Renegades of Elysia

December has been a very busy month for new audio releases in recent years; the Black Library has it's Advent Stories as well as other 'main range' releases and other companies have their Christmas 'specials' too. The next few postings here, are a reflection of this variety, starting with this audio drama from the Black Library:

Warhammer 40,000 Audio Dramas

Renegades of Elysia

An Astra Militarum audio drama

"When Zachariah and a handful of men barely out of training are sent on a deadly reconnaissance mission he begins to wonder if his life might be in jeopardy.

After a disastrous mission leaves their ranks decimated, Sergeant Zachariah must rapidly train a fresh batch of recruits to restore the 158th Elysian. The regime is harsh, lethal, and only the best will survive to become full–fledged drop troopers.

But when a savage feud with a high-ranking officer threatens the 158th and Zachariah and a handful of men barely out of training are sent on a deadly reconnaissance mission he begins to wonder if his life might also be in jeopardy."

No cast list has been issued for this story, though I can tell you that I'm playing a small role and narrating and will probably read out a 'who's in it' list, sould you find yourself listening to it.

* * * * *

Next up is a slightly odd and quite unexpected 'collection'. Last week, I recorded four classic ghost stories and hopefully, that anthology will also be released in time for Christmas, which was the original plan. Should that be the case, I'll post full details when I have them. In this release, which I had no idea was ever going to be published, I appear only in The Signalman by Charles Dickens. I play 'The Signalman' opposite Simon Callow, who narrates and plays 'The Narrator', if that makes sense, along with my pal from many a Big Finish adventure, Dan Starkey, who performs a variety of roles at the end of the story. I think this collection is only available to audible subscribers, but hey, what do I know?

Gather 'Round the Sound: Holiday Stories from Beloved Authors and Great Performers Across the Globe 

2017 has been a monumental year for Audible, having just celebrated our 20th anniversary, a milestone that would have never been possible without our wonderful and loyal listeners.

One of our major commitments is bringing new and diverse audio experiences to our members, so this year, as our gift to you, we pulled together a collection that reflects a little bit of everything we've been up to recently: a surprising and heartwarming documentary, a selection of stories from our partners around the world, and even some improvised comedic carols we hope will make you laugh as much as they did us.

The lineup includes: 

Zip Code 12345
This mini-documentary centers around a peculiar holiday tradition at General Electric's headquarters in Schenectady, NY. For two decades, GE has been receiving thousands of letters from kids - children who think they're reaching Santa Claus. And every year, a handful of GE employees give up their December lunchbreaks to respond to each and every letter.

An Aussie Night Before Christmas, by Yvonne Morrison, performed by Magda Szubanksi
This rollicking rewrite of the famous old poem 'Twas The Night Before Christmas gives the original version a hilarious Aussie twist. Magda Szubanski, Australia's most trusted personality, caries this incredibly fun romp. Kangaroos pulling the sleigh, a beer for Santa, and all the over-the-top Australian lingo, it's everything you'd expect.


The Music Coming from the House, by Paulo Coehlo, performed by Daniel Frances-Berenson
In this magical story from the author of The Alchemist - the master of the modern parable - a disguised king visits a poor village, and what he sees through the window of a house changes his life, and those of the occupants.


The Signal-man, by Charles Dickens, performed by Simon Callow, Dan Starkey, and John Banks
For literature lovers, the holiday season needs a little Dickens. We dug up a story of his that you may not be familiar with, originally published in the Christmas edition of a Victorian short story periodical. Of course, ghosts are involved in this 19th century work told by Simon Callow (Outlander) and Dan Starkey (Dr. Who).

A Very Improvised Holiday Musical
What would the holidays be without some carols? Vern, a New York City-based improv troupe, performs a few improvised holiday songs.

©2017 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2017 Audible Originals, LLC


I 'love' the way I've been credited for The Signalman; three of us are listed, but apparently only two actually 'told' the story... ah, well!

And so, on that slightly 'bum note', that's...

...all for now, more just as soon as it happens!