As a narrator, Rudnicki's style for most of Card's books is a real breath of fresh air in comparison to most of the audiobooks. I'm thinking especially of his multiple character almost reader's theater format.
Well, there is a new book out: How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion (Unabridged)
The book is giving in a "utterly serious" dialog which gives it a semi-ominous feel that I think enhances it's humorous under message.
Worth a listen or a read. Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Rudnicki is also a splendid Death for Pratchett's 'Theif of Time' audiobook.
And as far as readers go, Card himself ain't half bad. He reads 'The Elephant of Posnan' and 'Feed the Baby of Love' on his audiobook anthology 'The Elephants of Posnan' very successfully.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Stefan is not only a great reader, but a great director and producer of OTHER readers' work. That's why I'm so proud to have his voice in the first issue of IGMS.
I'm also glad to know that i'm not the only one looking, not just for author, but for particular readers of audiobooks. I loved my voice, diction, and interpretation classes in college, and wished then that there were any sort of market for narratives read aloud. I took part in some readings for the blind while in college. But the whole audiobook industry was in its infancy - nay, merely in gestation - at that time. Now what I hoped for is coming to pass. We already have burgeoning stars in the performance business. Naturally, people are most likely to notice the readers who perform bestsellers, like the Harry Potter books; but at the same time, the publishers know who the best readers are, by and large, so when they have a book that they know will sell, they're more likely to assign the best reader who is appropriate for that book; star quality leads to star assignments.
Stefan Rudnicki, Scott Brick, and others are readers I look for - and I have bought books solely because they read them!
Posted by Ender12 (Member # 8873) on :
Rudnicki reads and gives his own interpretation as well?
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
"Interpretation" in the sense that he inflects words and effects a tone which he feels to be a appropriate to a situation. Some readers do this badly, or even not at all.
But have you ever noticed how everything sounds different when read by differen characters? As if the characters are actually taking on the personality of the reader? I've noticed for instance that Stefan Rudniki's thought process is more "Enderesque," than Scott Brick, who never reads Ender. Also, Brick reads most of the worthing saga, and magically, the only part he doesn't read, the part about the "World Domination" game, is very, well, Rudniqiesque. Its a bit more calculated, a bit more technical.
This was what made Brick's reading of Bean so interesting, Brick is a more overtly emotional reader I think, and yet he plays the supposedly cold and calculating Bean... this says something major to me about what Bean really is inside. Another great example of the same thing is Rudnicki as Achilles, or as John-Paul, each reading is dead on, matter of fact, and yet Achilles comes off like a megalomaniac, and John-Paul is lovable.
This -may- have had to do with the writing too, I suppose...
Posted by Ender12 (Member # 8873) on :
i have never listened to audiobooks. i think i might have to purchase a few of this Rudnicki's readings.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
It's worth the time to look at Audible.Com
they have a deal to provide 12 audiobooks in six months with a free ipod shuffle as a throw in... not a bad deal, considering the flat rate for each audiobook is comparable to an actual book, about $10 per book. But since its a flat rate, I have gotten $80 audiobooks, 60 hours long for this price as well.
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
I cannot praise Audible.Com enough. It is a mindblowing value.
I love reading books, but there is a different experience in hearing them read. Sometimes, reading the book and hearing it read conveys different things to me.
I really enjoyed OSC's books, but when I heard "Speaker for the Dead" read, it really touched me. But it was "Xenocide" that had me cry - several times. The reading of Miro's character really got to me.. his encounter with his brother was one of the most well read, well inflected scenes.
A good book read well is like listening to a great play. And OSC's books, with their myriad of characters and readers convey the book so well that it's a real experience.
Definitely check out Audible. It's an incredible deal Posted by Ender12 (Member # 8873) on :
went to audible.com and right off the bat thhey ask for your information, that always scares me away. so, before i decide to buy an audiobook, i have a couple questions. is audible the best choice out there? when whomever decides to make a book into an audiobook are there different readers to choose from?
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
Well there are lot of companies out there. Audible is the biggest/best online version. There is also itunes, which has no flatrate, and less selection, and does carry different versions of the same books often times.
There is only one OSC, "ender universe" group that does all those books, its the only recording available that I know, it is all available at Audible.
One problem with Audible is they only carry books from some distributors, they may carry all the books from one company, and none of the books from another, so often times I know of recordings like those of "Recorded Books Inc" which are available at libraries and by mail, but not online at all.
Another issue I had was that they have re-recorded a number of selections, or taken newer versions of recordings from different companies and gotten rid of recordings I prefered. For instance, last year they replaced the full set of Douglas Adams books, recorded by himself, with just one single book, "Hitchiker's Guide" this one recorded by someone else. Adams was a great reader of his own work, and I was dissapointed at that. Nevertheless I got most of the Adams versions in time, and still have them.
In this case, OSC and Rudniki worked together and are mutually adoring of eachother's work, so I'd say that he's the best and only choice for Ender's Game.
So there you are, the company that records the book may or may not publish on audible. Newer books generally do, the market is so big, but older books are not always there. If your looking for alot of previously recorded stuff that wouldn't sell as well, there are often big selections in libraries.
Posted by Ender12 (Member # 8873) on :
thanks orincoro, i will give audible a try. i think it will be kewl to buy the audio version of ender since i have already read the book quite a few times. plus, it will be nice to heard it from another perspective.
Posted by Descolada Survivor (Member # 9019) on :
Personally I like Tim Curry, he did the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. He makes many voices out of one, just amazing. Is he still around? I don't remember.
Posted by Jack Bauer (Member # 9182) on :
Tim Curry reads the "Series of Unfortunate Events" audiobooks. They also include interviews with Lemony Snicket, and original music by Lemony Snicket. Entertaining stuff.
Posted by macnewbold (Member # 7660) on :
If you happen to use something other than Windows or Macintosh computers: look out, because I have yet to be able to successfully download anything from Audible. I've got a request pending with their support department now. They use "Digital Rights Management" (DRM) to "protect" the audio files, and you generally have to download their software (or on the Mac, iTunes) to use the audio files.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by macnewbold: If you happen to use something other than Windows or Macintosh computers: look out, because I have yet to be able to successfully download anything from Audible. I've got a request pending with their support department now. They use "Digital Rights Management" (DRM) to "protect" the audio files, and you generally have to download their software (or on the Mac, iTunes) to use the audio files.
What other type of computer might he be using? Do some people really do all their work on linux?
Posted by tmservo (Member # 8552) on :
Macnewbold:
If you need help, let me know your Linux distro, it's possible to do (either through WINE or XEN) without a big hitch.
Of all the OSC books, I would strongly recommend getting "Speaker of the Dead" and "Xenocide" While I love these books on their own, there are moments in these that come to life unlike anything else I have ever listened to.
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