I don’t want to commit myself to making full-on Radio Free Burritos right now, but I do want to stay creative and productive while I listen to experts who are not fucking idiots and stay home until the doctors tell me it’s safe for everyone to go back to the Old Ways of three weeks ago.
I love narrating audiobooks. I love that my job is to read and perform, to bring stories to life, for people who want to be distracted and entertained. It’s a real blessing that I get to combine things that I love, and do them for my job.
So while I’m staying home and feeling grateful af that I can afford to be out of everyone’s way for at least several months, I want to do something, however small, to give people who are stressed out, overwhelmed, or just bored, something to listen to while they catch their breath.
And as long as this works (meaning I enjoy it and people want me to keep doing it), I’ll be reading short stories from the public domain every few days, and uploading them to my SoundCloud.
I read these cold, and I don’t do any editing, so you’ll hear me mess up, you’ll hear background noise, and it won’t be as polished as the work I’ve done for Big Audiobook, but it’s free, so back off, man.
Anyway, here’s today’s. I hope you enjoy it.
I LOVE the cold readings! It makes them sooo personal!–special! Hi to you and yours and hope you are all doing fine!
Thank you! Audio is pulling me through this.
I love your blog, and am so happy that I fumbled my way into your orbit! Loved this story, too. Stay well, and thank you so much!
I’m not sure you realize just how much you doing this helps. You have a very distinct reading style and I know I speak for many when I say that it is a comforting voice that brings joy to many. Keep doing this as you can and know that it IS making a difference in these stressful times.
Nice! Have you considered doing one for https://www.instagram.com/savewithstories/ ?
Now that’s a really cool thing to do. Good on you Wil, bringing joy into people’s lives during such an uncertain time.
Wil Wheaton, you’re my hero! <3 Seriously though, I miss your podcast so very much, but this is an excellent way to stay creative AND help out us fans to feel a touch less alone and give us a little happiness as well. I work at Barnes and Noble (which you thanked me for doing so on one of your Storytime with Wil twitch streams like two years ago and THANKYOU) and I brag all the time about amazing your audiobook skills are and a lot of times I’m just telling people what they already know and then we have an awesome conversation about you! 🙂 Thank you so much for all you do, being an amazing person as well. (Same goes for Anne, for that matter.) <3
I just finished listening to your reading of Ready Player One. What an absolute pleasure–thank you.
Now excuse me as I find a quiet place to muse on my childhood of gaming and melt into a nostalgic puddle.
Thank you so much, Wil, for your generosity in doing these short stories. I love hearing you as a narrator, and the stories you’ve done so far have been great. Giving away your time and hard work like this is really kind of you, and is definitely appreciated. You were great on the Ready Room, too, I’ve really enjoyed watching you on it.
I’m so glad you’re doing these! Also as an EPIC mythology fan I LOOOOOOVE thiiiiiiiis
I really enjoyed this reading, and I agree with you completely that it does mirror our times. We must keep hope alive and believe things will turn out well as it did in this story. I LOVE your treatment of this material! Thank you for the wonderful entertainment to all of us housebound people out here!
Great choice of a story. I do agree that there is much in this story that is relevant to our moment. First, you note that the book in which you found the myth was published in 1918, another year of pandemic illness. We are in a dark time now and are in need of light, hope, beauty, and growth. There are also in the story tropes of political jealousy, of lesser powers determined to destroy the good works of those who ruled before them. And, although Amaterasu is primarily a positive force, we also see in the story an expectation that she will respond to bribery and gifts, like another “leader” we know, and (also like that leader), what finally draws her forth is an appeal to her vanity. My comparisons are harsher, I think, than the story deserves. The tarnish I see in the tale is a result of hearing it in these jaded times, not of impulses of the story itself. I should like to know what relevance you saw in it. Thank you for the gift of narrative in this time of confinement.
I try to comment every blog. I don’t notice crickets! I notice love from true friends. I am thankful for any love 💕 given by loved ones! I think it is a matter of perspective!
I’m not internationally known
But I’m known to rock the microphone
Because I get stupid, I mean outrageous
Stay away from me if you’re contagious
quick question – my 12 year old nephew loved your reading of Ready Player One. Could you please indicate whether or not the stories you are positing are appropriate for younger audiences. Thanks
This one was specifically chosen because it’s from a book for young readers. There’s nothing inappropriate, but I don’t know if it’ll hold the interest of a modern 12 year-old.
Thanks for doing this! Gives us all another choice on how to spend our days and I appreciate that!
Thank you for posting more on your blog, Wil. I hate Facebook with a fiery passion and rarely bother to open it anymore.
Wonderful Will, thanks!
This was wonderful, Wil. Thanks for sharing it. I’m inspired, I think, to try recording some of my own short stories, just for fun. Would you be willing to offer advice/insights to a rank noob on the equipment you use to record these “cold” readings? Thanks again!
This was excellent, and yes, decidedly relevant to our current moment. I also found your reading of Star Mother on your SoundCloud and listened to that as well. It’s great to hear these short stories and your narration always brings something to the text. Thanks for being creative for us during this time.
OMG, this is awesome, and then Twitch notified me that you’re doing a CYOA again! Thanks for sharing your talents with us at a time when we all need a friendly voice and (in the case of CYOA) deep belly laughs.
Thanks buddy it helps, keep up the good work.
Thank you for doing this for us!
Beautiful story Wil. I tried to play it for my kiddo but he fell asleep lol. You can probably take that as a compliment. Even the kids are stressed out and having trouble sleeping these days.
I wanna chip in with a compliment and a thank you as well.
Wil,
I am deeply connected to the story of Amaterasu and have known it well for many years. Your reading of Her story touched me deeply. Thank you for this.
I love these postings when I get to listen to you read something. You are right — this story is much different from ones you have read before. I didn’t immediately ‘get’ the tie-in to our current world, since I was so intently listening to the story unfold. After I had time to think about I could see what you mean. Thank you so much for providing a much-needed break during this time. Stay safe!
Wil, thank you for recording these audio stories. I must admit I haven’t been very active in providing comments and feedback with your posts, and for that I’m sorry, I’ll try to do better in the future. I must say, though, that I always looks forward to your posts and have been a fan of RFB since the release of Episode Zero. Can’t wait for the next story! Please keep doing them, and keep being awesome!
This was beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
What’s the ring tone you use for messages? And no that’s not the only thing I took away from this
It’s the default Pixel 3 sound. Fun fact: most of the ring tones on modern phones were composed by Thomas Dolby.
That is a fun fact! Thank you for that.