David Barr Kirtley

Science fiction author and podcaster

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Roger Zelazny’s Nine Princes in Amber and The Guns of Avalon Unabridged MP3 Audio/Audiobook Download

October 23, 2010 by David Barr Kirtley 1 Comment

BEST AUDIOBOOK NEWS EVER! The first two books in Roger Zelazny’s classic Amber series, Nine Princes in Amber and The Guns of Avalon, are now available as unabridged MP3 downloads.

From the audiobook intro: “This was read by Roger Zelazny himself shortly before his untimely death in 1995. The original unedited master recordings of this unique performance, long thought to have been lost or destroyed, were located in 2006, and have been digitally remastered.”

You can listen to a sample of the audio on YouTube.
 

Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny Unabridged Audiobook MP3 Download

The Guns of Avalon by Roger Zelazny Unabridged Audiobook MP3 Download


You might also check out my story “Family Tree,” which has a strong Amber influence:
 
 

Filed Under: how to write, nyc, Uncategorized

Epic Win Burlesque Presents The Star Debate

September 9, 2010 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

Ha ha, awesome. I might go to this:

Epic Win Burlesque The Star Debate

Filed Under: nyc

New York Review of Science Fiction Reading Series July 2010 Photo

September 9, 2010 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

Here’s a photo from July’s New York Review of Science Fiction Reading Series at the SoHo Gallery for Digital Art, which featured Paolo Bacigalupi and Saladin Ahmed. Unfortunately (or fortunately, I guess, depending on your point of view) my face is substantially eclipsed here by the sexy cranium of Chris Cevasco. More photos here.

Filed Under: nyc, photos

Zombie Experts Panel at McNally Jackson Panel

September 5, 2010 by David Barr Kirtley 1 Comment

EVENT: Zombie Experts Panel @ McNally Jackson Bookstore

Where: McNally Jackson Bookstore, on Prince & Lafayette in New York, NY

When: October 6, 7pm

What: The Living Dead 2 editor John Joseph Adams will present a panel of zombie experts featuring Living Dead 2 contributors Bob Fingerman, David Barr Kirtley, and others! (Full panel participant list forthcoming.) The panel will cover a range of topics, from the appeal of zombies, to debating the best weapons for fighting off the undead–something no zombie fan will want to miss!

(This is the same bookstore where I did the Halloween reading last year. Photos.)

Filed Under: nyc

Shadow Puppet Show at KGB

August 19, 2010 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

Here’s a photo from last night’s KGB reading, of Mary Robinette Kowal performing part of the shadow puppet show from her novel Shades of Milk and Honey.

Mary Robinette Kowal Shadow Puppets KGB

Filed Under: nyc

McNally Jackson Halloween Party 2009 Photos

November 17, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley 1 Comment

Here are some photos from my Halloween night appearance at McNally Jackson bookstore in Manhattan, where I was joined by Kenneth C. Davis (Sigmund Freud below), author of Don’t Know Much About History, who gave a short talk on the origins of Halloween. Other costumes pictured include Humbert Humbert & Lolita and Sylvia Plath & her oven. Thanks to The Desk Set for snapping these pictures.

David Barr Kirtley Halloween McNally Jackson Books  

Kenneth C. Davis Halloween 2009  

Filed Under: nyc, photos

Doomsday Film Festival

October 16, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley 1 Comment

I’ll be appearing as a panelist at this:

Doomsday Film Festival New York 2009

Filed Under: nyc

Post-Apocalyptic Teen Fiction Panel

October 16, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

Last night I went to this fun Post-Apocalyptic Teen Fiction Panel, featuring Scott Westerfeld, Carrie Ryan, James Dashner, and Michael Grant. The venue, Barnes & Noble at 86th & Lexington, was perfectly appropriate, as it’s laid out like a bomb shelter — seriously, you walk through the front door and immediately descend an escalator into a multi-level underground complex. They showed two really good book trailers (especially compared to most book trailers, which are usually pretty lame). The one for James Dashner’s The Maze Runner doesn’t seem to be online, but here’s the one for Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth, about a girl born generations after a zombie apocalypse:


Filed Under: nyc

Zombie Panel Photo

October 15, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley 2 Comments

The zombie panel last weekend was a smashing success. Here’s a photo:

Jonathan Maberry, Kim Paffenroth, David Barr Kirtley, John Joseph Adams, Rob Hauschild, Peter Gutierrez

The event was filmed, and will be appearing as a special feature on the Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated DVD.

Filed Under: nyc, photos, the skull-faced boy

Zombie Encounter Show & Panel

October 9, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley 1 Comment

Just a reminder that I’ll be appearing in New Jersey tomorrow night to discuss zombies. Here’s the poster:

zombie encounter jonathan maberry kim paffenroth john joseph adams david barr kirtley peter gutierrez rob hauschild

Filed Under: nyc, the skull-faced boy

Science Fiction Society of Northern New Jersey presents Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated

September 24, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

I’ll be appearing at: The Science Fiction Society of Northern New Jersey presents Face the Fiction: Zombie Encounter & Film Festival, featuring the premiere of Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated, a re-creation of George Romero’s 1968 classic, now with each scene rendered by a different animator in their own unique visual style. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with me, Kim Paffenroth, Jonathan Maberry, Peter Gutierrez, and John Joseph Adams.

night o the living dead reanimated

Filed Under: nyc, the skull-faced boy

David Farley and Tony Perrottet Know Dick

September 23, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

Last night I headed out to The Diamond bar in Brooklyn for an evening of penis-themed entertainment featuring David Farley, author of An Irreverent Curiosity, and Tony Perrottet, author of Napoleon’s Privates.

An Irreverent Curiosity David Farley    Napoleon's Privates Tony Perrottet

In An Irreverent Curiosity, journalist David Farley spends a year living in the bizarre Italian castle-town of Calcata trying to discover whatever became of the town’s claim to fame, a reliquary containing Jesus’ foreskin, which went missing in 1986. Saints were the rock stars of the medieval world, and for a time every church was required to possess a relic, which created a massive opportunity for scam artists. The transparent fraudulence of so many relics undermined the Church’s credibility and helped lead to the Reformation. (John Calvin quipped that there were enough pieces of the True Cross floating around Europe to build a ship.) Since doctrine held that Jesus had ascended bodily, the only part of him that might conceivably be hanging around on earth was his foreskin, which eventually turned up — supposedly given to Charlemagne in Jerusalem by an angel — and was recognized by the Pope as authentic. The Church even granted a plenary indulgence (remission of sins) to any pilgrims who would come and worship the Holy Foreskin. During the sacking of Rome the foreskin was carried off by a French knight, who was later captured in Calcata and who stashed the reliquary under some manure in his cave-cell. Centuries later the relic was rediscovered, and the people of Calcata began holding an annual procession with the foreskin as the main attraction. Later the Church became intensely embarrassed about the whole business. The people of Calcata were very attached to their yearly parade, so the Church allowed the practice to continue, but only under the condition that nobody displayed the foreskin at any other time and that nobody talked about the foreskin at all, under threat of excommunication.

I haven’t read the other book, Napoleon’s Privates, but the author talked about it a bit. Apparently Napoleon was extremely obnoxious to his surgeon, so when Napoleon died the surgeon got back at him by cutting off his private parts during the autopsy. Napoleon’s penis bounced around to different countries before finally ending up with a collector in New Jersey, where Tony Perrottet found it and surreptitiously made a replica, which he displayed last night. Another interesting fact he mentioned was that Napoleon was not in fact short. Napoleon’s height (5’6”) was pretty much average for his day. The idea that Napoleon was a shrimp seems to have been an invention of British propagandists.

Filed Under: nyc

Symphony Space Features Joss Whedon

August 3, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

So I’ll probably go to this:

Symphony Space features Joss Whedon

Filed Under: nyc

KGB Fantastic Fiction Reading Series June 2009

June 20, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

Photos from this month’s KGB Fantastic Fiction Reading Series.

Mary Robinette Kowal

Brian Francis Slattery

David Barr Kirtley

Filed Under: nyc, photos

Pinchbottom presents The Day After: Postapocalyptic Burlesque

May 18, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

I ended up not being able to make it to last month’s burlesque show, so this one was my first, and it was a perfect introduction for me because the show was science fiction-themed and was really sort of awesome. Also, I guess because of the topic, it seemed like half the young NYC fantasy/science fiction publishing crowd was in attendance.

Pinchbottom presents the day after: postapocalyptic burlesque

In the show, a humorously vague disaster has befallen earth, and the remnants of humanity live in a sealed-up city where everyone is required by a prudish dictator to remain clothed at all times, lest they become “infected.” But there are some who resist. Rebels who are captured are forced to undergo a procedure that turns them into mindless cyborgs with no desire to undress, though needless to say the treatment doesn’t take. There are many, many references to science fiction literature and film, from Brave New World to Mad Max. The story features a gadget known as the Personal Laser of Teleportation device (i.e the PLOT device), and the climactic confrontation comes down not to rollerball, nor deathrace 2000, nor even thunderdome, but to a slow-motion, red-lit, histrionic game of “death scrabble.” The whole thing was an absolute riot.

Filed Under: nyc

Paley Center presents Star Trek Smackdown

May 7, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

Captain Kirk Star Trek Smackdown

Event: Star Trek Smackdown

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
25 West 52 Street, New York

Featuring:

John Joseph Adams, Editor of the anthologies Federations, Wastelands, Seeds of Change, and The Living Dead
Matt Mitovich, Senior Editor, TVGuide.com
Bones Rodriguez, Author, Captain Kirk’s Guide to Women
Moderated by David Bushman, Curator, Television

O Captain! My Captain! Who’s the greatest leader in the history of science fiction on television? We’re pitting Captain James T. Kirk of Star Trek against your choices, based on the results of our Star Trek Smackdown poll. We’re beaming aboard a panel of sci-fi experts to debate the pros and cons of all the leading contenders, but we also want to hear what you think, so set your coordinates for the Paley Center and come join the debate. Bring your tricorders to help you answer some trivia questions to win some DVDs and other special prizes! Costumes welcome! Tickets include admission to the Paley Center (free to Members, $10 for non-members).

Filed Under: nyc

Society of Illustrators Student Exhibit

May 1, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

Tentative plans to go to this:

Society of illustrators student exhibit

Society of Illustrators Student Exhibit
Friday May 08, 2009
6:00pm-9:00pm
Free
128 East 63rd Street
New York, NY

Filed Under: nyc

S. C. Butler Reads The Magicians’ Daughter at Book Court

April 29, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

S. C. Butler will read from his new novel The Magicians’ Daughter this Wednesday, May 6th, at Book Court in Cobble Hill (163 Court Street, Brooklyn).

Author S C Butler

Book Court Bookstore Sign

    Young Adult Fantasy Novel The Magicians' Daughter by S C Butler

Filed Under: nyc

Saladin Ahmed, Robert J. Howe, Andrea Kail at NYRSF Readings

April 29, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

New York Review of Science Fiction Reading Series Logo

The New York Review of Science Fiction Readings
and the
South Street Seaport Museum present

Writers from Tabula Rasa, Episode 2
Saladin Ahmed
Andrea Kail
Robert J. Howe

Saladin Ahmed Andrea Kail Robert J Howe

Guest Curator
Rick Bowes

Tuesday, May 5th — Doors open 6:30 PM
South Street Seaport Museum
12 Fulton Street — 4th Floor
New York City
$5 suggested donation

Filed Under: nyc

Neil Gaiman, Mariken Jongman, Shaun Tan at Scholastic Auditorium

April 29, 2009 by David Barr Kirtley Leave a Comment

Just heard about this, and am contemplating going:

Neil Gaiman, Mariken Jongman, Shaun Tan at Scholastic Auditorium

Filed Under: nyc

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Geeks Guide to the Galaxy

Geeks Guide to the Galaxy

Geek's Guide to the Galaxy is a podcast hosted by author David Barr Kirtley and produced by Lightspeed Magazine editor John Joseph Adams. The show features conversations about fantasy & science … Read more

“The Skull-Faced Boy”

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“Family Tree”

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Roger Barr

My grandfather Roger Barr passed away early this morning at the age of 98. He was my mom’s father, and was my last surviving grandparent. He was being cared for by my uncle Steve (his son) and aunt Denice — both medical professionals — and was still sharp and good-humored in his final days. Yesterday […]

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David Barr Kirtley

David Barr Kirtley is an author and the host of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast on Wired.com, for which he’s interviewed well over a hundred guests, including George R. R. Martin, Richard Dawkins, Paul Krugman, Simon Pegg, Margaret Atwood, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Ursula K. Le Guin.
Content © 2023 David Barr Kirtley unless noted. Site by Sunray Computer.