The importance of audio in publishing cannot be underestimated as
our lives become more time constrained - reading often suffers. Some may mutter
“…..but are novels relevant in these days of online streaming of
entertainment?”
I would assert that reading imaginative work, be they novels,
novellas or short fiction is more important now than ever, due to the rising
levels of anxiety in society. It is widely known that the reading of fiction
[aka Biblio-Therapy]
is a very useful method of reducing stress and anxiety. In fact, Stephen King
in his work “On Writing” said –
“Life is not a support system for the arts, it’s the other way
around”
Recently I have become evangelical about the Audio Dramatizations,
from Audible Studios. I wrote about audiobooks last year, when Audible
announced their Audio New Writing Award, steered toward the Crime and Thriller
Genre – Read More Here
I always have plenty of Audio books, loaded on my Iphone and
Laptop, for my car and for traveling by train, as it helps manage my time and my
thoughts; allowing me to escape my problems by becoming lost in someone else’s’
problems. It also keeps my mind occupied and I learn about life, and how some
of us cope with existence. And is there any better pleasure in life than being
read to, before the arms of sleep comfort us? The audible app for Iphone has a
sleep-timer, so you can have a chapter read to you before you succumb to slumber.
I am huge follower of Audible’s original content, the dramatizations,
such as The X-Files, Aliens, and Stephen Fry’s extraordinary vocalisation of
the complete Sherlock Holmes among many others.
And so it was a delight to discover the remarkable audio-drama Animal
Instincts, Human Zoo written by Simon Booker, and performed with a cast which includes
Fehinti Balogun, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Ed Bluemel, Imogen Church, Brendan
Coyle, Laurence Dobiesz, Victoria Hamilton, Rebekah Hinds, David John, Harry
Lloyd, Brigid Lohrey, Joseph Marcell, Michael Shon, James Smith, Jo Stone-Fewings,
Niky Wardley, Sarah Whitehouse and Lia Williams.
The recording is evocatively realised with three-dimensional sound,
complete with echoes and effects as we follow a former British Cop [who, still
suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] agrees to help a friend, not
realising what he will have to confront.
Here’s a sneak preview of what to expect
Ex-policeman Joe Cassidy has a keen interest in animal behaviour
and how it can have a bearing on some of the most heinous of human crimes - a
talent that has heavily informed his detective work over the years. Although
until now, he thought that he had left detective work behind....
Suffering
from PTSD and wracked with guilt and failure after a grisly discovery in a
particularly disturbing case, Joe lives in a lonely shack in the shadow of the
nuclear power station at Dungeness. But when the daughter of an old friend goes
missing, the investigation centres on the wealthy family's animal park.
Owing the
owner a favour from years past, Joe is drawn further and further into the
enquiry - hoping to solve the riddle of the disappearance amid the family's
increasing dysfunction and desperate to find redemption for himself in the
process.
And here’s a behind the scenes peak on the production of this
engaging drama –
So if you haven’t discovered Audible Original Productions, then Simon
Booker’s Animal Instincts / Human Zoo is a good place to start
More information from www.audible.co.uk
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