UNSONG Audiobook Version

"Sohu stretched, splayed out further. "Knock knock," she said. "OH. THIS AGAIN." "Knock knock." "WHO'S….THERE?" "So." "SO WHO?" "Sohu's at the door, better let her in." "HA! HA! HA!" Uriel's laughter boomed, shook the clouds, shook the ocean, drowned out the everpresent thunder of the surrounding storm. It was a fiery golden laugh, like pyrotechnics, like solar flares. "I AM ONLY LAUGHING TO BE POLITE," he finally said. "I DON'T ACTUALLY GET IT.""

This is a serialized story narrated by Matt Arnold with the permission of the author, Scott Alexander. The original text is here:

http://unsongbook.com/chapter-32-the-human-form-divine/

Episode 54

Duration: 14:51

Please back my Patreon, so I can keep producing episodes weekly. You'll get access to the Patreon feed in which you hear episodes early!

https://www.patreon.com/unsongaudiobook

One of my Patreon backers pointed out that a couple of weeks ago, I accidentally skipped chapter 30 and posted chapter 31 early. That's why last week I deleted 31 and posted 30, so they'd be in the correct order. I'm re-posting 31 now, and 32 tomorrow to catch up.

"Together, we can build a better America, colonize it, and use the old one for raw materials and target practice. — Steven Kaas

January 30, 1981 Camp David, Maryland

The song goes:

Who can retell The things that befell Us so long ago? But in every age A hero or sage Came to our aid"

This is a serialized story narrated by Matt Arnold with the permission of the author, Scott Alexander. The original text is here:

https://unsongbook.com/chapter-31-the-foundation-of-empire/

Episode 53

Duration: 23:02

Please back my Patreon, so I can keep producing episodes weekly. You'll get access to the Patreon feed in which you hear episodes early!

https://www.patreon.com/unsongaudiobook

"We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the Wall Drug signs began to appear."

This is a serialized story narrated by Matt Arnold with the permission of the author, Scott Alexander. The original text is here:

http://unsongbook.com/chapter-30-over-the-dark-deserts/

Episode 52

Duration: 20:57

"Sitting in his car, Father Ellis contemplated the Exodus."

This is a serialized story narrated by Matt Arnold with the permission of the author, Scott Alexander. The original text is here:

http://unsongbook.com/chapter-29-he-who-respects-the-infants-faith/

Episode 51

Duration: 34:30

Please back my Patreon, so I can go back to producing episodes weekly. The Patreon is currently bringing in enough to post 3 episodes per month.

https://www.patreon.com/unsongaudiobook

"Flanked by two guards, Mayor Ed Koch walked into the room.

It seemed out of place in the middle of New York City. Poorly lit, musty, packed with books of diffent ages and provenances. The furniture was all wooden, and either antique or made by someone with a dim view of aesthetic innovations after about 1800."

This is a serialized story narrated by Matt Arnold with the permission of the author, Scott Alexander. The original text is here:

http://unsongbook.com/interlude-%D7%9C-new-york-city/

Episode 50

Duration: 25:20

Please back my Patreon, so I can go back to producing episodes weekly. The Patreon is currently bringing in enough to post 3 episodes per month.

https://www.patreon.com/unsongaudiobook

"Over the centuries she had fallen in love with the place. A narrow plain, sunny three hundred days a year, blooming with poppies, watered by little rivers snaking out of arroyos in the nearby mountains. She had built her altar on one of the hills. The Aztecs knew her domain, and they called it Temictitlanoc, "place of the dream goddess". Sometimes lost war bands would wander to its sunny hills, lie down beside the crashing waves, and see strange visions."

This is a serialized story narrated by Matt Arnold with the permission of the author, Scott Alexander. The original text is here:

http://unsongbook.com/chapter-28-hid-as-in-an-ark/

Episode 49

Duration: 11:50

Please back my Patreon, so I can keep producing episodes weekly:

https://www.patreon.com/unsongaudiobook

"Belowdecks was the crew quarters. Ana didn't expect her own room and didn't get it. Her berth had four beds: one for her, three others for James, Lin, and Tomas. Her bed was technically Amoxiel's, but the angel didn't sleep. As far as they could tell, he just sort of sat on the deck all night, staring wistfully at the stars."

This is a serialized story narrated by Matt Arnold with the permission of the author, Scott Alexander. The original text is here:

https://unsongbook.com/chapter-27-the-starry-floor-the-watery-shore/

Episode 47

Duration: 32:53

Please back my Patreon, so I can keep producing episodes weekly:

https://www.patreon.com/unsongaudiobook

"Imagine there's no Heaven. It's easy if you try. So easy that millions of people throughout history did it entirely by accident. They went to church, they read their Bibles, they knelt prostrate in prayer, and then they went home and lived a life of sin regardless."

This is a serialized story narrated by Matt Arnold with the permission of the author, Scott Alexander. The original text is here:

http://unsongbook.com/interlude-%D7%9B-the-outer-gate/

Episode 46

Duration: 17:35

Please back my Patreon, so I can keep producing episodes weekly:

https://www.patreon.com/unsongaudiobook

""TELL ME ABOUT THE WORD WATER". Sohu sat on her cloud, snacking on manna with ketchup on top. He had been doing this increasingly often over the past few weeks, asking her to tell him about a word, never satisfied with the amount of meaning she was able to wring from it."

This is a serialized story narrated by Matt Arnold with the permission of the author, Scott Alexander. The original text is here: http://unsongbook.com/chapter-26-for-not-one-sparrow-can-suffer-and-the-whole-universe-not-suffer-also/

Episode 45

Duration: 18:06

Content warning from the narrator. In section 2 of this episode, I will sometimes omit direct quotations which would need to be voiced. In other places, I will insert descriptions of what characters said, as a substitute for actually performing the characters.

As some of you know if you have read the book, this chapter has a content warning.

When I began recording the UNSONG audiobook, I did not realize what I was in for, because the author had not yet released the chapter I am about to read to you. Section 2 graphically depicts the torments of hell.

I believe most, or all, of you would not wish to listen to those experiences in your headphones. Regardless, I decline to enact them in a performance.

This episode does not contain plot points. I recommend you do not listen to it, but am recording it for completeness.

The original text is here: http://unsongbook.com/interlude-%D7%99-the-broadcast/

Episode 44

Duration: 35:28