Science Fiction

I know he isn’t supposed to be likable, but whoever chose the VA for Paul Atredes needs to find a different line of work

With the right narrator, I absolutely love them. The lady and I listen to them after work most nights. It lets us both do our own thing, but also have some shared experience. Better than TV, anyway.

I prefer reading and having a book in my hands, don't know why but it's just a better experience for me.

Apparently I got old enough to require reading glasses now (FML) - so reading before bed isn't as easy an option.

So I found audiobooks via my local library (in the U.S.) that I can just download - w00t!

I still PREFER the old "dead-tree" format, but audiobooks have become a replacement.

And don't forget - you can increase the speed of the narrator if you feel like their speaking-cadence is too slow.

Requires it be both a good book and an awesome narrator. No fricking Wil Wheaton!!! Just shut up Wesley!!!

Depends on what you like. Obviously they're easier to consume during commute and doing chores. And from being little kids, people like someone to read a book to them.

I always wonder what exactly people like on them. (And I can't empathize with the experiences they describe.)

For me they are annoying, in that I need an empty room or headphones; way too slow; non-responsive in that I need to follow their rithym. They need as much concentration as reading (maybe more, depends on the narrator), specialized equipment (the headphones), and a lot more time.

I think listening to a book is inherently different than reading. With paper-reading, jumping back is easy, as is slowing down and speeding up. But that’s close to impossible for audiobooks. Thus books that work well with audiobooks are books that are written too be read at a constant pace and not require going back on. I think novels for that description, but I struggled to listen to non-fiction and I wouldn’t try to listen to “hard” books either.

Personally, I can only listen to audiobooks when I am performing a repetitive task (mainly driving around). Otherwise I get distracted, either by the task or by my own thoughts. So I don’t use audiobooks much.

In general, I don't like people talking at me as entertainment, so audio books and podcasts are not my thing.

Useless since I don't remember what the narrator says a minute after he said something. Plus I take notes when reading so I tend to copy paste.

Love them have one going anytime I am in the car comuting to work.

They're an every day thing for me. Doing housework, walking the dog, gardening, all wonderful times to take in a book when I'm doing things with my hands but not really my brain. I also keep a library of comfort books, podcasts, YouTube videos and other things it's okay to phase in and out of and listen to them as I'm drifting off to sleep.