View from Valhalla

Category: Podcast Reviews

  • Podcast Review #37: Clear Heart

    originally published July 12, 2010

    Title: Clear Heart
    Author: Joe Cottonwood
    Genre: General Fiction
    Released: 3 October 2007 –  7 January 2008
    Located: iTunes, Podiobooks
    Formats Available: Podcast only
    Rating: R for Language, sexual situations, some violence

    As I’ve mentioned before, I quite often am looking for new podcasts. It isn’t that I have nothing to listen to, I do. However, most of the things I listen to are currently in production, and I need to broaden my listening horizons. I also have listened to many podcasts that I’ve never reviewed. However, if I’m going to review a “legacy” podcast, I often like to listen to something that is out of my regular routine. A week or so ago, I asked Twitter for suggestions and I’ve got a whole slate full of podcasts now. One of the suggestions I got was from Laura “GreenGlam” Church, and that suggestion was Clear Heart by Joe Cottonwood.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: Carpenters and craft, friendship and rivalry: Wally is building a mansion for a dot-com multimillionaire in the Silicon Valley of California. As the dot-com’s stock keeps rising, the size of the house – and the owner’s ego – keep growing. Wally and his colorful crew may be into something that’s over their heads. When little guys work for bigshots, who gets nailed?

    From bungling to burglary, from demolishing concrete to racing beltsanders, from love of tools to falling in love, everyone will encounter Wally’s Laws of Construction – or are they Laws of Life? Each house, it seems, is a miracle.

    Production: The production of Clear Heart is clean and simple, like a well built house. I love clean and simple, and I can honestly say the production of Clear Heart is easy to enjoy. Song at the beginning. Same song at the end. Clean audio. No TSSF (it is hosted on Podiobooks and through Podiobooks on iTunes).

    Cast: The cast is simply Joe Cottonwood doing all of the male voices and Susan Walker doing all of the female voices. The voicework duo is not like The Gearheart duo. Mr. Cottonwood does an admirable job of voicing a wide variety of characters, but for the most part, you can always recognize the voices as belonging to the same man. Ms. Walker’s female voices aren’t even intoned differently. However, it doesn’t matter at all. The story is easily told and flows naturally.

    Story: This is a rare listen for me. I tend to be a reader and listener of speculative fiction. I am drawn to it for some reason. I do, occasionally stray from this pattern and read some nonfiction or general fiction, but not often. I guess I have enough “real life” to not need to read about other peoples. Clear Heart, however, is done well in the fact that the characters really come to life. Good or bad (and there are both).

    Verdict: Let’s talk about those characters. I can’t say I liked any of them to be truthful. They all have major character defects. Just like I do.

    Yes.

    To be honest, these characters are very life like. Often, to their detriment. The upside is that they are interesting. That is what kept me listening all the way to the end.

    In the end this is a story of people living. Changing. Growing. Life. It has plenty of profanity, and way too much rated r sexual content (I now know about things I didn’t know before, and would have NEVER been unhappy to know about — yes, I’ve lived a sheltered life, LOL).

    This is a hard story for me to provide a verdict for. I didn’t like it in many ways. In other ways it was very interesting and drew me in. So, I’ll do the best I can. If you like fiction, non-speculative fiction, with well developed characters and an ability to describe construction in a way to make the art come through, while at the same time you aren’t put off by the aforementioned sexual content, you will probably like Clear Heart.

    Disclosure: To my knowledge, Mr. Cottonwood isn’t on Twitter. If he is, I’ve never seen his name, or at least am unaware if I did. I was neither offered nor did I receive anything for writing this review.

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  • Podcast Review #36: The Immortals

    Title: The Immortals
    Author: Tracy Hickman
    Genre: Science Fiction
    Released: 22 May 2006 – 18 April 2007
    Located: iTunes, Podiobooks
    Formats Available: Podcast, Dead Tree, ebook
    Rating: PG13 for adult language and situations including holocaust type treatment

    So, I’m sure many of you have heard of Tracy Hickman. When I started listening to podfiction, so had I. However, I, like maybe some of you, started perusing the Podiobooks and iTunes libraries for an author that I recognized. I did find some from the public domain, but the only current work or author that I ran into was The Immortals by Tracy Hickman.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: The future story of United States Internment Camps … of the dreams of the pre-deceased … and of triumph beyond oblivion.

    It’s 2020, and an attempted cure for AIDS has mutated into a deadlier disease, V-CIDS. The U.S., under martial law, has set up “quarantine centers” in the Southwest. Searching for his gay son, Jon, media mogul Michael Barris smuggles himself into one of centers only to discover that it and the other centers are actually extermination camps. With a strange assortment of allies, including the leader of the camp’s gay barracks, an army officer and a local cowboy, Barris precipitates an inmates’ rebellion that promises the unraveling of the death-camp system and the overthrow of the government that established it.

    Production: Mr. Hickman did a pretty good job of a straight read. The one sound effect that sticks with me several years after my initial listening to this podcast is the sound of the wind. Having grown up in an area that is quite wind swept, the sound of this same wind evokes a sense of desolation and loneliness that is perfect for this story. There isn’t a lot of production, but it is done very well and is completely adequate.

    Cast: The cast for The Immortals is a cast of two. All parts are read by either Mr. Hickman or his wife, Laura. There are actually quite a few parts, so they have their plates full, but overall do a nice job. I really had no problem with the voice work for this podcast.

    Story: The Immortals is not truly a science fiction story. In fact, in my opinion it isn’t even really a story. It is a social and political statement about the way AIDS victims are treated. Or were treated as the story is over 10 years old. Which being the case leads me to the verdict….

    Verdict: If The Immortals had simply been a story, I probably would have enjoyed it. Most people that commented at Podiobooks seemed to like it. Those that didn’t seemed to have disliked it mostly because of the terribly in depth characterizations. Well, you all know me, I love characterizations, so that never really bothered me. In fact I really enjoyed it. Almost all of the major characters were fully fleshed out and given a great deal of empathy and feeling. I’m sure you’ve figured out by now though that I didn’t like it. Not at all.

    You see, I simply got tired of being beat over the head with the idea that we need to change as a society. Guess what? I agree. I really do. I just don’t need to have it thrown at me for hours on end.

    Now hold on, you might disagree with me. Some of our greatest authors have written pieces that were social commentary. What would a survey of English Literature be without the likes of A Modest Proposal? There are way too many examples of this done right to point them all out now.

    However, this is the problem. This wasn’t subtle or abstract. I literally felt like I was being beaten with the author’s belief system, which seems to be becoming more acceptable. If you can’t hide your commentary behind a good story, write a non fiction treatise for heaven’s sake. (Terry Goodkind, are you listening?)

    Surely some of you must disagree with me. Maybe I can be persuaded. Did I miss something? Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Hickman was able to pull some strings even when I knew he was trying to do this, but rather than making his point, he just aggravated me. SO, if you like thinly veiled commentary instead of story, by all means, listen. However, if you feel like you should be able to enjoy the story, whether you agree with the author OR NOT, ant tha

    Disclosure: I have no idea if Mr. Hickman is on Twitter. I have never talked to him through any media.

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  • Podcast Review #35: Dead Mech

    Title: Dead Mech
    Author: Jake Bible
    Genre: Science Fiction/Horror
    Released: 26 September 2009 – 27 June 2010
    Located: iTunes, Podiobooks, Author’s Site
    Formats Available: Podcast, Dead Tree version coming soon
    Rating: R for intense violence and gore, strong sexual content and pervasive profanity

    A while back you might remember I made a concerted effort to fill the void created in these reviews by the lack of horror. I believe I mentioned at the time that it is probably my least favorite of the speculative fiction categories, and it remains so. As I was looking for a good story or two to review I was amazed to find how popular zombie fiction had become. (I know, sometimes I’m a bit slow on the uptake.) I don’t remember who recommended Jake Bible’s Dead Mech to me, or even if it was one I stumbled upon on my own, but I just finished listening to the last ep and had been holding this review until that episode dropped. Thank goodness for author’s that release on schedule (even a Sunday release schedule… Sunday? Really?).

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: After the zombie apocalypse decimates the world, human civilization tries to put itself back together again. Their secret weapon: the Mechs. But what happens when a mech pilot dies in his mech and becomes a zombie? Hell on earth is unleashed… (Minor quibble.. authors, you put A LOT of work into your stories and then the podcasting of them. Consider providing a synopsis that, even if it is brief, give me a very good idea about what your story is about. I’m more likely to listen.) (Stolen from podiobooks.com)

    Production: Mr. Bible bills his story as the world’s first “drabble” novel. Don’t know what that is? Don’t feel bad, neither did I. In a nutshell, a drabble is a 100 word story. Exactly 100 words. So, Mr. Bible has written a novel that is broken into 100 word bites. Not chapters necessarily, but scenes, characters point of view, etc. What does this have to do with production? Simply that at the end of each drabble, the story pauses. No music, no sound effect, just nothing. for an obscene amount of time. Like at least a minute. Well, not really probably more like five seconds. Still, it seemed much longer.

    Mr. Bible did one other thing in his production that I really have to admit I would not recommend. Author “metadata” (all those things that author’s share with us that might or might not have anything to do with the story) is really fun and I usually subscribe to the iTunes or author’s site versions so as to be able to listen in on it. However, if you are going to place it at the beginning of the ep, I believe it should be kept relatively concise and keep on tract. Several of Mr. Bible’s intro’s approach the 10 minute mark. Yes, I know that I could have subscribed to the Podiobooks version and then I would not have this complaint. And of course, that is a very valid argument. And truthfully, now that this story is complete, I would suggest you do. (Well, it should be complete at Podiobooks before you get that far anyway.)

    Cast: Mr. Bible does a straight read on his Dead Mech but does provide a good amount of inflection. He really doesn’t do much in the way of voice characterization, but it really doesn’t need it and the story stands up quite well.

    Story: Dead Mech is a horror story. It really is. But it is a horror story in the vein of Aliens where it is very dependent on the science fiction element. Mr. Bible does a very good job on blending the two. Mr. Bible also provides a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode letting the listener know this story is really intended for adult audiences. Believe him. I have never heard this much profanity in a podcast before. (It came to me as I was mowing the yard while listening to an ep that I can imagine Mr. Bible counting the words of the latest paragraph and finding himself at 98, so why not throw two 2 more f-bombs in to [that is meant as a light hearted musing only folks] wrap it up nice and tidy. If that in itself is a stopping point for you, don’t bother. There are also detailed scenes of gore and sexual violence, violence and cannibalism. Seriously. And we’re not talking zombies munching of humans either. However, this is a story that I’ve never heard before in any variation. I love the idea of his Mechs and the specialized duty they are capable of.

    Verdict: I didn’t love Dead Mech, but I sure didn’t hate it either. I liked it. And it is telling that it is one of the podcasts that I wait for every week to listen to. For horror (and me) that is really saying a lot. I would recommend it if you are a horror fan and you don’t mind frequent and considerable profanities. It isn’t Shakespeare or Dostoyevsky, but what is? It is a good story, read moderately well that will keep you entertained. If this was a movie, I’d call it a summer popcorn flick, and there is definitely a need for that.

    Disclosure: I don’t follow Mr. Bible on Twitter but will probably be correcting that sooner or later. To my knowledge, he doesn’t follow me either and I don’t remember every exchanging Tweets with him.

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  • Podcast Review #34: Assam and Darjeeling by T.M. Camp

    Title: Assam and Darjeeling
    Author: T.M. Camp
    Genre: Genre bending dark fairy tale
    Released: 23 September 2007 – 7 August 2008
    Located: iTunes,
    Formats Available: Podcast, Dead Tree, Ebook
    Rating: PG13 for disturbing images dealing with children

    Have you ever had a podcast that you’ve been meaning to listen to for ages, but somehow it just keeps skipping from your mind? Maybe supernatural forces are tampering with your memories. Or maybe the author just doesn’t pimp his/her stuff hard enough (at least in your hearing). Or maybe, the title has unusual words that, though you know them, seem out of place as a book title. Or maybe it is your Twitter groups fault for not bringing this story up, like ever. Or perhaps, just maybe, it is all of the above. Nah… it is just my own fault. I kept meaning to, I just kept forgetting somehow.

    Well, somehow I slipped the evil forces that were trying to get my to forget about Assam and Darjeeling, and wow, am I glad I did.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: When their mother is lost in a terrible car crash, two children set out to bring her back from the Underworld — a nightmare place populated by remnants from old mythologies, defunct pantheons, and forgotten folklore. Along the way, the children discover that they cannot rescue their mother without rescuing themselves first.

    Sometimes frightening, sometimes funny, and often heartbreaking, Assam & Darjeeling is the story of a brother and sister who have to go through hell together in order to learn the true meaning of family.

    Production: T. M. Camp does a great job at keeping it simple. Assam and Darjeeling production is akin to something the Master Nathan Lowell might inspire. It is beautiful in its simplicity. Mr. Camp has a repetitive chime intro and outro (and yes, it is a bit too repetitive) and then without any meta discussion or trailers jumps right into the story. At the end, he humorously threatens us with copyright violation punishments too dire to retell, and he’s gone. I like that. I really really do. However, all is not joy in Mudville. Mr. Camp writes some very short chapters. That in itself is no big deal. I like short chapters. However, when each chapter is an episode, your content should not be shorter than your combined intro and outro. The intro is about 50 seconds, the outro about 2 minutes 20 seconds. When the entire ep is at or under 6 minutes, the repetitiveness of the cycle can be a bit, well, redundant. I would suggest to content providers, if your content isn’t at least 4 times as long as the intro/outro, maybe you should combine it with the next bit of content. Yes, I do mean that if you are going to intro me at 1o minutes, I want 40 minutes of content. Maybe I’m being a bit too greedy here, but if so, tell me what you think is fair.

    Cast: Mr. Camp does a straight read, and he does a stellar job at it. I have a feeling he has spent many an hour sitting beside a child’s bed and has probably heard, “No daddy, say it like you did LAST time.” He doesn’t go crazy with voices, but he does do a good job and I once again find myself luxuriating in a straight read well done.

    Story: Assam and Darjeeling is a unique story in that it is hard to qualify as to audience. I think back now to the original Jurassic Park movie (can it really have been 17 years ago??). People saw the amazing dinosaur effects (still hold up well) and for some reason chose to think, “Hey honey, I wonder if they’ll only be showing us vegisaurs munching leaves for two hours. Yeah, I’m sure that will make a great summer blockbuster! Load up the kids and let’s go!” Yeah, not all movies/books starring kids are written FOR kids.

    Verdict: Let me restate that, just to make sure. Assam and Darjeeling is a book about kids that really is written for adults in many ways. Think about Scout and Jem in To Kill a Mockingbird. Perhaps another consideration would be Pan’s Labyrinth. These comparison’s easily come to mind when I listen to Assam and Darjeeling. However, another reason for the comparison comes to mind as well. Both are great stories, but I really wouldn’t allow my children to see either of them for years yet. Assam and Darjeeling touched me in a way NO OTHER work of podfiction to date has. I admit, I’m a softy when it comes to family. This story reached inside me and played my “daddy” strings the way a master luthier might be able too play a mandolin. I am so glad I finally remembered to listen to this story, and I highly recommend you take the time to give it a try too.

    Disclosure: I’ve followed Mr. Camp on Twitter for quite a while now. He is very unassuming and I really did mean it when I said I don’t feel he pimps his work enough. We both have baby daughters and I’ve enjoyed watching him Tweet about his Sophie while I make comparisons to my little princess (who is three months today [proud daddy moment]). In one of those surprisingly coincidental twists of fate, I had started listening to this story a couple of weeks ago. I started on a Monday. On Wednesday of that week, Mr. Camp got old. Well, older. He ran a contest on Twitter and I won a copy of one of his books. He didn’t state what it would be and it wasn’t open to request. Imagine my surprise this week when a signed copy of Assam and Darjeeling arrived in the mail. I couldn’t have been more excited and I will definitely be suggesting my wife read it. However, that being said, I have never discussed this work with Mr. Camp, and he had no knowledge of this review and has never requested it. Seriously gang, this was a good one.

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  • Podcast Review #33: Transistor Rodeo

    Title: Transistor Rodeo
    Author: Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff
    Genre: Science Fiction/Cowboy Punk
    Released: 8 April 2008 – 17 April 2009
    Located: Author’s Site
    Formats Available: Podcast only
    Rating: PG for robotic violence. This is a family friendly podcast.

    In April of 2008 I had way more time on my hands than I would have hoped for and was rabidly searching for podfiction. Although at this point I was on Twitter, I was more of a by stander than a part of the community (slow learner I guess). Rather than ask for opinions I simply browsed Podiobooks.com and listened to anything that caught my attention. Some were great, some were much the other end of the spectrum. I had never heard of Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff but had found an assassin story (Number One with a Bullet) that I had enjoyed so was willing to take a chance on him again (a policy I will probably always adhere to).

    Transistor Rodeo was billed as a family friendly podcast, which truly I don’t know if I’d run into before this point, but I have always been a fan of rodeo (hey, I did grow up in Wyoming after all) and enjoy animatronic AI’s as much as the next guy. I also have an 11 year old son that I was looking for something I could share with.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: When a bunch of robotic cowboys and robotic animals from a big-budget spectacular mechanical traveling show go haywire and escape into the city of Los Angeles, it’s up to one broken down ex-rodeo star and his son to round them all up before something terrible happens.(stolen from the author’s site) [I would like to humbly recommend to author’s that the provided synopsis is an example of “inadequate”. I really like to know as much as I can before subscribing. I’ll take a chance occasionally, but a good synopsis is the hook.]

    Production: Mr. Nemcoff is a professional in this area I believe. The production on his podcasts are very good. At least those that I have listened to. I will say that Transistor Rodeo is almost too slick at times. I also have never enjoyed the use of the author asking the audience questions as a tool to try to get them to make guesses of future episodes. Foreshadowing should be provided to accomplish this, or simply surprise me.

    Cast: Mr. Nemcoff does a straight read in that he voices all of the characters. He isn’t a Sigler or a Hutchins, but he does a more than adequate job of bringing the characters to life.

    Story: This is an interesting mixture of the western genre mixed with Jurassic Park and Westworld (you know, the one with Yul). I have never heard anything like it. It definitely captured my attention and I did enjoy it. The episodes are relatively short and at 24 episodes, I’d consider this one almost a novella, although I have no idea of word count. Some of the characters became annoying after a while, but that is a good thing. At least for me.

    Unfortunately, the release schedule was ridiculous. It began fairly regularly, but fell apart at the end. It was two months between the release of episodes 22 and 23, and a huge eight months between episodes 23 and the finale episode 24. I truthfully gave up before it was released, but later came back and picked it up.

    Verdict: I will recommend this story, though I know it isn’t for everyone. It is candy. Not filling, but fun. Especially if you have teen or preteen boys (and/or were raised on John Wayne movies). I will say that at times Mr. Nemcoff’s style of continually trying to keep the action at a breakneck pace was a little tiring, but overall, he did do a good job of it. If you have never heard a story quite like the one described here, I recommend you give it an episode or four to see what you think.

    Disclosure: I have no idea if Mr. Nemcoff is even on Twitter. I have not heard his worked ever discussed in the group that I follow, though I seem to remember him doing a voice guest appearance on something I was listening too. I was neither offered or received anything for writing this review.

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  • Podcast Review #32: Half Share

    Title: Half Share
    Author: Nathan Lowell
    Genre: Science Fiction
    Released: 29 April 2007 – 2o May 2007
    Located: Podibooks, iTunes, Author’s Site
    Formats Available: Podcast only (soon to be dead tree from Ridan Publishing)
    Rating: PG/R There is much in the way of sexual innuendo and some sensuality.

    As many of you are aware, Mr. Nathan Lowell recently had the first of the Golden Clipper series books, namely Quarter Share, released by Ridan Publishing in a variety of formats. (I hope you have made your purchase all ready.) I purchased it and slowly read through it over the last week. Well, okay, three days. BUT, I can guarantee you that I made myself ration it out because it was just as good in print as it was with Mr. Lowell reading it. And if you have ever purchased one of your favorite podcast turned dead tree, you know how large that satisfaction can be. (Of course, if you have had the alternate experience, you know why this satisfaction is so, well, satisfying.)

    After reading Quarter Share, I of course had to listen to the whole Golden Clipper series again. Come on, how many of you did the same? Be brave, fess up. Naturally, that led me to fall in love with Mr. Lowell’s universe all over again and I couldn’t refrain from providing this long over due review of Half Share.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: After Ishmael Wang is promoted to the environmental section, he’s caught in a swirl of mystery, doubt, belief, lust and a really nice fitting pair of jeans. He has to come to grips with what it means to be a spacer while he’s still trying to figure out what it means to be a man. Join Ishmael, Brillo, Pip, and the rest of the crew of the Lois McKendrick as they help the newest member of the crew adjust to life in the Deep Dark.Half Share is the sequel to Quarter Share, also available at Podiobooks.com.Note: Some scenes in Half Share involve adult themes, nudity, sex and references to religions not based on Judeo-Christian traditions. Listen at your own risk. (stolen from Podiobooks site)

    Production: I must reiterate from my review of Quarter Share, Mr. Lowell is a master of less is more when it comes to production. No one, and I do mean no one, does a narrated, straight read story better. For this style, this is as good as it gets. Very simply, a brief piece of music provides an introduction to the story, Mr. Lowell provides the chapter title, which tells us where Ishmael is, and the story commences. So simple. Such Genius.

    Cast: Mr. Lowell has proven his narration skills time and time again. I introduced (yes, I take the credit whether deserved or not) one of my Twitter circle to Mr. Lowell in Ravenwood. Being a self proclaimed voice snob, she validated my proclamation of Mr. Lowell’s abilities (Yes, K, I do mean you).

    Story: As is par for Mr. Lowell’s Golden Clipper stories, there really is no conflict in Half Share. It is more a process of self discovery on the part of Ishmael. I’ve never been fond of this type of story, but it works for Mr. Lowell, and it works in such a way as to leave no doubt that he shouldn’t change a thing. I must also say that until reading my copy of Quarter Share, I can honestly say I never even noticed the stories were written in 1st person narrative. I hate 1st person narrative. Except when Mr. Lowell writes it (okay, a few other exceptions, but I can guarantee, they are very few). Again, I wouldn’t want him to change a thing.

    Verdict: Half Share is my least favorite of the Golden Clipper stories. Yes, you can flame and hate me now. In fact, please do. I love discussion. That being said, it is still one of the best ten podcasts I’ve ever listened to, and the Golden Clipper is in the top two series ever. I’d even put it up against Lord of the Rings in my list, and if you know me, that says a lot. But you see, if you listen to more than one story (or read for that matter) by an author you by nature most likely prefer one to the other. It doesn’t mean they’re not both good, just one isn’t your favorite. This was Half Share for me. I loved it, just not as much as the others. Why? Well, I’ve never been called a prude or a Puritan, oh wait…. I have. And that is your answer. However, even with that fact, all the adult situations in Half Share go to providing a good background for making Ish the man he is/will become, so I’m happy to have been allowed to see it. In closing, let me state now, I’ve all ready got my order in for the signed hardback (by which I mean I will sign up as soon as it becomes available.).

    Disclosure: I currently follow Mr. Lowell on Twitter. He will always answer questions and is very affable. I was not asked to write this review and received nothing in the way of compensation. He is one of my very top favorite authors and I am thrilled to be able to buy his books in dead tree form.

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  • Podcast Review #31: The Red Panda – Season One

    Title: The Red Panda – Season One
    Author: Gregg Taylor
    Genre: Super Hero Crime Fantasy
    Released: 15 October 2005 – 10 June 2006
    Located: iTunes, Author’s Site
    Formats Available: podcast only at this time
    Rating: G for mild old time radio type violence and a good ol’ “Yes boss!” adventure

    During the spring of 2007 I was desperate to be entertained and had subscribed to a number of Old Time Radio shows. I love the old shows. I’d listened to The Shadow, Gunsmoke, Fort Laramie, The Six Shooter (Jimmy Stewart radio is not to be missed), The Green Hornet and numerous others.

    Of course by this time I had also discovered podiofiction and had subscribed to many podiobooks. Still, I was craving a self contained story that also had a greater story arch. I missed that and after a bit of looking on iTunes I discovered Decoder Ring Theatre.

    Now, some of you might think I’m stretching my own rules a bit. You may be right, but I think it is very close to the line, and hey, it’s my blog. Decoder Ring is built around two hallmark series. The Red Panda and Blackjack Justice. Each are released in turn in two week intervals with The Red Panda in the spring, Blackjack Justice in the fall and something unique in the summer. For the purposes of this review, we will be looking at season one of The Red Panda.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: In the desperate days of the Great Depression, one man brought justice to the dark alleys and gas-lit streets of Toronto. Secretly one of the city’s wealthiest men, he lives a dual life as a masked man of mystery. Only his trusty driver, Kit Baxter, who joins him in his quest in the guise of The Flying Squirrel, knows who wears the mask of The Red Panda! (stolen from Podiobooks website, though now I can’t seem to find the page)

    Production: Decoder Ring Theatre is very much a professional operation. Mr. Taylor, the writer of all of DRT’s standard stories, I believe is also the director and producer of the eps. However, this may be incorrect. Regardless, each episode is a fully produced extravaganza and and auditory masterpiece.

    Cast: The Red Panda is a full cast audiodrama modeled very obviously after old time radio dramas. The cast members are all top quality professional voice actors and deserve to be recognized for their contributions. Unfortunately, I really don’t have the time to do that here. Instead I am providing a link to the cast page available at the DST wikipedia article. Two actors that have to be mentioned though would be the aforementioned Gregg Taylor, who plays the title character of the Red Panda, and his wife, Clarissa Der Nederlanden Taylor in the role of the Flying Squirrel. Both due a superb job and it is one of those voice duo’s that when you find out they are married just makes you more happy for some reason. Their chemistry just clicks.

    Story: As previously mentioned, each episode is a self contained story. There are times when, for one reason or another, this is exactly what I need. Season one introduces several other recurring characters (including several villains) and really allows you to get to know the two lead characters pretty well.  In this first season, most of the baddies the intrepid duo faces is in the guise of gangster types and supervillains. This is a great show, but the characters have such a chemistry about them that you just can’t get enough.

    Verdict: Seriously gang, they just don’t get much better than this. If you have not subscribed yet, and you have ever enjoyed a good story well told, this really should be one you subscribe to. Now.

    Disclosure: I do follow the @Decoder_Ring on Twitter, but I have never tweeted with them or had any conversation in any other manner. I was not offered anything in recompense for this review.

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  • We have a winner! (Contest update)

    I’ll be stepping away from our regularly scheduled “How I do it!’ feature this morning to provide you with this update. “How I do it” will return next Wednesday.

    As was proposed back in November, View from Valhalla ran a contest coinciding with the release of our 26th weekly Podcast Review. A name was selected at random on Twitter on Friday, May 15, 2010. The honor (guilt, culpability, blame, etc) of drawing the name went to our good friend and regular commenter  Richared Green (aka Mainframe) who had asked to be excluded from the drawing himself.

    After the drumroll ended, Richard provided us with the number matching that of DanDanTheArtMan, who is a right nice guy, fan of podiofiction and has posted here regularly.

    As his prize, Dan selected the wonderfully funny and charming Christiana Ellis’s Nina Kimberly the Merciless. Ms. Ellis was kind enough to agree to allow us to purchase directly from her, and send send an autographed copy to Dan.

    I would seriously like to thank all of you who have commented. I know it wasn’t for hopes of winning a book (well, I don’t know, and if it was, you are motivated, well and true) but I hope you had fun with the contest anyway.

    I hope to be able to continue to run this contest 2 times yearly, so don’t forget, keep those comments coming! And yes, disagreeing with me counts JUST AS MUCH as agreeing. See you after Podcast Review 52!

    Original contest rules can be found here.

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  • Podcast Review #30: Goblin Market

    Title: Goblin Market
    Author: Jennifer Hudock
    Genre: Fantasy
    Released:
    Located: iTunes, Author’s Site
    Formats Available: podcast only at this time
    Rating: PG for mild violence and one scene of amorous kissing stuff

    One of the nicest surprises I’ve received in podcast listening in recent times was Starla Huchton’s The Dreamer’s Thread. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I have actively sought out works by members of her cast. In doing so, I came across Jennifer Hudock’s Goblin Market. I wish I could say I immediately started listening, however, that wouldn’t be the truth.

    I love doing these reviews. I have listened to multiple works of podiofiction that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise (with mixed results). However, these reviews have also changed my listening habits. I used to be an avid subscriber of new podfiction, if an author failed along the way, it made me sad, but it was no great loss. Now, I just don’t have the time. (Awe, I can hear you crying for me. It’s okay. Really.) In my effort to try to keep reviewing new material for you, I now subscribe, but wait until the story is close to ending before I dive in.

    Well, Goblin Market ended yesterday, and I was ready….

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: Meredith Drexler has been the sole caretaker for her young sister Christina ever since their father went away. Sacrificing her life and her freedom to ensure Christina has a better life, Merry’s only escape from the monotony of every day life is her daydreams. When Christina arrives home late one evening speaking in delirious riddles, Meredith discovers her sister has been poisoned by Goblin fruit obtained in the Goblin Market.

    She must travel to the heart of the Goblin Kingdom to retrieve the antidote to save her sister’s life, but at a price no sister should ever have to pay. Along the way, Meredith falls in love with the forest god who names himself her consort, and discovers a strange truth about her past and her identity.
    (stolen from the author’s site.

    Production: Where to start. I would love to be able to tell you how wonderful the production is. Unfortunately, I can’t. In fact the first several eps are painfully poor as far as production values. And yes, I do mean painfully. Feel free to argue the point if you feel inclined, however, Ms. Hudock has pointed this out herself and has acknowledged that the first seven episodes will being rerecorded.

    Cast: Goblin Market is an author read story and Ms. Hudock does a fine job. She isn’t a Sigler or a Hutchins, but her characters do live through her and I was content with her performance.

    Story: The Goblin Market is in reality a very simple story. It starts at point A and proceeds in a fairly straightforward manner to point B. I’m not saying it won’t surprise you or that it is uninteresting. Just simple. I will also say the characters are somewhat two dimensional. As character driven as I am, this wasn’t an issue for me. Why? Read on.

    Verdict: In the first episode Ms. Hudock states that her intention was to create a story in the fashion of a dark fairy tale. She succeeds. As far as characters in fairy tales go, aren’t they all rather straightforward? How well do you know Jack, or Goldilocks, etc? The characters are simply vehicles for the tale. If you enjoy fairy tales, I would definitely recommend The Goblin Market. I did enjoy it and am looking forward for the sequel (Goblin Market ends as a bit of a cliffhanger and sets up the sequel well.)

    Disclosure: I do follow Ms. Hudock on Twitter. She is a pleasant and encouraging individual. However, she did not ask for this review nor offer anything in way of compensation.

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  • Podcast Review #29: Cybrosis

    Title: Cybrosis
    Author: P.C. Haring
    Genre: Science Fiction
    Released: 1 January 2010 – 14 May 2010
    Located: Author’s Site, iTunes
    Formats available: podcast only
    Rating: PG-13 for violence and a bit of language (always listen before sharing with your family, we might have different views)

    This has been a very busy spring. I’m having a hard time remembering what was going on January 1st. I believe I was ramping up to listen to Nathan Lowell’s highly anticipated Ravenwood when a heretofore unheard of podcast, Cybrosis, was brought to my attention. I might be able to lay the blame with Richard Green (a.k.a Mainframe) or perhaps Thomas Reed (a.k.a. trreed) but I might just as easily stumbled up on it on my own. Regardless, the author, P.C. Haring was a name I was familiar with from my Twitter circle (@pcharing). He seemed like a good enough bloke, and there are really few scifi productions in the podiofiction realm at the moment, so I decided to give it a shot.

    So, on to the review.

    Synopsis: Cybrosis is a cyberpunk action adventure novel filled with conspiracies, betrayals, and surprises. When a simple mission goes wrong, CNSCP Agent Ciris finds herself falling through a rabbit hole and into a conspiracy that threatens everything she knows about the cybernetic technology that keeps her alive. (Stolen and mashed up from iTunes and the author’s site.)

    Production: I don’t know what Mr. Haring does for a living (I think he’s mentioned accounting, believe it or not (tax seasons over… lay off the poor guy)), but this production really is top notch. He makes appropriate use of consistently good production techniques and has paid attention to his mentors.

    Several production notes. I have said previously that I was going to stop mentioning the story so far except when I had something to add to previous statements. This is one of those times.

    Mr. Haring did something I haven’t heard before. He had guest voices introduce the episode (which was nice), but then had a consistent voice presence for TSSF. While I haven’t changed positions on the use of the device, I really liked this way of going about it. This is an example of good production. Repetition lets the audience know what is coming and draws us in from the very beginning.

    Secondly, though Mr. Haring is far from the first podcaster to do this, I always appreciate the added touch of redoing the lead in on the final episode to signify the final episode. It just seems to me to be a mark of pride on the creators part that I can’t help noticing. Podcasters, I don’t know if I’m alone, but I DO notice these things.

    Cast: The cast from Cybrosis, which truly is a full audiodrama (not the silly 3 or more people stipulation either -poke poke) has a cast that most first time podcasters would kill for. However, I will say that I had never heard Heather Welliver in the lead role before, and she truly and honestly nailed it. Her star is on the rise folks, and you heard her in Cybrosis early on.

    Story: Cybrosis starts out with a high adrenaline chase scene and never backs down. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a work of podiofiction that kept the pulse pounding rate going through as much of the story as Cybrosis did. If you mainline this one, the twenty episodes are going to fly by.

    Verdict: Cybrosis is a great science fiction podcast that should have great and long lasting appeal. It isn’t “high art” perhaps, but it is great fun and would make a great summer blockbuster movie. I always looked forward to the weekly drops (which happened very regularly and according to schedule) and will miss having this one in my feed.

    Unless you’re philosophically opposed to fun, cyborgs, splosions or strong female characters, stop hesitating and go subscribe. Now.

    Disclosure: I have never met P.C. Haring, although I do follow him on Twitter. I was not asked to provide this review. Mr. Haring DID  ask me a question about mix levels early on, but that was the only input I ever provided during the release, other than an occasional “hurray”.

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