The Second Apocalypse

Earwa => General Earwa => Topic started by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:15:36 pm

Title: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:15:36 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
So I saw this for purchase on audible.com, and I was wondering if anyone has listen to the books instead of reading them.

I make an 8hour car trip every couple weeks so I listen to a lot of books so that's why I'm curious.

Sure hope it was done well.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:17:19 pm
Quote from: Callan S.
These were added yesterday? By David DeVries (and David DeFreeze??? Presumably a typo) whomever that is. That's really odd to just come out of nowhere - I thought there had been no plans for audio books? Is this how the distribution dinosaur works?
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:17:27 pm
Quote from: Ajokli
I remember Bakker said that he had recently made a audiobook deal. Didn't think it was that fast
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:17:43 pm
Quote from: Ajokli
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_3?asin=B008CQW11A&qid=1340895264&sr=1-3 (http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_3?asin=B008CQW11A&qid=1340895264&sr=1-3)
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:17:51 pm
Quote from: Madness
Lame. They spoil Kellhus being one of the Few in the description.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:17:59 pm
Quote from: Callan S.
That's not good. Though it does suggest someones read the book and remembered it, which shows some interest in the content, not just a pure fiscal relationship.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:18:06 pm
Quote from: lockesnow
listening to the preview on amazon for TWP is quite a trip, so many pronunciations I didn't even come close to.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:18:13 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
Yeah I couldn't believe it when I saw it posted on auidible. I wasn't even looking for the books, actually I recieved a gift and I though: hey wouldn't it be interesting?....

Well maybe I'll get one, hopefully as a gift, as I cannot afford the near 40 bucks for it, sometime in the future.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:18:22 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
Has anyone bothered to pick up one of the recordings yet? Its been about a month since the last post so i just wanted to check.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:18:29 pm
Quote from: Sideris
Sadly not yet. But soon, I hope.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:18:35 pm
Quote from: cielago
I got them, mostly for my commute to and from work.

They're alright. A lot of sections are quite good, but every now and then there'll be a part that just sounds terrible. Esmenet in particular is quite awful in places. She's portrayed rather shrill in some places, which i never got from her in the book. some of the pronunciation is also occasionally WAY off what i expected. Which could be me as much as anything else. i have no idea how hard they worked to get those parts canonical with bakker.

short version: if you want audiobook versions, theres really no reason not to buy them. They're perfectly acceptable.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:18:41 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
Ahh good, thanks for the input. After listening to the sample clips I figured they would be much like your described.

Also you should note that Bakker himself recorded the entire Encyclopedia at the end of TTT, so the reader should be doing everything "correctly". I came across this bit of information on the Tree Pound Brain, Bakkers other forum, in a topic that told everyone of the existence of the audiobooks.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:18:48 pm
Quote from: The Sharmat
I always kind of pictured Esmenet as quiet and resigned even when upset generally. World weary whore and all that.

Pronunciations being jarring are inevitable though. I can't even keep them straight in my head half the time.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:18:56 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
I know what you mean. Its not a real problem, the pronunciations, when you are reading it yourself. For the longest time I would flip back and forth between different ones. However, once I started discussing the books with a friend or two, there where several confusing sessions of hammering out how we wanted to go about sounding out the ridiculous names. Then after all that to hear some fellow reading the books just makes it more confusing.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:19:08 pm
Quote from: The Sharmat
I'm generally ok with the Nonman and Kianene ones, since I just export what pronunciation rules I know from Greek and Arabic respectively, but a lot of the other Three Seas ones are impossible for me. Some kinda weird Russo-Persian-Germanic thing that I can't place.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:19:42 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
Well at least you've got that. I only speak english, and not a lick of any other language. To me there are just way to many vowels and silent letters, not to mention the odd symbols over half of the letters.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:19:49 pm
Quote from: The Sharmat
Oh, I don't SPEAK those languages. I've just read enough history and heard them spoken enough to have a vague idea of some of the rules.

It actually helps if the letters have symbols on them, as those tell you exactly how to pronounce them instead of having to figure them out by memorization and context as in most English words. You just have to look them up.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:19:57 pm
Quote from: Conditioned
These are the first audiobooks I've ever purchased. I bought all three PoN and for some reason can only seem to find WLW from AE, no Judging Eye anywhere on audible. Anyway, I'm not unhappy in the least that I lost my audiobook virginity to PoN. I think David DeVries does a really good job at using different accents and whatnot for the characters, makes them feel a little more realistic. I just started listening to WLW narrated by Kevin Orton and with him I am less impressed. He has an awkward cadence, builds momentum at odd places in sentances and pauses for no reason. He also pronounces many things either incorrectly in general (low-gahss instead of low-goes for logos) or different from the first narrator (can't think of any specific examples atm but they are fairly common). Orton also doesn't seem to try terribly hard to differentiate between characters voices. Oh yea, and for some reason the thing I find most irritating about Orton so far is that he says, "A quote from Ajencis: 'blah blah blah'" at the little chapter headers rather than just reading the fucking thing. LoL, that may even be the technically correct way to read it aloud... Fuck technically correct. DeVries didn't do it, you shouldn't either.

Someone mentioned that Mr Bakker recorded the glossary of TTT? There were no glossaries included in the versions I purchased =(
I am curious how much input they received from RSB if any. The accents used in PoN are interesting and it makes me wonder if the narrator just wings it lol.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:25:36 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
Regarding the glossary, I don't think it was meant to be published, but rather meant for reference material for the reader. The glossaries tend to not be published
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:25:44 pm
Quote from: Madness
Well, the Glossary was published with TTT IRL. The next one is rumoured to be big enough for it's own release.

I've had the luxury of getting an answer out of Bakker about the naming thing and he was nicely adamant about the reading doing whatever they felt natural with it. He's commented many times that he doesn't claim a very thorough linguistics background.

Sure would like to hear him read the Cuno-Inchoroi Wars and the Apocalypse though.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:25:50 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
Yeah but the Dune glossary wasn't included in the audiobooks at all. Coincidence?
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:25:58 pm
Quote from: Madness
I think not ;).
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:26:10 pm
Quote from: Conditioned
So anyone have any idea why we have all the books except TJE? I guess it's possible the publisher thought it would be a good idea to release WLW as it was the latest book but it completely fucks up the flow of my Bakker audio collection (although I mostly purchased these just to give Bakker a little more financial support lol)... But I guess that gives me a little hope that they might get someone other than Orton to narrate TJE and TUC--I mean, I don't wanna be a hater but I found his narration... lackluster. Not to mention WLW is freakin $45 and each from PoN is only $30, which I have to assume is because WLW is newer. I don't suppose many authors get the Martin treatment and get a second recording of the same book with a different narrator  :P ? Anyway, I'll take Orton if I have to just gimme TJE now damnit!
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:26:19 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
Maybe its from a different narrator or company or something and they totally dropped the ball with TJE, I did find that supper strange though.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: What Came Before on June 04, 2013, 04:26:26 pm
Quote from: Madness
Lol, dinner strange is some of the best, I'd guess ;).

Probably right, Wilshire. It's weird though as obviously they were all produced recently, why not simply manifest TJE along with?

Found this with a tentative preorder date of Mar/2013:

http://www.oneclickaudio.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=rb.show_prod&book_id=93936

No narration listed.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Madness on October 23, 2013, 06:29:17 pm
I feel like I've mentioned this before but I think I need to hear Stuart Mclean read the Second Apocalypse...
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: locke on April 03, 2014, 06:28:40 am
the first three audiobooks have been added to whispersync with voice on amazon.  That means if you've bought them for kindle you can now buy them as an audiobook from audible for $4.49 each.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Wilshire on July 19, 2014, 02:48:20 am
http://www.audible.com/search?searchAuthor=R.+Scott+Bakker

For some time TJE didn't appear on Audible. All of them are there now. (dat cover art...)
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: mrganondorf on July 19, 2014, 03:13:45 am
I have/like them all.  The readers are both great, though they pronounce things differently  :P  I like the reader for AE a little better.  I wonder if they'll be able to get him again for TUC since its been awhile...
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Zadok on July 19, 2014, 03:18:19 am
I like the AE reader better also, some of the voices the reader does in the first trilogy take me out of it, Cnaiur in particular sounds like a bad Arnold impersonation.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Wilshire on July 19, 2014, 03:28:28 am
I have not bought them yet, too focused to hording copies of the original prints, but I think I'll have to get the audiobooks eventually.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Madness on July 21, 2014, 01:10:46 pm
I'm not sure I could listen to a book being read for 25 hours...
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Wilshire on July 21, 2014, 02:12:22 pm
I'm not sure I could listen to a book being read for 25 hours...
I listened to many books that are that long (Most of Abercrombie's books, First two Erickson books, LotR, Hyperion Cantos, all of Ender's saga, Mieville's PSS, the list goes on).

Its not for everyone, but for those that travel frequently its well worth it. Or often I'll listen to a book whilst exercising, since I then don't feel like its a complete waste of my time.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Zadok on July 21, 2014, 02:19:11 pm
+1 for listening while excercising.  It also has the added benefit of motivating me to get off my ass and do something if I know a cool part is coming up.  What I like about audiobooks is they force me to hear all the words, when I'm reading I tend to rush and miss things.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Aural on July 21, 2014, 04:33:21 pm
I don't listen to audiobooks anymore. It's a waste of time for me. "Listen" for half an hour and then realize that I haven't heard a word of it. Go back, listen again, repeat. That said, I had some of the PoN and AE audiobooks and liked the pronunciations in PoN much better than AE, it's a real shame that they didn't bring the first narrator back.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: mrganondorf on July 22, 2014, 02:13:05 am
Driving + Stories = A Little Bit of Heaven in the Commute

Wish I were driving more these days.  I find that Bakker helps me wash the dishes.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Wilshire on July 22, 2014, 04:50:44 pm
Some books are easier to listen to than other. I've found that Erickson's are difficult because of the number of characters, plotlines, and probably the pacing is a bit slow for the reader. Other books with simpler plots and fewer characters are easier to follow and require less focus.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: mrganondorf on July 22, 2014, 05:43:56 pm
I like single readers and not cast productions.  Jim Dale reading Harry Potter is like, like...I don't know, it's so good.  Long ago, I had a copy of The Screwtape Letters read by John Cleese.  Very good.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Wilshire on July 22, 2014, 05:50:26 pm
Steven Pacy, the fellow that reads Abercrombie's First Law, is exquisite. best I've heard.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Hirtius/Pansa on July 31, 2014, 10:29:20 pm
I agree Wilshire, I had just finished The First Law on audiobook about three weeks ago.  In fact, I just got paper-version of Best Served Cold from the library and it's sitting on my coffetable.  And I agree, Pacey is absolutely fantastic.  Although I'll ask you just so I don't feel insane, but doesn't Pacey's voice for Sand dan Glokta sound EXACTLY like Stewie Griffin from Family Guy.  Like, uncannily so.
Title: Re: Audiobook?
Post by: Wilshire on August 01, 2014, 02:34:47 am
lmao never noticed. Might have to find an audio clip, but i never really heard it before.