The Dead Ringer

Fredric Brown (1906–1972) was the only writer to achieve equal prominence in the mystery and science fiction genres. His first foray into mystery, The Fabulous Clipjoint, won the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Brown was also the acknowledged master of the short short story; the famous collection Nightmares and Geezenstacks demonstrates his consummate mastery of a form limited to no more than five hundred words. His short story “Arena” was the basis of a famed Star Trek episode; “Martians, Go Home!” was adapted for a 1992 film; “The Last Martian” was adapted for Serling’s Twilight Zone and starred Steve McQueen at the start of his career. Brown’s work, more than forty years after his death, is increasingly prominent.

Stefan Rudnicki is an award winning audiobook narrator, director and producer. He was born in Poland and now resides in Studio City, California. He has narrated more than three hundred audiobooks and has participated in over a thousand as a writer, producer, or director. He is a recipient of multiple Audie Awards and AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as a Grammy Award, a Bram Stoker Award, and a Ray Bradbury Award. He received AudioFile’s award for 2008 Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Along with a cast of other narrators, Rudnicki has read a number of Orson Scott Card's best-selling science fiction novels. He worked extensively with many other science fiction authors, including David Weber and Ben Bova. In reviewing the twentieth anniversary edition audiobook of Card’s Ender's Game, Publishers Weekly stated, "Rudnicki, with his lulling, sonorous voice, does a fine job articulating Ender's inner struggle between the kind, peaceful boy he wants to be and the savage, violent actions he is frequently forced to take." Rudnicki is also a stage actor and director.