New York City: home to superheroes and the people that love them! And for 4 days, you can be around some of your favorite heroes. Or be one of those heroes! That’s the magic of New York Comic Con – you can let your geek flag fly, relish the best of what pop culture has to offer, and know you’re surrounded by others who love it as much as you do.
No matter if you’re a newbie to the convention scene or a seasoned congoer, NYCC has a lot to enjoy. Be sure to make time in your busy con schedule to stop by our booth (#3357) for daily swag giveaways, special multi-prize sweepstakes, audiobook samples, and even a chance to test your voiceover skills with our narration station!
Now take fate into your own hands and embark on an audiobook adventure that will make each leg of your NYCC excursion even better.
Travel
Traveling to and from the convention can be the most time consuming and costly part of your trip. But the excitement of exploring a new city, making new friends, and of course, enjoying the con, makes it all worth it. These audiobooks’ daring journeys are sure to rival any travel woes you might experience and make your plane, train, or car ride just a little more epic.
Gogmagog
Written by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard, narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies
The first book in the Chronicles of Ludwich duology begins an epic journey through the sixty-mile-long ghost of a dragon.
We travel by boat, a rickety steam launch captained by Cady Meade, a veteran taxi pilot on the river Nysis. In her heyday, she carried people and goods from the thriving seaports of the estuary into Ludwich, the capital city. But that was years ago. Now she’s drunk, holed up in a rundown seaside resort, telling her bawdy tales for shots of rum.
All that’s about to change, when two strangers seek her out, asking for transport. And it might well be her final journey.
The Last Phi Hunter
Written by Salinee Goldenberg, narrated by David Lee Huynh
A perpetual lone wolf finds his road to glory interrupted when a heavily pregnant martial artist enlists his help…
This mythic dark fantasy is imbued with Thai culture and folklore, gory fight scenes, and light romance. Goldenberg describes her book as follows:
…Ex, an ambitious young Phi hunter is on his way to slay a legendary demon when he meets Arinya, a pregnant runaway, who hires him for escort through the spirit-filled forest. But she has dangerous secrets, and now he’s fighting not only monsters, but assassins, necromancers and even worse, falling in love.
Food
Whether you’re grabbing food in the convention hall or venturing out into the streets of New York for local grub, there are plenty of places to slow down and enjoy a meal. Pair your downtime with a deliciously cozy urban fantasy series.
Hidden Dishes Series
Written by Tao Wong, narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
The Nameless Restaurant – Book 1
There is a restaurant in Toronto that is magically hidden, whose service is horrible but whose food is divine.
Its entrance is a simple unadorned wooden door hidden beside dumpsters and a fire escape. There is no sign, no indication of what lies behind the door.
If you do manage to find the restaurant, the décor is dated and worn—homey, if one were to be generous.
The service is atrocious; the proprietor, a grouch; and the prices are outrageous. There is no set menu, alternating with the whim and whimsy of the owner.
This is the Nameless Restaurant.
Chaotic Apéritifs – Book 2
The only constant with magic is change.
Mo Meng is reminded of that fact once again as the Nameless Restaurant faces a new challenge. Magic and its old wielders are returning to the world. For the restaurant, wards of anonymity and camouflage are fading, leading to the arrival of new customers. And some older friends.
What started as a way to pass the decades and feed a few customers has become actual work.
The world is changing, and to face it, the Nameless Restaurant, along with its proprietor and patrons, will need to embrace the change with a good meal and new friends.
Artist Alley
The “artist alley” and its goodies are a highlight for many convention goers. Whether discovering a new artist or meeting one you’ve been following for a while, those prints, pins, keychains, plushies, etc. can feel like a special souvenir. These audiobooks feature artist protagonists and their journey into the art world.
The Digital Aesthete
Written by Alex Shvartsman, narrated by David Bendena, Lauren DePorre, Mark Owen, Nick Mondelli, Psalm Morant, Hope Shangle, Aimee Reid, Jackie Meloche, and Lesa Lockford
In this collection of short stories, world-renowned science fiction authors paint a picture of art’s future in a world forever changed by artificial intelligence.
Today’s software can only imitate art, but what about tomorrow?
Will true artificial intelligences be able to appreciate or even create art? Explore dystopian societies, where AI generates most of the content and human artists must eke out an existence, and utopias, where artificial minds help unlock and enhance human creativity.
Delve into the minds of robot painters, AI poets, drone forgers, and electronic theater curators. These and other possible futures are imagined.
A Portrait in Shadow
Written by Nicole Jarvis, narrated by Carlotta Brentan
Enter a sumptuous world of art and magic in 17th-century Florence, where a painter is determined to make her mark and exact her revenge.
When Artemisia Gentileschi arrives in Florence seeking a haven for her art, she faces instant opposition from the powerful Accademia, self-proclaimed guardians of the healing and necrotic magic that protect the city from plague and curses. The all-male Accademia jealously guards its power over art and architecture and has no place for an ambitious young woman arriving from Rome under a cloud of scandal.
Artemisia begins winning allies like Galileo, Michelangelo the Younger, and Cristina de’ Medici. But when her infamous rape trial in Rome turns her thoughts to vengeance and an incendiary preacher turns his ire to Florence’s art world, Artemisia must choose between revenge and her dream of a lasting legacy.
Wicked Like a Wildfire
Written by Lana Harper and Lana Popović, narrated by Hallie Bee Bard
Two sisters must unearth an ancient curse—before the magic that bonds them together tears them apart.
Here’s how Harper describes the first book of her bewitching duology:
It’s about two witchy sisters growing up in a secluded seaside town in Montenegro, both with the magical power of manipulating beauty through their gleam. They’re forbidden by their cold, distant mother, Jasmina, from using their gleams and [falling] in love in order to avoid discovery, but when Jasmina’s attacked and left hovering between life and death, they have to uncover the secrets of a curse that spans thousands of years and links them to a mysterious blood witch of beauty, nightmares, and death.
Cosplay
For some, conventions can mean debuting a new character that took a whole year of blood, sweat, and tears to complete! Or showing off a beloved character in your cosplay rotation with contests and pictures. Check out these audiobooks with some of Marvel’s most recognizable characters to give you inspo for next year’s cosplay.
Black Panther: Panther’s Rage
Written by Sheree Renée Thomas, narrated by J.D. Jackson
An all-new re-imagining of the legendary Black Panther comics arc.
Follow Wakanda’s high-tech king across the savannah, into the deepest jungles, and up snow-capped mountains in this prose adaptation of the landmark comics series by Don McGregor, Rich Buckler, and Billy Graham. This arc expands on the life and culture of the Wakandans, also introducing us to Panther’s historic enemies. See T’Challa channel the strength of his ancient bloodline to take out foes, including the breakout character Killmonger!
Captain Marvel: Shadow Code
Written by Gilly Segal, narrated by Frankie Corzo
Marvel’s most powerful Super Hero, Captain Marvel, must battle an old enemy in this original novel.
Captain Marvel, A.K.A. Carol Danvers, is asked by Tony Stark to keep an eye on computer-science grad student Mara Melamed, who is struggling to find her feet at Empire State University.
Initially reluctant, Carol finds herself impressed by the young woman. But trouble soon arises in the form of a controversial operating system now on every electrical device in the world, a ruined family legacy, and one of Carol’s friends framed for murder – and Mara Melamed tangled at the center of it all.
The Super Villain behind the plot will force Carol to question her identity and sense of belonging in the world. Allies at her side, Carol must find her place and prevent impending doom at the hands of an old enemy.
Loki: Journey into Mystery
Written by Katherine Locke, narrated by Elliot Fitzpatrick
In this prose novel inspired by the epic comic series by Kieron Gillen, young Loki must cross the realms to reclaim his story, outwit enemies, and avoid falling in love.
When Earth is plagued by an epidemic of fear, ancient prophecy says only Thor can stop the monstrous threat of the Serpent, but without help from Loki, Thor is certain to fail. Aided by a handmaiden from Hel and a demon puppy, Loki must risk everything to find redemption—or doom himself for eternity. Either way, a Nightmare lies in wait hoping to rule the world, and Loki will have to risk everything on his craziest scheme of all!
Meanwhile, new gods threaten to disrupt the status quo, throwing everything out of balance. Loki must act as a responsible ambassador, but will the nine worlds end in Surtur’s fire?
Panels
Whether you’re listening to celebrities talk about their industry or guests discuss a subject you’re passionate about, panels can be as entertaining as they are educational. Supplement your panel time with these nonfiction audiobooks.
The Game Writing Guide
Written by Anna Megill, narrated by Andrea Emmes
Learn more about the video-game industry and what it takes to find and keep a job as a games writer.
“Breaking into the video game industry is hard. Breaking into game writing is even harder,” says Megill, an industry veteran with nearly two decades of knowledge and experience writing for AAA games.
This comprehensive guide outlines exactly what a beginner needs to know about education requirements, finding opportunities, applying for roles, and acing studio interviews. Professional writers will learn how to navigate studio hierarchies, transfer roles and companies, work overseas, and keep developing their careers.
This book also contains interviews with industry leaders, hiring managers, and developers from marginalized communities, all offering their tips and insights.
Perfect for both aspiring games writers and more experienced writers looking to hone their skills.
The Most Human
Written and narrated by Adam Nimoy
Adam said living with his celebrity father Leonard Nimoy was like liking with a total stranger. But a letter from father to son started a journey to reconciliation.
Adam’s memoir explores their strained relationship and how it informed his view on marriage, parenting, and later, sobriety. Despite their differences, both men ventured down parallel paths: marriages leading to divorce, battling addiction, and finding recovery. Most notably, both men struggled to take the ninth step in their AA journey: to make amends with each other.
Studio Ghibli: The Films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (4th Edition)
Written by Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc, narrated by Abigail Reno
This popular guide examines all of the famous studio’s major works and aspects of Japanese culture Western audiences might not be familiar with.
The animations of Japan’s Studio Ghibli are among the most respected in the movie industry. Their delightful films rank alongside the most popular non-English language films ever made, with each new eagerly anticipated release a guaranteed box-office hit. Yet this highly profitable studio has remained fiercely independent, producing a stream of imaginative and individual animations. The studio’s founders, the late Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, have created timeless masterpieces. Although their films are distinctly Japanese, their themes are universal: humanity, community, and a love for the environment. No other film studio, animation or otherwise, comes close to matching Ghibli for pure cinematic experience.
Gaming
Take a short rest from the convention hubbub and dive into a board game or TTRPG, join a tournament, or play that retro digital game you’ve always wanted to try. No matter what you’re into, these audiobooks will serve as your intrepid companion in all of your gaming adventures.
Chain of Feathers
Written by Seth Ring, narrated by Ramon De Ocampo
Abandoned by his master, Mateo must become an overpowered Duelist and take fate into his own hands in this new epic fantasy LitRPG series.
Cast into a brutal military camp by his once loving master, Mateo feels like the last six wonderful years of his life have been a lie. Mateo knows that his only option is to become one of the supernaturally powerful Duelists and grow in power until he can take his fate into his own hands.
That plan is thwarted when he gets stuck with the lowest-ranked Root Card, ensuring that his growth as a Duelist will always be excruciatingly slow.
Saddled with two other kids that he has never met before and a crow spirit bound to him by an ethereal chain, Mateo will need every ounce of courage, resilience, and mental acuity he can muster if he wants to make it out of the cutthroat training camp alive.
Resonance
Written by Jonathan Smidt, narrated by Austin Rising
For an ordinary college student like Henry, D.E.D. Exorcists looks like the perfect game. Until he downloads it. Now, the monsters are real.
D.E.D. Exorcists is the latest Augmented Reality mobile game focused on capturing, collecting, and training teams of Digitally Energized Demons.
Now Henry isn’t just playing this monster-taming RPG, he’s forcibly recruited into a very real shadow organization capable of capturing, training, and subduing the real-life demons invading Earth.
In his new role as an Exorcist, Henry must use every ounce of his monster training know-how, garnered from a lifetime of gaming, to strengthen his D.E.D., and protect his city.
But his new life comes with a heavy cost. The Exorcists may not be all they seem. Danger lurks in the shadows all around him, and Henry quickly finds himself questioning who, and what, he can trust.
