Thought I'd make my first post here to Tildes about some of the last few audiobooks I've listened to and rank them from least favorite to favorite in this particular batch. I obviously lean more toward science fiction stories, however, when it comes to audiobooks narration makes all the difference. A not-great book can get elevated by a great narrator and a great book can get destroyed by a poor one. Would love to hear your guys thoughts on these books and let me know suggestions on what I should listen to next based on what I said I liked.

#10 - Infinite - Jeremy Robinson / R.C. Bray

This is likely a case of Bray saving a book for me and keeping me in it. The overall concept of this story is interesting however about 2/3 of the way through it the scenarios the main character was encountering just became silly and the ending became obvious. An interesting concept that I think just got drawn out far too long.

#9 - How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius - Donald J. Robertson / Donald J. Robertson

Was interested in reading a bit more about stoicism. Robertson's book is likely one of the best you'll find on Aurelius and the stories and summaries he uses are quite good for getting the overview I was looking for. I've sent this book to friends who found it really useful in thinking about how they handle anxiety and framing things that happen in their lives. My only knock on the book is that Robertson's voice makes me sleepy.

#8 - Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons - Ben Riggs / Sean Patrick Hopkins

If you are a D&D or TTRPG fan who is interested in where the game came from this is an excellent book to give you an overview of what was happening inside the company during some of its most difficult times. It tells a story that many people THINK they know but reveals much that most people didn't and really reshapes your ideas on those involved.

#7 - Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman / Neil Gaiman

This feels like a passion project of Gaiman's and was a fun primer on Norse Mythology that told some great tales and left me wanting more. Gaiman is also a fairly decent narrator as well which isn't always the case with an author doing their own audiobook. If you want to hear tales of Loki, Thor, Odin and others that don't involve Marvel's twist on them listen to this book.

#6 - Dark Matter: A Novel - Blake Crouch / Jon Lindstrom

This book took me by surprise by how much of a human story got told in what could have easily been a science fiction technobabble concept. The really cool plot, engaging characters, and a really good narrator make this an easy recommendation. The ending wasn't quite what I hoped for but the journey on the way to that ending was excellent.

#5 - Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - Alfred Lansing / Simon Prebble

This is one of those books where I have to say go in and read this completely blind - don't look up anything about it at all. It's a true story (although honestly, you'll question it given how crazy parts are, but it's all true). The writing is so descriptive you'll almost feel the cold on your face as you follow the story of a crew trapped and fighting for survival in the Antarctic waters. So many gut punches along the way, the narration is on point, and this is a must-listen.

#4 - An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth - Chris Hadfield / Chris Hadfield

If there was a book I'd hand to a young teen and say listen to this for general life advice on reaching your goals this would be it. Chris Hadfield knocked it out of the park and his life story is amazing. The way he views problems and solves them, how he sets goals and plans to achieve them, and his general philosophy on it all makes me want to be like him. If you want a self-help book disguised as an amazing life story get this one.

#3 - Bobiverse (Books 1-4) - Dennis E. Taylor / Ray Porter

Ray Poters is one of my favorite narrators and what he was able to do with Taylors' really quirky science fiction world is wonderful. Bob is a human who died suddenly however had his mind transferred to a computer system attached to a space drone. What comes after that is a story of finding meaning in the universe, helping to save humanity, exploration and discovery, the meaning of self and personality, the meaning of life and love, and so much more. I really look forward to this universe getting more books and also recommend people check out Taylor's other books which are great light science fiction reading.

#2 - Red Rising (Books 1-3) - Pierce Brown / Tim Gerard Reynolds

There may be recency bias on this one as I just finished these first three books (currently reading #4) and absolutely loved them. There were many times I'd be listening on my commute to or from work and I'd just sit in the office parking lot or my driveway not wanting to turn the book off. Brown has created an amazing world of classism and politics that will tickle your "Game of Thrones" bone quite nicely. I'll say in book 1 you need to get through the first 1/4 of the book before things really take off but once the story makes that shift you won't be able to put it down. Reynold's accent and general narration is great, so good in fact that while I'm going through the fourth book it kind of miffed me that they went to multiple narrators.

#1 - Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir / Ray Porter

This book better be made into a movie! Weir has written some books that were great (The Martian) and some that were just ok, but this might be his greatest work. The character development and interactions between the two main characters of this story is nothing short of amazing. Again go into this one blind, know it's great but don't go looking for why. I think it's one of the few books I've listened to recently that has made me cry both from laughing and from sadness. Without a doubt, if there was only going to be one book I'd recommend that you listen to this is it.

A Logic Named Joe is a 1946 Sci Fi short story that introduces concepts such as the internet, streaming music and streaming video, search engines with family friendly filters and artificial intelligence.

Link to story: http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200506/0743499107___2.htm

I just finished Andrew Marantz's Anti-Social: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation, and I think it's a book that would interest a lot of the people on this site. Marantz is a journalist for the New Yorker who embedded himself with alt-right influencers and social media companies. This book is a compilation of all of those stories; part memoir, part retelling, part observation, part commentary.

Despite its title, the book is not a one-dimensional hit piece. I actually strongly dislike the title as I feel it's a bit too barbed for a book that's rooted in extensive, thoughtful contemplation. The author is honest, open-minded, and critical. I hate the word "balanced" for all of the baggage it brings to the table, but it really feels like the best word to use, especially as an antonym for "unbalanced". He deftly handles a lot of different subjects here. He doesn't shy away from giving criticism where its due, but he's also not quick to judge, trying to understand the broader picture first before casting any judgments about it.

I mention it here because I think it has a lot of relevance to Tildes as a site, as well as the type of people that have congregated here. It covers a lot of ground of direct interest to Tildes: the role of social media platforms to police speech and ideology; how the structure of social media creates influence; how bad faith actors can manipulate systems; how noxious ideologies continue to appeal and propagate. I also know that Tildes trends toward the left, and as someone far on that side myself, I appreciated this book for giving me what I feel was a fair and thoughtful window into the lives of certain high-profile people on the right. It's easy to think of them as a monolith, but I was surprised by the differences between all of his various character portraits. Marantz never loses the individual humanity of his subjects, even when some of them are abjectly abhorrent people.

I should mention that the book is very US-centric, as that was where he focused his journalistic efforts. As such, readers outside the US might not appreciate it as much, but I still think a lot of what he shares is relevant no matter where you are located since we all share space together online.

I recently finished reading Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire, and prior to that I read his novel The Monkey Wrench Gang. I was left feeling quite differently than what I was expecting to feel. I'm an outdoorsman, a conservationist and an activist. I spent a good portion of my time last year on The Colorado Plateau, much of it in the places Edward Abbey has been and discusses frequently in his work. There is a distinct emotional connection I feel to this land, so my mental conflictions are especially notable. I recently wrote a friend a letter, much of it including my thoughts on Abbey thus far, and I felt posting the relevant excerpt here would be a good conversation starter. Let me know what you think!

"I just finished Abbey's Desert Solitaire, while I enjoyed many aspects of the work, it also left me feeling conflicted. I wholeheartedly concur with many (but not all) of his views on conservation. He challenged my views in some positive aspects as well, his disdain for the automobile in national parks, for example. Other views of his I cannot ignore or absolve him of. His views on traditional family values (read: misogyny) are quite apparent in The Monkey Wrench Gang and seep into this work as well. Furthermore, his views on indigenous peoples are outdated, even for his time. His incessant diatribe on the blights that impact Native Americans and other indigenous populations, blaming their own attitudes (victim blaming, if you will), while simultaneously railing against the federal government and The Bureau of Indian Affairs is at best hypocritical (while also patently racist).

Edward Abbey's actions also do not reflect his writing. The man continually rants about the ongoing destruction of this Earth, he blames everybody (The National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the modern consumer, tourists, oil and gas corporations, mining companies, logging businesses and wannabe outdoorsmen) but himself. He went so far as to work for the NPS, while admitting their culpability in their own decimation. During his time there he constantly capitulated to the tourists, the modern consumers in their iron contraptions. Some federal employees I've met have set out to change their respective agencies from within, but what did Abbey do? He left. He saw a problem, railed against it, and left.

So I ask: Why didn't he do more? It has been suggested that Ed had engaged in some less-than-peaceful activities, "eco-terrorism" they call it. I personally don't believe it, I believe that any actions taken were never near the magnitude of the happenings of The Monkey Wrench Gang. Ed's books were his personal fantasies, which while not a guide, a reference point. He prefaces Desert Solitaire, describing it as an elegy. Almost as if he is passing an extinguished torch on to our time. It is frustrating and demoralizing to say the least. While grateful to read his words and as much as I concur with his notions, I disagree with hits actions (or lack thereof). I finish this book left feeling angry."

Turn of Mind is a mystery. It's for the most part written in journal format. Interestingly it's a journal that sits in the house of a person with Alzheimer's disease.

Jennifer White was an orthopedic surgeon in Chicago. Once brilliant, Dr. White is now in the later stages of the disease and the journal is written in by family members and housekeepers to help her remember who she was and who she is. A fractured portrait emerges of a cold and strong minded woman who has had a full life that she remembers in bits and pieces. Amidst the pages is mention of a neighbor, Amanda, who has been murdered. Slowly things come together for the reader while Dr. White's disease progresses into confusion.

Yet she still has moments of lucidity, remembering the details of her profession, where she was considered one of the best and most respected hand surgeons in the country. Her deterioration is something she's at times very aware of, and it is this that makes the book so powerful.

The narrative often lapses into Jennifer's past memories of both her parents and her children. This adds authenticity to her mental condition but also made me impatient for what seemed to be more important details. As Jennifer is interviewed by police officers and pulled into interaction with her grown son and daughter, we can begin to understand the horror of this disease, especially regarding how hard it is to trust people who may be trying to manipulate the sufferer for their own purposes.

I'd put this near the top of my list for books enjoyed in 2019. It brings to mind The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon, narrated by an Aspberger's spectrum person. Turn of Mind is a hard book to read, but it's even harder to put down once you get into it.