A guide to using books on tape to keep you awake while driving long distances. Information on buying, renting and tape selection.
Wake up, have breakfast and settle in for a long drive to work - the daily routine for many of us as we spend more and more time traveling to and from our workplaces with the increasing amount of traffic on the roads. And most of us, sitting in our cars amidst yet another traffic jam or just plain old rush hour traffic wonder when we'll ever find the time to sit down and work through that new Steven King novel or that new Tom Clancy. After all, by the time you get home you're in no mood to sit down and read, or more likely don't have the time.
Welcome to the great world of audiobooks! You can listen to your favorite authors over and over again in the comfort and safety of your own car or office setting, or even in your home while working in the yard or doing your daily workout.
The idea of audio storytelling isn't new at all; in fact it was the original way of transmitting information for mankind. Such concepts as skills and historical events were first passed on from father to son by strictly verbal discussions; the son memorizing it and passing it onto his own son as the years went by. Even now the tradition of oral history lives and thrives in many cultures where literacy is still a problem and the majority of information is passed on verbally from generation to generation. The concept of written access to a skill or education is still relatively new to our society, only coming into its own in the last two centuries as more and more people began to be taught how to read and gained access to the greater volume of information available in the written word.
The idea of putting books on cassette evolved from the first usage of cassette tapes to take dictation and transcribe official documents, as well as educational notes for both students and teachers. Entrepreneurs realized quickly that if you could listen to geology notes over your headset, you might find the same option useful for your favorite stories. Thus the small industry began just over a decade ago, beginning mostly with old radio favorites such as "The Shadow" and Orson Welles' "War of The Worlds" being sold on cassettes. Reviving old memories of a time before television and when families used to circle around the radio for their daily dose of information and humor, these old programs became bestsellers for their time; introducing a new generation to the thrill of sound imagery and the effect on the fertile mind.
As they became more popular, many publishing houses began to explore the idea of putting newer and newer books on audiotape, and not just fiction. Nonfiction and selfhelp books began to race into the studio to be recorded either by the author or by a well-voiced announcer as people began to realize that not having time to read didn't mean you had to miss out on the thrill of storytelling. With the advent of television many radio stations found themselves faced with the harsh competition of sound effects versus the special effects available to the television producer, an uneven battle at the best of times. Many popular programs fell into radio silence or moved to the television set as the new sounds and images filled homes around the world.
Audiobooks brought not only the older radio programs back with a vengeance, but also created a new niche for the announcers and producers. New programs were being created solely for the audio reader market; the newest and hottest books racing not only to the bookshelves and the libraries, but also to the audiobook market where oftentimes they were just as much of a bestseller as their written counterpart. Special clubs sprung up allowing you to search and find both old and new friends both online and in the mailing lists sent to you monthly. As well, many bookstores now have special sections where they stack a large variety of audiobooks for the consumer.
Branching away from cassettes only, many popular audiobooks are also available in CD format, giving more of a choice to consumers. The CD format also allows the amount of cassettes involved in certain series to be cut down - for example, the radio version of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is several hours long; taking up ten to twelve cassettes - the CD version compresses the fantasy tale into a mere four discs, making it much more portable and accessible for the average consumer.
A few tips on audiobooks for the new listener - please read the small print before you purchase. Many stories have been "abridged" for the audio formatting; meaning that massive amounts of editing have been done from the written word for it to be transferable to the audio stage. This means while the basic story is still there, you might find major differences in the wording and speeches of the characters; all approved by the author but possibly proving a problem for the devoted reader who cringes at any changes between the written and verbal formats. "Unabridged" means that usually the entire book has been transcribed and recorded, flaws and all - many authors find that their written words have problems being transferred into sound files and do undertake minor rewrites to ensure their stories and characters remain true.
Another thing to look for is a good reader - while the first radio shows relied heavily on trained experts to narrate and convey the stories, the recent influx of audiobooks have resulted in many famous people taking the stage to read their own works or the works of their favorite author and friend. While many of these attempts are a treasure to be enjoyed, some don't work as well as others. You'd be best to consider not only the writer, but the reader as well when purchasing your audiobooks. Many famous books have many different versions available, such as Shakespeare or H.G. Wells, spoken aloud by many speakers. Again, it comes down to your personal choice as to which format works best for you.
With the new wave of audiobooks you need never sit in traffic again frantically searching the radio dial for a station you can tolerate or force yourself through a grueling workout with only the lonely disco beat to accompany you. You can be scared witless by Steven King or tread the international forum of intrigue with Tom Clancy, or just wonder if truly "The Shadow Knows"... all with the audiobook!
