I’m going to be hitting the road for a trip in a few weeks. My destination is about 13 hours each way, and I am driving solo as part of a caravan of vehicles. One of the things I’ve picked up in recent years to make long drives more enjoyable is listening to podcasts, especially audio fiction. This also got me through physical therapy sessions a few years ago when I broke my leg.
The book currently in my play list is J.C. Hutchins’ “7th Son: Descent”. This is not only a great story (I love techie, sciencey stuff), but it’s a trans-media experience. That is, it’s not just the book/podcast. There are little Easter eggs hidden throughout that enrich the story and bring it to life. Throw in action, wonderful characterizations, plot twists, and realistic settings, and you get a story better than what most of Hollywood is turning out right now.
In addition to that, the cool part about the story is that it is coming in print on October 27. The fact that there is a large fan base due to the success of the podcast was a contributing factor to getting it in dead-tree form. I have my copy on pre-order and I am excited to get it in my hot little hands.
Now, I don’t get a penny from plugging this, but I did get a TON of entertainment over the past few years–and I literally mean weeks, if not months of entertainment. If you’re the type that likes a good story, needs something to listen to while on the road, or something else I haven’t even thought of, please check it out.
The only thing that makes me sad about this is that the story is getting a bit of a reboot from when I first heard it (it’s in line with the printed manuscript now–the author needed to make some tweaks). In and of itself that’s not a bad thing, but it leaves me with many hours of driving sans-7th Son. Oh well, I’ll have to listen to Scott Sigler instead.
As a complete tangent, I recently installed a module in my Jeep’s stereo that allows me to run my iPod through the stereo without the aid of an FM transmitter. I always used a tape deck adapter in my Cherokee, but that’s no longer an option, and a transmitter doesn’t work well in urban areas. This will definitely make my travels much more enjoyable. Mostly I’m proud that I took my stereo apart, added something to it, and it works exactly like it was supposed to when I finished the project.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled musings on hiking, dogs, the outdoors, life, the universe, and everything,