i did some great work on some audiobooks that are about to be released, and i want you to know about them.

I closed out last year with two straight months of audiobook work on a number of projects I am so thrilled to be part of.

One of them was just announced yesterday, and as many of you correctly guessed, it’s When The Moon Hits Your Eye, by John Scalzi:

The moon has turned into cheese.

Now humanity has to deal with it.

I could quote more, but I feel like the people who are going to love love love this book like I did don’t need to know any more than that. You can pre-order the audiobook right here.

Another is Picks and Shovels, a new Marty Hench novel about the dawn of enshittification, from Cory Doctorow.

This is a rollicking crime thriller, a science fiction novel about the dawn of the computing revolution. It’s an archaeological expedition to uncover the fossil record of the first emergence of enshittification, a phenomenon that was born with the PC and its evil twin, the Reagan Revolution.

The year is 1982, and PCs are weird. Marty Hench is not yet Silicon Valley’s most accomplished forensic accountant, scourge of tech-bro finance scams. In 1982, Hench is a newly arrived MIT washout with a community college degree and his first job: working for Fidelity Computing, a PC company run by a Mormon bishop, a Catholic priest, and an orthodox rabbi. Sounds like a joke, right? But the joke’s on their parishoners, who are recruited into a pyramid selling faith scam that exploits social bonds to sell junk PCs that are locked in – from the gimmicked floppy disks that only work with their high-priced drives to the gimmicked tractor-feed paper that only works with their high priced printers.

Marty’s job is simple: figure out how to destroy Computing Freedom, a rival company started by three women who broke away from Fidelity, whose products are designed to unlock every customer the Reverend Sirs of Fidelity have locked in. Marty isn’t that far into this assignment when he realizes that he’s on the wrong side, and he throws his lot in with Computing Freedom’s founders: a queer orthodox woman who’s been expelled from her family, a nun who’s thrown in with antiimperialists liberation theology radicals resisting America’s dirty wars, and a Mormon woman who’s left the church over its opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment.

But when Marty sends his resignation to the Reverend Sirs, he learns that Fidelity isn’t just a weird PC company running a faith scam: it’s a violent criminal enterprise. Suddenly the stakes get a lot higher.

Picks and Shovels is a rollicking tale of the AIDS crisis, queer hardware hackers, gifted punk rock Unix programmers, Reaganomics-fuelled pyramid schemes, and the moment where the seeds of tech’s enshittification were planted in Silicon Valley. 

Cory is one of my favorite authors and thinkers. He is going to be remembered and lauded in the future for his work in this moment, when we find fascist tech broligarchs threatening to take complete control of how we communicate and how freely information — true information — flows in America and the world. His novels are not just incredibly fun and satisfying to read (or listen to me read to you), they address very serious and meaningful issues of freedom, security, equality, and human rights.

Both of these books, as well as the not-yet-announced book, were tremendously satisfying to narrate. And something wonderful happened during the sessions. My favorite director, Gabrielle, gave me a simple note at the top of a page, a suggestion that I approach this part of the text with this particular thing in mind (I’m not going to get into more detail now. I may in the future.) and when I did that, something inside of me fundamentally changed.

Imagine a few elements all sitting next t each other on a workbench. You can put them together in various orders, and get generally the same thing with some subtle differences that most people won’t notice because they don’t know to look for them.

Now imagine you are handed a catalyst — a catalyst that was sitting on another table the whole time, that you just didn’t notice — and when you pour that catalyst across the elements, they suddenly reveal something new that you didn’t even know you could create from them. And that new thing looks an awful lot like the things you’ve built from them before, only this thing is clearly different than all those other things. It’s richer, more interesting, more complex, more satisfying … it’s just more.

That happened near the beginning of these sessions, and all the work I did after that was built using this new skill. People have told me for years that I’m a good audiobook narrator, and I have the awards and stuff to sort of back that up, but I’ve never really felt it. I’ve always been afraid that I’m barely sneaking past a guard, and at any moment someone will see me and shout out THAT GUY IS A BIG FAT PHONY!

I know that’s not true, but anyone else who knows the secret handshake absolutely understands what I’m talking about.

Well, for the rest of my life, every time I sit down to narrate a story, I will be using this updated skill set, and all the confidence and serenity that comes with it.

I’m very excited for y’all to hear these books. I hope you like them.

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56 thoughts on “i did some great work on some audiobooks that are about to be released, and i want you to know about them.”

  2. You’re one of my favorite audiobook readers, so this is great news. Especially the updated skill set learned. Also, “tech broligarchs” is a fantastic term.

      1. I am very excited for these books! I can’t do a whole lot of audiobooks (my ADHD makes my brain wander all over the place, then I tune back in and realize I’ve missed entire chapters), but yours are the exception. I don’t know what it is specifically, but the way you narrate keeps me engaged. Also, your imposter syndrome guards are the worst and you are awesome.

  5. Thanks for sharing those books Wil. I have listened to nearly all of the books you’ve narrated and found some new gems thanks to your recommendations!

  6. I saw this and I was all excited that there was a Scalzi book I hadn’t read yet. Then I saw that I hadn’t read it yet because it’s not out yet, but coming soon. Yay!

  8. Always excited to see more books read by you, Wil! I already supported the Kickstarter and the newest Scalzi book is always on my Wish list and I pre-order it the month before using one of my credits from Audible. I hope you have more audiobooks in the pipeline!

  9. Thank you for the pre-order link! My wife and I are listening to the Interdependency series as an appetizer.

  10. You are an excellent narrator Wil. Like many, I became acquainted with your work through Wesley Chrusher. And reconnected through social media.

    But listening to Ready Player One was a game changer. Until then I did not understand how much the narration could make a difference. In the years since it has totally changed my ‘reading’ habits (as my actual eyesight decreases and my audiobook usage increases) I don’t know if it’s a ‘talent’ or your past experience as an actor but timing and tone make all the freaking difference in the world. And yours is never bad.

    I have a short list of narrators that I will move outside my regular genres for. And you are always one of them.

  11. Whenever I’m having a rough time, your audiobook narrations are what I turn to. Usually Scalzi, but not always. I love that I can hear a smile in your voice at times (when it makes sense in the story). Can’t wait to listen to the new books as soon as they’re available.

  13. Hurray for spotting the Kickstarter for Picks & Shovels in time to back it! I love Cory’s books and I love you reading them!!

  14. FYI, the blog is a much better place to read this than the email. The formatting was ugh in my email.

    Breakthroughs are wonderful things, great you had one that day and that it is applicable beyond that moment. We all need a catalyst/muse/phase changer at times to wake us to the possibilities. As a designer I am always trying to find that thing which will make the product what it wants to be and I am just the instrument to fulfill it.

    1. The formatting was all messed up by this damn block editor thing. I fixed it in the blog, but didn’t see it was all messed up until after I published. Thanks for stopping by!

  15. Oh my god! I am so excited! I love love love anything you and John Scalzi do. I jokingly refer to you two as my audiobook boys! I commute 3 hours per day, so I go through a lot of audiobooks. These have just been added to my list!

  16. WOW WOW WOW! When the Moon Hits Your Eye has gotten rave reviews and has been promoted a LOT in the bookseller biz. I’ll look forward to hearing you make it come to life.

  17. I’ve been hoping for an opportunity to tell you how much I loved your work on Kaju Preservation Society and Starter Villan. I’ve listed to each about 5 times-usually I take most of my audio books out from the library. I own those two.

    You nail the mix of humor and real feeling in Scalzi’s writing, and I really now can’t imagine anyone else reading them.

    I have to go back and retry Ready Player One. The first time it threw me as a trek fan and 80’s kid- like my mind kept going “wrong era”. It’ll be fun to try it again.

  18. I hit post prematurely on my comment. I haven’t read the Doctorow Novels, would you recommend I go read the previous ones in the series before this or can I just pick it up with the one you just finished?

    Yay!

  19. Your work on the Chronicles of Amber was phenomenal. In my mind, that’s the main character’s voice. I also loved The Martian and Ready Player One. (I haven’t gotten to Ready Player Two yet.) Seeing that you’re the narrator is always a selling point for me.

  20. Thank you so much for contributing to accessibility and inclusivity with audiobook narration! I really appreciate it!

  24. Sounds great! Do let us, specifically me, know exactly when and where I can purchase these audiobooks!

  25. You are many things. A phony is not one of them.

    I’m not an audio-book fan, but I just finished The Bezzle and look forward to reading Picks and Shovels as well as Scalzi’s work.

  28. Loved your reading of The Martian, Wil, so really looking forward to these next audiobooks.

  29. I am so excited for this. Your narration is how I got into reading John Scalzi to begin with. I’ve heard about Cory Doctorow but haven’t read anything of theirs yet, I need to remedy this.

  30. I share your love for Cory Doctorow’s work and I also adore your narration, so this announcement is a huge treat! Thanks for sharing.

  31. I’ve only narrated two novels so far, but just the level up experience I felt between the first and second was significant – I imagine ‘eureka!’ moments like what you described are, well, euphoric! 😀 I’m really excited to listen to these new books! You and James Marsters (Dresden Files) are among my favorite narrators!

  32. I’m so very, very glad your blog is back! I’ve never been on Facebook (well, once, for about 4 months in 2004 and hated it) and am considering dropping my Instagram account. Blogs are better. Thank you!

  33. Oh, what fun! I’m especially interested in the Doctorow book. Also, echoing others in that yeah, the blog is like coming home, and so much better. I should dust mine off.

  34. I just finished listening to “Starter Villain” and was delighted by the book and your narration, Wil! Looking forward to your new work :)!

  36. Wil, you and John Scalzi are a match made in heaven!! His words and your voice make a perfect union! It’s as though he writes knowing you will be the reader. I look forward to hearing your new collaboration with Cory. I have to confess, I’d rather listen to you reading a book to me than these audio book all star extravaganzas with a huge cast. I love “our” time together enjoying a good book.

  38. Yay!! I can’t wait for the next Scalzi book. I always buy the audio version, especially if you’re narrating. The last one, Starter Villain… when you were narrating any of the dolphin parts, I was laughing so hard. I tried to listen while on the Peloton one day and actually had to stop because it was just too funny.

  39. Thanks for alerting me to the new Scalzi book! I have purchased all of the Scalzi books that you narrate that I could find on Audible, and have been waiting for the next one. I am looking forward to “reading” the next one! I love your narrations, and I hope you will be doing them for a long time.
    Sue~

  41. That feeling that “I’ve always been afraid that I’m barely sneaking past a guard, and at any moment someone will see me and shout out THAT GUY IS A BIG FAT PHONY!” – Not only is that the ever-present bastard of “Imposter Syndrome” (duh!) But it’s also proof that you’ve found your calling. Not that your happiness is any of my business, but I’m glad that you’ve found your joy and the work that you were meant to do. That’s a wonderful thing!

  42. Well now, these sound like an awful lot of fun! I’m so glad you enjoyed creating the audio versions of! And I do, in fact, believe you have just handed me a pinch of a future catalyst to throw in the pot. Things are simmering, thank you.

  43. My wife and I loved your narration of the first two Martin Hench books. Looking forward to the third one 🙂

    1. Thanks! I loved this one so much; it’s such a privilege to give Marty his voice and tell his story. And this is one of the reasons I’m focused entirely on voice performing, rather than on-camera performing: I have entrusted with playing Marty Hench across literal decades of his life. It would be impossible to do that on camera, and I would never have enjoyed the experience of being with a character for their whole life.

  44. Congrats! These new audiobooks both sound like amazing fun. I’ve loved some of your earlier narrations, soI can’t wait until I can dive into them (Might save them for a long flight to a Habitat Build in Malawi.

  46. Congratulations on your new skill set! It’s always great to figure out new things. I have been rewatching The Big Bang Theory. I just watched the episode where you all go to the opening of the new Star Wars.” Live long and suck it” always cracks me up!

  47. The new Scalzi audiobook has been pre-ordered. Looking forward to hearing you read it to me.

  48. That is great! I also just wanted to say how much fun it is to have regular blog posts again. Before social media was a thing, I used to check out your blog every day (or about). Long enough ago that I remember when you posted a countdown to your 30th birthday. Social media has become so mentally crushing, I’m glad to be back to seeing what I want to see more and more, instead of the depressing scroll.

  49. I bought the audiobook for “Starter Villain”, even though I’d already bought (and read) the book.
    Holy. SHNIKES! To say you’ve found your calling, your niche in the world, is an understatement. Your reading of that book was perfection personified. With all of the insanity us sane people are dealing with, you helped me to escape for a few, all-too-brief minutes each day for many days.
    Well done, Wil. Very well done, indeed.

  50. So excited!~
    I love your narrations, especially those of John Scalzi’s work.
    The Kaiju Preservation Society was a favorite of my more recent listens!

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