George Saunders has once again enlisted an all-star cast to narrate one of his audiobooks.
The author unveiled the list of actors who will bring his next short story collection, Liberation Day, to life. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called the book “a tour de force collection that showcases all of Saunders’ many skills.”
The cast is heavy on comic actors, with 30 Rock stars Tina Fey and Jack McBrayer reading “The Mom of Bold Action” and “Ghoul,” respectively. Michael McKean (This Is Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind) will narrate “Love Letter,” while Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones) will read “A Thing at Work.”
Jenny Slate, known for her voice acting roles in Big Mouth and Bob’s Burgers, will narrate “Sparrow.” Rounding out the cast are Melora Hardin (The Office, Monk), Stephen Root (Office Space, King of the Hill), and Saunders himself.
“How’s that for a great cast?” Saunders wrote in his newsletter. “I’m so grateful to these wonderful readers, and to the legendary [audiobook producer] Kelly Gildea for bringing this all together so wonderfully.”
The audiobook version of Saunders’ last work of fiction, the novel Lincoln in the Bardo, also featured a cast packed with notable names, including Carrie Brownstein, Miranda July, Ben Stiller, Susan Sarandon, Don Cheadle, and Jeff Tweedy.
Liberation Day is slated for publication by Random House on Oct. 18.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
