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IN THE STUDIO: LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE – HUGO FINALIST
Aug 9, 2013Tap to summarizeBooks come and go. Once they arrive, we research them, cast them, record them, edit them, and then turn them in. And then the whole process begins again, or quite honestly, there are usually several of these processes happening simultaneously. One project at a time? Ha! You kid. But while books fly in and out of our soundproof door day in and out, we find a certain comfort in that one project that’s simply here to stay. Lightspeed. If you check in with us regularly, you already know that Skyboat produces a handful of podcasts for Lightspeed Magazine each month with John Joseph Adams and the editing talents of Jim Freund, and if you missed our spotlight on Lightspeed for June is Audiobook Month, feel free to lose a few hours of your day getting caught up. You won’t be sorry. Sure, we’re a little biased because we produce them, but honestly, these podcasts are great because the writing is great, and we’re talking tales from everyone from a previously unpublished author to Ms. Le Guin herself, literally. The latest issue—JULY 2013—just happens to be filled with some truly wonderful doozies, so enjoy! THE STARS BELOW, written by the inimitable Ursula K. LeGuin and narrated by Stefan Rudnicki. THE STARS BELOW CANCER by Ryan North, read by Gabrielle de Cuir. CANCER DIVISION OF LABOR by Benjamin Roy Lambert, read by Paul Boehmer. DIVISION OF LABOR THE BOY AND THE BOX, written by Adam-Troy Castro and read by Stefan Rudnicki. THE BOY AND THE BOX Be sure to check out the rest of the issue here! More fantastic fiction, great author and artist spotlights, and some smart nonfiction to boot! The post IN THE STUDIO: LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE – HUGO FINALIST appeared first on Skyboat Media.
Transcribe →JUNE 30: TIGHT LITTLE STITCHES IN A DEAD MAN’S BACK
Jun 30, 2013Tap to summarizeOur very last post for June is Audiobook Month! Time sure flies when you’re wearing headphones. Yesterday we mentioned the Hugo Awards, and today is no different. As we begin to look ahead at our upcoming projects and events, little excites us more than LoneStarCon3, the annual massive sci-fi convention we’ll be attending come August. As always, there are some terrific special guests this year: Ellen Datlow, James Gunn, Paul Cornell, and more, not to mention our author of today’s story, Mr. Joe R. Lansdale himself. Lansdale is the author of over 30 novels and more than a hundred short stories (see full bio below) and today we offer one of the latter, TIGHT LITTLE STITCHES IN A DEAD MAN’S BACK, published originally in 1986. This dark and beautifully detailed story tells the tale of a guilt-ridden scientist in a post-nuke world, trying to make sense of his shattered family. In an attempt to do so, he turns to the page: “What’s new? “Well, Mr. Journal, after all these years I’ve taken up martial arts again—or at least the forms and calisthenics of Tae Kwon Do. There is no one to spar with here in the lighthouse, so the forms have to do. “There is Mary, of course, but she keeps all her sparring verbal. And as of late, there is not even that. I long for her to call me a sonofabitch. Anything. Her hatred of me has cured to 100% perfection and she no longer finds it necessary to speak. The tight lines around her eyes and mouth, the emotional heat that radiates from her body like a dreadful cold sore looking for a place to lie down is voice enough for her. She lives only for the moment when she (the cold sore) can attach herself to me with her needles, ink and thread. She lives only for the design on my back.” What follows is intensely real and terrifying, a world where nothing can ever be the same again. So if you’re looking for a happy ending, keep looking, my friend. Stefan works his usual magic, embodying our narrator and pulling his listener into this place of slow-motion tattoos, ripped stitches, life-shattering guilt, and plants that have a mind of their own. Hear it for yourself below, then read one last Author Spotlight with Mr. Lansdale to learn what inspired this dark and disturbing story. TIGHT LITTLE STITCHES IN A DEAD MAN’S BACK AUDIO Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over 30 novels and 200 short pieces, fiction and nonfiction. He has received the Edgar Award, seven Bram Stokers, the British Fantasy Award, and many others. He’s been called “an immense talent” by Booklist; “a born storyteller” by Robert Bloch; and The New York Times Book Review declares he has “a folklorist’s eye for telling detail and a front-porch raconteur’s sense of pace.” He’s won numerous awards, including eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Grand Master Award from the World Horror Convention, a British Fantasy Award, the American Mystery Award, the Horror Critics Award, the Grinzane Cavour Prize for Literature, the “Shot in the Dark” International Crime Writer’s Award, the Golden Lion Award, the Booklist Editor’s Award, the Critic’s Choice Award, and a New York Times Notable Book Award. His novella, Bubba Hotep, was made into a movie of the same name. Joe R. Lansdale Stefan Rudnicki is a Grammy and Audie Award winner who has narrated and/or produced over 3,500 audiobooks. He has a dozen published books to his name, and has been seen in more than 80 stage productions on both coasts and abroad. He is the co-founder of Skyboat Media and Podcast Producer for Lightspeed. The post JUNE 30: TIGHT LITTLE STITCHES IN A DEAD MAN’S BACK appeared first on Skyboat Media.
Transcribe →JUNE 29: DOUBLE FEATURE SATURDAY WITH CARRIE VAUGHN!
Jun 29, 2013Tap to summarizeCarrie Vaughn As June winds down to a close, we can’t help but plan ahead. We’ve got plenty of fun stuff planned for July (stay tuned), but what we’re really looking forward to is our August countdown to The Hugo Awards. The Hugo Awards, presented annually since 1955, are science fiction’s most prestigious award, and we’re thrilled to report that both Editor John Joseph Adams and Producer Stefan Rudnicki are nominated this year for the very work with Lightspeed we’ve been going on about all month. Winners will be announced at LoneStarCon3 in San Antonio, August 29th-Sept. 2nd. (Yes, of course we’ll be there. We’ve been invited to speak, so more details on that as they trickle in.) Therefore, we thought it appropriate to wet your Hugo whistle with our last couple of Lightspeed stories. First up is AMARYLLIS by Carrie Vaughn, a 2011 Hugo Finalist, and well-deserved. And because we’re such big fans of Ms. Vaughn and because it’s, well, Saturday, we’re making this one a double feature. Below you’ll also find HARRY AND MARLOWE ESCAPE THE MECHANICAL SIEGE OF PARIS, the latest in her tales of these beloved characters. And today is actually a true double header, because both stories are narrated by our very own Gabrielle de Cuir. But first, a little about Carrie: Carrie Vaughn is the bestselling author of the Kitty Norville series. The twelfth novel, Kitty in the Underworld, is due out in July 2013. Vaughn has also written young adult novels, Voices of Dragons and Steel, and the fantasy novels, Discord’s Apple and After the Golden Age. Her short fiction has appeared many times in Realms of Fantasy magazine, and in a number of anthologies, such as Fast Ships, Black Sails and Warriors. She lives in Colorado with a fluffy attack dog. AMARYLLIS is unique because it takes place in a “positive post-apocalyptic future,” according to Vaughn, and the result is both a fascinating and believable tale that follows a household at sea as they deal with everything from the trappings of societal mores to what it means to be a mother. Narrator Gabrielle de Cuir is a perfect fit for this strong female narrator, for this world that may not be too far off from the one we live in today. Listen below, then read Lightspeed’s Author Spotlight on Vaughn to get a sense of both her inspirations and politics. AMARYLLIS AUDIO Vaughn has already written a handful of stories about her beloved partners-in-crime, Harry and Marlowe, and for those of you who are fans, you’re going to love this one. HARRY AND MARLOWE ESCAPE THE MECHANICAL SIEGE OF PARIS is the origin story of how the two met, and it’s as satisfyingly action-packed as you’d expect. Once again, Gabrielle de Cuir narrates masterfully, bringing a slightly Victorian edge to this Steampunk story. Hear it for yourself below, then take a moment to read Lightspeed‘s Author Spotlight on Vaughn to learn what else she has in store for this duo. HARRY AND MARLOWE ESCAPE THE MECHANICAL SIEGE OF PARIS AUDIO Gabrielle de Cuir is a stage actress, director, playwright, and audiobook narrator and producer with dozens of Audie Awards up on the wall. Her first film, THE DELIVERY, was an Official Selection of the Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival and winner of the Fantasy Award at DRAGONCON Film Festival. With Stefan Rudnicki, she is the co-founder of Skyboat Media. The post JUNE 29: DOUBLE FEATURE SATURDAY WITH CARRIE VAUGHN! appeared first on Skyboat Media.
Transcribe →JUNE 28: BEAUTY
Jun 28, 2013Tap to summarizeBEAUTY by David Barr Kirtley, is a modernized version of the fairytale classic, Beauty and the Beast. In Kirtley’s world, Nicole and Beast meet in a dark bar, and despite his obvious shortcomings, Beast manages to win her over with his woes of telemarketing and brimstone scent. “Nicole dated the beast for a few more months. She began to really like him. His bloodshot eyes were soft and caring. His werewolf paws were strong and gentle. When he slept, he would fold his goblin ears in the most adorable way. He giggled whenever she poked him on his cute little doggie nose.” But like any fairytale, the spell is eventually broken, and when Beast turns back into the man he used to be, a lot more changes beyond horns and hooves. Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Janis Ian narrates, lending the voice that made her a folk rock legend to this twisted little tale to inspired results. Hear it for yourself below, then check out Lightspeed‘s Author Spotlight on Kirtley to learn what inspired this retelling. And for more on Janis, check out our recent posts on her in our countdown to the 2013 Audies. (And yep, she won!) BEAUTY AUDIO David Barr Kirtley is the author of thirty short stories, which have appeared in magazines such as Realms of Fantasy, Weird Tales, and Lightspeed, in books such as Armored, Other Worlds Than These, and Fantasy: The Best of the Year, and on podcasts such as Escape Pod and Pseudopod. He recently wrote a 12-part column for Wired.com covering Season 2 of Game of Thrones. He’s also the co-host of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast, for which he’s interviewed folks such as George R. R. Martin, Richard Dawkins, Paul Krugman, and Simon Pegg. He lives in New York. David Barr Kirtley Janis Ian was catapulted into the spotlight in 1966 at age 15, when her soul-wrenching song about an interracial relationship, “Society’s Child,” became a hit, but that was just the start of her illustrious career. Today she is a Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, performer, narrator, and author. In 2013, she won her second Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for the audiobook of her memoir, Society’s Child, produced by Stefan Rudnicki and published by Audible, as well as a 2013 Audie Award for Best Author Narration. Her songs “At 17” and “Society’s Child” are in the Grammy Hall Of Fame. The post JUNE 28: BEAUTY appeared first on Skyboat Media.
Transcribe →JUNE 27: NO BREATHER IN THE WORLD BUT THEE
Jun 27, 2013Tap to summarize“The cook didn’t like that the eyes of the dead fish shifted to stare at him as he cut their heads off. The cook’s assistant, who was also his lover, didn’t like that he woke to find just a sack of bloody bones on the bed beside him. “It’s starting again,” he gasped, just moments before a huge, black, birdlike creature carried him off, screaming. The child playing on the grounds outside the mansion did not at first know what she was seeing, but realized it was awful. “It’s just like last year,” she said to her imaginary friend, but her imaginary friend was dead. She ran for the front door, but the ghost of her imaginary friend, now large and ravenous and wormlike, swallowed her up before she had taken ten steps across the writhing grass.” So begins NO BREATHER IN THE WORLD BUT THEE, a horrifically wonderful tale by Jeff VanderMeer in which something awful and ominous from last year is happening again. The story moves deftly from one point of view to another, living for a paragraph or two in the mind of the butler, the lady of the house, the doctor. Each reacts in his or her own way as their world crashes down around them; in each and every passing moment, VanderMeer’s stunning detail and quick pacing are to be admired. Narrator Stefan Rudnicki is terrific as usual, as he wields the basso profundo of his voice to make the story that much more terrifying. Hear it for yourself below, then check out Nightmare’s Author Spotlight on VanderMeer to learn how Shakespeare inspired the title and why he believes being a writer means “paying it forward.” NO BREATHER IN THE WORLD BUT THEE AUDIO Jeff VanderMeer recently signed a three-book, six-figure deal with Farrar, Straus & Giroux; Paramount Pictures and Scott Rudin recently bought the movie rights for all three novels. His novels have made the year’s best lists of the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle, and he is the recipient of both an NEA-funded Florida Individual Writers’ Fellowship and Travel Grant. VanderMeer is a three-time winner of the World Fantasy Award, twelve-time finalist, and has been a finalist for the Nebula, Hugo, Philip K. Dick, and Shirley Jackson Awards, among others. He also regularly reviews books for the New York Times Book Review, the Guardian, Los Angeles Times Book Review, and the Washington Post. He serves as the co-director of Shared Worlds, a unique teen SF/F writing camp located at Wofford College in South Carolina. Jeff VanderMeer Stefan Rudnicki is a Grammy and Audie Award winner who has narrated and/or produced over 3,500 audiobooks. He has a dozen published books to his name, and has been seen in more than 80 stage productions on both coasts and abroad. He is the co-founder of Skyboat Media and Podcast Producer for Lightspeed. The post JUNE 27: NO BREATHER IN THE WORLD BUT THEE appeared first on Skyboat Media.
Transcribe →JUNE 26: PROPERTY CONDEMNED
Jun 26, 2013Tap to summarizeFor those of you who stuck with us through the 2013 Audies countdown, you already know that we’re just a tiny bit partial to Mr. Jonathan Maberry. Okay, a lot a bit partial. Maberry’s right up there with chocolate for me. I mean, V-WARS? It’s a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention the fact that Maberry is a New York Times bestselling author and multiple winner of the Bram Stoker Award. But today we turn you toward Maberry reveling in the shorter form with PROPERTY CONDEMNED, a mighty tale of horror published in the sister magazine to Lightspeed, Nightmare. The story begins with a touch of Stand By Me: four friends seeking adventure; in this case, a bike trip to a supposed haunted house in town. There’s joking and teasing and a girl upon which all three boys crush, and there’s a hefty dose of suspense as the kids inch their way toward the front door: “The windows, even the shuttered ones, were like eyes. The ones with broken panes were like the empty eye-sockets of old skulls, like the ones in the science class in school. Crow spent hours staring into those dark eye-holes, wondering if there was anything of the original owner’s personality in there. Not once did he feel anything. Now, just looking at those black and empty windows made Crow shudder, because he was getting the itchy feeling that there was something looking back.” But once they get inside, this becomes a story unlike one you’ve ever read, and Paul Boehmer narrates the unexpected events with a certain seamlessness, moving from whining adolescence to downright terror with believability and ease. Self-induce the heebie-jeebies—with a slice of heartbreak thrown in—by listening for yourself below, and afterward, check out Nightmare‘s Author Spotlight on Jonathan Maberry to read his thoughts on destiny. And if you still find yourself wanting more (like chocolate), check out Mr. Maberry’s Pine Deep Trilogy, a trio of novels in which some of these same characters appear. PROPERTY CONDEMNED AUDIO Jonathan Maberry is a NY Times bestselling author, multiple Bram Stoker Award winner, and Marvel Comics writer. He’s the author of many novels including Assassin’s Code, Flesh & Bone Dead of Night, Patient Zero and Rot & Ruin; and the editor of V-Wars: A Chronicle of the Vampire Wars. His nonfiction books on topics ranging from martial arts to zombie pop-culture. Since 1978 he has sold more than 1200 magazine feature articles, 3000 columns, two plays, greeting cards, song lyrics, poetry, and textbooks. Jonathan continues to teach the celebrated Experimental Writing for Teens class, which he created. Jonathan Maberry Paul Boehmer is a stage, television, and film actor known as much for Shakespeare as he is for Star Trek. As an Audie Award winning narrator, he’s narrated such tomes as Moby Dick and Suzanne Collins’ McGregor series. He is a Senior Producer and Narrator at Skyboat Media. The post JUNE 26: PROPERTY CONDEMNED appeared first on Skyboat Media.
Transcribe →