#Science Fiction Audiobook

[politicalfeed]

Discover the Thrilling Universe of “Project Hail Mary”

“Project Hail Mary,” written by Andy Weir, has quickly become a sensation in the world of science fiction literature. This gripping novel, from the author of “The Martian,” delivers a compelling story that combines scientific rigor with edge-of-your-seat suspense. If you’re a fan of audiobooks, eBooks, or simply love to read, “Project Hail Mary” is a must-experience adventure that promises to captivate your imagination from start to finish.

Awards and Achievements

“Project Hail Mary” has received numerous accolades, cementing its place as a modern sci-fi classic. Among its prestigious honors are:

Winner of the 2022 Audie Awards’ Audiobook of the Year: This award highlights the exceptional quality of the audiobook narration, making it a standout choice for audio enthusiasts.

Number-One Audible and New York Times Audio Best Seller: The book’s popularity has soared, earning top spots on both Audible and the New York Times best-seller lists, showcasing its widespread appeal and acclaim.

More than One Million Audiobooks Sold: This milestone is a testament to the book’s immense popularity and the engaging experience it offers to listeners.

The Story That Captivates

In “Project Hail Mary,” Andy Weir introduces us to Ryland Grace, an astronaut who wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or how he got there. As he pieces together his past, he realizes that he is humanity’s last hope, on a mission to save Earth from an impending disaster. The novel expertly blends science, humor, and suspense, creating a story that is both thought-provoking and thrilling.

Experience “Project Hail Mary” on Audible

Are you ready to dive into the world of “Project Hail Mary”? There’s no better way to experience this electrifying story than through its award-winning audiobook. Audible offers a seamless way to enjoy the best in audiobooks, and right now, you can get one free month when you sign up. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to explore “Project Hail Mary” and countless other top titles. Sign up for Audible today and embark on an unforgettable journey.

The Perfect Companion for eBook Readers

For those who prefer eBooks, “Project Hail Mary” is also available in digital format, perfect for reading on your favorite eBook readers. Whether you use a Kindle, tablet, or smartphone, the eBook version offers the flexibility to enjoy this extraordinary novel anywhere, anytime.

Enhance Your Reading Experience

Audiobooks provide a unique way to enjoy your favorite books, allowing you to listen while commuting, exercising, or relaxing at home. “Project Hail Mary” on Audible is narrated by Ray Porter, whose performance brings the characters and story to life in a way that will immerse you fully in the narrative. Join Audible now and discover why “Project Hail Mary” has won accolades and captivated listeners around the world.

Why “Project Hail Mary” Stands Out

The success of “Project Hail Mary” can be attributed to Andy Weir’s masterful storytelling and his ability to blend scientific accuracy with a gripping narrative. The book’s detailed exploration of space travel and its relatable, human elements make it a standout in the genre. Fans of eBooks and audiobooks alike will find “Project Hail Mary” to be a stellar addition to their collection.

Take the First Step into Space

Don’t just take our word for it. Experience the phenomenon that is “Project Hail Mary” for yourself. Sign up for a free month of Audible and get access to this award-winning audiobook. Click here to start your free month and join the millions of listeners who have already embarked on this epic adventure.

Conclusion

“Project Hail Mary” is more than just a book; it’s an experience that pushes the boundaries of imagination and science fiction. With its numerous awards, best-seller status, and over a million audiobooks sold, it’s clear that this novel has resonated with readers and listeners around the globe. Whether you’re an audiobook aficionado or an eBook enthusiast, “Project Hail Mary” is a must-read. Sign up for Audible today and start your journey into the thrilling universe crafted by Andy Weir.

[political-land]

Embark on an Epic Space Mission with "Project Hail Mary"

Andy Weir’s "Project Hail Mary" stands out as a thrilling and scientifically grounded work of fiction. This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys audiobooks, eBooks, or simply a riveting narrative. From the acclaimed author of "The Martian," Weir delivers yet another masterpiece.

Notable Honors

"Project Hail Mary" has achieved significant recognition in the literary world:

Winner of the 2022 Audie Awards' Audiobook of the Year: This prestigious award highlights the audiobook’s exceptional quality.

Number-One Audible and New York Times Audio Best Seller: The book’s popularity is reflected in its top rankings on these lists.

More than One Million Audio Books Sold: This achievement underscores its widespread appeal and listener engagement.

An Unforgettable Sci-Fi Journey

In "Project Hail Mary," protagonist Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of his mission. As he pieces together his past, he realizes he must save Earth from a catastrophic event. The novel blends scientific insight with thrilling suspense.

Dive Into the Story with Audible

Experience "Project Hail Mary" through its award-winning audiobook on Audible. Ray Porter’s narration brings the story to life, making it an engaging listen. Sign up for Audible today and get one free month to explore "Project Hail Mary" and more.

Perfect for Digital Readers

For eBook enthusiasts, "Project Hail Mary" is available in digital format, ideal for any device. Enjoy this gripping story wherever you go.

Enhance Your Audiobook Experience

Audiobooks provide a unique way to enjoy your favorite stories. "Project Hail Mary" on Audible offers a fully immersive experience. Join Audible now and discover why this book has captured the hearts of many.

Why "Project Hail Mary" is Exceptional

Andy Weir’s knack for blending scientific detail with compelling storytelling makes "Project Hail Mary" a standout novel. The book’s deep dive into space travel and human resilience sets it apart in the science fiction genre.

Start Your Adventure

Discover "Project Hail Mary" for yourself. Sign up for a free month of Audible and join the millions who have been captivated by this extraordinary story.

Conclusion

"Project Hail Mary" is a thrilling exploration of science and survival that pushes the boundaries of fiction. With its numerous awards and best-seller status, it’s clear this novel resonates with readers and listeners worldwide. Whether you prefer audiobooks or eBooks, "Project Hail Mary" is a must-read. Begin your journey today with Audible

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Kickstarting a new Martin Hench novel about the dawn of enshittification

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/07/weird-pcs/#a-mormon-bishop-an-orthodox-rabbi-and-a-catholic-priest-walk-into-a-personal-computing-revolution

Picks and Shovels is a new, standalone technothriller starring Marty Hench, my two-fisted, hard-fighting, tech-scam-busting forensic accountant. You can pre-order it on my latest Kickstarter, which features a brilliant audiobook read by @wilwheaton:

http://martinhench.com

This is the third Hench novel, following on from the nationally bestselling The Bezzle (2024) and Red Team Blues (2023). I wrote Red Team Blues with a funny conceit: what if I wrote the final volume of a beloved, long-running series, without writing the rest of the series? Turns out, the answer is: "Your editor will buy a whole bunch more books in the series!"

My solution to this happy conundrum? Write the Hench books out of chronological order. After all, Marty Hench is a financial hacker who's been in Silicon Valley since the days of the first PCs, so he's been there for all the weird scams tech bros have dreamed up since Jobs and Woz were laboring in their garage over the Apple I. He's the Zelig of high-tech fraud! Look hard at any computing-related scandal and you'll find Marty Hench in the picture, quietly and competently unraveling the scheme, dodging lawsuits and bullets with equal aplomb.

Which brings me to Picks and Shovels. In this volume, we travel back to Marty's first job, in the 1980s – the weird and heroic era of the PC. Marty ended up in the Bay Area after he flunked out of an MIT computer science degree (he was too busy programming computers to do his classwork), and earning his CPA at a community college.

Silicon Valley in the early eighties was wild: Reaganomics stalked the land, the AIDS crisis was in full swing, the Dead Kennedys played every weekend, and man were the PCs ever weird. This was before the industry crystalized into Mac vs PC, back when no one knew what they were supposed to look like, who was supposed to use them, and what they were for.

Marty's first job is working for one of the weirder companies: Fidelity Computing. They sound like a joke: a computer company run by a Mormon bishop, a Catholic priest and an orthodox rabbi. But the joke's on their customers, because Fidelity Computing is a scam: a pyramid sales cult that exploits religious affinities to sell junk PCs that are designed to lock customers in and squeeze them for every dime. A Fidelity printer only works with Fidelity printer paper (they've gimmicked the sprockets on the tractor-feed). A Fidelity floppy drive only accepts Fidelity floppies (every disk is sold with a single, scratched-out sector and the drives check for an error on that sector every time they run).

Marty figures out he's working for the bad guys when they ask him to destroy Computing Freedom, a scrappy rival startup founded by three women who've escaped from Fidelity Computing's cult: a queer orthodox woman who's been kicked out of her family; a radical nun who's thrown in with the Liberation Theology movement in opposing America's Dirty Wars; and a Mormon woman who's quit the church in disgust at its opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment. The women of Computing Freedom have a (ahem) holy mission: to free every Fidelity customer from the prison they were lured into.

Marty may be young and inexperienced, but he can spot a rebel alliance from a light year away and he knows what side he wants to be on. He joins the women in their mission, and we're deep into a computing war that quickly turns into a shooting war. Turns out the Reverend Sirs of Fidelity Computer aren't just scammers – they're mobbed up, and willing to turn to lethal violence to defend their racket.

This is a rollicking crime thriller, a science fiction novel about the dawn of the computing revolution. It's an archaeological expedition to uncover the fossil record of the first emergence of enshittification, a phenomenon that was born with the PC and its evil twin, the Reagan Revolution.

The book comes out on Feb 15 in hardcover and ebook from Macmillan (US/Canada) and Bloomsbury (UK), but neither publisher is doing the audiobook. That's my department.

Why? Well, I love audiobooks, and I especially love the audiobooks for this series, because they're read by the incredible Wil Wheaton, hands down my favorite audiobook narrator. But that's not why I retain my audiobook rights and produce my own audiobooks. I do that because Amazon's Audible service refuses to carry any of my audiobooks.

Here's how that works: Audible is a division of Amazon, and they've illegally obtained a monopoly over the audiobook market, controlling more than 90% of audiobook sales in many genres. That means that if your book isn't for sale on Audible, it might as well not exist.

But Amazon won't let you sell your books on Audible unless you let them wrap those books in "digital rights management," a kind of encryption that locks them to Audible's authorized players. Under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, it's a felony punishable with a 5-year sentence and a $500k fine to supply you with a tool to remove an audiobook from Audible and play it on a rival app. That applies even if the person who gives you the tool is the creator of the book!

You read that right: if I make an audiobook and then give you the tools to move it out of Amazon's walled garden, I could go to prison for five years! That's a stiffer sentence than you'd face if you were to just pirate the audiobook. It's a harsher penalty than you'd get for shoplifting the book on CD from a truck-stop. It's more draconian than the penalty for hijacking the truck that delivers the CDs!

Amazon knows that every time you buy an audiobook from Audible, you increase the cost you'll have to pay if you switch to a competitor. They use that fact to give readers a worse deal (last year they tried out ads in audiobooks!). But the people who really suffer under this arrangement are the writers, whom Amazon abuses with abandon, knowing they can't afford to leave the service because their readers are locked into it. That's why Amazon felt they could get away with stealing $100 million from indie audiobook creators (and yup, they got away with it):

https://www.audiblegate.com/about

Which is why none of my books can be sold with DRM. And that means that Audible won't carry any of them.

For more than a decade, I've been making my own audiobooks, in partnership with the wonderful studio Skyboat Media and their brilliant director, Gabrielle de Cuir:

https://skyboatmedia.com/

I pay fantastic narrators a fair wage for their work, then I pay John Taylor Williams, the engineer who masters my podcasts, to edit the books and compose bed music for the intro and outro. Then I sell the books at every store in the world – except Audible and Apple, who both have mandatory DRM. Because fuck DRM.

Paying everyone a fair wage is expensive. It's worth it: the books are great. But even though my books are sold at many stores online, being frozen out of Audible means that the sales barely register.

That's why I do these Kickstarter campaigns, to pre-sell thousands of audiobooks in advance of the release. I've done six of these now, and each one was a huge success, inspiring others to strike out on their own, sometimes with spectacular results:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2022/04/01/brandon-sanderson-kickstarter-41-million-new-books/7243531001/

Today, I've launched the Kickstarter for Picks and Shovels. I'm selling the audiobook and ebook in DRM-form, without any "terms of service" or "license agreement." That means they're just like a print book: you buy them, you own them. You can read them on any equipment you choose to. You can sell them, give them away, or lend them to friends. Rather than making you submit to 20,000 words of insulting legalese, all I ask of you is that you don't violate copyright law. I trust you!

Speaking of print books: I'm also pre-selling the hardcover of Picks and Shovels and the paperbacks of The Bezzle and Red Team Blues, the other two Marty Hench books. I'll even sign and personalize them for you!

http://martinhench.com

I'm also offering five chances to commission your own Marty Hench story – pick your favorite high-tech finance scam from the past 40 years of tech history, and I'll have Marty bust it in a custom short story. Once the story is published, I'll make sure you get credit. Check out these two cool Little Brother stories my previous Kickstarter backers commissioned:

Spill

https://reactormag.com/spill-cory-doctorow/

Vigilant

https://reactormag.com/vigilant-cory-doctorow/

I'm heading out on tour this winter and spring with the book. I'll be in LA, San Francisco, San Diego, Burbank, Bloomington, Chicago, Richmond VA, Toronto, NYC, Boston, Austin, DC, Baltimore, Seattle, and other dates still added. I've got an incredible roster of conversation partners lined up, too: John Hodgman, Charlie Jane Anders, Dan Savage, Ken Liu, Peter Sagal, Wil Wheaton, and others.

I hope you'll check out this book, and come out to see me on tour and say hi. Before I go, I want to leave you with some words of advance praise for Picks and Shovels:

I hugely enjoyed Picks and Shovels. Cory Doctorow’s reconstruction of the age is note perfect: the detail, the atmosphere, ethos, flavour and smell of the age is perfectly conveyed. I love Marty and Art and all the main characters. The hope and the thrill that marks the opening section. The superb way he tells the story of the rise of Silicon Valley (to use the lazy metonym), inserting the stories of Shockley, IBM vs US Government, the rise of MS – all without turning journalistic or preachy.

The seeds of enshittification are all there… even in the sunlight of that time the shadows are lengthening. AIDS of course, and the coming scum tide of VCs. In Orwellian terms, the pigs are already rising up on two feet and starting to wear trousers. All that hope, all those ideals…

I love too the thesis that San Francisco always has failed and always will fail her suitors.

Despite cultural entropy, enshittification, corruption, greed and all the betrayals there’s a core of hope and honour in the story too.

-Stephen Fry

Cory Doctorow writes as few authors do, with tech world savvy and real world moral clarity. A true storyteller for our times.

-John Scalzi

A crackling, page-turning tumble into an unexpected underworld of queer coders, Mission burritos, and hacker nuns. You will fall in love with the righteous underdogs of Computing Freedom—and feel right at home in the holy place Doctorow has built for them far from Silicon Valley’s grabby, greedy hands."

-Claire Evans, editor of Motherboard Future, author of Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet.

"Wonderful…evokes the hacker spirit of the early personal computer era—and shows how the battle for software freedom is eternal."

-Steven Levy, author of Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution and Facebook: The Inside Story.

What could be better than a Martin Hench thriller set in 1980s San Francisco that mixes punk rock romance with Lotus spreadsheets, dot matrix printers and religious orders? You'll eat this up – I sure did.

-Tim Wu, Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Competition Policy, author of The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires

Captures the look and feel of the PC era. Cory Doctorow draws a portrait of a Silicon Valley and San Francisco before the tech bros showed up — a startup world driven as much by open source ideals as venture capital gold.

-John Markoff, Pulitzer-winning tech columnist for the New York Times and author of What the Doormouse Said: How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry

You won't put this book down – it's too much fun. I was there when it all began. Doctorow's characters and their story are real.

-Dan'l Lewin, CEO and President of the Computer History Museum

[augustyearroundprod]

(UN)LIKEMINDED presents “POTHEAD”

To some people, Louise is too much. She feels too much. She thinks too much. She loves too much. And when her heart is broken, she will do way too much to get back the man who left her.

Written By: Katie Rose Rogers

Narrated By: Katie McGrath

The dream team has done it again! @katierosietoesrogers and Katie McGrath always come together to create such beautiful works of art, and we’re beyond lucky to have them in the (Un)Likeminded family! I continue to be blown away by everything Katie Rogers writes— truly don’t know how so much talent can live in one human. And Katie McGrath’s voice is so soothing and powerful, bringing it all to life in such an incredible way! I’m so excited for you all to listen!! Links in comments!

[rjalker]

apparently a bunch more people are coming to the Flatland fandom / tags because of gravity falls so PSA:

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, is public domain. It belongs to everyone. You do not need to buy a physical copy to read it. It has no copyright. It belongs to everyone.

It is free to read online. There are free audiobooks.

Here's another masterpost

Here's a link to it on Project Gutenberg where you can read and download it in many formats:

Here's an amazing free audiobook on the internet archive:

Here's where you can read the 2024 translation into modern English on the internet archive:

there are some typos that I need to fix but. I have covid I'm not doing that right now.

You can also read this translation here on tumblr at @flatland-a-2024-translation

There's an audiobook version on youtube as well now.

___

Here’s an animation from 1965

Here’s a stop motion film from 1982 in Italian with English subtitles

Here’s an animation from 2006

___

I do not recommend watching the free 2007 Flatland film which you can find on youtube until you've read or listened to the book unless you want to be really confused. The movie is an absurdist comedy. The book is a political satire. The movie is better appreciated after you've already read/listened to the book.

It also has a lot of flashing lights and motion-sickness inducing spinning. The timestamps for those can be found here. Please be careful if you have photosensitivity.

do not spend money on Flatland until you already know you like it. you do not need to spend money at all. It's public domain. it belongs to all of us.

Very important edit: The creator of the 2007 film that's free on youtube, Ladd Ehlinger is an extremely racist and misogynistic conservative. He made a political ad so blatantly racist and sexist that youtube has literally resstricted it, so that you can't share the link outside the site. Simply google his name and you will see dozens upon dozens of articles about how bigoted he is.,

Please be aware of what kind of person made that movie when you watch it. His bigotry is baked into the movie, and is why he refused to actually do anything with the original political commentary from the book.

You are not a bad person if you already watched the movie and enjoyed it, but you do need to be aware of what kind of person made it and how that affected the movie, and make sure others are warned.

[sublightgames]

🛍️ Get your swag!

👀 Watch the trailer!

🎧 Listen to the pilot!

🎲 Play tabletop with us!

All Kickstarter rewards disappear after September 1st!

[arthurdrakoni]

Flatland is an underrated classic that imagines life in a 2-D world. This is my review.

You’ll get a lot of answers when you ask when speculative fiction was born. Some will tell you that it began with Hugo Gernsback and the pulps. Others will say that it goes as far back as mythology and folklore. Personally, I go with those who say that it began with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, though I don’t discount earlier works such as Gulliver’s Travels or The Tempest. I say all of this because I’m taking us back to the 19th Century for today’s review. We’re going to review the classic novel Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott.

Imagine, if you will, a sheet of paper that is infinitely large and stretching to all sides. Now imagine that on this sheet of paper there are a series of geometric shapes, but instead of staying in place these shapes move about and have complex social lives. Welcome to Flatland, a world of only two dimensions. There is width and length, but there is no height or depth.

The book follows A. Square who is…well, he’s literally a two-dimensional square. He acts as our guide to the realm of Flatland and relates to use the ways of his countrymen and their doings. There are two main events that serve to completely change A. Square’s world view. The first is his contact with Lineland, a world of only one dimension, and the second is meeting a figure known as Lord Sphere. Lord Sphere claims to come from a strange world of three dimensions called Spaceland.

The book goes into great detail about how life works in a world with only two dimensions. For example, it is customary to meet someone by feeling them in order to determine their shape. It’s also considered polite to give directions to the way north when meeting a traveler on the road. Societal rank and job are determined by the number of sides that one has, with circles being at the top of things. Each successive generation gains an additional side, except for the low ranking isosceles triangles, though there are exceptions. Women, being incredibly sharp and pointy lines, have restrictions placed on them so that they can avoid constantly killing people by accident. We also learn much of the history of Flatland, such as why colors have been banned by the upper classes. There is some pretty great world building in this novel.

That having been said the fact the citizens of Flatland are all living geometric shapes does limit the amount of exploration that can go into their biology and physics. A. Square does hint at future explanations, but he decides that it will take up too much time and bore the reader. Or to put it another way, if you wonder how they eat and breathe and other science facts…well, I’m sure you all know the words to the Mystery Science Theater 3000 theme song. You’ll also notice that Flatland society bares more than a passing resemblance to the society of Victorian Britain. This is intentional, as Abbott intended for Flatland to be just as much a satire as a compelling story. For example, the class system of Flatland is rather absurd when given further scrutiny, but Abbott was making about about how the British class system was absurd and ultimately rather arbitrary.

Since it was written in 1884 Flatland has long since fallen into the Public Domain. As such, many other writer have tried their hand at tackling the subject matter Flatland is built upon. Usually they will focus on one particular aspect while ignoring the others. Admittedly I haven’t read any of these books, but of the ones I’ve heard of thanks to TV Tropes I’d say Planiverse sounds the most promising. It attempts to look at how biology, chemistry, physics and culture would function in a realistic 2-D world.

Have you read Flatland? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-flatland-by-edwin-abbot.html?m=1

[gaymarisa]

i love lecture recordings, i genuinely love listening to these like podcasts. this is entertainment to me, fun, learning in a way that does not bore me!

the moment they give me a single 10 page article though it takes me 5 business weeks to read it

[shadow-words]

Choose 20 books that greatly influenced you. One book per day, for 20 days. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.

Image: The male lead absconding with the female lead while the female lead's boyfriend pursues, flanked by male lead's bestie.

[infosphere]

Rise of the Nightshade 2 - Audiobook

After her transformation into Nightshade, Amelia Harrow is confined, seeking redemption by aiding the heroes of Neo Haven. A new villain, Revenant, emerges, determined to plunge the city into chaos. The heroes, led by Captain Solaris, must confront Revenant with Nightshade’s reluctant help. Through fierce battles and emotional confrontations, they uncover Revenant's dark past and thwart his destructive plans. As peace returns to Neo Haven, Amelia finds a new purpose, proving that even the darkest souls can seek redemption.

Follow for more stories every day, you can comment and ask for request of style of stories

[politicalfeed]

Journey into the Cosmos with “Project Hail Mary”

Andy Weir’s “Project Hail Mary” has taken the literary world by storm, proving itself as a masterwork of modern science fiction. If you’re an enthusiast of audiobooks, eBooks, or gripping narratives, this book is an essential addition to your collection. From the author of “The Martian,” Weir crafts an intricate tale that blends scientific precision with heart-pounding suspense.

Celebrated Achievements

“Project Hail Mary” has garnered significant accolades, underscoring its status as a must-read:

Winner of the 2022 Audie Awards’ Audiobook of the Year: This prestigious honor highlights the exceptional quality of the audiobook, making it a standout for audio fans.

Number-One Audible and New York Times Audio Best Seller: The book’s widespread acclaim is reflected in its top positions on these best-seller lists.

More than One Million Audiobooks Sold: This milestone showcases the book’s immense popularity and the engaging experience it provides.

An Epic Tale of Survival

In “Project Hail Mary,” we follow Ryland Grace, an astronaut who awakens alone on a spaceship with no memory. As he pieces together his identity, he discovers he is humanity’s last hope on a mission to save Earth. The novel deftly weaves science, humor, and tension into a compelling narrative.

Experience the Adventure with Audible

Dive into “Project Hail Mary” with its award-winning audiobook on Audible. This is the perfect way to enjoy the story, with Ray Porter’s narration bringing the tale to life. Sign up for Audible today and get one free month to explore “Project Hail Mary” and other top titles.

Perfect for eBook Enthusiasts

For eBook readers, “Project Hail Mary” is available in digital format, ideal for Kindle, tablets, or smartphones. Enjoy the flexibility of reading this extraordinary novel anywhere.

Enhance Your Reading Journey

Audiobooks offer a unique listening experience, perfect for busy lifestyles. “Project Hail Mary” on Audible immerses you fully in the story. Join Audible now to discover why this book has captivated so many listeners.

Why “Project Hail Mary” Excels

Andy Weir’s ability to blend scientific accuracy with thrilling storytelling sets “Project Hail Mary” apart. The book’s exploration of space travel and human elements makes it a standout in science fiction.

Start Your Space Adventure

Experience “Project Hail Mary” for yourself. Sign up for a free month of Audible and join the millions who have been captivated by this epic tale.

Conclusion

“Project Hail Mary” is an experience that pushes the boundaries of science fiction. With its numerous awards and best-seller status, it’s clear that this novel has resonated with readers and listeners worldwide. Whether you prefer audiobooks or eBooks, “Project Hail Mary” is a must-read. Start your journey today with Audible.

[political-land]

Unveil the Mysteries of Space with "Project Hail Mary"

Andy Weir's "Project Hail Mary" is a thrilling exploration of science and survival that has captivated readers and listeners alike. If you love audiobooks, eBooks, or just an enthralling story, this book is a must-have. From the mind behind "The Martian," Weir delivers another masterpiece of science fiction.

Prestigious Awards

"Project Hail Mary" has earned a plethora of awards and recognitions:

Winner of the 2022 Audie Awards' Audiobook of the Year: This accolade signifies the high-quality production of the audiobook.

Number-One Audible and New York Times Audio Best Seller: Its top ranking on these lists demonstrates its broad appeal.

Over One Million Audiobooks Sold: This achievement highlights its widespread popularity and listener engagement.

A Story of Hope and Discovery

The story follows Ryland Grace, an astronaut on a desperate mission to save Earth. Awakening alone on a spaceship with no memory, he must unravel the mystery of his journey. Weir’s narrative expertly combines scientific detail with a gripping plot.

Immerse Yourself with Audible

Experience "Project Hail Mary" through its acclaimed audiobook on Audible. Narrator Ray Porter brings the story to life, making it an engaging listen. Get started with Audible today and enjoy a free month to dive into "Project Hail Mary" and other great titles.

Ideal for eBook Readers

For those who prefer digital reading, "Project Hail Mary" is available as an eBook, perfect for any device. Enjoy this enthralling tale at your convenience.

Elevate Your Listening Experience

Audiobooks provide a unique way to enjoy stories. "Project Hail Mary" on Audible offers an immersive experience that’s perfect for multitasking. Join Audible now and see why this book has earned its accolades.

What Sets "Project Hail Mary" Apart

Weir's ability to blend scientific rigor with engaging storytelling makes "Project Hail Mary" a standout. The book’s exploration of space and human resilience offers a unique reading experience.

Begin Your Journey

Discover the adventure of "Project Hail Mary" for yourself. Sign up for a free month of Audible and join the countless listeners who have enjoyed this incredible story.

Conclusion

"Project Hail Mary" is more than a book; it’s a thrilling experience that explores the limits of science fiction. With its numerous awards and best-seller status, it’s clear this novel resonates deeply with audiences. Whether you prefer audiobooks or eBooks, "Project Hail Mary" is essential reading. Start your journey today with Audible

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Kickstarting the audiobook of The Lost Cause, my novel of environmental hope

Tonight (October 2), I'm in Boise to host an event with VE Schwab. On October 7–8, I'm in Milan to keynote Wired Nextfest.

The Lost Cause is my next novel. It's about the climate emergency. It's hopeful. Library Journal called it "a message hope in a near-future that looks increasingly bleak." As with every other one of my books Amazon refuses to sell the audiobook, so I made my own, and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/the-lost-cause-a-novel-of-climate-and-hope

That's a lot to unpack, I know. So many questions! Including this one: "How is it that I have another book out in 2023?" Because this is my third book this year. Short answer: I write when I'm anxious, so I came out of lockdown with nine books. Nine!

Hope and writing are closely related activities. Hope (the belief that you can make things better) is nothing so cheap and fatalistic as optimism (the belief that things will improve no matter what you do). The Lost Cause is full of people who are full of hope.

The action begins a full generation after the Hail Mary passage of the Green New Deal, and the people who grew up fighting the climate emergency (rather than sitting hopelessly by while the powers that be insisted that nothing could or should be done) have a name for themselves: they call themselves "the first generation in a century that doesn't fear the future."

I fear the future. Unchecked corporate power has us barreling over a cliff's edge and all the one-percent has to say is, "Well, it's too late to swerve now, what if the bus rolls and someone breaks a leg? Don't worry, we'll just keep speeding up and leap the gorge":

https://locusmag.com/2022/07/cory-doctorow-the-swerve/

That unchecked corporate power has no better avatar than Amazon, one of the tech monopolies that has converted the old, good internet into "five giant websites, each filled with screenshots of the other four":

https://twitter.com/tveastman/status/1069674780826071040

Amazon maintains a near-total grip over print and ebooks, but when it comes to audiobooks, that control is total. The company's Audible division has captured more than 90% of the market, and it abuses that dominance to cram Digital Rights Management onto every book it sells, even if the author doesn't want it:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/07/25/can-you-hear-me-now/#acx-ripoff

I wrote a whole-ass book about this and it came out less than a month ago; it's called The Internet Con and it lays out an audacious plan to halt the internet's enshittification and throw it into reverse:

http://www.seizethemeansofcomputation.org/

The tldr is this: when an audiobook is wrapped in Amazon's DRM, only Amazon can legally remove it. That means that every book I sell you on Audible is a book you have to throw away if you ever break up with Amazon, and Amazon can use the fact that it's hold you hostage to screw me – and every other author – over.

As I said last time this came up:

Fuck that sideways.

With a brick.

My books are sold without DRM, so you can play them in any app and do anything copyright permits, and that means Amazon won't carry them, and that means my publishers don't want to pay to produce them, and that means I produce them myself, and then I make the (significant) costs back by selling them on Kickstarter.

And you know what? It works. Readers don't want DRM. I mean, duh. No one woke up this morning and said, "Dammit, why won't someone sell me a product that lets me do less with my books?" I sell boatloads" of books through these crowdfunding campaigns. I sold so many copies of my last book, *The Internet Con, that they sold out the initial print run in two weeks (don't worry, they held back stock for my upcoming events).

But beyond that, I think there's another reason my readers keep coming back, even though I wrote a genuinely stupid number of books while working through lockdown anxiety while the wildfires raged and ashes sifted down out of the sky and settled on my laptop as I lay in my backyard hammock, pounding my keyboard.

(I went through two keyboards during lockdown. Thankfully, I bought a user-serviceable laptop from Framework and fixed it myself both times, in a matter of minutes. No, no one pays me to mention this, but hot damn is it cool.)

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/13/graceful-failure/#frame

The reason readers come back to my books is that they're full of hope. In the same way that writing lets me feel like I'm not a passenger in life, but rather, someone with a say in my destination, the books that I write are full of practical ways and dramatic scenes in which other people seize the means of computation, the reins of power or their own destinies.

The protagonist of The Lost Cause is Brooks Palazzo, a high-school senior in Burbank whose parents were part of the original cohort of volunteers who kicked off the global transformation, and left him an orphan when they succumbed to one of the zoonotic plagues that arise every time another habitat is destroyed.

Brooks grew up knowing what his life would be: the work of repair and care, which millions of young people are doing. Relocating entire cities off endangered coastlines and floodplains, or out of fire-zones. Fighting floods and fires. Caring for tens of millions of refugees for whom the change came too late.

But with every revolution comes a counter-revolution. The losers of a just war don't dig holes, climb inside and pull the dirt down on top of themselves. Two groups of reactionaries – seagoing anarcho-capitalist billionaire wreckers and seething white nationalist militias – have formed an alliance.

They've already gotten their champion into the White House. Next up: dismantling every cause for hope Brooks and his friends have, and bringing back the fear.

That's the setup for a novel about solidarity, care, library socialism, and snatching victory from defeat's jaws. Writing it help keep me sane during the lockdown, and when it came time to record the audiobook, I spent a lot of time thinking about who could read it. I've had some great narrators: Wil Wheaton, @neil-gaiman, Amber Benson, Bronson Pinchot, and more.

I record my audiobooks with Skyboat Media, a brilliant studio near my place in LA. Back in August, I spent a week in their recording booth – "The Tardis" – doing something I'd never tried before: I recorded a whole audiobook, with directorial supervision: The Internet Con:

https://transactions.sendowl.com/products/78992826/DEA0CE12/purchase

When it was done, the director – audiobook legend Gabrielle de Cuir – sat me down and said, "Look, I've never said this to an author before, but I think you should read The Lost Cause. I don't direct anyone anymore except for Wil Wheaton and LeVar Burton, but I would direct you on this one."

I was immensely flattered – and very nervous. Reading The Internet Con was one thing – the book is built around the speeches I've been giving for 20 years and I knew I could sell those lines – but The Lost Cause is a novel, with a whole cast of characters. Could I do it?

Reader, I did it. I just listened to the proofs last week and:

It.

Came.

Out.

Great.

The Lost Cause goes on sale on November 14th, and I'll be selling this audiobook I made everywhere audiobooks are sold – except for the stores that require DRM, nonconsensually shackling readers and writers to their platforms. So you'll be able to get it on Libro.fm, downpour.com, even Google Play – but not Audible, Apple Books, or Audiobooks.com.

But in addition to those worthy retailers, I will be sending out thousands – and thousands! – of audiobook to my Kickstarter backers on the on-sale date, either as a folder of DRM-free MP3s, or as a download code for Libro.fm, to make things easy for people who don't want to have to figure out how to sideload an audiobook into a standalone app.

And, of course, the mobile duopoly have made this kind of sideloading exponentially harder over the past decade, though far be it from me to connect this with their policy of charging 30% commissions on everything sold through an app, a commission they don't receive if you get your files on the web and load 'em yourself:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell/posts/3788112

As with my previous Kickstarters, I'm also selling ebooks and hardcovers – signed or unsigned, and this time I've found a great partner to fulfill EU orders from within the EU, so backers won't have to pay VAT and customs charges. The wonderful Otherland – who have hosted me on my last two trips to Berlin – are going to manage that shipping for me:

https://www.otherland-berlin.de/en/home.html

Kim Stanley Robinson read the book and said, "Along with the rush of adrenaline I felt a solid surge of hope. May it go like this." That's just about the perfect quote, because the book is a ride. It's not just a kumbaya tale of a better world that is possible: it's a post-cyberpunk novel of high-tech guerrilla and meme warfare, climate tech and bad climate tech, wildcat prefab urban infill, and far-right militamen who adapt to a ban on assault-rifles by switching to super-soakers full of hydrochloric acid.

It's a book about struggle, hope in the darkness, and a way through this rotten moment. It's a book that dares to imagine that things might get worse but also better. This is a curious emotional melange, but it's one that I'm increasingly feeling these days.

Like, Amazon, that giant bully, whose blockade on DRM-free audiobooks cost me enough money to pay off my mortgage and put my kid through university (according to my agent)? The incredible Lina Khan brought a long-overdue antitrust case against Amazon while her rockstar DoJ counterpart, Jonathan Kanter, is dragging Google through the courts.

The EU is taking on Apple, and French cops are kicking down Nvidia's doors and grabbing their files, looking to build another antitrust case for monopolizing GPUs. The writers won their strike and Joe Biden walked the picket-line with the UAW, the first president in history to join striking workers:

https://doctorow.medium.com/joe-biden-is-headed-to-a-uaw-picket-line-in-detroit-f80bd0b372ab?sk=f3abdfd3f26d2f615ad9d2f1839bcc07

Solar is now our cheapest energy source, which is wild, because if we could only capture 0.4% of the solar energy that makes it through the atmosphere, we could give everyone alive the same energy budget as Canadians (who have American lifestyles but higher heating bills). As Deb Chachra writes in her forthcoming How Infrastructure Works (my review pending): we get a fresh supply of energy every time the sun rises and we only get new materials when a comet survives atmospheric entry, but we treat energy as scarce and throw away our materials after a single use:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612711/how-infrastructure-works-by-deb-chachra/

Anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop. We have shot past many of our planetary boundaries and there are waves of climate crises in our future, but they don't have to be climate disasters. That's up to us – it'll depend on whether we come together to save ourselves and each other, or tear ourselves apart.

The Lost Cause dares to imagine what it might be like if we do the former. We don't live in a post-enshittification world yet, but we could. With these indie audiobooks, I've found a way to treat the terminal enshittification of the Amazon monopoly as damage and route around it. I hope you'll back the Kickstarter, fight enshittification, inject some hope into your reading, and enjoy a kickass adventure novel in the process:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/the-lost-cause-a-novel-of-climate-and-hope

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/02/the-lost-cause/#the-first-generation-that-doesnt-fear-the-future

[augustyearroundprod]

We’re just ONE WEEK AWAY from the PREMIERE of (UN)LIKEMINDED: A SCI-FI AUDIO ANTHOLOGY — COLLECTION THREE!!

TUES, OCT 29TH

This season, we’re doing things just a little bit differently!! Collection Three will be split in half!! With our incredible “Part One” stories releasing over the next month, and our amazing “Part Two” stories coming at you in Jan to celebrate our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!

(Un)Likeminded is a short story podcast that brings together like-minded creatives to do what we love— tell stories. Each season’s collection is centered around a sci-fi leaning theme. With only that theme in mind, the incredible writers of the collection are tasked with creating an original narrative— wherever their mind takes them. Together with some amazing actors narrating these stories to bring them to life, this season will continue to explore how a singular theme can birth incredibly varied characters, worlds and ideas… and how even the most like-minded creatives can create vastly (un)alike stories.   (Un)Likeminded Collection One & Two are available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.

As we lead up to the Collection Three premiere next week, we’d like to invite you to give us a follow on your preferred podcast platform, catch up on previous stories, and get ready for more to come!

Our Part One Trailer will release there first THIS THURSDAY!

Be sure to also follow us on instagram @AugustYearRoundProd, and watch this space for more information coming to you this week— including the reveal of Collection Three’s Part One trailer, our official theme announcement, and our stories, writers & actors for the season.   (Un)Likeminded is a completely independent podcast made with so much passion, love, collaboration and joy. On behalf of everyone involved in bringing this project to life, your continued support means the absolute world to us!

[stupidseals]

currently reading i have no mouth and i must scream its so fucking good it makes me wanna kms or become religious lmfao anyways are there any books or science fiction like it?

[sublightgames]

BE FIRST TO ASCEND STARDUST KICKSTARTER IS LIVE THRU 7/15! Stardust is an ambitious new transmedia sci-fi universe from Faith K. Falkner and Sublight Games. Follow Ashlee Rinn through audio drama and animated skits as she navigates interstellar conspiracies that prelude our upcoming tabletop game.