I don’t know why you would listen to a SF novel… I enjoyed The Quantum Thief a lot—the start in the Dilemma Prison was interesting, and I loved the worldbuilding of the Oubliette.
Do you listen to Audiobooks at all? Are you only specifically against SF as an Audiobook?
I ask because I’m a huge fan of Audiobooks, but I’ve long believed that SF (and fantasy) are both particularly hard to like in Audiobook format. Non-fiction is by far better.
(I do still listen to some SF/Fantasy on Audiobooks, but it’s usually authors I already know, or in worlds I already know).
Do you listen to Audiobooks at all? Are you only specifically against SF as an Audiobook?
I am against audiobooks in general for myself due to my particular circumstances so my direct experience is limited, but it seems to me that SF/fantasy may not work for most people as audiobooks since they trade so heavily on immersive flavor and world-building (particularly The Quantum Thief, which is in the ‘explain nothing and make readers figure everything out from context’ school of hard SF), which would be impeded by the slowness of audio and the intrusion of someone’s voice.
FYI, you’re mostly right, at least based on my experience. I tend to have a much harder time listening to Audiobooks of SF/fantasy, and a harder time listening to any fiction vs. non-fiction.
I also have a much easier time listening to SF/Fantasy when it’s in a setting I already know (e.g. sequels, books I’ve read before, etc). Also easier to listen to books from authors I read a lot (but that may be true in general, come to think of it).
I still highly recommend anyone who can to listen to Audiobooks, at least of non-fiction, as one of the best and easiest hacks around.
I tried listening to The Quantum Thief, but gave up after an hour or so. I found it bland and somewhat annoying.
I don’t know why you would listen to a SF novel… I enjoyed The Quantum Thief a lot—the start in the Dilemma Prison was interesting, and I loved the worldbuilding of the Oubliette.
Do you listen to Audiobooks at all? Are you only specifically against SF as an Audiobook?
I ask because I’m a huge fan of Audiobooks, but I’ve long believed that SF (and fantasy) are both particularly hard to like in Audiobook format. Non-fiction is by far better.
(I do still listen to some SF/Fantasy on Audiobooks, but it’s usually authors I already know, or in worlds I already know).
I am against audiobooks in general for myself due to my particular circumstances so my direct experience is limited, but it seems to me that SF/fantasy may not work for most people as audiobooks since they trade so heavily on immersive flavor and world-building (particularly The Quantum Thief, which is in the ‘explain nothing and make readers figure everything out from context’ school of hard SF), which would be impeded by the slowness of audio and the intrusion of someone’s voice.
FYI, you’re mostly right, at least based on my experience. I tend to have a much harder time listening to Audiobooks of SF/fantasy, and a harder time listening to any fiction vs. non-fiction.
I also have a much easier time listening to SF/Fantasy when it’s in a setting I already know (e.g. sequels, books I’ve read before, etc). Also easier to listen to books from authors I read a lot (but that may be true in general, come to think of it).
I still highly recommend anyone who can to listen to Audiobooks, at least of non-fiction, as one of the best and easiest hacks around.