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SCOTT BRICK PRESENTS: IT’S ALIVE! FRANKENSTEIN – THE ORIGINAL 1818 TEXT – IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD OR HARDCOPY SALEOr, An Audiobook Narrator Ponders Recording The Greatest Movie Quotes Of All Time On Audio

Scott — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:55:29 +0000

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Right-click here to download this Brickcast.

Click here to hear Scott read from FRANKENSTEIN and buy the hard copy or digital download (both with bonus features)

First off, for those of you expecting to see DREAMER OF DUNE go on sale today, as previously advertised, we’ve unfortunately run into a few snags on this title. However, rather than take a month off from our promised “New book every month” production schedule, we thought we’d bring you one of the greatest books of all time, and what is considered by many to be not only the first fully-realized gothic horror novel, but one of the earliest examples of science fiction novels as well. FRANKENSTEIN, the original 1818 text by Mary Shelley, was the very first title we had to read in my Science Fiction Literature class at UCLA, and getting to narrate it after all these years was absolutely terrific.

Given that it had been over twenty years since I last read it, however, I found I had forgotten a good deal of the story, or at least its finer points. Like most Americans, my primary memories of FRANKENSTEIN come from James Whale’s classic 1931 film from Universal Studios, starring Boris Karloff. As such, there was a part of me that was greatly anticipating narrating the scene that contained the defining moment of the film for most moviegoers: the moment when Victor Frankenstein’s manic genius bubbles over, when he screams out those immortal words, “It’s alive, it’s ALIVE…!”

It’s funny, but over the years I’ve been given the chance to record quite a few novels that had already or would soon be turned into films. THE FIRM, THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK II, IN COLD BLOOD and THE ROAD TO PERDITION all come to mind. There’ve been venerable science fiction titles like THE TIME MACHINE, THE INVISIBLE MAN, I, ROBOT, FAHRENHEIT 451, BLADE RUNNER, and even DUNE (twice: once for Macmillan Audio and another time for Books On Tape). Sometimes I’ll record books like MYSTIC RIVER and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON only to see them become films just a few years later. Because of this, there’s never been any temptation to lean towards any particular actor while narrating it, or deliver any particular line any particular way, as there’s nothing recognizable in the text at that point. It’s only when you’re recording a book AFTER you’ve seen the movie that you have to decide: Okay, do I read this line like so-and-so did in the movie, or do I try to make it my own…?

Click here to hear Scott read from FRANKENSTEIN

and buy the hard copy or digital download (both with bonus features)

I think the first time I ever faced this dilemma was when recording HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad several years back. Although I’d never read the novel at that point, I was well aware that it served as the inspiration for APOCALYPSE NOW, and lo and behold, a few of the lines appeared in the film exactly as written in the book. So, when the moment came for Brando’s character in the novel to say the line, “The horror, the horror,” well, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it like he did. I’m not a mimic, and unless I was doing the entire book in his voice or mannerisms, I couldn’t get away with doing that one line in that style. So I just got breathy and delivered it as I thought the scene called for, and I’m sure if you’re in the right mood when listening to it you might hear a few echoes of Brando, but it would probably be partly due to expectation on your part rather than my delivery.

Of course, things were a little different when I was asked to narrate SIDEWAYS by Rex Pickett. The movie had already come out, and in this instance, the book was so very similar to what people saw on the screen that I actually employed a mild bit of mimicry while recording it. As I’ve said before, I won’t ever try to do an impression of a specific actor while doing a book, but I will try and keep a particular actor’s voice in my head so I can duplicate their cadence and tempo. In a book like SIDEWAYS, that seemed more than enough. So, when it came time for that one particular scene, I got to do my best Paul Giamatti impression when wailing, “I’m not drinking any freakin’ merlot!” Only, of course, I didn’t say “freakin’,” I said the Queen Mother of all Curse Words. You know the one I’m talking about.

(Funny story, we were working from various early versions of the manuscript and were marrying them together while recording, so we wound up doing that line, and only that line, as a pickup afterward. Which was really funny, considering I drove over to the studio, sat down in the chair, got myself comfortable, waited for the okay from our producer, then yelled “I’m not drinking any freakin’ merlot!” at the top of my lungs, only to then hear, “Okay, I think we got it, that’s a wrap.” Easiest day of work I’ve ever had.)

There have been other times where lines, immediately recognizable to moviegoing audiences, have come across my microphone, and made me wonder, “How the hell…?” Just a few months ago, in fact, I narrated THE GRADUATE by Charles Webb. Yep, you’re already ahead of me, aren’t you? And c’mon, can you actually imagine hearing anyone say “Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me,” without thinking of Dustin Hoffman? Or even, “Elaine, Elaine!” Nope, not a chance. I couldn’t help it, I sounded as much like Hoffman as I possibly could. In that circumstance, it would just be wrong NOT to.

So you can imagine, when approaching a book like FRANKENSTEIN, there would be a certain amount of trepidation about encountering “It’s alive, it’s ALIVE…!” After all, the delivery of it by actor Colin Clive isn’t exactly a paragon of realism, y’know?

But imagine my surprise… that line ain’t in the book.

Click here to hear Scott read from FRANKENSTEIN

and buy the hard copy or digital download (both with bonus features)

And I have to say, despite a perverse desire to actually say that line, I loved the way the scene played out – there’s an absolutely perfect reason why it’s not there. This book is absolutely amazing, and trust me, if you’ve never read it, you’ll realize firsthand how good science fiction is supposed to be done. I’m also happy to say that this recording of FRANKENSTEIN is the first of what I hope will be a long line of Brick By Brick books called FIRST EDITIONS. In it, I’ll endeavor to bring to you classics that have stood the test of time, and in such a way that recreates as closely as possible the way they were originally presented. That means there will be no modern translations, no revised texts, no edits whatsoever. What you’ll get will be the author’s original words in their original form.

In the case of FRANKENSTEIN, Mary Shelley’s 1818 text was quite different from the subsequent 1831 edition that ultimately became the standard in print editions today. In the updated version, Victor’s true love Elizabeth became an adopted cousin rather than a distant cousin, so as to avoid any hint of incest. Also, the character of Victor Frankenstein himself was redrawn to be more sleek, more heroic, and less the tragic, deluded man fans of the book first saw upon its debut thirteen years previously. So I’m proud to say this book represents the vision of the author as it originally stood. I hope you enjoy it. And as always, I hope you’ll let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

In the meantime, it’s back to the studio I go, another book calls, and I must answer. And no, one of my favorite movie lines of all time isn’t in this one, but then again, “Bartender, Jobu needs a refill…!” didn’t really spring from a book, y’know?

Thanks for listening,

Scott Brick

WONDERCON UPDATE: BOOTH IS NOW #1221!

Mr. Admin — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:36:50 +0000

Click here for the full previous post about WonderCon and FIRST EDITION: FRANKENSTEIN

Sorry, last-minute change by the convention and I’m 100 miles from my computer, so no access to the mailing list.

Also, I’m 1/3 of the way thru listening to FRANKENSTEIN — wow. And wait till you see the creepy cover art that Dastardly Dean McCreary has done for us. I dare you to try to sleep with that frightening yet mournful face staring up at you.

That is all. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Den

WONDERCON: SEE SCOTT IN BOOTH #1221! SAY HELLO, BUY AN AUDIOBOOK, GET AN AUTOGRAPH, OR ASK HIM TO DO HIS THREE-MINUTE DUNE! ALL BRICK BY BRICK AUDIOBOOKS WILL BE AVAILABLE AS HARDCOPIESAlso, news on FIRST EDITION: FRANKENSTEIN and another Brick interview

Mr. Admin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:21:40 +0000

(Actually, that’s the three-minute Hamlet. Sorry, but since Scott so rarely performs it in public we’d almost forgotten which story it was. Which is a great reason to ask him to do it there at the booth, yes? Peer pressure can be a dangerous thing….)

Hey everyone, Scott is slammed with prepping for the northern geek migration known as WonderCon, where he will be selling hardcopy editions of every title Brick By Brick Audiobooks has thus far published – THE PHOENIX LEGACY trilogy, three Thomas Covenant books (LORD FOUL’S BANE, THE ILLEARTH WAR, FATAL REVENANT), and A CHRISTMAS CAROL – as well as our latest arrival: Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN! (And yes, FRANKENSTEIN will be up on the site for your downloading and hardcopy-ordering pleasure early next week.)

Click here to listen to samples from these great books!

(FRANKENSTEIN is coming soon)

FRANKENSTEIN is the first book in BBB’s new FIRST EDITION line, which will focus on those classic pieces of literature that have endured the test of time, and which Scott will narrate using the text of the title’s first edition. “The form in which the author originally intended the story be told,” said Mr. Brick, “is the perfect way to experience it in their original form.” More on that, and the Frank Herbert bio DREAMER OF DUNE (which is still in the works but a bit delayed) to come. Of course, just like all Brick By Brick Audiobooks titles, FIRST EDITION titles will always be unabridged.

And yes, each title put out by Brick By Brick Audiobooks will be available in hardcopy form, in either CD or MP3 CD editions. And whereas it’ll be a little while before we can get them all set up for purchase here on the website, they will all be available at Scott’s booth this weekend at the convention, so stop by and get the very first editions anywhere!

So swing by booth #1221. He’s looking forward to seeing each and every one of you. I’m not just saying that because he’s paying me – I’m saying it because it’s true. Go stop by and you’ll see for yourself.

In other news, we also just added another interview to the Press page: eMusic’s interview with Scott where he talks about how training in theater prepares you for audiobooks, the ins and outs of accents and/or lip balm, and, of course, old-time radio.

That’s about it for now. Keep an eye out for FRANKENSTEIN next week, and thanks for listening!

Den Shewman

SCOTT BRICK PRESENTS: A CHRISTMAS CAROL By Charles Dickens, On Sale Now!Or, An Audiobook Narrator Says Merry Christmas the Only Way He Knows How, By Running His Mouth, and Sharing His Take on the Greatest Christmas Story Ever Told

Scott — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:05:23 +0000

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Right click here to download this Brickcast.

SPECIAL NOTICE: For the first time, Brick By Brick Audiobooks offers this recording on CD, as well as MP3 download. Given that A CHRISTMAS CAROL is such a holiday favorite and makes a perfect stocking stuffer, and given that you can’t put a bow on an MP3, we thought we’d package everything up for you in a hardcopy release. Just check out the link below and you can purchase the 5-CD package.

Also, I’m happy to announce that we have a special BONUS FEATURE that accompanies both the digital and CD versions – more on that below.

Click here to hear Scott read from A CHRISTMAS CAROL
and buy the digital download

Click here to hear a sample and buy A CHRISTMAS CAROL on CD

Now, on to our tale…

Well, it’s Christmas again. I realize, of course, that you’ve probably been hearing Christmas music in your local Target since late August, but the traditional start of the holiday season is the moment Santa Claus makes his appearance at the end of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which means that it’s finally official: it’s Christmastime, once again. And I couldn’t be happier.

Each year, as December rolls around, I’m reminded of one of the best periods of my life, when I appeared in a touring production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL with my Shakespearean acting group, Will & Company. Together we would take all of our various classical productions on the road throughout the state of California, and while December would always be a slow month for Shakespeare, it more than made up for this by the rush on Charles Dickens. One year we were booked into more than a hundred performances, just in that brief span. Think about that: 100 performances between December 1st and Christmas, less than twenty days, given that we only performed on school days. We had to form a second company to handle the shows we couldn’t do personally. It was nuts, but we all loved it.

I first played Ebenezer Scrooge when I was in high school, living in Porterville, California, acting with the local children’s theater company. Given that I was the oldest person in the cast, it was fairly logical I’d get tapped to play the squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner, and I had a blast. Great fun, and we performed for over a thousand people one night. (Small towns really turn out to support their own.) Flash-forward to ten years later: after leaving UCLA and hooking up with Will & Company, I got to reconnect with the show in a terrific way: by playing virtually every male part in the story.

Jacob Marley (who was once introduced by our very tired narrator as “Bob Marley,” at which point I entered bobbing to a Rasta beat, much to Scrooge’s chagrin), Bob Cratchit, the gentleman at the top of the show who makes the error in judgment to ask Scrooge for a charitable donation, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet To Come… I even played the narrator, Charles Dickens himself, once, when that actor took sick. That was the day I realized I had performed this play so many times – hundreds, in fact – that I rarely had to look down at the text to narrate the show; I’d virtually memorized the whole thing.

Colin Cox was our artistic director and he had originally adapted this show himself, using the text Dickens had used on tour, reading the tale to hungry American audiences, an abridgement wholly approved by the author that also made it an ideal length for performing at schools. Well, several years later, I asked Colin if I could make some amendments to the adaptation, and he happily agreed. To do so, I borrowed from some of my favorite productions of the show over the years, adding lovely moments from the radio adaptation performed by Lionel Barrymore and Orson Welles in 1939 – such as the moment Bob Cratchit offers tuppence to the charitable gentleman after Scrooge angrily turns him away – as well as stage adaptations I’d seen, most notably Patrick Stewart’s one-man version. In it, scenes that were alluded to in the text but didn’t actually appear, such as Tiny Tim singing a song at Christmas dinner, or Scrooge attending church services in the final act, were fleshed out so that we actually heard Tiny Tim sing, and saw Scrooge struggling to find the melody in a crowd of worshipers singing a Christmas hymn. They were wonderful moments, and I wanted to experience them myself, so in they went.

Click here to hear Scott read from A CHRISTMAS CAROL
and buy the digital download

Click here to hear a sample and buy A CHRISTMAS CAROL on CD

We had a lovely time that year, my last season with the company, and it was the first time I’d played Scrooge since high school. Wendy Robie, she of TWIN PEAKS fame (Nadine, the eyepatch lady), actually played Dickens for us. We were a company that prided ourselves on being gender- and ethnicity-blind when it came to casting, and given Wendy’s love of the story, it seemed a natural she should play our narrator. She looked fabulous in a Dickensian tuxedo, and performed her part with relish. Wendy told me afterward that it was the greatest time she’d ever had onstage, and I treasure that memory to this day.

An especially nice thing happened that season: having just created its website that year, Will & Company put together a separate webpage devoted to each of its touring productions. Given that I was directing and starring in A CHRISTMAS CAROL that year, I wrote up that particular page. I whipped together a brief description of the story’s creation, peppering it with little known facts and quotations from reviews it received upon its debut, then summed it all up by saying what we hoped to accomplish with our rendition of it. Well, that particular page proved very popular in Google searches, getting thousands of page hits, and I received dozens of emails shortly thereafter, primarily from people who were staging their own version of the CAROL and wanted to know if they could print my essay as the liner notes in their theatrical programs. I was honored, and always said yes. And anyone who read that page when it was up on the website years ago will recognize it when you listen to my recording: I adapted that essay into the introduction for this volume.

So, in a sense, my Will & Company introduction is a BONUS FEATURE on A CHRISTMAS CAROL, but there’s another that I think you’ll really enjoy. Along with your MP3s or CDs you’ll receive a file containing copies of artist John Leech’s eight illustrations that accompanied the original printing of A CHRISTMAS CAROL way back in 1843. Given how much Leech’s work enhanced Dickens’s magnificent story, I thought it was only appropriate to include them here.

Click here to hear Scott read from A CHRISTMAS CAROL
and buy the digital download

Click here to hear a sample and buy A CHRISTMAS CAROL on CD

Getting to record A CHRISTMAS CAROL this year has, in many ways, brought me back to my roots in acting. It’s reminded me of the power of sharing wonderful stories, forcefully imagined and executed, stories that are unashamedly sentimental, and all the more powerful for it. None of us would appreciate this tale were it not so clear-cut in its morality, nor would we see ourselves in Scrooge were he not so much larger than life. And every moment I spent in the studio recording it, every line that came out of my mouth, brought back a wonderful memory from my days on the road, sharing this story with children of all ages. It’s also allowed me the chance to work with one of my oldest friends, John Massey, a buddy from Ocean View High School who created a lovely and haunting soundtrack that I think you’ll really love. In short, recording this book has been a gift I’ll treasure always.

That’s the wonderful thing about gifts, isn’t it? Here I’d intended the story as a gift to people who enjoy my work and wanted something special to listen to this Christmas. Yet it turns out that it’s I who’ve been blessed, getting to relive the memories of so many of the great people and events in my life connected to Charles Dickens’s classic tale.

Whatever your faith, I hope this Christmas season is everything you wish it to be, and that happiness, blessings and prosperity will pour forth abundantly upon your families in the year to come. I hope that this is the year we all discover how to keep Christmas in our hearts, no matter the season. May that be truly said of us, and all of us. Thanks so very much for your support. As always, thanks for listening.

Scott Brick

BRICK BY BRICK AUDIOBOOKS IS PROUD TO BRING YOU CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL, TWO THOMAS COVENANT NOVELS, A UNIQUE ADDITION TO THE DUNE UNIVERSE, AND THE PHOENIX LEGACY TRILOGY BY M.K. WREN Or, Our 2008-2009 release slate is here! Seven books in the next six months! And that’s only the beginning!

Scott — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:10:26 +0000

Want Scott to narrate this blog to you?
Right click here to download this Brickcast.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with not a little pride and joy that I bring you news about the next seven titles from my little company, Brick By Brick Audiobooks. We’ll be bringing you seven – count them, seven! – books, one title a month for the next six months, PLUS Charles Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL this holiday season.

I appreciate everyone who helped make our first two titles, LORD FOUL’S BANE and FATAL REVENANT – both from Stephen R. Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant – such a success, and I’m pleased to let you know that in the next six months we will be bringing you Books Two and Three, completing the First Chronicles, an accomplishment I’ve dreamed about for years. In LORD FOUL’S BANE, you saw how Thomas Covenant found himself in The Land, a leper from our world mistaken for the reincarnation of their world’s greatest hero. Now follow him as Lord Foul wages war against the Lords of Revelstone in THE ILLEARTH WAR, then positions all the players for the inevitable cataclysm in THE POWER THAT PRESERVES. If that sounds like a lot of action, it is; these two books will total more than 40 hours of listening.

And right before Thanksgiving, we’ll deliver unto you a little stocking stuffer: the perennial holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL. We’ll even be offering this particular title in hard copies (on CDs, in nifty packaging and everything), since it’s hard to put a bow around an MP3 and slide it under the tree, menorah, or Festivus pole. This will be a return for me to my theater roots: more than a decade ago, I adapted Dickens’ story for the stage and played Scrooge for two seasons; it’s been touring every December since.

If you’ve never read how Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future attempt to redeem the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, you’re in for a treat – it’s one of the greatest, most recognizable stories of all time. This presentation will also feature an amazing musical score, crafted by my great friend and enormously talented musician/composer John Massey (currently touring as Mr. C. in “Happy Days: The Musical”). This score, filled with historically accurate carols, will be a departure for me, as most of the books I narrate are straight reads, without music or sound effects, but this story is so special and dear to my heart that I figured, why not? Consider the musical flourishes a present from me to you.

Next, I’m puffed with pride to announce that Brick By Brick Audiobooks will be bringing you my favorite science fiction series, THE PHOENIX LEGACY by M.K. Wren. This trilogy is set in the 33rd century, where a dazzling empire is poised on the brink of annihilation…

The Lord Alexand DeKoven Woolf is destined by birth to occupy a unique position of power in the Concord of the Loyal Houses, the monolithic (and essentially feudalistic) government that is the matrix for all human civilization. The Concord, despite its outward appearances of stability and prosperity, is suffering severe internal stresses, primarily manifested by chronic uprisings among the Bonds, its serf/slave class. The Concord is, in fact, threatened with the specter of a third dark age. As Firstborn to the House of DeKoven Woolf, Alexand is the indirect heir to the Chairmanship, the grandson of the current monarch. Born to rule, he nonetheless swears to destroy the greatest empire mankind has ever known, all for the greater good of humanity.

And last but by no means least, there is DREAMER OF DUNE: THE BIOGRAPHY OF FRANK HERBERT, written by his son, Brian Herbert. I first encountered Brian about eight years ago when I was preparing to narrate Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, and Brian cracked open his father’s notes to help me with all those crazy pronunciations. Over the years, I’m proud to say we’ve became friends.

I was shocked to discover that this magnificent biography of his father was not yet on audiobook – shocked, and, I have to admit, pleased, because it meant that I would have the opportunity to narrate it myself. Whether you’re a massive Dune-head or only occasionally sip some spiced tea (See what I did with that? Huh, huh? Dune… Spice?), I think you’ll really enjoy this book. It’s a unique insight into the man who created the greatest, most richly-detailed science fiction saga of all time, a wonderful portrait, lovingly rendered. A must for all science fiction fans.

So when is all this happening?

Glad you asked. Here’s the schedule as it stands now:

11/05/08

THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER

BOOK TWO: THE ILLEARTH WAR

By Stephen R. Donaldson

11/27/08 – Happy Thanksgiving!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

By Charles Dickens

12/1/08

SWORD OF THE LAMB

BOOK ONE OF THE PHOENIX LEGACY

By M.K. Wren

1/1/09

SHADOW OF THE SWAN

BOOK TWO OF THE PHOENIX LEGACY

By M.K. Wren

2/1/09

HOUSE OF THE WOLF

BOOK THREE OF THE PHOENIX LEGACY

By M.K. Wren

3/1/09

DREAMER OF DUNE: THE BIOGRAPHY OF FRANK HERBERT

By Brian Herbert

4/1/09

THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER

BOOK THREE: THE POWER THAT PRESERVES

By Stephen R. Donaldson.

It’s humbling to realize by the time the first anniversary of Brick By Brick Audiobooks’ first release rolls around, we will have released nine books in these twelve months. And it’s staggering in terms of sleep deprivation, but 2009 will be the beginning of our book-a-month schedule. That’s right: we’re going monthly, baby! Twelve books in twelve months. And wait ‘til you hear what surprises we have in store for the second half of 2009.

As always, these books will be recorded in glorious 128 kbps sound. And remember, Brick By Brick Audiobook titles are never abridged!

We’ll be talking to you again in a week or so with more information about these titles: pricing, discounts, that kind of thing. ’Til then, take care and don’t eat all the leftover Halloween candy in one sitting, okay?

Oh, sorry, one last nugget of knowledge: at the risk of making this post as long as the manuscript of my first novel, I thought some of you might be interested to know that we’ve been granted permission to release the Covenant novels throughout the world. So for all you folks in the UK who’ve been frustrated by our contractual limitations, those will be a thing of the past in the very near future!

Thanks for listening,

Scott

scott@scottbrickpresents.com