J Haug

Quirky and cool

Revisado: 12-27-24

I think Elvis and T-Bone probably had a great time with this concept. The brotherly back-and-forth was hilarious, Elvis’ half-cocked erratic-ness and T-Bone’s dry wit and delivery reflect what you would “expect” from the difference in their physical appearance. I’ll be going back to listen for the “story” in tha music.

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Not perfect, but just right

Revisado: 11-15-23

Enough interesting ideas to keep it from being a carbon copy of Time travel/end of the world/alien civilizations pulp sci-fi stories. Not perfect in an absolute sense, but perfect for what it is. Very enjoyable, and more than well worth the time spent.

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What?! It’s a Sign!!

Revisado: 11-06-23

It appears that this is the 1000 review of this audiobook! That’s never happened to me! That’s almost like winning something!

If you like Maria Bamford, you will like this. Duh. If you don’t like Maria Bamford, listen to it anyway. You might learn some thing if you don’t know who Maria Bamford is, this is a great way to find out.

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Wasn’t sure... until the end.

Revisado: 02-06-21

I’m a fan of John Scalzi. Enough said about that. I’ve always enjoyed and usually been delighted by his work. I decided to read this one because a) I considered Scalzi a safe bet, b) my kids and I get a kick out of identifying “redshirts” in tv/movies we watch and scouring the credits for their names, as if somehow the act gives them just a little obscure, however fleeting it may be and c) I had a credit.

I “got” the primary premise pretty quickly and enjoyed it for what it was— a moderately clever homage/parody of TV space operas (dare I say “Star Trek?”). But it felt thinner more 1 dimensional than I expected from Scalzi.

This is NOT the story he has written.

I don’t want to spoil. Let me just say that the “first act,” the story of the spaceship Intrepid, while entertaining and certainly worth the credit (and more importantly, the time invested) is only a prologue to cajole the reader into the implications of the story. Familiar time travel/multiverse tropes are to be expected and sure enough, you find them— though even at the very surface level the principles and “rules” are intriguing.

The only thing left that I think I can safely say is “DON’T STOP” until the last sentence on the last page.

Will Wheaton is the perfect narrator for his obviously natural comfort with the combination snark and pathos. The fact that he is a bonafide SF aficionado, humorist and “Trekkie” in the sense of the word very few can claim. Though admittedly, I’m not aware of all of the “redshirts” out there who might be audio narrators. <;-)

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This Curmudgeon's favorite "Grumpy Old Rock Star"

Revisado: 01-24-17

Would you consider the audio edition of Grumpy Old Rockstar and Other Wonderous Stories to be better than the print version?

Absolutely! Why would anyone NOT want to hear Rick's own voice reading the book rather than hearing some silly professional narrator or random VIH (Voice in Head) stumble through such a flavorful text?

What does Rick Wakeman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Didn't you read my answer to your first question?!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not really "laugh"-- more like "chortle." An occasional "guffaw."

Ok, maybe more than once I ended up like Uncle Albert (from Mary Poppins... not the Paul McCartney one), splitting a gut and gasping for breath. Not for the timid, this book

Any additional comments?

As the "Corner Office Curmudgeon," if not a "Grumpy Old Entrepreneur," I'm at least known as a "snarky Uncle Horace" to many a tech start-up founder and the VC community. And yet I found virtually NOTHING to complain about!

Well, get off if my lawn anyway!

I'm a proud, if a bit gruff child of the 70's and prog rockaholic myself, Rick Wakeman has always been an enigma who in his later years has been reborn as a radio/TV etc. celebrity and has ended up yes (no pun intended) reminding me of snarky Uncle Horace indeed.

Settle in for a spider web of interconnected quirky stories delivered by a grand storyteller and legendary contrarian non-conformist who always seemed to be at the center of near mythical calamities and bizarre going-on associated with the excess of the time and place. I imagine many, many a late night pub outing (non-alcoholic, of course) could be filled with his banter. Should be good for three or four more books, at least.

Can't wait for the audio version-- nothing else will do-- of the author reading the sequel. Until then I guess I'll just have to be satisfied to follow the Premier League and catch another ARW gig.

But if that fat ol' geezer chick with the faded Strawbs T-shirt that was "sitting" in front of me at the last show is there again and spends the night on her feet dancing (more like shuffling) and blocking my view of the "stout" fellow wearing a cape playing keyboards, I'll have to thump her boney head and tell her to squeeze back into her seat. Same with her reed-thin middle-aged companion (who despite all logic, reason and conceivable imagination appeared to be her daughter with a permed, slightly less gray hairstyle) wearing a Union tour tee tied into a halter top.

Sheesh. No respect for elderly, let alone the music. Kids these days..

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Uh....

Revisado: 11-16-16

Some interesting and timely bits but ultimately unsatisfying. A Kurt Vonnegut Jr. wannabe. Timely but tiresome.

Sean Penn has a great voice. But a poor narrator. Unless you like this recording, in which case you might find it appropriate. Overly flat and simultaneously self-important and moronic.

Best thing was use of Phil Ochs songs and lyrics.

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Voice Actor is Awesome!

Revisado: 08-25-16

I read the reviews that said the narrator was a low point. I completely disagree. The sarcasm and dry humor of the characters would likely not have been conveyed with the typical narrator. This is most certainly a book that is better heard then read – because of the quality of the voice acting. The first time I will probably look for box based solely on the boys act door.

SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT: That said, the book itself is delightful. Avoids the hackneyed sci-fi/fantasy themes of time travel, post apocalyptic hellworld, swords and sorcerers, blah blah blah... And even manages to make some nod and a wink's swpis at/homages to Lord of the Rings, Transformers, Bladerunner, Clue-style who-dunnits... And I even learned a magic trick. And then there' the fact it is set primarily in Colorado (my birthplace) and Utah (my current residence) with a morally distasteful Howard Hughes/Hugh Hefner clone with a will that leaves everything to the Mormon Church (I'm a member)-- unless the protagonist(s) work through plans all the way from A to (literally) Z.

The one thing that bothered me was the fairly consistent confusion between Chinese and Japanese names and culture. Or is that just a diversion?...

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