tradition, or if perhaps I enjoy listening to other character interpretations besides my own, thus allowing me to focus on other aspects of the story, or if I’m just lazy.

In any event, I go through a lot of audiobooks in a year, so I’m always on the lookout for something fun and entertaining. So, finding out about Podiobooks a couple years back was a big deal for me. Since that time I’ve been able to “discover” several authors that I might not have otherwise stumbled across; authors like Scott Sigler, Cory Doctorow, Mur Lafferty, and Patrick McLean (whose How To Succeed in Evil should be in everyone’s audiobook queue).

Previously, I mentioned some Fantasy titles you should check out on Podiobooks.com or iTunes or directly through the particular author. Now, I want to share some of my favorite Science Fiction titles. Go forth and discover some new (or new-to-you) greatness out there…there is, apparently, a lot of it floating around (Yeah internet!).

So, without any further adieu, my SciFi podiobook recommendations:

Bantam Dell has officially launched the audiobook podcast of New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s Darkfever. This the very first joint effort between Bantam Dell and one of its authors to release the full version of a book for free as a podcast. The book will be presented in its entirety, with four episodes per week available for download. Darkfever is the first book in Moning’s Fever series which features protagonist MacKayla “Mac” Lane, a woman who possesses the gift to see beyond the world of man and into the dangerous realm of the Fae.

Visit www.darkfeverpodcast.com for full details.

An ancient Tibetan form of meditation? The name of a new hybrid vehicle? A new nightclub in the heart of Manhattan? The middle name of an astronaut? These were some of the interesting answers people gave to this question:

“What is Suvudu?”

If the answer is none of those given, then what is the answer?

Suvudu is a new website catering to news from all sci-fi and fantasy creative media—books, audiobooks, gaming, manga, comic books and movies! Content will include podcasts, videos, reviews, interviews and original blog posts, all brought to you by some of the best talents in the sci-fi, fantasy, graphic novel and gaming industries.

Imagine the San Diego Comic Con—but on a website all year round!

Sounds great, right?

That’s just the beginning. Sci-fi and fantasy fans will also play a role in Suvudu. Visitors are encouraged to comment on the posted content, contribute information they deem pertinent, and send in suggestions to make Suvudu the best it can be. Links to offsite blog and website content will be highlighted. As a community sharing and growing with one another, every relevant bit of news will have benefit—given voice on Suvudu for those who would hear it.

Suvudu will grow over time. In the coming months Suvudu will not only be a news blog but will evolve to include a library of free science fiction and fantasy books, advanced reads of forthcoming projects, exclusive looks inside the creative process of the publishing world, and incorporate a forum for like-minded fans to converse with one another.

So what is Suvudu, you ask? It is many things. But it is also a beginning—thrusters given life for the launch!

Welcome to Suvudu!