AUDIOBOOKZ
Narrated, recorded, and produced by SHAZAM WATKINS, along with any books I have contributed to or edited. I’d recommend purchasing any and all of these works in audiobook and paperback format.
Shazam’s latest audiobook is now available on Audible. “John” by Paul Town
HARASSMENT ARCHITECTURE
by MIKE MA
Audiobook by SHAZAM
Mike Ma’s debut novel. A fictional dark comedy with sinister overtones and poignant observations on our current civilization. Entertaining as heck, bold as a sweaty Vietcong whore, funny as can be, and an absolute pleasure to narrate. If you don’t “get it”, you probably won’t. It inspired me to change my diet, begin working out, and affected innumerable aspects of my personal life.
It is strange to say, but I honestly don’t believe I’ve been affected by a book this much in my entire life. Mike has some strange form of prophetic insight while retaining the ability to speak plainly. His vision of the future, weird album reviews, conversational pieces, and situational humor are unbeatable. It is sometimes chilling, sometimes thrilling, and always laced with an untouchable sense of comedy. I’ve always loved Mike’s articles, but this just proved how talented he truly is and signaled a bright future.
Harassment Architecture has sold thousands of copies and is a best-seller multiple times in multiple categories.
GOTHIC VIOLENCE
by MIKE MA
Audiobook by SHAZAM and MIKE featuring an original soundtrack created by the both of us.
Verily, my best work to date. This took significantly longer to get released, as Mike and I had to find time to connect and complete the recording. Tracking began in mid-July of 2021, and I completed all of the recording by late August, or early September. Between September and October I was traveling and looking for a new home. I ended up finding that on the Gulf Coast of FL, where Mike and I eventually met up for a week to record his selected chapters, create the original soundtrack, and add in sound effects and revisions. There are slight differences in the text, as Mike has published different versions of the book at different times. I can honestly say that I’m most proud of this audiobook, out of nearly everything I’ve done. I’ve always wanted to add in music to a larger degree, and include more ear candy for the children. Also, this is the first official audiobook I have completed that was not released through Audible, and sold phenomenally well. Thanks to everyone who has bought, and is still buying. We may release it through Audible in the future, but mayhaps not the same version. This remains to be seen. I hope you enjoy my knighas.
GOTHIC VIOLENCE
by MIKE MA
Edited by SHAZAM
Audiobook by SHAZAM
Mike Ma’s second novel. It continues where Harassment Architecture left off, but in a grander and far more honed way. I love it. Truly. It’s very different from his first, but I think it almost contains a bit more underlying substance.
I think HA was this character ranting at the world and offering vague (though powerful) solutions to the problems, and this new book has come to terms with, and made sense of, the problems he is facing through spiritual and physical evaluation or enlightenment.
There is still humor, but I found myself busting up less often than I found myself saying “Holy shit, so good” which is not a critique. Not only do I think Mike’s writing has improved, I think his vision has become more tangible and easier to grasp. He boiled some concepts down to their base elements. This indicates massive amounts of power, maturity, and stability, while the concepts and style within the book still retain their slightly unhinged and psycho elements.
All around amazing read. I don’t think I can say it is “better” than Harassment Architecture because it is so different, but it’s an incredible follow-up and contains the same spirit. Almost like the difference between the unblooded warrior archetype and the leader of an army who goes home caked in blood to impregnate his wives without showering.
It was an absolute honor to edit the text. The book is a best-seller in multiple categories and I am currently recording the official audiobook, which shall be released this April 2022.
IT IS THE SECRET
by PAUL TOWN
Audiobook by SHAZAM
This is nearly 16 hours of pure insanity. Paul is one of the most unique authors I’ve ever read. Kind of like a cross between David Foster Wallace and Marcus Aurelius if both of them had some form of savant-like Down’s Syndrome. I’ve never read anything like it, and I don’t know if I’ve ever had so much fun recording a book. Most of the time with audiobooks, I’m approaching them from a serious perspective, even with comedy. The jokes should be obvious, but with Paul’s work, the jokes are as much a part of the actual text as a part of the writing. For instance, he did minimal editing for the book, so I read almost all of the typos in the final audiobook, regardless of how they sounded. Paul gave me virtually no direction for the audiobook, and I just got to sit down every day and discover how each essay would be read. I used more voices in this book than I’ve been able to use in anything else. Some of the essays are heartbreaking, some of them are hilarious, many of them seem like utter nonsense, but the sheer size of the book and the amount of genius within is staggering, in my opinion. I’m eager to continue working with Paul on several of his other books. I highly recommend you purchase it and support his work. I’d say tackling this one in one sitting would be a brave endeavor. I’d recommend savoring it over the course of a week or two to really appreciate how good I am at narrating. Paul is also a fantastic Twitter guy. I don’t tweet very often, but his stuff is truly great.