A reader writes:
Hello, Mr. Akin –
My name is Scott, and I just noticed on your most recent post that you use
your iPod for audiobooks. Though I’m sure you listen to a wide variety of
stuff, I know you have an interest in science fiction, so I’d like to point
you to my site, SFFaudio, which features news, reviews, and commentary on
the world of science fiction and fantasy audio.I’m Catholic, and enjoy your site very much. My co-editor/website partner
is not a religious believer.SFFaudio can be found at www.sffaudio.com. I hope it’s of use to you.
God bless, fellow audiobook fan,
ScottPS – I’m currently listening to "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell from
Brilliance. I’m about 1/8 of the way in… it’s interesting that much of
the science fiction that treats religion in a respectful way (rare enough,
indeed) features a Jesuit. So far, the novel is quite good.
Cool!
Having a site that coordinates sci-fi, etc., audio is a great idea. I looked it over, and there’s a lot of useful resources there.
I’ve been getting into old radio programs. One site that has quite a large number of resources is:
radiolovers.com
They don’t have everything that’s listed on their site ready to upload though.
The second season of ‘X minus one’ is pretty good I think (the first season is kinda depressing…aliens come, take over/destroy Earth..one or two people realize the horror of it just before it happens…)
Interestingly, they don’t have War of the Worlds on their site.
Oh, man, did I hate “The Sparrow.” Sure, it started out like it was going to take Catholicism seriously. All it takes seriously, though, is “progressive” liberal “Catholicism”, which it posits must necessarily triumph over the actual Faith. The future pope makes some sort of compromise on sexual morals (of course) in exchange for–I forget what, exactly. Then there’s the alien/Jesuit sodomy rape garbage. Crappy book all around, in the end.
And the sequel (yes, I should have stopped reading by then) was even worse, as I recall.
I read both books (the Sparrow and Children of God, its sequel) a few months ago for my senior thesis. Although the second one was not as bad in this respect, I really got annoyed by the first book’s obsession with sexuality, specifically priestly celibacy. It’s an interesting series, and raises good questions, but all the same the “respectful treatment” you refer to is conspicuously lacking when it discusses Catholic sexual teaching. It bugs some more than others though, I guess.
If you like audio sci-fi, check out Seeing Ear Theater. There are some amazing narrated original stories and radio theater, complete with sound effects and great actors doing the voices. They’re only in RealPlayer format. Can you put those on your iPod?
Anyway, if you click on Original Playhouse from the drop-down Archives menu, you’ll get a listing of all the shows, with user ratings. I have listened to some truly excellent works there.
Enjoy!
I am finding the same thing with “The Sparrow”, Michael. I’m not too much farther in, because I got distracted by something else (and that alone indicates that I’m not into it), but yes. Lots of “progressive” stuff going on there.
There is a non-fiction book out there that I really appreciated – it’s by Brother Guy Consolmagno, and it’s titled “Brother Astronomer”. He’s a Jesuit with the Vatican Observatory. He articulates some of my views when it comes to science and religion, and what should be the lack of conflict between the two.