Audible...and other audiobook delivery mechanisms that may or may not be available

[T Pot]

So I've gone through the following:

 

The Chrysalids

Foundation

Foundation & Empire

Second Foundation

i, Robot

Dune

Dune Messiah

Children of Dune.

 

 

 

I have 3 credits built up, any recommendations? I don't fancy more Dune. The second book was pretty average and I found the 3rd pretty poor too.

[T Pot]

I’m tempted for Purgatory Mount. I like the narrator reading it. 

[ZOK]

20 hours ago, T Pot said:

So I've gone through the following:

 

The Chrysalids

Foundation

Foundation & Empire

Second Foundation

i, Robot

Dune

Dune Messiah

Children of Dune.

 

 

 

I have 3 credits built up, any recommendations? I don't fancy more Dune. The second book was pretty average and I found the 3rd pretty poor too.

Just SF? All Peter Kenny’s readings of Iain M. Banks are good.

[T Pot]

13 minutes ago, ZOK said:

Just SF? All Peter Kenny’s readings of Iain M. Banks are good.

 

I've never been a massive reader, I really struggle with ADHD / Dyslexia. Recently got into them with an audible subscription as I can have it on at work and in the car etc. Really enjoy it. I've not dug into any other genres so I wouldn't know what I enjoy to be honest.

 

I just really enjoyed Asimovs writing style and the narrator William Hope. I tried Robot Dreams but the narrator was awful, I couldn't listen to him unfortunately!

[ZOK]

What about short story collections? You can’t go wrong with any of Neil Clarke’s Best Of Science Fiction collections, you get A LOT of story for your credit with those. JG Ballard’s short story collection is also one credit, and is over sixty hours. Both have many narrators.

 

Do you like Alan Partridge? I, Partridge: We Need To Talk About Alan is an essential. The rest of his stuff less so but still very funny.

[humdrum]

On 12/03/2023 at 15:02, Sidewaysbob said:

My personal favourite combinations are

 

The rivers of london series read by Kobna Holdbrock-smith.  A police procedural with Magic on the streets of modern day London.

Anything written by Iain M banks read by Peter Kenny - Personal highlight is "surface detail"

Anything written by Ann Leckie read by Adjoa Andoh - Modern science fiction, The Ancillary series challenges the idea all heros have to be male.

Extracted series by R R Haywood read by Carl Prekopp - time travelling fun that makes sense, can they really save the future in the past ?

Red Rising series by Pierce Brown read by Tim Gerard Reynolds - How to start a revolution against the Romans in space. 

 

Thanks for this recommendation, I have had this down for a while to listen to but seeing the recommendation in line with the rivers of London books which I have also enjoyed I dropped a credit on it.

 

Funny thing is it turns out I actually brought it on my audible.com account in 2017 then it was on sale for $3.54 and just never got around to listening to it.  

 

Actually I suppose that's a question does anyone else use audible alternately between audible.com and audible.co.uk to take advantage of different welcome back offers to get it at half price? and just switch between them or is it just me? 

[Sidewaysbob]

The silo saga series by Hugh Howey is fantastic dystopian SF. 

And his short story book "Machine Learning" is a absolutely superb. 

[Stopharage]

£2.99 for 88 hours of Orwell. Down and Out in Paris and London is worth more than that on its own. 
 

Here.

[Stopharage]

Also, The Debutante by Jon Robinson is now free for Audible subscribers. 
 

Summary

This is the story of a Tulsa debutante who, as a result of a series of unlikely and often very bad life choices she made in the ‘90s, found herself in the midst of one of the most terrible crimes ever to take place in America.

 

Thirty years ago, award-winning journalist Jon Ronson stumbled on the mystery of Carol Howe—a charismatic, wealthy former debutante turned white supremacist spokeswoman turned undercover informant. In 1995, Carol was spying on Oklahoma’s neo-Nazis for the government just when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.

Ever since then, Carol has haunted the imaginations of survivors and investigators because of a rumor that had begun to swirl: If her information had only been listened to, she could have prevented the worst domestic terrorist attack in US history.

 

The question mystified Ronson. In The Debutante, he embarks on an investigative journey to seek the truth about the woman who grew up in a world of privilege and opportunity and whose teenage rebellion spiraled out of control, leading her to extreme radicalization.

 

The Debutante takes a closer look at Carol’s world, where truth is shrouded and seldom guaranteed. Rare court tapes, diary entries, undercover ATF surveillance audio, and interviews with those who crossed paths with Carol depict a complex woman whose motivations have been hypothesized about for decades. With curiosity and insight at the forefront of his work, Ronson delivers a new perspective on the extraordinary story of Carol Howe.

[Miner Willy]

I got that yesterday after receiving the notification. I'll listen to anything by Ronson - his delivery is a joy. 

[Miner Willy]

The excellent Empire of Pain is in the £2.99 sale too. 

[ZOK]

14 hours ago, Stopharage said:

£2.99 for 88 hours of Orwell. Down and Out in Paris and London is worth more than that on its own. 
 

Here.

Lordy, that is a bargain! Don’t forget Burmese Days too.

[schmojo]

I couldn't find it mentioned in this thread, so I figured I'd take another opportunity to promote Xigxag.co.uk . When I was looking for an Audible alternative that didn't have the Amazon ick, these seemed well regarded by compariosn.

 

I've used them since - every audiobook is £7.99 or less, and they frequently have excellent sales. Though obvs none of your fancy Audible exclusives.

[Miner Willy]

Finished Ronson's The Debutante today. I'd say it's enjoyable, and feels very similar to his Things Fell Apart series, but lacks the surreal humour of his best work. 

[T Pot]

On 13/03/2023 at 22:10, T Pot said:

I’m tempted for Purgatory Mount. I like the narrator reading it. 

 

This was a waste. Im not enjoying it. It seems to be two seperate stories, but one opening and closing the book with the second story in the middle. Couldn't get through the middle section so gave up on it. 

 

Ended up listening to One Way by S. J. Morden. Life term prison inmates being sent to Mars to build a new prison / scientific station. Seems good so far.

[Sapa]

Glad I read through the last couple of pages and saw recommendations for The Only Plane in the Sky. Any similar recommendations for audiobooks? I liked the mix of real audio clips in the early part of the audiobook. 

 

Are there any good non fiction historical accounts or other things using real archive clips so it's more of a documentary format?

[Timmo]

Ah, I thought you said fiction, in which case I was about to highly recommend His Bloody Project, which is a mock non-fiction and way better than most historical fiction.

[Sapa]

Though it's fiction it sounds really interesting and in some ways related to something I'm "working" on at the moment with a fake archive of found post-apocalypse photographs. Anyway, adding it to my wishlist now.

[Yiggy]

Why is the sound quality on audiobooks generally quite bad?

 

I just got one of the newish Pratchett ones. Why does it sound raspy like it’s massively compressed? Every podcast I listen to sounds way better. I’ve found this with most audiobooks. 

[ZOK]

I find it occasionally, but it’s by no means common. I tend to assume they are older recordings, with no value in updating them.