10.Leviathan Wakes
Leviathan Wakesis the first entry inThe Expanseseries, so if you want to get to know the books before (or after) watching the Amazon series, this is where you want to start.
Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (writing here as James S. A. Corey) deftly weave the narrative while setting up the world in which future stories take place, while Jefferson Mays' narration never has you wondering who’s speaking.
Related:The Best Modern Sci-Fi Authors
9.The Player of Games
The Player of Gamesis the second book in Iain M. Banks long-runningCultureseries. Despite being the second book, it’s a much better place to start than the first book,Consider Phlebas, as that book is set largely outside theCultureuniverse.
While some of Banks' work gets downright grisly, the action inPlayer of Games, is largely more cerebral. Narrator Peter Kenny, who narrates the bulk of the series as it is available, is excellent as always.
8.Altered Carbon
Richard K. Morgan’sAltered Carbonis a strange amalgamation of sci-fi, cyberpunk, and hard boiled detective novel. This would be tough to make work for some authors, but Morgan pulls it off well.
Todd McLaren’s narration is perfect for the material, giving you the impression that you’re listening to a futuristic noir film.
7.Pandora’s Star
Peter F. Hamilton might have writtenPandora’s Staras a challenge to audiobook producers, as it’s so packed with characters that it should be an absolute nightmare to follow in audio form.
I say it “should be” a nightmare, not that it is one. How narrator John Lee manages this at the same time as keeping a 37+ hour book interesting to listen to remains a mystery. Just watch out: after the cliffhanger ending, you’re probably going to want to listen to the 41 hour sequel,Judas Unchained.
6.Terminal Alliance
Jim C. Hines follows Marion “Mops” Adamopoulos and her team of, well, basically janitors as they try to stay alive and uncover a massive conspiracy after a bio-weapon attack leaves the rest of the humans on their ship as flesh-hungry pseudo-zombies (again).
As with other series from Hines, there’s plenty of humor to offset the action, and Rebecca Mitchell’s narration is excellent.
5.Old Man’s War
Considering the somewhat grim subject matter,Old Man’s Waris a much funnier (and fun) book than it really has any right to be. Despite this, it’s still excellent military sci-fi as well.
William Dufris is a prolific narrator, so it’s no surprise that he does an excellent job here.
Related:The Best Space Opera Books
4.The Atrocity Archives
This first book in Charles Stross’sLaundry Filesseries introduces us to series protagonist Bob Howard, a computer nerd who finds himself dealing with increasingly eldritch horrors.
Gideon Emory narrates the entire series, becoming the voice of Bob, which lends a nice consistency to this addictive series.
3.We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
Without spoiling two much,We Are Legion (We Are Bob)features various characters who are more or less offshoots of the game personality. As they evolve, they grow different from each other, as the name of the series hints at.
Narrator Ray Porter gives each of these characters a distinctive voice, making it easy to tell who is talking in a book that could be quite confusing with a lesser narrator.
Related:The Best Sites to Buy Audiobooks
2.The Martian Chronicles
If you’re someone who listens to audiobooks as part of a commute or daily run, for example,The Martian Chroniclesis a great pick. The short stories in this collection never outstay their welcome, and offer plenty of variety across the sci-fi spectrum.
The version now available for sale is narrated by Mark Boyett, who does an even better job with it than the (also very good) previous version narrated by Stephen Home.
1.Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Landdoesn’t read like the somewhat revolutionary novel it was when it first came out nowadays. It’s easy to see why: Much of what makes the main character so strange isn’t exactly out of the ordinary these days.
Christopher Hurt’s narration isn’t revolutionary, but it stays out of the way and lets you focus on the story—as narration should.
