Recently in Audio Book Category

I logged into my Audible account for the first time in ages and downloaded some things I'd been meaning to listen to. When I went to sync them with my Zune, my efforts came to a screeching hault. Apparently the Zune team forgot that people care about audio books. On some level this is no surprise, because they also forgot that people care about podcasts, but you would think the longest running downloadable audio store on the Internet (Audible) would have been given a bit more consideration. There is a workaround for this, which I documented with previous players lacking Audible support.

My Zune has been my primary player for several months, because I like the Zune Pass. I'm officially back in two portable player mode again, because my iPod now has my Audible content and my Zune has my Zune Pass subscription content. I'm seriously considering dumping the Zune and going back to the rip-a-CD method of song imports. The Zune team will likely tell me I'm not the target demographic for their player, which is stupid, because I'm in the demographic that spends money on downloadable content.

Hear a sample from Fast Food Nation

The Jared diet; oversized meal deals; drive-thru service; dollar menus. We can't escape fast food. Is a foot long sub really better for you than a burger and fries? That's a question Fast Food Nation won't answer, but it covers plenty of other territory with a highly divisive tone. Rick Adamson reads Eric Schlosser's report of the state of fast food in the United States and around the world with the critical tone that Schlosser's reporting suggests. Whether you believe the accusations in Fast Food Nation or not, there's no denying we live in a world consumed by convenience. Bigger, better, faster, more is the order of the day and Schlosser takes an interesting look at how that's impacted the societies around the world as fast food continues to expand its reach. Taken with a dose of Super Size Me, Fast Food Nation will have you on the 3 apple plan in no time.

Free Interview with Lemony Snicket

If you've never read any of the A Series of Unfortunate Events books, you're missing out on a collection of clever, but slightly dark stories aimed at the kid in all of us. Book one of the audio book collection, The Bad Beginning, is performed by Tim Curry and an ensemble cast, making it a fun listen for car rides or when there's nothing good on the tube. Curry also voices audio versions in the series from number six on. I first heard an interview with series author Daniel Handler on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me. He's just as quirky, smart, and entertaining as his stories. Beth Anderson, Audible's Publisher is a little more serious seeming than Peter Sagal's witty banter, but still well worth a listen. Consider this a free behind the scenes for the movie, which opens Friday.

Hear a sample from The Action Hero's Handbook

The Worst Case Scenario guides have reached the point of over exposure and yet the information remains irresistible. Taking super human survival to a whole new level, David Borgenicht, co author of the Worst Case Scenario handbook, teams up with his brother Joe for The Action Hero's Handbook. Learn how to be a human lie detector, spy proof a hotel room, disarm a hostile gunman and other skills useful to the guy who feels more Bruce Campbell than Bruce Davison. While most of the material in the book is absurd for everyday life, you can't help but enjoy the scenario's laid out and the solutions presented. The audio book version is narrated by Gerald Doyle, a veteran of both Broadway and the Royal Court Theatre in London.

http://www.mediablab.com/audiobooks/The_Time_Machine.html

The Time Machine is one of those stories everyone should read or listen to at least once. Science of the fiction has become a less conceivable over time, but still leaves enough to the imagination to keep you enthralled. H.G. Wells' message of morality is timeless. Stories of the Unusual are exactly as the title suggests: a handful of short tales of strange circumstances, compelling characters and a fascinating examination of humanity through the pen of a master storyteller. Ralph Cosham brings each of these tales to life with the same craft he voiced other classics like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Frankenstein.

Audible member's get this audio book free

I just noticed Audible is offering the entire audio from We Can Remember It For You Wholesale free to members. I'm hopeful this is a trend they will continue with future short-form fiction as a bonus to members. A quest for memories of great adventure places the seemingly average Douglas Quail in harms way for a bigger thrill than he could have ever imagined. The short story reads at just over 50 minutes and is the basis for the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger film Total Recall. Philip K. Dick's version is, of course, quite different than the Hollywood adaptation, and narrator Keir Dullea does a decent reading. The short also appears in the collection Minority Report and Other Stories.

Hear a sample from Night of The Living Dead

The low budget effects and creepy realism of Night of the Living Dead makes it one of the scariest movies of all time. The original cast of the movie captures that frightful realism in this audio dramatization delivering one of the most disturbing audio performances ever released. Prepare to be frightened as a narrator guides you through the chilling events from the fateful night of terror in a Pennsylvania farmhouse. While the audio version lacks the visual punctuation of the movie, this remains a classic interpretation deserving of any classic horror fans listening approval.

Hear a sample reading from Will In the World.

Was Will Shakespeare the punk rock voice of the Elizabethan era? Certainly, he came from nothing to produce some of the most influential bodies of work in the English language. Stephen Greenblatt, one of the foremost authorities on Shakespearean works, lends his pen to an elaborate telling of the Bard as he might have lived. Narrator Peter Jay Fernandez accurately voices Greenblatt's writing, giving us a unique perspective on the life and times of the godfather of modern theater. It helps to have an appreciation for Shakespeare's writing to enjoy this audio book, but it is by no means required.

Hear a sample reading from The Poison Belt

Professor George Edward Challenger summons 3 friends to his home with a strange request: bring your own oxygen. The even stranger reason: Challenger has discovered the Earth is about to pass through a poisonous belt of ether, and all living things are destined to die unless they can protect themselves. Can the 4 men's small supply of oxygen last until the Earth clears the poison belt?

Listen to a sample reading from Free Agent Nation

The Organization Man is history. Taking his place is America's new economic icon: the "free agent" - the job-hopping, tech-savvy, fulfillment-seeking, self-reliant, independent worker. Already 30 million strong, these new "dis-organization" men and women are transforming America in ways both profound and exhilarating.