TRAVELING IN AUDIO SPACE #2

Actors are a particular breed of artists. 

They are, if good, more than adept at painting portraits. Not, of course, with the paint and brush of a graphic artist, or even with the words and imagination of a literary artist. But with their own bodies, voices, and often a keen, if intuitive, understanding of what’s under the skin and within the minds of various personalities. It doesn’t matter if their medium calls on a deep exploration of their own selfs, or just surface tricks of the trade, if the outcome is a distinct individual you believe, their art is a joy. 

I muse on this the day after another recording session for the audiobook of my novel, Traveling in Space. 

As I have reported before in this blog, when my publisher at Blüroof Press, Dave Doody, asked if I could produce the audiobook, he also suggested that I be the “reader” of my own work. But a good audiobook of a novel to me is not read but performed.  And, although I can be a happy ham in front of audiences, to record a story takes an actor, both innately talented and well trained.  

Just the issue of knowing how to protect your voice, which I don’t, is enough caution against someone as untrained as myself in the thespian arts.

Yesterday’s session only proved this point to me again as I directed and listened to my first choice for this project, Jeff Cannata, 

not only narrate the story in the first person voice of my lead character, but give voice, and personality, to nine other characters as well. Four women and six men.

What fresh hell I put him through. 

But Jeff, being not just an actor, but a damn fine actor, sailed in and out of the various personalities with ease, making it look easy, when I know damn well is isn’t. It was like watching someone with split personality syndrome -- no with fractured personality syndrome. Except it’s not a syndrome, it’s a talent, a fine and wondrous talent that is a joy to watch. And even more of a joy to listen to.

Here’s the odd thing I discovered. Jeff’s performance was of a certain kind when he was doing it live, a joy, as I said, to watch. But became a wholly different performance to listen to in playback. For it was no longer Jeff performing the characters, but just the characters being the characters. So, in a sense, it was no longer a performance, but a document of characters who had become real. 

As good acting should be.

And I have more fresh hell to put Jeff through. Here’s the full cast he has or will be performing as we continue recording.

THE LIFE

What you need to know about THE LIFE: 

They are from the planet The Living World, and travel in space in their huge lifeship, The Curious, finding facts. They believe themselves to be the only life in the universe.

Each has a name that reflects a physical or personal attribute, or their position in society. When either change they have a name metamorphosis. 

They swear a lot.

LIFE SEEDER — Later know as LEIF  

The narrator of our story.  His task on the lifeship is to look for a planet suitable for life so that the factfinders can eventually settle on it and plant their seed. A task disturbingly interrupted when a planet is discovered not only suitable for life but already teeming with it

SHE — Later know as SHEILA

The owner and manager of a fieldfloat sports team (her vocation) and one of the finest pleasurepals (her avocation) on the lifeship.  Both vocation and avocation are dispensed with when she is given the task to study the strange Otherlife institution of marriage.

OUR LEADER 

The leader of the lifeship and of the Life within. Gruff, insulting, bold and, worse, bored with traveling in space.

MEMBERS OF THE LIFESHIP COUNCIL:

THE LARGE MAN — Later know as ANGEL VOICE.

Sublimely superb in the composition and performance of hums. He has an ego as outsized as his body.  

THE VERY SMALL AND DELICATE WOMAN — Later know as VENUS

Supremely intelligent factfinder even among all the other factfinders who are, of course, supremely intelligent.  She would rather keep her eyes on the stars than stick her feet into the mud of the Otherlife’s planet.

THE VERY UGLY MAN — Later know as the NURTURER

Interpreter of the laws as they were perceived and created by The Master Provider.  He likes to see things grow.

THE BT MAKER

He makes Brain Teasers and Brain Ticklers, and all his communications bubbles are flashy and multicolored.  

THE LANKY GENTLEMAN — Later know as ARGUS

The lifeship’s expert on ignorance and hate, and is therefore given the task to study Ignorance and hate among the Otherlife.  It is a daunting task. 

THE LARGE HANDED WOMAN

The lifeship’s expert in mental states who is given the task to study the odd Otherlife phenomenon of religion.

THE PILOT

He pilots the lifeship, keeps to himself, and loves to look at the stars.

 

THE LIFE SEEDER’S ASSISTANT 

Happy in his position but still bearing a racial grudge millennia old. Upon the discovery of the Otherlife he is forced to grow and find a creativity in him he did not know he had.

THE LIFE SEEDER’S ASSISTANT’S SON

A particularly puerile and putrid pocket of puss.  

THE OTHERLIFE

What you need to know about THE OTHERLIFE: 

Theyʼre human — what else do you need to know?

PRESIDENT CROWELL

Until the arrival of the Life in the lifeship, he had been the Speaker of the House. However as the previous president dies of a stroke, and the Vice President quickly resigns, he finds himself in the Oval office with aliens from outer space. A classic pol from the old school, he is a bit intimidated by statesmanship.

GENERAL MILLIKIN

A very grounded professional soldier who discovers the power of zero gravity. 

MICHAEL TORME

Ex-TV star and owner of Michael Torme’s Honeymoon Paradise Resort. He knows that love and marriage goes together like a horse and carriage.

THE HONEYMOONERS

STAN AND MARY

A young honeymoon couple. She’s pregnant and he’s delighted.

JOSH AND RACHEL

An old honeymoon couple. Jewish, they fell in love while singing “Sunrise, Sunset”

JOHN AND CAROLE

A Christian honeymoon couple. God was the matchmaker, so who are they to argue.

MARGARET CLEVELAND

Works for the International Genocide Project. Wise beyond her years — and she’s ninety-five years old. 

PATRICIA BARKS

White House intern charged by the president with the task of helping the Life understand Otherlife religion. She fails.

JOSEPH GILLETTE

Owner of the Atlantis Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Thinks the Large Man as Angel Voice will be a giant in the entertainment business.

STUART

A loving father down on his luck in Vegas. Convinced Angel Voice can take him to heaven, he starts a riot.

THE SCIENTISTS:

DAVID - Later know as BUSHFACE

Studies quantum physics, he believes science and religion can coexist.

ANDREW - Later know as SHARP CHIN/SHARP NOSE

A biologist.

SARA - Later know as BRIGHT SMILE

An astronomer and astrophysicist.

ADRIAN - Later know as ANGEL HAIR

A neurobiologist, he thinks Bushface has his thumb up his bum.

SALLY - Later know as TITS

A well-endowed paleontologist who knows how to make a mean Bone Diggers Delight. 

POPE PETER II

Previously the Archbishop of Canterbury who effected a reconciliation between the Church of England and the Catholic Church, and now is determined to bring all other religions under the vast dome of the One True Church. He wants his “Children from the Stars” to help. 

It is my fervent hope that after we are finished recording Traveling in Space, that Jeff will still be talking to me. Or even just still talking.

In the meantime, feel free to check out Traveling in Space now available on Amazon.com in both print and ebook editions.


If you haven't read it yet, check out Traveling in Audio Space # 1