Lots – AND LOTS – of Violence!

Ok, I don’t advocate lots – or really any – violence. But I do enjoy science-fiction and thriller entertainment and have to pass along one of the coolest, little-known sites in the Web 2.0 world.

I’ve recently become addicted to PodioBooks, a site that – as it sounds – has podcasts of authors reading their books. The authors and podiobooks site distribute the content freely and ask for donations to support the author and site.

When I first heard about PodioBooks I expected to find piles of lame content written by authors who could never get a real publishing house to take them seriously. Instead, I found some amazing books that rival or exceed that which I’ve found in bookstores.

In retrospect, this shouldn’t have been surprising. The economics of the traditional publishing model force publishers to go with known authors rather than risk promoting and distributing someone new and unproven. And yet does anyone actually believe that a handful of authors like Koontz and King actually create the best of the best?

Indeed, the Internet continues to destroy the traditional content creation and distribution ecosystem. In its place, new models are emerging and newcomers are leveraging them to build a media audience. Which brings us to the following quote:

This podcast contains adult themes, situations, and Lots – AND LOTS – of Violence!

If you recognize this quote you must be a “junkie” of podiobooks icon Scott Sigler. Scott was one of the first authors to begin releasing his books as podcasts. The audience he developed through this medium ultimately propelled him to #1 on Amazon.com’s horror and sci-fi lists. I found his work to be as thrilling and entertaining as popular novelists like Michael Crichton.

But as good is Sigler is, he isn’t #1 on my list. After listening to 20+ podiobooks, here are my favorite authors:

#5 Timothy Callahan – If you like Star Trek, you’ll like Arwen, a similar space sci-fi drama. The creative story and action compensate for some rather flat characters.

#4 John Klawitter – I didn’t expect to like Devils but I’m glad I gave it a chance. It is a great story and Klawitter keeps the action rolling from start to finish even if the ending was a bit lame.

#3 J.C. Hutchins – If Sigler is King of podiobooks, Hutchins is certainly Prince. The 7th Son Series is a creative trilogy about a set of seven cloned human beings who struggle to save the world from their creators. A great story with constant twists and an unpredictable plot. “24″ fans should love it.

#2 Scott Sigler – The man who needs no introduction. Infection, Earthcore, and Ancestor are absolutely and totally addicting. After listening to the graphic (and absolutely disturbing) description of “Scary Perry” Dawsey tearing an alien organism from his flesh in Infection, I don’t think I’ll ever look at horror the same way. Sigler takes the best from Michael Crichton and the Texas Chainsaw massacre to create some masterpieces. And if you’ve ever imagined what pro football will look like in a few hundred years, you’ll want to listen to The Rookie.

and the winner is….drum roll please….

#1 Phil Rossi

Ok, maybe this contest is a bit unfair. After all, Cresent – his first podiobook – isn’t even finished at the time of this writing. But my-oh-my is Phil Rossi talented. Don’t get me wrong, Sigler and Hutchins are masters at their trade. But so far I haven’t seen anyone who leverages this new distribution medium like Phil Rossi.

Cresent is Blade Runner meets Stargate. Scratch that. Crescent is Crescent.

With flawed, multi-dimensional characters who seem to make bad choices at ever opportunity, Rossi weaves a space sci-fi horror that appears to be written for the podcast audience. I hear the creepy soundtrack in my head even when I’m not listening.

Rossi’s slow, deliberate voice adds to the dark undertone of the tale as the characters bumble about the cold, cruel reality of inter-galactic life on the space colony. At times I find myself pausing the podcast and taking a moment to visualize Rossi’s scenes. As much as I’d like to see Cresent on film, I doubt any Hollywood creation could top Rossi’s descriptions and my imagination.

I’m going to continue to follow Rossi’s career as a podiobook author. It should be interesting to watch this new distribution medium develop along with the career of its prodigies.