posted
Tonight (3 June 2005) Stefan Rudnicki, the producer AND narrator of the new unabridged audio production of OSC's autobiographical novel Lost Boys, won the Audie Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.
Ignoring the fact that in no way is Lost Boys science fiction <grin>, I have to say I'm very proud of Stefan's beautiful performance and production of the novel that in so many ways is closest to my heart, and I'm glad not only that Stefan received this award, but the Blackstone Audio, the publishers, kindly made it possible for me, Kristine, and Zina to be there at the event.
So that you understand that this is not a trivial or marginal event, it's worth pointing out that Neil Gaiman was the emcee and Jim Dale, who has in the past seven years recorded such stellar audiobooks as the Harry Potter novels and Peter and the Starcatchers, was there to receive awards.
I hadn't heard most of the audio productions that were nominated, but luckily we were sitting at the table with some extraordinarily well-informed people who coached us on who SHOULD win in each category.
One of those at our table was Bruce Coville, a gifted children's book writer, who is also the producer (and entrepreneur) of Full Cast Audio, which does dramatized rather than narrated audio productions. Bruce won for his production of Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja.
I have somehow misplaced the name of the man who went up with Bruce to receive the award - I thought his name was "N.T." something, and that Bruce cited him as the director; but in the program the director is Daniel Bostick, and so I definitely got confused somehow. But I must say I adore this man, whatever his name really was, because when I mentioned that I thought Sally Kellerman's reading of the "yes" passage from Ulysses in Rodney Dangerfield's movie "Back to School" was far better than the reading in the audio version of the book that was up for an award, he not only agreed that she did it brilliantly, but he also mentioned that he thought Rodney Dangerfield himself did a magnificent reading of Dylan Thomas's "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
And then he topped it off by quoting a whole scene from the movie. He is my hero.
The whole evening was wonderful, however. I'm a real fan (and practitioner) of audio books, in large part because I believe that good writing is that writing which is best read aloud, and that's what I strive for in my own books - to have musical, rhythmic, fluid language that begs to be spoken instead of absorbed only through the eyes.
I spent the first few years of my freelance career living mostly from my income from writing hundreds of half-hour audioplays for Living Scriptures, so I know what it means to create dramatizations and to work with voice actors. I'm as proud of my work on those tapes as of my books or plays or poems, and so when one of my books receives an excellent production and performance in audio form, I'm delighted.
And for those who missed my reading of the fifth HArry Potter Book and of Peter and the STarcatchers to my family - eat your hearts out.
Meanwhile, though, I'm thrilled at the honor paid to Stefan's performance of Lost Boys, and glad that there's life in the old book yet ...
With Stefan Rudnicki producing and directing the audio productions of almost all of my novels and other books now, I couldn't imagine my work being in better hands. I only wish the audience for those books was larger, so people could receive my books as I truly mean them to be received - aloud, performed by a gifted storyteller.
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Congrats to Mr. Rudnicki (enjoyed him in Posing as People, and I can "hear" him reading your novels), and to you, Mr. Card. The story and the reader are both worthy.
posted
Well, congratulations! That's nifty. And the event sounds like great fun - did your daughter enjoy herself?
I read aloud to my 11-year old Nathan frequently. It's a special time. What's even better is listening to his fledgeling attempts to dramatize the stories he reads aloud to me!
Nathan and I would be happy to send you some blank cassettes if you'd care to read Ender's Game to us. Now, that would be a treat!
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote: and glad that there's life in the old book yet...
And that better not change.
Like its genre, apparently. But that's great news. I enjoy audiobooks--I listen to them as a substitute for my MP3 player on long car or airplane trips. I don't have the Lost Boys one yet, but I've read the book. My congrats to Stefan.
Posts: 973 | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yikes, more pricey than I thought. iTunes wants $16 for Jon Stewart's book at just under four hours. I bet I can get it for half of that in paperback.
Patrick Stewart hosts one of C.S. Lewis' Narnia books for $18. Ouch.
Is this pretty standard?
[edit] HOLY SMOKES! $29 for Speaker for the Dead?!! BURN! LOL
[edit again] DU-ANG! $54 for a 16.5 hour version of Stranger in a Strange Land!!!!!!!!
I think I'll stick to paper! Posts: 339 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
lol. that dose seem like a burn dosent it. but i bet theres alot of hard work that gose into making those audio books, and is probably worth it.
congrats to you and Stefan Rudnicki, Orson. i plan to read Lost Boys after i finish sotg, witch will probably be a month or two cause i have to finish children, puppets, then finaly sotg.
Posts: 62 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
Interesting that you get tabled with Mr. Coville. Since I will always have fond memories of his works. Being that the "My Teacher is an Alien" Series was my first departure into Science Fiction Literature. A departure I am so glad I made.
Posts: 37 | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Audiobooks cost more because of all the production costs - recording, editing - and because of the cost of materials. Can't help that. Wish it were cheaper.
But you get something wonderful, when it's well done: a storyteller who can let you receive the story as language rather than symbols on a page. Reading silently is an extra step of translation; we don't take it in through our eyes, the way we do pictures and images. We take it in visually and then reprocess it as imagined spoken language. So the audio presentation is more immediate - when the reader does as good a job as you would have done for yourself.
Plus, you can't skim. Now, with some books, that's a bad thing. But with history and science books, and the best of fiction, that's a good thing. You savor every word.
Plus you can do mechanical tasks at the same time - needlework, driving, exercising, cooking - so you make double use of time. For me, that makes audiobooks a bargain. By paying forty bucks, I not only get the same book I would have paid 25 bucks for in hardcover, I also get my six or eight hours of reading time handed back to me, because I can listen to the book while driving or running or biking. I don't know how you value YOUR time, but for me, it's well worth the extra fifteen bucks - and more!
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I never skim, even when the book is boring me. Now I know why some people say to me, "You're still reading that book?!" LOL
I'll have to keep an open mind on the audio book thing then. Maybe I'll try one out in the near future.
Posts: 339 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I have loved listening to books aloud for as long as I can remember. When I was very young my parents read aloud the Narnia Chronicles and LOTR to me and my siblings. As I got older, I read them and others (Ender's Game was another favorite) to my seven siblings. Now I love listening to audio books, but I have a couple pet peeves. If the reader is not doing a good job in my opinion, which happens surprisingly often considering how much work goes into making an audiobook, then the experience is ruined for me. And while I enjoy Jim Dale's versions in a lot of ways, I had already made voices for the characters when I read the HP books to my husband, and he says he prefers my characterizations (not that he is biased or anything).
An alternative to buying an audiobook is to check them out from the local library. Since my disposable income is nil at present, that is what I often do. But I like to own my favorites, so I comb Ebay or Half.com or Amazon or something looking for deals.
Right now on Amazon you can buy all seven of the Narnia Chronicles in a boxed set for $50. Not bad. Some of the narrators do a better job than others, but they are all read by celebrities such as Patrick Stewart and Kenneth Branagh.
Congrats on the award, OSC and company!
Posts: 180 | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
That's great. I have quite a few unabridged OSC books and Rudnicki is really good in all of them. I even posted my thoughts on the readers of Xenocide (including OSC himself) a few months back.
Posts: 1346 | Registered: Jun 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I saw your thread first Ian. I posted congrats over there, but I'll post it here too. I definitely need to pick up some OSC audio books for my Portland to Provo drives that I take every so often.
posted
You know, Bruce Coville started a book series a number of years ago that I just loved...unfortunately, it must not have done very well, because as far as I know "The Unicorn Chronicles: Book One" was the only book.
Don't you think calling a book "book one" when there's no guarantee of a sequel is pretty risky?
Posts: 3516 | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Just listened to Rudnicki read the Lost Boys short story on 'The Elephants of Posnan' collection. It made me wonder if he and OSC spent any significant amount of time together-- some of Rudnicki's speech mannerisms were very reminiscent of our favorite virtual Uncle.
Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Photo link for the Audies. There's pictures of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett there. Didn't notice any pictures of OSC, but I'm not great with faces, and might've missed him. I assume Rudnicki is in some of the photos, but I don't know what he looks like!
Posts: 2911 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
plaid - I can't get your link to work. It wants to go to a secure site (https:) and it won't resolve for me.
Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I just finished listening to The Worthing Saga. I thought Scott Brick did a great job reading it. I loved reading the book a couple of years ago, and I don't know if it is the audio format or just that it was my second time, but it was better this time.
Posts: 159 | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I really enjoyed The Elephants of Posnan. Apart from the ones read by OSC, I liked Roddy McDowell's "Fat Farm" and "Best day" by William Windom.
And I got that special thrill from desiree industries in "Quietus."
How funny that Gabrielle de Cuir read "The Porcelain Salamander." I'm listening to her reading Codependent No More this week. I thought it sounded similar, but she does bitter, murderous codependent surprisingly well.
Posts: 2010 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ah, she has such great voice. I loved her verbal sparring in "Teacher's Pest". And her child-like Petra in Shadow of the Hegemon. And her fiery and angry Carlotta chewing out Graff in Ender's Shadow.
Be interesting to hear murderous.
She is an incredible reader.
Posts: 1346 | Registered: Jun 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
My daughter Emily is recording "Rachel and Leah" right now. Well, no, she finished about six hours ago. But you know what I mean. So the ongoing project to allow illiterates to hear EVERY book of mine continues apace ...
Eventually, we'll have these things piped into every grocery store and elevator and bus and subway train so you HAVE to hear my writing wherever you go.
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oooo hopefully that will suppress the screeching of that damned 4th wheel of the shopping cart...
Posts: 879 | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Rudnicki's production of "Magic Street" will be released simultaneously with the print publication on 28 June 2005.
Rudnicki played a leading role in "Posing As People," a program of three one-act plays directed by Card in Los Angeles in September and October of 2004. The plays were written by Aaron Johnston, Scott Brick, and Emily Card. Johnston is currently writng the novel version of Card's short story "Malpractice" for TOR; Scott Brick and Emily Card are actors as well as playwrights. Brick is one of the nation's leading audiobook actors, and Emily Card is also active in audio narration.
The three plays, along with the short stories by Card that they were based on, were collected in a book of the same name, which also includes CDs of the performances of the plays and readings of the three stories - probably the first time such a complete package of plays, stories, and audio performances has ever been published in one package.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Now, that would be a treat!
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I saw your thread first Ian. I posted congrats over there, but I'll post it here too. I definitely need to pick up some OSC audio books for my Portland to Provo drives that I take every so often.![[Frown]](frown.gif)
