“Rip-Off!” Audio Anthology Now Available; Also: Hey! A Contest!
Posted on December 18, 2012 Posted by John Scalzi 12 Comments
I told you about Rip-Off! a couple of weeks ago: It’s an audio anthology in which science fiction and fantasy writers take he first line of a classic of literature and then go off on a tangent with it, creating all new stories from that snippet of source material. Aside from me, authors in the anthology include Nancy Kress, Tad Williams, Mary Robinette Kowal, Elizabeth Bear, Lavie Tidhar and Robert Charles Wilson.
Rip-Off! is now available for your listening pleasure. Here’s the page for it on Audible proper, and here’s the Amazon page. I’ll note that if you listen to the sample of the anthology on the Audible page, it’s from my story (“Muse of Fire”) which is read by Wil Wheaton. The other narrators, I assure you, are similarly excellent.
If you want a longer sample, and you don’t mind entering a contest on Facebook, there’s Audible’s “Rip-Off! & Win” contest. Enter your information and give a new version of the opening line to Moby Dick, and in return you’ll get Allen Steele’s story “The Big Whale,” plus you’ll be entered in the contest, the prize for which is a Kindle Fire HD. However, if you want to participate, you have to enter today, December 18. It’s the last day for the contest entry.
I don’t mind telling you this is a really fun anthology with some excellent stories, authors and narrators. If you’re an audio book fan, this is a must-have.
Are there any plans for a print version of this? I’m really not a big fan of listening to my fiction.
I just got my occasional spam email fro Audible and that got me thinking of Rip-Off. Lo! and here it is. That was easy. Looking forward to listening to it over the coming days.
Dang! . . . I put some thought into my entry, only to realize (after wasting some of my creativity cache for the day) that it’s likely a drawing, and I could have written anything instead of . . .
“Call me” is my hell. Some yearn to go, but though broke, I know saying that will doom me to adventures unknown. Oh joy.
I too ask if this will end up in print/pixels. I’m an eye person, not an ear person, and I can’t concentrate on audiobooks, no matter how good the readers are. Plus, I read much faster than anybody talks except maybe that guy on the old ad.
Must just be a weird week for me. I just finished reading a novella by Dan Simmons titled Muse of Fire.
I know this isn’t really up to John in any way, but if enough people say so then maybe those who do make the decision will notice. But add me to the people who would rather see a print edition. I can’t listen to audio books. Period. Aside from problems of concentration, they simply make me stabby. Even high quality readers like Stephen Fry, Neil Gaiman, or Wil Wheaton. At some point I just want to rip the book out of their hands and beat them about the head and shoulders with while screaming, “You’re doing it wrong!” And then go off and read it for myself.
A significant number of friends say they listen to books. They call it :efficient”, doing it while working, driving, etc.
People “think” they are multi-taskers, but knowing how the brain works, all I can say is this; you are either not getting most of the book, or you are not performing the other tasks to the level that you should.
I add my voice to the “ain’t ever gonna listen to a book” crowd.
Why not print?
Put me in for a print edition — also, shouldn’t it be a “the” instead of “he” in “take he first line of a classic…?”
I entered the contest and am probably going to pick up the entire collection soon, as this is right up my alley. Also the cover is neat! :D
This really looks interesting. Audible.com sent me an email about this one. Are there any reviews out yet?
Wow. Wil sounds great in the sample.
Also… those of you who don’t read audio books? It’s okay to not enjoy them, but please don’t diss those of us who do.