Will McPhillips

Classic Sci Fi from a Master

Revisado: 02-10-25

Great stories from an accomplished Sci-Fi writer. I only wish they had all been read by the author, his narration was much better than Luis Moreno’s.

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Redacted

Revisado: 07-07-23

This is is very dry, very repetitive material, however the cast did a great job of bringing it to life. I don’t know how the film went, but I can imagine them all having to study their parts of the report in order to ensure smooth delivery. Even then, the sheer amount of material that’s REDACTED sometimes made them stumble. Nothing like having to say REDACTED nearly every other word in a sentence to throw you off. Still hats off to the filmmaker and cast for tackling difficult material.

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Noir Potboiler

Revisado: 07-03-23

I casually listened to the audio version of The Glass Key while driving to work, doing chores, etc and found myself having to listen to chapters over and over again to catch what was happening. The narrator did a fairly good job with his range of voices, but the material was a little haphazard. Might have been a better read versus listen.

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Dated but Still Poignant

Revisado: 07-01-23

I’ve only read a few of James M. Cain’s novels, and most of them were noir thrillers, works that built a genre. To my surprise, Mildred Pierce did not fit this bill, but Cain’s writing lost none of its teeth. His telling of Mildred’s story is done without the crooked cops, criminals, and some of the intrigue. Mildred’s a single woman who turns her life around becoming a successful business woman, only to lose it all to her relentless need to feel close to her daughter Veda, who is an absolutely terrible child. I hated Veda, not because Cain wrote her poorly but because of how ruthless and manipulative she is in her pursuit of fame. Mildred Pierce is well worth the read.

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Not the Movie, and That’s Okay

Revisado: 06-26-23

I remember watching Sean Connery, Sam Neil, James Earl Jones, Scott Glen, and Stellan Skarsgard in addition to a cast of dozens of other veteran character actors bring the world of Tom Clancy’s novel to life as a young boy. It set off in me an obsession about submarines, and I spent hours at libraries trying to get my hands on anything I could to learn more. I even read the book as a youth but don’t remember it. As an adult I’ve revisited it, as narrated by Scott Brick and notice many differences compared to the film, which obviously edited the story for pacing. None of the tension is lost, but the novel gives the reader or listener more context and working knowledge of the tech being used. In fact I’d say the tension is greater, as there are more teeth gnashing encounters between Russian and US personnel. Additionally, Clancy introduces us to his world in this novel. Characters like the Cardinal, a Soviet source, are mentioned that later have full novels. All in all a great read or listen if you enjoy military thrillers.

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The Price of Vanity

Revisado: 06-26-23

I’ve heard of The Picture of Dorian Gray for a long time, but never any deep details, nor have I experienced it until now. Oscar Wilde’s brilliant tale of decadence is laid out for the reader, or listener, in rich language. Russell Tovey’s narration is well-paced, giving well placed gravity to the subtext at certain points, and emotion to his characters. The corruption of Dorian, and his subsequent descent into decadence is a timeless story, but one excellently told by Oscar Wilde through Russell Tovey. Experience it for yourself.

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Noir Journalist Meets Gothic Horror

Revisado: 06-26-23

I’ve never seen the televised exploits of Kolchak, and so for me my starting point was this audiobook. Jeff Rice does a great job of blending the absurd and outlandish with the very gritty reality of life in both Las Vegas and Seattle. His noir style lends itself well to the atmosphere and makes Kolchak seem more real, albeit obsessive, and Heller’s narration brings it all to life. The dirty dealings of city politics are a little heavy handed, but typical for a noir story. I highly recommend this series.

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Well Known Political Thriller

Revisado: 06-19-23

The Manchurian Candidate is possibly best known from its film adaptations, the first being the old black and white version starring Frank Sinatra and Angela Lansbury, and the second being more modern featuring Denzel Washington and Liev Schrieber. I have only seen the first of these adaptations, and can say that the film version does not stray very far from the novel it is adapted from. I am curious about reading the novel more, as the narrators delivery was a bit bumpy. It was noir-ish and while not terrible, I think his delivery downplayed significantly tense events. The sound quality overall left something to be desired as this sounded like an old recording. All in all not a bad listen, but not a great one.

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Timeless Life Lessons From A Roman Emperor

Revisado: 06-19-23

Marcus Aurelius’ message is clear and timeless: The world is what you make of it. Every interaction you have with the world around you is shaped by your perception of it colored by what fears or motivation you have. This wasn’t a bad listen, although I have seen a version narrated by Richard Armitage that I may try next. Also, this is one where having a print copy would be nice if you like that tactile reinforcement of the lessons therein.

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Franco Epic

Revisado: 06-17-23

I have known of the Song of Roland but had no idea what it was about until today. It was refreshing to hear a story of knightly exploits unlike those of Arthur and his table. The cast reading was a surprise and a nice touch.

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