Chronscast Season 1 Episode 1 - Northern Lights with Stephen Palmer

[Cat's Cradle]

Warm congratulations to everyone involved with the podcast. Thoroughly enjoyable, from first moment to last.
Stephen was a wonderful guest, Dan and Chris excellent hosts. I found the discussion of Northern Lights to be illuminating and thought provoking. I think my favorite part of the conversation was the bit on the creation of stories, towards the end. It's something I greatly enjoy, to hear people speak on how they create their art.
The Judge, I loved your segment! It was informative and interesting... I have no plans to ever try to publish, and I still listened raptly to every word.
I really enjoyed the format of the podcast. I think it was wise to have the show broken into segments. I enjoyed the little skit/play that was broken into... was it three parts? And I was very surprised and pleased that the Writing Challenge segment wasn't tacked on at the end.
Also, it was lovely hearing all of your voices... it's so nice to have a more concrete mind-picture of some of the people here at the site.

Thank you pH and nixie for the kind words on my singing and speaking voices *blush*. I was nervous to have people hear me, but glad (and pleased with how it went) now that it's over. I hope future Challenge winners will have the confidence to record their stories - it's very cool to hear your voice on this podcast. I asked my wife to listen with me, and she was quite pleased, too.

To @Dan Jones or @Stephen Palmer - I wonder if either of you has considered having your works recorded as audiobooks? I'd be very interested in hearing some of your novels read (an eye condition pretty much limits me to audiobooks nowadays).

I wonder when the next podcast is? It's likely been mentioned, but I couldn't find the info in a quick scan, up above. Again, congrats everyone - I hope you're all proud of the work! CC


ps - episode 0 was a dandy listen, too!

 

[Stephen Palmer]

@Stephen Palmer - I wonder if either of you has considered having your works recorded as audiobooks? I'd be very interested in hearing some of your novels read (an eye condition pretty much limits me to audiobooks nowadays).

I've been trying via the Audible narrator/author scheme to find a suitable narrator for some of my novels, so far without luck. An excellent American narrator signed a contract to narrate Beautiful Intelligence, but then broke the contract and refused to do it. Audible did nothing about the breach of contract. Pretty disappointing.
However, the Roger Watson version of Hairy London is still available on Jeeni, and he recently narrated the short story which inspired it, Xana-La. Currently Roger is considering the new novella The Humour Mines. Fingers crossed!

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

I made a DIY narration of my own book last year. It's a nice format, especially if a writer is prone to spelling mistakes and the likes. Think there is a missing format somewhere in between a narration and a rehearsed radio play -am going to try find it sometime; would need three bodies, a shed and buckets of time so one for the long finger ...anyways, back to the excellent Chronscast

 

[Dan Jones]

To @Dan Jones or @Stephen Palmer - I wonder if either of you has considered having your works recorded as audiobooks? I'd be very interested in hearing some of your novels read (an eye condition pretty much limits me to audiobooks nowadays).

I've considered it, and I'd love for it to happen, but haven't really had the time to do anything about it. If a brilliant voiceover artist approached me and asked to it then I would, but that's not very likely. I guess that's one of the perks of having an agent, to manage these things.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

I'd love for it to happen

You've the perfect voice for narration -all you need is one night when the house is quiet and a truckload of coffee; you've already got the mic and editing chops (plus from memory all ya need to publish on Audible and the likes is some breed of a book registration number which I think you have anyway) -go for it

 

[Dan Jones]

That's very kind, but you're forgetting one thing. With two noisy children it's a mighty achievement for me to eke out ninety minutes every now and then to record the interviews; to find the twenty or thirty hours needed to record an entire book is something else!

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

That's very kind, but you're forgetting one thing. With two noisy children it's a mighty achievement for me to eke out ninety minutes every now and then to record the interviews; to find the twenty or thirty hours needed to record an entire book is something else!

True, didn't mean it'd be easy and probably a 2 am job but it could be done ...probably more of a last resort thing; might freak out late night intoxicated eavesdroppers if ya have the window open too

 

[elvet]

Thank you all for a very informative and entertaining first episode. I had read (and reread) the books a while back. Having long since left my uni friends, and not having a circle of bookish friends, most of what I read gets digested internally and maybe googled or looked up on Chrons for some in depth discussion and analysis if I want to dive in a bit more. I miss the days when my friends and I would read books like Thomas Covenant or LotR and sit and talk about themes and meaning. Your podcast was a reminder that books can bring so much more than just the story.
While I am not in any way a literary sort, I do write for my profession (veterinary), and The Judge's comment on copyright was interesting in that I do a blog on topics and make many of my own handouts for my clients.
@Cat's Cradle What a lovely story, and so well spoken. Well done! I miss writing for those challenges. Should get back to that.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Thanks so much, elvet! I do hope you have the time one day soon to re-join the Challenges. I've missed your stories.

Thanks, Stephen and Dan, for the responses. I know if/when you have books available for Audible, you will let us know here at the site.

I purchased the audiobook Seeing Red - A Study in Consciousness by Nicholas Humphrey, Stephen, and look forward to experiencing it. Thanks for mentioning it on the podcast, CC

 

[Parson]

Subscribed via Castbox. Just finished episode #0, so I don't know about the need for "balance" as @Valtharius suggests.

Anyway, well done. You've bit off a big bite. I listen to a great many podcasts and love the genre. For episode #0 I liked the fact that you made very clear what you were going to do and what you were not going to do. I think the bit about self-promotion was really necessary. The conversation had an organic feel. I was pretty sure you were not using a script, which might be a good thing. Once or twice I felt you were struggling for the line or the transfer to the next topic, but for the first go at this (It is isn't it?); this was terrific.

Back later after getting a chance to listen to episode 1.

Grrrr! Didn't post this Monday, but now I get to carry on.

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[Parson]

I really enjoyed the Episode #1. I've got to admit I was dismayed when I read it was 1 hr and 49 min. long. Although I have a lot of podcasts in my feed, the long ones usually get short shrift because carving out that much time with my wife present and sometimes talking to me isn't a winning situation. But last night I had a meeting 80 min. away and so I listened in my car. The podcast certainly made the journey seem shorter.

I really liked the interaction and @Stephen Palmer was a very interesting guest. (I'm impressed by your insights.) The first few minutes regarding atheism is probably what @Valtharius was referring to when he suggested me for balance, but I didn't find anything objectionable there. I would not agree with some of the things, but not agreeing and saying that they shouldn't be said or considered are two very different things. The discussion in this episode reminded me of the best literature classes I ever took. Lot's of depth of discussion and insight. I loved @The Judge's contribution about copyright, but I was frustrated that I had a very hard time hearing her. None of the others were difficult. (I couldn't turn my phone up, (Remember I was driving) and I had my radio as loud as it would go.) I almost missed all of what the commercial? joke? short play? said in breaking up the sections. I think it was mostly the pace of the banter combined with the accents that befuddled me.

@Cat's Cradle .... I loved your story when I read it, but your reading of it was even more enjoyable.

I am planning on listening to Episode #2. Good job guys.

 

[The Judge]

I loved @The Judge's contribution about copyright, but I was frustrated that I had a very hard time hearing her. None of the others were difficult. (I couldn't turn my phone up, (Remember I was driving) and I had my radio as loud as it would go.)

Ah, Parson, remember your Shakespeare:

Her voice was ever soft,​

Gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman.​

Well, that's the first time anyone has ever complained about not hearing me! Perhaps I'll need to use my courtroom voice next time.

Actually, part of the problem may have been my inexperience with the microphone -- that was the first time I'd ever used one -- and I hadn't got it placed quite right, so I was part-turned away from it in order to read the bullet points on my laptop. It didn't help that when speaking in public I'm used to looking at whoever I'm addressing, only glancing down at my notes as necessary, so ingrained habit meant I kept going to raise my head, and I therefore drifted even further away from the mic. Then because I'd recorded/sent it on the wrong thingummy, Dan had to do some magic in transposing it which degraded it further. I'm hopeful my second attempt for the February talk will be a little better. But perhaps make sure you're in a quiet room listening when I come on.

 

[Stuart Suffel]

Seems I've reemerged from my Cocoon at an Important Moment in the Chronicles...
Will check it out soon.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Her voice was ever soft,Gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman.

Or perhaps more appropriately...
The raven himself is hoase, That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battelments.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

I purchased the audiobook Seeing Red - A Study in Consciousness by Nicholas Humphrey, Stephen, and look forward to experiencing it. Thanks for mentioning it on the podcast, CC

An extraordinary book. If you like it, his first and second books, The Inner Eye and A History Of The Mind, are even better. Five of the six episodes of his tv series The Inner Eye are available on his YouTube channel.

 

[cyprus7]

Well done, podcasters!
I love podcasts where a prepared interviewer pitches the questions and gives the guest time to answer - exactly what happened here.

I listened to #1 straight today because I had undisturbed time, but that's the exception; so I'll probably end up having to listen to future episodes piecemeal whenever time permits.

I did have a little trouble understanding what was said in the voicemail skit - maybe my smartphone's speakers? Not really sure.

Onward!

 

[Phyrebrat]

love podcasts where a prepared interviewer pitches the questions and gives the guest time to answer - exactly what happened here.

This is really important to me. So many promising podcasts are spoilt by the host’s egos. Why have guests on if you’re going to do all the talking?! More guest, less host, I say!

@Dan Jones i found Judith for you. Now look after your daemon in future!

 

[Dan Jones]

Judith!

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

I did have a little trouble understanding what was said in the voicemail skit

Rumour is a Covid outbreak stuck a spanner in the extraplanetary comms, and two obliging non SF folk went for an adventure in a noisy hallway ...heard some advanced extraterrestrial specialists have been recruited since then

 

[elvet]

Another bonus from the podcast:
Having not much to do this past (freezing) weekend, I checked my streaming services and found the BBC His Dark Materials on HBO, seasons 1 and 2. Binged the whole lot. I thought it was well done, though it has been a long enough time since I've read the books that I can't really compare details. I do agree that Mrs. Coulter comes across as a more sympathetic character than I remember in my reads, where I painted her as the evil villain.
I am glad there is going to be a final season to look forward to.