If there were league tables for New Media / Podcast authors then Chris Lester would be in the Premier Division.

Whispers in the Wood is a four episode story arc that kicks off season two of Metamor City.  To be honest I thought that Chris would struggle to maintain the standard of writing, and production that earned him and his team a PARSEC award last year. Well he hasn’t struggled, he has taken Metamor up another level. I can see Metamor beating the Leviathon Chronicles to this years PARSEC as well. (It would be nice if we could have a tie!)

Before I go on to much this is the Metamor City Website, here you will find some of the best audio drama entertainment around. Its award winning that says it all. ( http://www.metamorcity.com/ ).  Pinching from his website this is the authors description of the Metamor City Podcast.

The Metamor City Podcast is a sci-fi/fantasy audio fiction series that is distributed for free through this website. It will feature a mixture of short stories and full-length novels, all taking place in one large world with an overarching story arc. Combining the narration of audiobooks with the music, sound effects and full vocal cast of a serial radio drama, The Metamor City Podcast provides an immersive audio experience of a world like no other.

I am not going to argue with Chris Lester, but will say that his world and writing is so well crafted that it moves out of the fantasy genre into full sci fi (for me) . To me it ranks up there with Terry Pratchett’s world in terms of reality and fullness. When you listen to a podcast you actually feel you are there and involved, so well is the world crafted and the characters developed.

The Metamor world is a world where Magic and technology exist together. In this world you will find vampires, telepaths, wizards, fey and all sorts of other “humanities” and “non humanities” . In Metamor City they all exist, work and live together. The Metamor City society is not classless, and it has a dark but not overbearing undertone to it.

The Whispers in the Wood story arc  involves a telepath working with one of the cities enforcement agencies, investigating a series of murders that seem to be connected to a musician and an enchanted violin. Although it does involve a character from a very early episode of Metamor City you loose nothing by jumping on board here. Abbey Preston’s history is not relevant to this particular story. If downloaded through iTunes it comes with an explicit tag. This shouldn’t put you off, it seems to me that Americans rate an awful lot of stuff explicit, when you will see or hear worse on most soaps, or even TV advertising these days.

If you already enjoy the Metamor City world then I am preaching to the converted, if you are new to this then my suggestion is that listen to all of Whispers in the Wood, then download episodes 001 to 041. By the time you come out of episode 41, the Metamor City team will probably have another couple of episodes up for our entertainment.

Dave A

I basically started this to learn a little more about whats out there, and share some of the experiences I have had with books, movies, events, audiobooks, football, podcasts and occasionally life.

What I have learn t is that these things take time and if I am going to do this I have to devote time to it.  As I am currently on holiday from paid work (there is plenty of unpaid work to do around the place) I have caught up on some reading so have a few books, and podcasts to report back on.

As a discipline I have decided that all reviews will have to fit on the back of an A5 card if written in longhand. This should make them shorter and also more interesting.

I have avoided comments about my beloved Liverpool Football Club, not because I don’t care anymore, mainly to avoid depressing myself and others who are of the faith.

Dave A

Been away for a while, actually about six months, hopefully I am back and will be able to document my thoughts, feelings and opinions on books, movies, podcasts and music.

Dave A

This book is set in the near future, post 2040 although it flashes back to the distant past ( early 00′s ) when the two main characters were younger (obviously!).

The key characters are Dr Sarah Halifax and her husband Don. They are both in their 80′s and retired. The book opens as the couple prepare for their 60th Wedding Anniversary family celebration.  Sarah had her moment of fame, when as part of the SETI programme she decoded a message from out there somewhere. The message was basically an intergalactic survey.

Earth answered the survey and about 40 years later there is an answer to our answer. This answer is encripted and no one knows the key. To help in the decoding effort Sarah and Don are offerred a Rollback. This is a process of treatments that roll the body back to its mid 20 condition. It works for Don but not for Sarah.

One of the things I enjoyed about the book is how the author resisted the urge to plunge into detail. This so easily have turned into a 700 page epic and that would have taken away the simplicity of the novel.
In terms of the characters the author has made them all very sweet and nice, I know no-one who would react in the same logical and basically friendly way as all the characters do in this novel.

I have only read one Sawyer novel before this and that was Calculating God. That novel was significantly deeper than Rollback, but still the author manages to include social debate that forces you to think. In this book they are alot around the abortion debate, should we shouldn’t we and who has the final say, the father or the mother.

Also was Spock correct? Do the needs of the many take priority over the needs of the few (one).

Anyway, read and enjoy it was good.

I finished Part 1 of ” Superhuman Fiction” talking about Mur Lafferty. Another author who has been around for a while but is not as prolific as Mur is Matthew Wayne Selznick. This is lifted straight from his website.

Brave Men Run

As I said previously there are many authors podcasting their works but there are only a few that I have also purchased the book. Matthew Wayne Selznick’s Brave Men Run is one of those.

This is a novel based in the Sovereign era. In this novel the appearance of people with these powers is sudden and very public, the power behind the powers wants all people with powers to be granted status as citizens of a “Sovereign Nation” .

This is the story of Nate Charters, living with his Mum (Dad is dead), an outcast at school and his only friends are those labelled freaks and geeks. Not only outcast but bullied because he is different. The story is about the adventures, ups and downs as Nate adjusts to the fact his history isn’t what he thought and he might just be “special”. This is coming of age from a superhero perspective.

From a writing perspective its well written, suitable for all ages, nicely paced and the characters are real.

Matthew Wayne Selznick is important as he was/ is a trail blazer this is lifted straight from his website

A New Media Landmark

“Brave Men Run” was the first novel with an initial simultaneous publication in paperback, five formats of e-book free of digital rights management restrictions, and free podcast audiobook (podiobook) editions. People on five continents have read or listened to it, and people in developing nations are free to create commercial derivative works based on the book thanks the the Creative Commons Developing Nations license.

Jeffrey DeRego’s – Union Dues

Every now and then in either the “clonepod” or the “escape pod” podcasts a Union Dues story drops, rather than wait they are put onto the iPod instantly ( at present that would mean leaping over 1300 other podcasts ). No matter what I am listening to gets put on hold while I listen, Union Dues stories are some of the only stories I listen to again.

I heard my first Union Dues story about 12 months ago, the delivery podcast was “escape pod”  this was so good that I had to go back and find all previous Union Dues stories. I think I got them all.

I think the title gives it away, superheros are unionised with a truckload of rules and regs that they have to live with. If as a child you exhibit powers then the Union comes and by law takes you away from your family.

Since Christmas escape pod has published a Union Dues origin story, about 30 minutes long. If you like superhuman fiction and listen to this and are not hooked then………

If I had a wish list of things I would like to happen this year ( apart from world peace of course, it would be )

• Tickets to the worldwide premier of Watchmen
• Another novel in the Playing For Keeps world by Mur Lafferty
• More regular Union Dues stories and something published in hardcopy. I will buy it!

Dave A

I think I have always been a fan of “superhuman fiction“.Wouldn’t the world be a fantastic place if you could have superhuman ” non fiction” ?

As a youngster I was never encouraged to get involved with comic culture, my only real glimpse was the comics at the local barber. He had piles of Green Lantern comics in the waiting area. Apparently his wife thought they were a waste of money so he hid his collection in open view, at his business.

Sometime around my 14th year (so we are talking 1970) my Dad left and things changed in our house. There was a subtle relaxing in what we could read and get involved in. Mum was working up at Liverpool Uni in a highly scientific and technical area. One of Mum’s workmates “Jo” had a partner who was involved in the selling of Sci Fi books, and every week a new pile would come home. I was introduced to Asimov, Clarke and many others.

My exposure to non normal fiction up to that point was The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I was given (LOTR) on my 11th Birthday and every Easter I re-read it !

I managed to avoid all the hype around Superman, DC and Marvel. The appreciation for superhuman fiction in comics was not awakened until passing a comic shop in Wellington I saw an X-man comic with a stunning cover, Gambit and Rogue. (This must have been about 1988).  I went in paid my couple of dollars and was for the first time in my life was involved in purchasing comics. I didn’t buy many X-men comics because it was just too hard to catch up.

It still bugs me that the X-Men movies (which I enjoyed) never had Gambit in them, how could they not have him in it. How can you have Rogue without Gambit? they are key to each other. At least they had Wolverine, which is something.

Following X-men I moved into the worlds created by Michael Turner (RIP) particulaiy his work with Witchblade and the Fathom. Without a doubt part of the attraction to these characters is the art of Michael Turner.

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The other attraction is for the first time the darker and negative side of being superhuman, and the not really knowing what to do and the fear of the power, who is in control? the power or the power wielder.

It almost like the superhumans are saying, “we have problems too you know, its not that easy saving the world everyday, and by the way our issues are major issues. “

From my perspective Aspen Matthews (Fathom) and Sara (Witchblade) both built on the cracks that we saw in the X-Men characters of Wolverine and Gambit. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t totally good, they had a moral focus that was very normal, not superhuman and focused on the goody goody. The modern superhuman is gray and is affected by what happens around them.

The current manifestation of superhuman is the TV series Heros. Compulsary viewing in our house.

Along with Dr Who one of only two non “football” TV shows that I watch. (and for those in the States its soccer not the other game.)  Dr Who cant be superhuman of course as he is an alien. Timelords are about as Alien as you can get!

At the ultra hyped level there are alot of people who are about to be introduced to a darker side of superhuman lives and that is with the movie of Alan Moores – Graphic Novel Watchmen.

Hopefully this will be the movie of the year, it should be because the story is stunning and dark.

Following my introduction to Alan Moore’s work, I found myself listening too  podcast novels, novellas and short stories. Quiet by accident I had wandered into a world of stunning writers who mostly have yet to be published and have been giving their work away for years.

At the top of this pile is Mur Lafferty who wrote and podcast the book Playing For Keeps, following its being podcast Mur also signed a deal and had her book published. I hope it was succesful both for her and the publishers,  both Mur and the book deserve success.   Playing for Keeps (PFK) was the first podcast novel that I felt was good enough (for me) to purchase in hardcopy.

There are other podcast authors (not many) who have published, but there writing is not as tight and well crafted as Mur’s.

Like most novels involving superhuman powers we have good vs bad, the plot for this is complicated by the intervention of an (initially) disorganised group of  humans with third string powers.  This group are centered around a bar owned by one of these lesser powers Keepsie Branson.

One of my favourite characters is one who has the power to produce high powered streams of s**t. Another is the character who has the ability to carry a drinks tray without spilling a drop ( how can anyone not call that a major power? ).

Although this novel has a very funny and satirical, it is not a comedy. Its a story about people, people who have been ignored, who feel they have a contribution to make and stupid rules dont allow them to contribute.

Mur is big in the podcasting / new media world, she has podcast at least 5 novels and many, many short stories. Her Christmas short story on “Escape Pod” is worth rushing the year around for.  Anyway do yourself a favour google Mur Lafferty and have some fun.

Dave A

From his website (  http://www.basilsands.com/drupal/     )

Pastor Michael Farris was a well loved man. Loving husband and father, Shepherd of his church, Courageous minister to the inner city gangs of Columbus Ohio. He helped people change their lives for the better.

But when his peaceful life is suddenly shattered by a senseless drive by shooting, a side of Pastor Farris that almost no one knew comes to the surface…a violent shadow of a life that he had been able to keep secret all these years. As he seeks to right the crimes committed against him he is unexpectedly confronted by a ghost from his past, and Mike Farris suddenly finds himself in a race against the clock to stop an insane terrorist from killing thousands, even millions, in one fell swoop

OK you might ask, what is this fascination with Basil Sands.  I tend to do this with books and music. If I find and artist/author that I like, I go all out to catch up with their output!

This is another stunning novel acquired through Podiobooks.  This is the story of a ” marine ” who is also a minister. From his perspective he is looking forward to a life of harvesting souls and fighting the ” evil on the streets of his community”.

If you have read the short story collection “In the Shadows” you will recognise Pastor Michael Farris.  If you have read “65 Below” you will recognize one of the main characters from that book.

Pastor Michael’s world forever changed when Drug dealers attack his house. Revenge becomes a motivating factor and as Mike hunts out those that committed a crime against his church we are treated to flashbacks of his service life.

Basil uses that literary trick of having two time-lines moving towards one point in time at the conclusion of the book.

This is a military/action thriller that is easy to listen to, has enough plot turns and twists to ensure that you stay focused as you listen.

I cant wait for his next book.

Dave A

I have talked about Basil Sands Podcast Novels before, this is a collection of his short stories.

From his website

A collection of Short Stories full of action, adventure, and a little sci-fi mixed in the bunch. If you want short bursts of explosive action, these twenty minute episodes will get your heart racing and your muscles tense. Be prepared for a wild ride. You might wanna wear your seat belt.

Also from his website

From the wilds of America’s Last Frontier come the heart pounding novels of Alaska’s premier new writer.

Basil Sands has been called the next Tom Clancy, Jack Higgins, Michael Crichton, Frederick Forsyth, and Ken Follett all rolled into one.

This collection hits the mark perfectly (for me). Most of the stories are between 18 and 30 mins, which is as I like it. They are enough different as to make each of them interesting. Some of the stories relate to characters or events, in his previous books. They are well narrated without being over-produce. The stories are hard and have an violent/thriller edge to them, romances they are not.

If you haven’t read / listened to any of Basil Sands stories then I suggest that you give this collection a try.

His books can be downloaded through podiobooks    http://www.podiobooks.com/index.php

Podiobooks is a great place to pick up some damm good listening.

Dave A

This is a fantastic audio drama, not only a good story, well acted, but it also has very high production values.  Its not free but then again, its not expensive.  (Less than one handful of $) My understanding is that episode 2 is currently being cast. Hopefully it wont take months to release that one. I’m told the first is the hardest.

Soul Rift is the cop / FBI type drama set in the not to far future (about 25 years).  The main character is Detective Alice Walker and her partner ( Spectre) is a ghost. This is a drama played across and through the planes. The first episode (Masochism) starts of in the VIP basement of a S&M club. A young (willing) victim is found dead with her “soul” stolen.

As I said previously, this is high class Audio Drama. I goy my copy from Echo Fiction http://www.echofiction.com/titles/soulrift/e01.php  . The only minor disappointment was the state of their website http://www.dreamseed.com/  its very sparse, and under construction, without the warning.

For many of us oldies the old image is one of the most enduring sci-fi images of all time. Its from the 1951 original movie. To be honest I dont remember the original movie ( It helps that I wasn’t born in 1951 ).

The impressions dragged up from my sub-conscious are that when I eventually saw it, it seemed fairly dated then ( It must have been on the TV in the 60′s ).

I am sure this remake will offend some people but it does arrive at a timely moment in history, and it carries a message. Now there is one thing I hate and that is being ” preached to ” by American media, but with this movie I can get past that.

As an independent entertainment artifact it ranks 5/6 out of 10. Jennifer Connolly stands out, but to me she will always be the girl in Labyrinth.  Talk about typecast!  Yet again an American movie throws up a stunning young child actor Jaden Smith (who I believe is Will Smiths son).

The plot is simple Alien comes to earth, earth ( well USA ) responds the only way it knows how, with brute force and violence. Alien decides best way to save the planet is to eradicate humans ( Alien is probably correct! ). Humans persuade Alien not to allow human race to be exterminated, Alien swayed by both Jaden and Jennifer Connolly (well she is hot! ) does his best and flies away.

There is no sex or violence in it, so it can be watched by all. As I said before a good entertainment artifact, and despite the hollywood slush the message is clear.

This planet is very close to the tipping point !

Dave A

P.S GORT is amazing!