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THE LOWEDOWN ON AUDIOBOOKS By
Jonathan Lowe, Fall-Winter 2008
book
analyzes and describes how the brain works, then summarizes what makes
neurons decline or grow, according to inputs received through the senses.
Growth factors called neurotrophins play a role in stimulating new
connections, even in aging brains, and so the key to producing these
growth factors is to present the brain with new experiences, and to do
common activities in new ways. This might include changing hands while
eating or brushing your teeth, closing your eyes and feeling your way
around the house, waking to different music, different smells. The trick
is to force change in all aspects of routine tasks in order to establish
new associations and connections, which in turn allows the mind to grow in
other ways. Turning off the TV and going outside for a walk in a new
neighborhood is also a suggestion here, which is excellent advice for
couch potatoes being brainwashed to eat more (so food industry executives
can no doubt retire to Tahiti.) As narrated by Manning Rubin, this book,
together with diet and physical exercise, might just help prevent dementia
in old age as well. (Highbridge Audio; 2 hours abridged)
Has the world gone mad? It would seem so, says Eckhart Tolle in his book A
NEW EARTH, which describes this collective madness as enslavement by
the ego's obsessive thought patterns. What's the ego? According to
Tolle, it's who you THINK you are--a substitute identity for who you
really are. The ego is at the core of what's wrong with the world
because it's such a pervasive delusion. So people who brag and
scheme, who obsess over status, who tailgate you and worry about keeping
up with the Joneses. . . these people are enslaved by their "egoic
mind," says Tolle in this Oprah pick, and are not happy campers.
Not only are they not happy, they don't want anyone else to be happy
either. (Misery loves company, after all.) What's the alternative to
being judgmental, vain, impatient, competitive and/or ruthless? Well,
apparently for some it's to acquire a collective group identity---a
political party, a sports team, a cult. An "us versus them" mentality
which then replaces the lonely and terrified "I" that fears
inevitable loss. . .or rather the ego that demands to be perceived as
right. To find one's true identity, however, explains Tolle, a person
needs to slow down and realize that the future is only a concept, and
never a reality. So being conscious of the present moment as one's
only true possession is key. Such an awareness also dissolves the
past, substituting a sense of joy and "being" for the more
typical regret, angst, and anxiety. Read by the author, the audiobook
version resonates with many of these seemingly simple yet profound truths,
evident to the listener in Eckhart's own narrative tone--never
preachy, never soapbox maudlin, and most of all never accepting of
"The Secret" mindset espoused by other self help gurus who've
gotten rich by holding up material wealth (rather than mental &
spiritual health) as the ultimate goal. As such, it's a worthy followup to
Tolle's masterpiece "The Power of Now." (Penguin Audio or Audible.com
download; 9 hours unabridged) LOWE:
I've read once that you like trains, and you wrote "The Christmas
Train." What trips have you taken on trains, and what inspired that
book, specifically?
DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL! On the day before Halloween, 1938, millions of Americans tuned in to a popular radio drama program hosted by Orson Welles. Unfortunately for listeners that day, Welles' adaptation of "The War of the Worlds" presented the radio drama as if it were an actual news broadcast. Fake updates described a "huge flaming object" dropping from the sky near Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Actors read lines like "Good heavens, something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. They look like tentacles to me!" While the beginning of the broadcast indicated its fictional nature, the explanation wasn't repeated until more than half an hour later. In the meantime, the panic that ensued soon made legitimate news headlines, with stories of people hiding in cellars with loaded guns, or wrapping their heads in wet towels for protection from Martian poison gas. It all prompted New York Tribune columnist Dorothy Thompson to declare that, "All unwittingly, Mr. Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater of the Air have made one of the most fascinating and important demonstrations of all time. They have proved that a few effective voices, accompanied by sound effects, can convince masses of people of a totally unreasonable, completely fantastic proposition." This was the Golden Age of Radio, which didn't fade until the newer technology of television took over in the 1950s. Oddly, the effectiveness of radio wasn't diminished even by World War II, since news broadcasts spurred a need for escapist evening drama, particularly thriller drama. During a typical wartime season, then, radio networks offered 25 programmed hours each week of shows like "Suspense" and "The Shadow." Even later, when television was young, many successful radio series were adapted for the small screen, like "Gunsmoke," which could then be heard on radio and seen on TV simultaneously. In fact, only when the number of TV sets began to near the number of radio sets in American homes did the medium die as a popular addiction. But has it died completely? For a look at those the state of radio and audio drama production today, I interviewed Sue Zizza, Executive Director of what has become the National Audio Theatre Festivals. Zizza also teaches a course on the subject of audio drama at New York University. "Back in 1979," Zizza recalled, "when I was on staff at a community radio station in Missouri, we put feelers out across the country to other dramatists in the field. The intent was to see who was still doing what, and to form a new group of professionals, utilizing funds provided at the time by public radio, the NEA and CPB. The suggestion was made to form a training event, the Midwest Radio Drama Workshop was born. Now, our week long workshops in Missouri introduce people at all skill levels to audio drama production." As Zizza further explains it, "We believe that if you learn how to produce an audio play, where you're blending voice and music and sound effects and silence, then you can take those skills and become a better documentary, film or music producer, because what you learn through telling your story as audio drama really hones your storytelling craft." In addition to week long workshops, the NATF also sponsors weekend events around the country, focused on one particular skill, and at the end an actual performance is staged so that these learned skills can be practiced. "Take Lindsay Ellison, for example," Zizza points out, "who added audio production and direction to her stage direction and acting skills. Now she's working with Tom Lopez on the post production of her play. Others take classes in voice acting, writing, producing, directing and technology. After learning the fundamentals, they mount a live show as an effects artist or technical assistant." In describing the unique challenges of audio drama, Zizza cites knowing how to make voices unique “because obviously there are no body types or hair colors as in stage acting.” Also, knowing when and how often to utilize sound effects is important, “because too much sound design only confuses the listener, and should only be used to support the action, identify locales, or move characters around a space.” In short, the listener must be clear at all moments about what is going on. And that rule has never changed. But hasn’t the equipment changed since radio's Golden Age? "Not really," claims Zizza. "Many of the props I use today were inherited from my mentor Al Shaffer, who did sound effects for Bob & Ray, among others. He taught me how to do horses, walk down stairs, etc. The only thing that's really changed is that the microphones are more sensitive now, so you can't get away with using an old-time prop like cellophane to make fire. Although corn starch is still used for walking through snow." She's adamant that sound effects taken from CDs don't work for the most part, even in our modern, high-tech era. "The acoustic space is not the same as the space where the actors record, and you can tell. With animals in a zoo, for example, there's a reverb which can't be corrected. So getting a sound effects artist to listen and add effects in real time actually saves time. Where the science has advanced is really in post production, with digital recording and editing. But if you don't understand how the elements of writing and acting and sound design combine in the final product, it won't matter if you're producing it digitally, and Pro Tools won't save you." Zizza says that part of her funding today comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, and part from the local arts councils where the festivals are held, and from individual contributors. The audio drama community as it exists today consists of "about two hundred independent companies or individuals producing mostly new material, although maybe half will produce both old time and new scripts." For her own part, she produces The Radio Works, a sampler series which is heard on 70 public radio stations, and features a different producer each time, with all new work. Other audio drama companies currently active include the Full Cast Audio company, the Atlanta Radio Theater, Great Northern Audio Theatre, ZBS Foundation, Firesign Theatre, Shoestring Radio Theater, and the Radio Repertory Company of America. Seeing Ear Theatre, associated with the Scifi channel, produces original plays for publishers like Harper Audio, like the excellent "Two Plays for Voices," featuring actors Bebe Neuwirth and Brian Dennehy performing Neil Gaiman's "Snow Glass Apples" and "Murder Mysteries." And of course L.A. Theatre Works, perhaps the most highly regarded audio theatre company, employs talented professionals like Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason to record classic plays as audio dramas for distribution in bookstores, like Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue." What does the future hold? Zizza is cautious, but optimistic. "Full cast audio is costly to produce, and so there are not as many titles available. This is also true for public radio stations, who find it more economical to produce news or talk shows. But I think the situation is improving over what it was just three years ago. With all the webcasting and iPod downloading going on, I think people will seek out audio drama, and already a new crop of directors and producers are studying the craft the same way as those who study stage acting. Our challenge is to produce better quality material, and take those interested to the next level of skills so that audio theater looks forward instead of backward." For a befitting sampling of full cast stories this month, give a listen to A GROWN-UP'S HALLOWEEN, directed by radio drama pioneer Yuri Rasovsky for Blackstone Audio. "Dedicated to the thinking paranoiac," the collection includes stories by Kafka, Dostoevsky, Bierce, Twain, Shaw, and "A. Fiend." (Probably Yuri himself). Eclectic and unusual, the audiobook was nominated for an Audie in 2007. http://www.blackstoneaudio.com/audiobook.cfm?ID=4096 Having directed my own audiobook "Fame Island," Yuri also directs and reads a just-released collection of horror stories by Richard Matheson titled I AM LEGEND, with narrator Robertson Dean. The title story is about a man who might be the last human in a world of vampires, and his survival amid the ruins of what we imagine to be "civilization" is chilling, and also ironic--even comic--as Rasovsky's choices usually are.
Previous Columns: One of my favorite new books, if you can find it, is SURRENDER by Sonya Hartnett, an Australian writer with incredible depth of perception. This is a psychological thriller about a dying young man telling his story in flashback. A story about a childhood friend who is a bit loony and dangerous, with whom Gabriel has made a pact, and who he must stop when a series of arson fires envelops the town where both he and Finnigan live. The elegiac and inventive descriptions of a tortured inner landscape reminded me of the prose of Jeff Long, and in another way it's much like the natural metaphoric usage of the outer world that mirrors the inner for James Lee Burke. "Surrender" has here two meanings, and the second comes in the form of Gabriel's Doberman, who is also appropriately named "Surrender." The book is read by versatile English actor Humphrey Bower, who endows the characters with just the right wistfulness or angst. (Bolinda Audio/ 6.5 hours unabridged) Clive Cussler and his son Dirk have a new adventure novel out titled TREASURE OF KHAN. Together, they roar through the same twisting turns that have made former Dirk Pitt novels a hit in the past. This time out it's the lost tomb of Genghis Khan, an oil survey team encountering a freak wave on a Russian lake, and a modern Mongolian who seeks to continue the quest for world domination of his ancestor by supplying oil to the Chinese, all the while making the search for oil elsewhere difficult, if not impossible. Throw in the mysterious treasure of Xanadu, and you have the makings of another escapist adventure with old friends. Richard Ferrone lends his gravelly voice to the narration, this time, standing in for Scott Brick, with generous leading and anticipation. (Penguin Audio/6 hours abridged) Finally, in MYSTERIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES historical non-fiction author Thomas Cahill has a new book that explores the genesis of Western civilization after the Dark Ages, when medieval thinkers began to move toward science, and artists began depicting things realistically. Rome, Paris, Oxford, and Florence come under scrutiny in this history lesson that is far from dry, while exposing papal hypocrisy and greed as a tool for conquest. The subtitle of the audiobook, well read by the author, is "The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe." Now I wonder what will arise from our current Dark Age thinking? If not a New Age, then it may be the End Times. Food for thought. (Random House Audio/6 hours abridged) (These audiobooks may be rented from Audio Adventures by calling 1-800-551-6692. Be sure to ask about the coffee related supernatural suspense AWAKENING STORM, narrated with full sound effects by Barrett Whitener for BlackstoneAudio.com.) James Lee Burke's new mystery PEGASUS DESCENDING again features a New Iberia, Louisiana detective named Dave Robicheaux, a former alcoholic prone to dark, violent spells influenced by nagging memories and the need for justice. In this latest outing, Dave is investigating the death of a former friend whom he once witnessed being gunned down in a robbery. The man's daughter has recently surfaced, spending marked money, something that will lead Dave into a confrontation with the thug who ended Dallas Klein's life twenty-five years before. Library Journal and other reviewers mention Burke's intricate plotting, but I say the plot here doesn't matter so much as the insight into what lurks behind our thin veneer of society. How can we be so generous and polite and respectable one moment, and so callous and violent and greedy the next? Dave's inner struggles mirror our own, and bring out much larger questions than simply who may have done what to whom, and when. As such, this is not mere mystery, it is literature. Indeed, the prose of Burke is arguably the most astonishingly original in the metaphor department of anyone writing. One day, when finally Burke gives up Robicheaux and writes a truly timeless American classic, it will be on a par with Hemingway's best, or with Faulkner. Until then, we have a flawed detective who, like Travis McGee in the John D. MacDonald series, shares the burden of human frailty along with a transcendent awareness of the beauty of nature and the heartbreaking brevity of all life. As to the narrator of this story, you could not ask a better performer than actor Will Patton, whose Louisiana accents are as authentic as his gifts for character embellishment and understated profundity. Even the pauses and breaths Patton takes here resonate with an air of familiarity. (Simon & Schuster Audio or Recorded Books/12 hours unabridged) Another original, albeit strange, writer is Haruki Murakami, a Japanese practitioner of magical realism, alternating popular fiction with fantasy in such a way that the borderland inhabited by his characters becomes a shadowy world at once familiar and disquieting. In KAFKA ON THE SHORE, two parallel stories merge into one. The first is told by a truck driver who encounters a multi-dimensional being not averse with playing with his mind. The second story, intertwined with the first, is that of a precocious 15 year old named Kafka, embarked on a journey to discover home and family, yet beset by surrealistic tests and choices. Not for the squeamish, this novel holds rewards for those seeking something different. Murakami himself is something of an iconoclast in his home country, and like all great writers, feels ill at ease with the status quo. Read with subtle evocation by Sean Barrett and Oliver Le Sueur, among others, this genre-crossing journey into the imagination has been produced by a publisher known for rendering classic masterworks into audio format. (Naxos Audiobooks/19 hours unabridged) Next, Seth Godin suggests that success in business is directly tied to one's ability to change, and to "think small and innovative." In his new book SMALL IS THE NEW BIG, Godin says the old days of seeking out MBAs to fill executive offices is morphing into a search for folks with the ability to creatively seize the moment. Truth is, anyone can change, and these days, the consumer is definitely "anyone." So to remain fearful of change is now more dangerous than ever, because even giant corporations are being outperformed by smaller companies with remarkable ideas. Bottom line? If you're starting small, don't be afraid of the big boys. Come up with something new and better, and you will shine. That's the lesson I get from this collection of blog posts and business articles, read by the author. (Highbridge Audio/7.5 hours unabridged) If you're still a Bush fan, you're now in a minority, according to the latest poll numbers. Was he naive, dumb, incompetent, or evil, at the height of his popularity after a speech on 9/11? Former drama critic for the NY Times, columnist Frank Rich, contends that the answer is all-of-the-above in his new book THE GREATEST STORY EVER SOLD. Subtitle here is "The Decline and Fall of the Truth," with a second half titled "Buyer's Remorse." To his credit, Rich doesn't descend into angry invective, and suggests that the Democrats, headed by Gore, may have done little better in the competency department-- something we'll never know. He does call the Bush administration a "propaganda presidency," detailing George W's narrow world view, and all-out focus on a predetermined agenda to consolidate his own power. Too bad that plans never seem to survive the first real battle. Narrated by the eloquent and listenable Grover Gardner, this fascinating look behind the curtains is nonetheless depressing, when you consider that the ones manipulating the ropes have made knots for us that resemble nooses. (Penguin Audio/10 hours unabridged) Finally, as an alternative to serial killer books or endless media re-countings of Bagdad body bags, try Ernest Hemingway's ISLANDS IN THE STREAM. It's a late story by the master novelist that has recently been recorded on audio, and narrated by actor Bruce Greenwood. The story follows Thomas Hudson, a painter on Bimini, who later gets involved in antisubmarine warfare off the coast of Cuba during WW II. A very human and familial story, it is read with grace by the believable Greenwood. It's also one of the last stories penned by this great and most famous of American writers. (Simon & Schuster Audio/15 hours unabridged) (Jonathan Lowe is a judge in the Audie awards, and author of the satirical "Fame Island," narrated by Emmy winning actor Kristoffer Tabori for BlackstoneAudio.com)
A magician of original wordplay, appropriately interpreted, is John Banville, an Englishman who won the Booker Prize for THE SEA, an astonishingly insightful look at a middle aged Irishman who has gone back to the seaside town where he grew up in order to make peace with his tortured soul following the death of his wife. It is the same place where he learned his first lessons about life and love, and even death. What he learned then will now help him cope with his recent loss. Narrator is John Lee, who has the Irish accent down pat for this introspective, wise, and remarkably real telling of a man's story in a way that most men often find themselves incapable of relating. You will definitely want to keep this one, and replay it to marvel at the depth and quirky precision that can be evoked by a reader with the right voice and delicacy of nuance. (Random House Audio/6 hours unabridged) For more from the British Isles, Karleen Koen's historical novel "Through A Glass Darkly" now has a sequel in DARK ANGELS, set in the time of King Charles II in England. The story follows Alice Verney, maid of honor to the Queen, who intends to marry the most celebrated duke of the Restoration in order to obtain--what else--power over the minions below her station. It's naturally a time of betrayal, as the King is rumored to be about to divorce his wife, and war is looming too, either with the Dutch or the French. One thing's for certain: human nature hasn't changed much since the 17th Century. They had greed, vanity, lust, and murderous intent in spades, just as we do now. Actress Rosalyn Landor narrates the text as though telling secrets to a confidant, since many of the characters here are doing the same. (Random House Audio/9 hours abridged) Next, Lou Dobbs has a beef with government and industry in WAR ON THE MIDDLE CLASS. Dobbs outlines the causes of our problems, mainly the subversion of the legal system by corporate special interest groups, the outsourcing of manufacturing and service jobs overseas, the crippling cost of medical insurance due to multi-million dollar lawsuits, and the propaganda attack by those supporting illegal immigration's assault on social services. What can be done to recapture the threatened American Dream? Well, that's outlined too, although it's mostly relegated to the back end of the final CD, which Dobbs also narrates. By the time he gets to the fighting back part, though, you've more or less given up hope that our schools, hospitals, courts, borders, and big companies can ever be fixed. Because it's pretty obvious that the war being waged by both the rich and the poor against those who are paying most of the bills is definitely not being won by those who are also doing most of the work. As the gap widens, the middle class is ever more inevitably to be left holding the empty, bullet-ridden bag. After all, in any battle, aren't the people standing in the middle more likely to be hit by flying lead, since they're being fired upon by both sides? (Penguin Audio/4 hours abridged) Next, enter THE DISCOMFORT ZONE with Jonathan Franzen, winner of the National Book Award for the Oprah title "The Corrections." This is an autobiographical book, read by the author, as he remembers growing up with repressive parents, a fear of girls and spiders, and a loathing for sports (unless you call bird watching a sport). All the basic subjects are covered here, including school dances, church socials and taboos, global warming, writers like Kafka, and marriage. Why you should care about Franzen's thoughts on these subjects is a good question, but the answer to that is for the entertainment value, and for sheer insight into what makes people tick. That includes himself, of course, since any good writer develops a sense of the larger picture beyond what is seen in a mirror, and so invariably attempts to gauge his position within that frame of reference. As a narrator, Franzen succeeds in conveying much of the angst of his youth, while at the same time not embarrassing himself with tales of overindulgence. Always aware of his audience, he nonetheless doesn't read as though he is turning pages, and thereby adds resonance to credibility. (Highbridge Audio/ 6 hours unabridged) Finally, for an exhaustive examination of faith and science, try THE LANGUAGE OF GOD, written and read by Francis S. Collins, a geneticist and head of the Human Genome Project. Here, a scientist attempts to answer the question of belief in a Creator by delving into biology, chemistry, and physics. Following his own bio path from atheism to faith, Collins first employs the writings of C.S. Lewis in understanding the puzzle of morality. Later, he dismisses agnosticism as simplistic, and Intelligent Design as illogical. Ultimately, he favors the idea that God created mankind through evolutionary processes, yet that science does not conflict with the Bible, but rather enhances it. How much faith does it take for a leading geneticist (or for Einstein) to believe in a Creator? Listen, and decide for yourself. (Simon & Schuster Audio/6 hours unabridged) (These audiobooks may be rented from Audio Adventures by calling 1-800-551-6692. Jonathan Lowe is a judge in the Audie awards, and author of the longevity mystery GEEZER, and the high caffeine audio suspense AWAKENING STORM from BlackstoneAudio.com)
THE LOWE-DOWN ON AUDIO BOOKS by Jonathan Lowe Back on Earth, of course, there are more believable suspense novels like KILLER INSTINCT by Joseph Finder, in which a young executive named Jason Steadman is trying to cope with his wife's urging that he climb the corporate ladder at an electronics firm so that they can enjoy a better life. But Jason doesn't really possess the killer instinct that his rival, a consistent top salesman, does. A nice guy, Jason then meets an ex Special Forces officer who was dishonorably discharged in Iraq. Kurt Semko was once drafted by a major baseball team, and so Jason gives him a second chance by hiring him as a security officer--primarily because the company team needs a pitcher. Soon, Jason is moving up the ladder quickly, thanks to some "accidents" his rivals seem to be having. Can you see where this is going? The suspense is narrated by Scott Brick, who slowly builds the tension into a predicament that anyone might find themselves in once they become friends with a sociopath. As a bonus, what follows is an interview between author Joseph Finder and Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote "Blink" and "The Tipping Point," on the nature of interoffice politics. (Audio Renaissance/11.5 hours unabridged) Now, if you know a sports nut who hasn't read a book in eons, a good choice for recommendation to him is DEAL BREAKER by Harlan Coben, a mystery featuring a sports agent named Myron Bolitar, a man who is about to sign a gifted quarterback when his believed-dead ex girlfriend suddenly calls and distracts the star, drawing Myron into a vortex of mystery in order to save the deal. Narrated with aplomb by Jon Marosz, this first Bolitar novel by Coben is being re-released on CD, since it was originally on cassette, a now practically obsolete format. Marosz is a no frills reader with a pleasant, manly voice and predictable inflections, yet the lilt of his speech doesn't call attention away from the story, making his rendering believable, appropriate, and enjoyable. The novel is quirky, and like the movie in which "show me the money" was a memorable line, it should attract die-hard sports fanatics away from the tube. How's that for a deal (with the devil) breaker? (Random House Audio/9 hours unabridged) Finally, I was going to review a new horror novel by Scott Smith ttitled "The Ruins," since he's the author of an intriguing suspense of the 1990s titled "A Simple Plan." But his new novel is not nearly as scary as a look inside our foreign policy; namely, a new non-fiction book titled THE ONE PERCENT DOCTRINE, by Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Suskind. With Iraq and Lebanon in ruins, and the administration's simple plan to fight terrorism showing gaps wide enough to drive a fleet of gas-guzzling Hummers through, what is more frightening to contemplate than sentient vines at some Mayan ruins in Mexico is the insidious insanity of religious fanatics willing to die in order to kill us here at home---and not just our buildings and way of life, but also our children. Radical and perverse, these shadowy cells are now maneuvering to acquire suitcase nukes with which to end our abominable existence. How did it come to this? How have we misjudged so badly the dynamics of martyrdom and revenge? And can we ever "win" with a policy of brushing aside intelligence advice in order to chase cockroaches with sledgehammers? Narrated by actor Edward Herrmann, whose authoritative resonance in reading biographies has won him industry acclaim, the book is based on Cheney's early dictum that "threats with even a 1% likelihood must be treated as certainties." Sounds like Douglas Adams or Monty Python speaking, given that this also translates into using mortar fire to kill termites. (Simon & Schuster Audio/6 hours abridged) You've probably seen Richard A. Clarke many times on TV, as consultant and advisor on national security issues. He has served as Secretary of Defense, and Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence on several administrations. Now he's added novelist to his resume, with THE SCORPION'S GATE, a geopolitical thriller that postulates what might happen once the Saudi royal family is toppled. And it won't be pretty, with nuclear winter an ironic possibility. The "scorpions" referred to here are those who intend to invade Saudi Arabia for its oil reserves, and to protect the holy cities, including Iran and China. If there's a theme, it's that the world needs to move away from dependence on oil to fuel the future, because oil is running out, and there's no future in it at all. Robertson Dean is a good choice as narrator, with his deep, commanding voice, and ability to evoke the stark truths and petty manipulations inherent anytime you get politicians together. (Penguin Audio). In his new book HEALTHY AGING, Dr. Andrew Weil takes on the life extension industry, a vast number of companies and doctors who want us to believe aging can be halted or reversed. Supplements, therapies, plastic surgeries, gene manipulation---all of these make millions of dollars for their advocates, who dangle immortality in front of a public conditioned by Hollywood images to believe that only the young are truly alive. Weil distinguishes himself from those doctors with a financial interest in the products advertised by insisting that there is no evidence that any treatment or pill is yet on the horizon that can extend human life beyond the upper limit of 120 years, even among those few fortunate souls born with a good constitution and no genetic predilection for disease. (In my new suspense novel "Geezer," I also explore the dark side of seeking immortality with pharmaceuticals). So why not eat healthy, exercise moderately, and accept the wrinkles that come? There's certainly a greater dignity to this approach. It's also what makes "Healthy Aging" unique, and is what's most apparent on the audiobook version, which Weil narrates: His tone. He does not talk down to his audience, nor lecture them, using guilt as a motivator. Instead, he discusses what works and what doesn't, giving a scientific basis for not going overboard on exercise or other stress causing activities. In this way, Weil joins the few Botox and face-lift dissenters in Hollywood, like Jamie Lee Curtis or Paul Newman---actors who don't use tricks to end up looking like a Halloween treat. Like Dr. Perricone, he recommends an anti-inflammatory diet substituting fish like salmon for red meat, and using spices like turmeric, ginger and cinnamon for their restorative effects. Not that you'll stop aging, but maybe those falling "golden" arches might not crush your golden years. (Random House Audio). Most boys these days are obsessed with baseball, after watching dad in front of the TV for hours on end with chips and a Miller "Lite." Miles O'Malley is quite different in the novel THE HIGHEST TIDE by Jim Lynch. His obsession is starfish, crabs, clams, and a myriad other sea creatures, which he discovers on moonlit nights in the tidal flats of Puget Sound. Miles becomes a local celebrity when he discovers a giant squid amid the flotsam on the beach, and this steers his rite of passage from 13 years old into adulthood as he becomes a spokesperson for the wonders of the ocean, even among the scientists who flock to the site. Miles is precocious and curious about sex, but he's also curious, observant and knowledgeable, unlike his classmates. He doesn't care that they call him "Squid-boy," nor does he particularly like his popularity. He'd rather quote Rachel Carson, and watch the rising tide like he watches the other changes his amazing life brings. Fisher Stevens reads the novel with a sense of exuberance and awe that fits the story, and makes this one of the best first novels in a long time. (Audio Renaissance). In FEVER by Sean Rowe, the security chief of a cruise line is approached by his stepbrother, who has the intention of hijacking a cruise ship that happens to be carrying several pallets of drug money in the hold, disguised as powdered milk. Matt Shannon is trapped into cooperation by Jack Fontana via unwittingly causing the sinking of a freighter in Miami's shipping lane. This leads to the planned piracy, and some dicey misadventures on the high seas. The book's opening is stronger than its ending, which seems an anti-climatic and relationship-based departure, but overall the novel's appeal is its irreverent, realistic and offbeat narrative. Then, too, real life is never quite so rounded and formulaic, so that gives it a certain believability. Narrator is William Dufris, known for giving voice to original offbeat characters, and letting them breathe. At least until the breathing stops. (Tantor Media). The classic ROSEMARY'S BABY by Ira Levin is now on audio in a new production narrated by none other than Mia Farrow. Of course you're familiar with the story about a happy young housewife who slowly learns that her sunny apartment hides a dark secret, and that her neighbors have satanic intentions. Levin is also author of "A Kiss Before Dying" and "The Stepford Wives," as well as "The Boys From Brazil" and "Sliver." He has won the Edgar Allen Poe Award twice, and is also famous for the longest running thriller on Broadway, "Deathtrap." Farrow's voice is delicate and subdued, so you may have to turn the volume up if you're trying to listen in heavy traffic, but otherwise she is an excellent choice as narrator, not only because she's the star of the movie version, but because her interpretation is animated where it needs to be---not a dry reading, but dramatic. Finally, Garrison Keillor has a special two hour production taken from "The Prairie Home Companion" titled THE CHRISTMAS COMPANION. The collection includes stories, songs and sketches like "Bebopareebop Rhubarb Pie" and "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies." Singers Renee Fleming, Diana Krall, Ricky Skaggs, and actress Sarah Jessica Parker accompany Garrison's various reminisces about office parties and stomach flu. Ho ho ho! (Highbridge Audio). (Jonathan Lowe is
author of "Fame Island" and "Awakening Storm," on
audio from Blackstone. His new suspense novel "Geezer" was out
in hardcover on Dec. 14.) SOUNDING OUT AUDIOBOOK
PRODUCERS DENNIS KAO & LINDA ROSS with author and reviewer Jonathan
Lowe Time Warner Audiobooks
production supervisors Dennis Kao and Linda Ross discuss what it's like
to oversee the making of an audiobook. JONATHAN LOWE: When
Warner Books hands you two a print manuscript to produce as an audiobook,
what do you do first? Walk us through the procedure. DENNIS KAO: I like
to take the manuscript home, away from ringing phones, then lie on my
couch and read. The book will usually tell me how it should be produced.
. . what the tone should be, who's point of view is it told from, what
type of music should be used, who should we cast, etc. Then I write down
my ideas and discuss them with my boss, Maja (Thomas), who will have her
own ideas. As does Linda. LINDA ROSS: When
the manuscript comes in, the first thing I do is send it off to an abridger,
and I get a word count to determine if we've assigned an appropriate length
for the format. I then get a feel for the style and tone of the book,
which dictates the mood of the production. As I'm reading, I'm taking
note of musical ideas and other creative production ideas, like should
we have more than one voice, and will we want sound effects? It's also
often a technical process, with copyright issues, and how a certain idea
will translate to audio. My brain is working on many levels, but there
are usually a couple of nights that I'll go through a few cups of tea,
and be up into the wee hours of the morning in the quiet of my bedroom,
just enjoying the book as a consumer might. LOWE: How do you
go about choosing a reader? What are the criteria for matching reader
to book? KAO: Choosing a
reader for a project isn't a cut and dried process. If it's a non-celeb
actor, we'll usually have them audition with copy from the book, but for
a celeb actor, we generally can't get them to audition so we try to get
samples of their previous voiceover work, and if none are available, we
look at their resumes, rent their movies or watch their reels. Experience
in theater tends to be a good indicator that they can do this type of
work. There is always a little bit of uncertainty, however. I'll often
be on pins and needles during the first day of a celeb recording, waiting
for that first update from the director. 85% of the time it will go great,
10% of the time it'll be "not bad", and 4% of the time you'll get the
"it'll edit together." Once or twice a year we'll have to let the actor
go after the first day and re-cast. LOWE: I'd love to
be a fly on the wall when that happens. ROSS: Agents are
now pretty informed on what it takes to be good at this. I often rely
on their honesty with me as to an actor's abilities and range, but it's
a small community, and so we know who has read before, and we do our research.
Generally, matching reader to book is fun. Our whole team puts in suggestions
for celebrities at our staff meetings, and we all keep up on movies and
TV and theatre to track anyone who we think will be 'castable' for a book.
The tone of the writing lets us know what 'type' to go for. Cary Elwes
for Patterson's "Jester" was a perfect fit. So was Dennis Boutsikaris
for Anita Shreves' "All He Ever Wanted." It's more than 'does this person
have a good voice.' The reader has to tell the story like it's their own,
and has to disappear and let the story become the star. LOWE: Which may
be hard to do for some. What about series? And can you give some examples
where readers prefer only certain authors, or celebrities agree to read
a certain book because they loved it so much? KAO: Celeb actors
definitely like books written by authors they like or respect. Timing
is also important. If you're lucky, you can get actors between TV shows
and movies and theater runs. This was the case with Christina Ricci and
Don Cheadle. But celeb or no celeb, we'll only continue a series with
an actor if we feel they're the right actor. We went through a few people
before we decided Len Cariou was the perfect Harry Bosch in Michael Connelly's
"Lost Light." ROSS: I think that
John Travolta read "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" because of his interest
in flying. When I was a freelancer, I recorded Elizabeth Montgomery, before
she passed away, reading an A.N. Roquelaire book, which was a psuedonym
Anne Rice was using. Montgomery was a big fan and wanted to do it. Derek
Jacobi is reading for us now in England. With the series, we'll only continue
with a reader in a series if we like the results. Sometimes authors fall
for our narrators too, and that leads us to continue casting them. For
example, we love Ron McLarty and so does David Baldacci. But we don't
limit him to one series. LOWE: McLarty is
great. Working with narrators like that must make your job a kick. But,
considering all these factors, how smooth does the machine operate? KAO: It's really
a lot of fun, but sometimes it can be tough. I have to read almost every
night, and since projects are often due at the end of the month, you can
find yourself pretty busy certain times. But there are so few jobs where
you learn so much about so many topics, and my colleagues are all very
creative and we feed off one another. Plus, at the end of the day you
have the product sitting on your desk and you can say "I made that." I
have a friend who is a securities analyst and making good money but is
going back to architectural school for this very reason. There is a certain
satisfaction in producing something tangible. ROSS: You know,
our whole team at Time Warner is always agreeing how lucky we all are.
We recently hired a new assistant Maria, who seems to be figuring this
out too. But certainly it is hard work to get the finished product. We're
also consistently juggling 5 to 10 productions at a time that are all
in various stages, and tracking down talent, studios, agents, authors,
and lots of people to get the best production done in a short amount of
time. I always joke that I should be the most well adjusted person on
the planet for all the self help books I've produced. But there have been
times where I've sauntered in to the office with red eyes and wrinkled
clothes because I slept at the studio finishing a mix so that we meet
our deadline. It's a very tangible thing at the end of the day, it's true,
and we're proud of that. LOWE: Speaking of
tangibility, James Patterson is a huge fan of audiobooks, and wants the
medium to grow and evolve. What new technologies are on the horizon at
Time Warner Audiobooks? What do you see happening soon in terms of effects,
formats, etc? KAO: Well, this
is an interesting topic. The industry is certainly not mature, but our
business is really providing content, not developing technology. Who can
say what technology people will be using in 10 years? I wouldn't put money
down that the CD will still be around. It can only hold 80 min of audio,
after all. That said, technology will certainly give our consumers a lot
of options and convenience. I can imagine a day not too far away when
you can download the next Patterson book onto your PDA/phone as you're
headed into work on the train, listen to the first side, then pause the
program to find out a little more about the author or the actors, maybe
listen to the book with the music and effects turned off, hear an author
interview, then email the book to your mom or dad in their car across
the country. That said, technology will never change the fact that you
need a good story and good performances that will stimulate your imagination
and move you emotionally. A good audiobook makes you forget you're listening
to an audiobook. Harry Potter probably could have been recorded on a Walkman
at the intersection of Wilshire and the 405, and still have been a great
listen. ROSS: I can envision
people ordering audiobooks through their television they way they do movies,
and having a whole load of imagery and/or animation and music that will
play along with the story. I see the same on computer or DVD. The Audiobooks
biz employs a very innovative bunch, with so many far reaching and ambitious
folks that generally just love story-telling and love books. So, as there
are lots of ways to tell a story, there are an increasing number of ways
to receive the contents of a book, too. LOWE: You do abridged
and unabridged versions of audiobooks. What has been your experience with
authors about abridgments? Do they generally approve the edits without
much fuss, or do some take a hands-on approach? KAO: I've never
had a problem actually. Some authors are more hands-on then others. Generally
they'll give me a few scenes to put back into abridgments, or tell me
that certain optionals should be taken out only as a last resort. No one
has ever asked me not to abridge their book. Maybe they've already had
that conversation with their editors or agents or Maja, I don't know. ROSS: Most authors
end up pretty pleased with what can be a shocking experience for a any
writer, especially a first time author. Authors are prepared for their
work to be abridged, and some do take a more hands on approach, where
others leave it entirely up to us. Occassionally they want us to work
in their favorite scene that may have been cut, or they might want a little
more of one thing or another. I can't ever remember a time where I've
had to scrap an abridgment and start over, but I've heard stories. And
I've certainly had to put out a few fires. There are a few tough authors
out there, but most roll with the punches and appreciate the challenge
and skill it takes to keep their main story intact while sometimes cutting
as much of half of it out! LOWE: How did you
two come to work at this job, personally? What is your background? KAO: I was working
at Warner Brothers features, but wasn't having so much fun. There's a
reason why they call it development hell. So I took some time off and
was considering moving to Taipei to become a reporter for an English newspaper,
but on the way back from surfing one day I stopped off at the Santa Monica
library, saw an ad from Time Warner Audiobooks in the paper, wrote Maja
a letter, and the rest is history. And I'm glad I didn't relocate because
I met my fiance a few months later. ROSS: I've been
in this business since 1987. I was a struggling musician, songwriter/wannabe
rockstar, and I was working for a jingle company--but I wasn't writing
the music. I graduated Newhouse at Syracuse with a degree in advertising
and English. As a writer and a creative person I love making things, I
like to get my hands dirty. I found out that's production. I came out
to California to continue songwriting pursuits and ended up with a successful
freelance career as an audiobook producer. I had my own recording studio
for a short period, and when I asked Maja Thomas, who I'd worked freelance
for on many productions, if Time Warner wanted to buy my studio, she answered
"No, but would you like a full time job producing for us." It was a great
birthday present for me, and a great decision. I later told Maja, if I'm
not gonna be a rock star, this is the next best thing, and a lot more
stable! LOWE: Any personal
favorite audiobooks that you've listened to, or are most proud of? KAO: There are a
lot. Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a classic business book. If I ever have some
money, I'll know what to do with it. Ron Clark's The Essential 55 is a
must for parents. Courtesy is not, unfortunately, a quality which is cultivated
in children so much these days! Carl Reiner's Tell Me A Scary Story is
a real treat. Our Patterson books, directed by Kevin Thomsen, are always
good thrillers. We recently did books with Christina Ricci (Gossip Girl),
Don Cheadle (Fear Itself), and Steve Martin (Pleasure of my Company),
which I all really enjoyed. ROSS: "Rapter Red"
was a dinasour story that I largely underscored with music and effects.
I did this with many Star Trek productions too, for Simon & Schuster,
and it can be so much work, but so much fun and very rewarding. My most
exciting production of late at Time Warner was probably working with Steve
Martin. I'm not one to be star struck, but I'd look up at the studio glass
and realize "that's Steve Martin in there, and I'm about to ask him to
'please take that again!'" And the biggest kick was, he would. LOWE: Women readers
are going to want me to ask you about romance author Nicholas Sparks.
What do you know about him, and how did a former Dukes of Hazard star
come to narrate his novels for you? KAO: Nicholas Sparks
is one of the nicest people on earth. It's refreshing to meet successful,
powerful people that don't seem to know it. I don't remember how Tom Wopat
was cast. You'll have to ask Linda about that one. ROSS: I'll tell
you, I went to Scott Linder of Buchwald to give me some ideas when I was
casting "The Wedding" and he said "what about Tom Wopat?"! I'd heard Tom
before read more action-oriented material, and though I love his voice,
I thought Scott was half kidding. Well he was not, and he said "trust
me", and I did, and he was right. The old Duke of Hazard himself, Tom
Wopat was a sure match for "The Wedding." Way beyond his "Dukes" days,
Tom Wopat is a Tony award-nominated performer, and he has got some incredible
chops. I have both Scott Linder and John Wager, the director/producer
to thank for a great program! That's one where I got to sit back and relax. LOWE: Nice to talk
to people behind the scenes, who quietly do much of the work. Thanks for
taking a moment out of your schedules to talk. (Reviewer and novelist Jonathan Lowe is author of "Awakening Storm" and "Fame Island," which can be sampled at BlackstoneAudio.com. His next novel, a suspense titled "Geezer," is due in hardcover in December from Five Star Mysteries.) At the end of the new Grisham bestseller "The Broker" narrator Jim Dale gives listeners a pitch to try other audiobooks, especially for the benefit of their children. Dale does not narrate "The Broker," but was enlisted due to the numbers of first listeners present--those who may have picked up Grisham's book on audio because they are taking a road trip somewhere. As narrator for another superstar author, J. K. Rowling, Dale has an obvious clout and respectability, not to mention talent. This is important, because getting anyone to try something new is always difficult, and that's where celebrity can help. Now, as we diehard audiobook fans already know, once a person tries listening to books instead of reading them, there's a good chance he or she will become hooked. What's not to like here, after all? Talented actors performing and bringing to life the characters we love, aided by transitional mood music? Audiobooks are like audio movies, but without the eye strain inherent in reading or watching the boob tube. For Brilliance Audio's part, that publisher provided stickers for audiobooks so that you could leave them places for new listeners, and these newbies could then comment about them at their website. A great idea. But still, the majority of people out there have never tried an audiobook, believing that audiobooks are for blind people. Are they blind? Deaf? Well, yes and no. Let's just say they're slow to change, but coming around. Evidence of this is apparent in recent sales figures, and profiles of top narrators like Barbara Rosenblat and Scott Brick in major newspapers like the NY Times and Wall Street Journal. Yet what we're all still waiting for is that tipping point. That thing which will finally boost the medium to the level of popularity it deserves. Many say that thing will be Apple's iPod, with over 10 million sold and counting, spiking sales from download sites like Audible and Fictionwise. Others that Mp3-CD players and digital inputs coming as standard equipment in new cars will do it. Perhaps. But what can ordinary folks do, in the meantime? I'm not sure, but for my part let me suggest here the Audiobook Diet. As you know, Americans have a problem with overweight, and have tried every diet on earth. (Mars is next). Yet the solution to this problem is apparent from its cause: instead of watching stories on TV, or reading them while parked in a lounge chair, people need to get a Walkman or iPod and start listening to them--and walking with them--instead. Because passive TV viewing of "reality" shows only creates another kind of reality for many people--that of making them idiots, or what I call "vidiots." (If anyone affiliated with Webster is reading, please add this new entry): VIDIOT: (noun) An obsessive/compulsive consumer of sports, video games and celebrity TV at the expense of more social, educational or literary practices. (As in, "Freddy, don't be such a vidiot, and at least use a coaster with that beer!") A vidiot is always within reach of soda and potato chips. His unused brain is flooded with fast food commercials delivered at subliminal speed and with the frequency of waves at the beach. He thinks in sound bytes and expresses his opinions in one-liners, content with eyeballing that blissful coke-line of ignorance known as broadcast entertainment. Naturally enough, this keeps Jay Leno's standup routine going, as he has no problem finding vidiots on every streetcorner who know all about the upcoming season of sports, movies and pop music, but they're not quite sure if George Washington played for the Lakers, or if the moon is farther away from us than the sun. (Jay often comments on their weight, too.) As a solution, imagine the audiobook diet. It's easy, and 100% effective. I've been on this diet for some time now, and have lost twenty pounds in so doing. How is this possible? Because you can't eat audiobooks. Although a CD is roughly the same size as a donut, and has a hole in the middle too, it doesn't come glazed or filled with saturated fat. If you're out walking, you're away from the refrigerator, too. And if you listen to audiobooks on health while you walk or jog with your iPod, like "The Perricone Promise," you may learn how to actually live into old age instead of dying prematurely of diabetes-induced heart attack. Sound advice? Obviously. Still, people have to try something the first time. But maybe since they've tried all the other diets in the solar system, they'll try this one. (Hopefully, they're not going to hike to McDonalds and back while scanning the TV Guide, either.) As for me, I'm donating my TV to science in the hope that one day, when they discover why there's 100 channels with nothing on, that particular medium can be revived. And controlled. After that, just call me a plain old "idiot," and be done with it. (Jonathan Lowe is audiobook reviewer for NewMysteryReader.com, and author of the satirical offbeat adventure novel "Fame Island," read by Emmy-winning actor Kristoffer Tabori for BlackstoneAudio.com.)
In THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN author Mitch Albom postulates that when you die there are five people waiting for you whom you most affected, and by telling you their stories they will explain the purpose of your life. Explaining what it all means then becomes the purpose of heaven. The theme here is that we are all connected, recalling the phrase "no man is an island." Everything you do affects other people, whether you realize it or not. It's a touching fable by the author of "Tuesdays with Morrie," using heaven as a literary device to reveal truths about our relationships here on Earth. So will people who hear this audiobook be less likely to cut you off in traffic? Possibly. There's a good reason to tell everyone about it! Narrator Erik Singer gives a sensitive reading of the text, and the audiobook also includes an off-the-cuff interview with Mitch. (Hyperion Audiobooks) As an attention grabber, pick up TALL TALES FOR THE ROAD, a CD of radio plays produced by Jeff Davis which boasts a full cast with sound effects, an eye catching cover, and the great price of $9.95. Meet a couch potato forced at gunpoint to confront his obsession with television, a hen-pecked wimp who buys a Harley to spite his mother-in-law, and a tourist who robs a casino only to find getaway impossible. It's from Timberwolf Press, known for producing radio dramas which sound like audio movies. Another of their titles is "All the Tea," a military suspense which features Walter Koenig, who played Chekov on Star Trek. A new memoir written and read by Walter Yetnikoff is HOWLING AT THE MOON for Random House Audio. The infamous former head of CBS Records pulls no punches in detailing the excesses of the music industry during the 70s and 80s, when he clashed with egotistical stars and other media moguls like Barry Diller, David Geffen, and Michael Ovitz. Can a self-admitted alcoholic cokehead control freak find redemption by writing an honest confessional, and working for charity? Probably not, but Yetnikoff gives it his best shot here, and tries to convince himself that this tell-all isn't merely a wistful and funny longing for a return to power and the debaucheries of youth. For the listener, it's also a bit like a train wreck, rubbernecking at all the name-dropping. . . particularly Michael Jackson. Walter even has his own pet name for God, which may have you howling with laughter at his hubris and lack of humility. But it is fascinating, nonetheless. Karen White reads THE FOREST LOVER by Susan Vreeland for Penguin Audio. It's a story set in the forests of British Columbus at the turn of the 20th Century about a painter and naturalist who seeks to discover herself by leaving her rigid family to paint native tribal villages. Are you worried about logging companies clear cutting to provide lumber for new suburban condos? Well, that's a problem, but it's not the focus here, in the early 20th Century. Narrator White is an actress who tries to stay out of the way of the exposition and character development of the story with a no-nonsense reading of a book which should appeal mostly to women who need a break from romantic potboilers or melodramas. Ernie Hudson reads THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT by Walter Mosley for Time Warner Audiobooks. It's an odd story about a white man who suddenly appears on the doorstep of an out-of-work African American man, and asks to rent his basement for the summer. Charles Blakey needs the rent money because he's not only lazy, but a disgraced liar living in debt. Still, it's only his strange tenant Mr. Bennet who feels any guilt, and their games lead to a startling truth in this short novel which seems to pose the question "can people really change?" You've seen narrator Hudson in such films as "Ghostbusters" and "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle," and his performance here rocks this cradle as well. Actress Blair Brown reads THE AMATEUR MARRIAGE by Anne Tyler for Random House Audio. It's the story of Pauline and Michael, two people who met in Baltimore during WWII, and got married, even though they shouldn't have. Michael, you see, is plodding and deliberate, while Pauline is impulsive and impractical. How they fail to develop any kind os stable, compatible marriage is the basis for this book, by the Pulitzer Prize winning author of "Breathing Lessons." It will appeal to women especially, due to the focus on relationships instead of plot. Blair Brown is evocative and expressive as narrator, while the question here again seems to be "can people ever change?" The answer, of course, is (alas) not much. Dick Hill reads a new horror novel by John Saul titled BLACK CREEK CROSSING for Brilliance Audio. Normally, I don't like Saul, who tends to be trite and predictable, so I was surprised to find his new book engrossing, although this is partly due to a bravura performance by Hill, who really pulls out all the stops with an expressive and involving interpretation. It's about a shy teenage girl struggling to cope with a new school in a small town where her parents have just bought the town's haunted house on the cheap. She meets a boy who is also bullied by their peers, and together they try to figure out what is spooking them about the house. Naturally, this involves the town's history, witchcraft, and a certain very odd cat. Kristoffer Tabori reads BEYOND THE OUTPOSTS by Max Brand for Blackstone Audio, an epic western tale about a young man in search of his father, while growing up himself. As a writer, Brand attempted to be authentic and believable, like Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey, and wasn't one to merely collect western cliches involving gun battles. You learn something about the Indian wars involving the Sioux and Pawnee, too, but the best thing about this audiobook is its narrator. Don't let Tabori's name fool you. He has the gruff voice of a veteran trucker, which suits him well in this enjoyable, muscular tale. In fact, I can't recall any better narrator of western fiction, because this guy's not a dandy, he's an enthusiastic actor who makes you believe he's actually Lew Dorset, telling his own lively story, which happens to be set in the west in the 1860s. JK Simmons reads DREAMLAND--STRIKE ZONE by Dale Brown for Harper Audio, about a robot airplane which seems to be a clone of a secret U.S. warplane under development at a clandestine base similar to Area 51. No one knows where this clone originated, but a nuclear disaster in Asia involving the plane has only narrowly been diverted, and it's up to the Dreamland strike force to lure the ghost clone out into the open to kill it. Narrator Simmons manages to keep the story moving, even during the slower moments when there's a personal life on display, or when the generals trade theories and barbs. Brown co-wrote this series with Jim DeFelice, and is author of the previous "Flight of the Old Dog." Barbara Rosenblat reads STUFFED--ADVENTURES OF A RESTAURANT FAMILY by Patricia Volk for Blackstone Audio. It's a multi-generational memoir about a family that came to own 14 restaurants in New York. The book includes some odd and colorful characters, like the man who invented the wrecking ball, a 300 lb. calendar girl, and let's not forget Uncle Al, who had an 11 year affair with Aunt Lil, then refused to marry her because she wasn't a virgin. Narrator Rosenblat won the industry's Audie award for best female narrator last year, and is up again this year for this story. But both the memoir and the reading of it isn't easy to make this interesting, so don't try this at home, unless you're already famous! The prolific George Guidall reads THE CAT WHO TALKED TURKEY by Lilian Jackson Braun for Harper Audio. It's a cozy mystery set in a fictional Moose County, Michigan, about a dead body found near the site of the groundbreaking for the new Pickax bookstore. Can Koko the cat help solve the crime, or explain the presence of wild turkeys in the area? If you don't like bloodier books, and can put up with a rather silly premise, this latest light mystery by Braun does boast an excellent narration. And despite its silliness, at least it doesn'tfeature another predictable psychopath going after naive co-eds with a linoleum knife. That's always a plus. Dennis Boutsikaris reads AMERICAN SUCKER by David Denby for Highbridge Audio. It's the memoir of a former film critic who tried to save his New York apartment by investing in the stock market during the tech boom. Too bad the bubble burst, and took down millions of investors with it. So was it all a lie, and why did we believe the liars? Denby goes far in answering this question, expanding his own personal experience to examine values, ethics, and how our obsession with wealth points to a poverty of the soul. Reader Boutsikaris nails the angst and chagrin Denby must have experienced as his marriage died and his finances collapsed, too, and so I recommend this audiobook to anyone who thinks it can't happen to them. (XM Radio's audiobook reviewer Jonathan Lowe is author of "Awakening Storm" and the Hollywood theme CD "Oscar's Hijack," which AudioFile calls "innovative and enjoyable, well chosen and well read," both at BlackstoneAudio.com. ) ==-
Interview with Dale Brown: Dale Brown is the author of fourteen bestsellers, including "Flight of the Old Dog" and "Air Battle Force." His works on cassette and CD are from Harper Audio and Brilliance Audio. A former Air Force bombardier, Brown is now a private pilot and lives near Lake Tahoe, Ne JONATHAN LOWE: Welcome, Dale. First off, can you tell us how long you were in the military, and what you flew? DALE BROWN: I spent eight years in the Air Force, and I flew B-52 Bombers, and the FB-111 Bomber. LOWE: What in your military background led you to become a writer? BROWN: Well, I wanted to be a writer first, actually. I wrote a column for the Penn State University newspaper, and I did freelancing for many years. So I think I've always wanted to be a writer and a flyer, and I was lucky enough to do both as a career. LOWE: Do you still fly? BROWN: Yes. As a private pilot, I have a Cessna 421 that I fly on business and for personal things. LOWE: Now, you write about Dreamland a lot. What is Dreamland, and how does it differ from the infamous Area 51? BROWN: Well, we never really called it Area 51. Dreamland is our nickname. There is a classified air base in south central Nevada, just north of Las Vegas. It's a regular Air Force base, and about two thousand people work there. Their main offices are actually out at Nellis Air Force base, and some of them commute on a 727 to this classified base from Nellis. You can't find it on any map, but there are lots of satellite photos of the base. It's small, but it has movie theaters, a bowling alley, and a commissary. But if you're there it's because you're specially assigned, and they do research and development on new weapons systems. LOWE: Have you been there? BROWN: No, but I've talked to many folks who have been there, and I've done exercises out there at the Red Flag range. The base is actually in the middle of a series of bombing ranges in the desert there. The Red Flag exercises are meant to give pilots their first ten combat missions, with the theory being that if you survive your first ten missions, you're likely to survive your combat encounters. The restricted area in the middle is where you can't fly, where it's restricted from the surface to infinity, and we're told that's where the base is, which from satellite photos looks just like any other Air Force base. LOWE: John Nance reads his own aviation mysteries for Brilliance Audio. I'm wondering, do you get the chance to at least listen to your own audiobooks, and if so, what do you think of the medium? BROWN: I absolutely love the medium. I listen to them all the time. I usually get them on CD, or download them onto my PDA. I think it's important for authors to find a good reader who's compatible with your material, and how you think they should perform it. LOWE: You've got a good one there with Richard Allen. BROWN: I've been lucky to have a bunch of good ones. I like David McCallum. I got to watch Joseph Campanella to do one of my books, and he was just terrific. It was amazing just to watch him. LOWE: What is your new novel "Plan of Attack" about? BROWN: It's about a limited nuclear attack against the United States. It's not a terrorist action or an accident. It's an actual attack, and I developed a scenario in which the Russian president, who was in "Air Battle Force," is frustrated due to the decreasing power of the Russian state and military, and the way America is throwing its weight around, and so he decides to mount a very limited attack in which the United States won't feel that the nation is in jeopardy. Minimal civilian casualties, little fallout, low yield weapons, with the idea that if he can convince the President that's all he'll do, the United States won't retaliate. LOWE: That's an interesting scenario. Of course people are paranoid now about any radiation, even food irradiation. Like a dirty bomb would probably make parts of Manhattan unlivable forever. Do you think an incident like that, what you're postulating, could change the view of using limited nukes? BROWN: In general, the view has changed regarding using limited nuclear weapons. That's an option now, with the Bush administration. This came about because of the Afghanistan conflict, with the maze of tunnels and caves where the Taliban were hiding, and the high risk to U.S. soldiers. So Bush made it clear that he was ready to use limited nuclear weapons to penetrate deep where conventional weapons don't work. So I think we're already committed to doing that. LOWE: What about neutron bombs, which leave buildings intact and don't destroy an area with radiation so it can never be used again? BROWN: They are viable weapons, and from a military standpoint, they are great weapons. But it's like a terror weapon, so the political decision to use one would be difficult to make. Because the Russians and others fear such weapons because they would aid invasion, where you could just kill the Army, and then take over. LOWE: Where do you think the biggest threat to us comes from, and what can we do about it? BROWN: I think the biggest threat comes from these rogue states like North Korea, Iran, and from Pakistan. I think what Pakistan has done over the past few years has been most damaging. Because they were our ally, and at the same time they were giving nuclear information to our enemies...to North Korea, to Iran. I'm encouraged by the level of cooperation we're getting from Libya, and we have special operations guys on the ground in Pakistan now, closing in on Al-Qaeda. North Korea has nuclear weapons and delivery systems, which are a serious threat, of course, and I think we could probably take North Korea if we wanted to, but the close proximity to the South Korean capitol makes this dicey. If we don't cut off the head quickly, North Korea could retaliate and kill millions of people. But I truly believe that the whole regime there will collapse on itself, given time. The people are afraid of stepping out of line, and the military is all about getting what it wants from the government, but this situation can't last forever. It'll fold. LOWE: Who is your main audience, military men? I take it you don't get many little old ladies at book signings. BROWN: No, I write male fantasy, and what appeals to anyone who who likes action and adventure. Mostly retired military, both men and women. LOWE: Any movie deals in the works? BROWN: Not yet. The creative side tends to bump into the budgeting side, so that's where the problem arises. Producers really like my books, but they give it to the guys doing the budget, and eyebrows get raised. But one of these days they'll get a big name attached to one of my books, and the funding will come, along with a good director. LOWE: What's next for you? BROWN: I really enjoy writing screenplays, and producing other projects. We have something going with Atari now. And in Hollywood, there are a lot of exciting opportunities. Things move fast there, with a lot of creative people, although there's something of a herd mentality operating, where you have to be the first one to do something, and then everyone follows. LOWE: No risks, just sequels? BROWN: (laughs) Right. LOWE: I think that's the case with anyone holding a checkbook, unfortunately. Thanks, Dale. Look forward to hearing from you again. (Jonathan Lowe is interviewer for "The Audiobook Cafe," heard on XM Satellite radio, and is author of "Awakening Storm" and the Hollywood theme CD "Oscar's Hijack," which AudioFile calls "innovative and enjoyable, well chosen and well read," both at BlackstoneAudio.com. ) |