Behind The Mike: Scott Brick

Since recording his first audiobook in 1999, Audie Award winner Scott Brick (Dune: The Butlerian Jihad) has become one of the most recognized voices and highly regarded figures in the industry. He's recorded some 500 audiobooks to date and in 2007 was named Publishers Weekly's Narrator of the Year. Forthcoming titles include John Lutz's Urge To Kill (Books on Tape, Oct. 17) and Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's Dune: House Corrino (Tantor Media, Nov. 9). Visit him online at www.scottbrickpresents.com.

What's the most challenging element of narration for you?

There's a fine line in what we do sometimes...between accuracy and caricature. Authors often write in dialect...and whereas it may work on the page, it can sound offensive when read aloud.

This happens most often when African American characters show up in the books I do, but there have also been tons of instances where I read Asians, gays, Islamic characters—and you can't help but worry sometimes.

I can't tell you how often I've had to read the N word in the books I do, and I cringe when I hear it, yet I'm being paid to do my job here, to read these words without apology, as though I mean them.

What compelled you to start your own production company, Brick by Brick Audio?

Years ago I got asked to narrate Runes of the Earth for Penguin Audio, part of Stephen R. Donaldson's "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant." It was the seventh in what will ultimately be a series of ten titles, but, amazingly, nobody had ever recorded the first six. [Audio editions of this and other titles in the series are available for purchase at www.scottbrickpresents.com.]

I thought about it and realized, hey, if I record and edit this myself at my home studio, I won't have to pay any of the fees the publisher would have to, and my overhead would be extremely low.

Given your success as a narrator, why did you turn to novel writing?

I'd always wanted to write a novel.... Several years back, Scott Matthews, who used to head Random House's audio division, asked me whether I'd be willing to write a book. So I dusted off a[n old] screenplay I'd written about a man with an extremely rare sight disorder who [witnesses] a murder.

When can we expect it to publish?

Best-case scenario, by the end of [2009]. And as far as who's going to narrate, you better believe nobody's gonna touch this thing but me.

Although I have to say, I've had a number of offers from the authors whose books I work on, wanting to read at least some of the chapters, so who knows? Maybe we'll do a multivoice kind of thing, where they can all be involved if they want to. Brad Meltzer said he'd do it, Harlan Coben, Brian Herbert. Stephen J. Cannell offered to years ago. That'd be a blast.

What audio are you currently recording?

My Dead Body, the [fifth and] final volume in Charlie Huston's Joe Pitt series (Blackstone Audio), which is not just an amazing saga but a great genre: they're vampire detective novels. Technically the guy's not a detective, but, given the noirish style, he's very much in the style of one. Think about it, vampire detective novels?... Once I'd read a few pages, I was absolutely hooked.

They're some of the most compelling books I've ever worked on, with perhaps the most original, most heartbreaking romance at the heart of it. I can't recommend [them] highly enough.