Trying to find the best sci-fi audiobooks of all time? These 15 super immersive options will have you addicted and entertained for hours on end…
The Price of Time
Tim Tigner
If you had all the time and money in the world or if you discovered a true fountain of youth, would your life change for the better or for worse? This is the question at the center of this book, which is complete with strange murders, sudden disappearances, secret agents, secret meetings, sexy locations, and a whole lot more. It also involves an invention in Silicon Valley that is so powerful that it has to be kept a secret, at least for now. Be prepared to stay on the edge of your seat while reading this book because it is a book that you’ll never forget.
Samuel Best, Author
Titan, the sixth moon of Saturn, is just waiting to be explored. When Diamond Aerospace launches a ship to Titan so they can inhabit it and explore all of its natural resources, things don’t go as they plan. In fact, there’s a flaw in the ship that makes the crew feel as though their best bet is to turn around and go home. But that’s not what they want to do, especially when they discover that someone on Earth knew about the flaw all along. There’s also one more problem: someone is already on Titan.
Watchers
Dean Koontz, Author
An absolute thriller written by one of science fiction’s best writers, this is a story about a man named Travis who heads into the mountains to find some solace and help him relieve the stress he’s feeling in his life. What he ends up finding is a bedraggled Golden Retriever that he starts to spend time with. Later, they battle a terrifying threat that has both of them scared. A man, an intelligent dog, and something evil — together, these three things make for one intriguing story that you’ll be anxious to read all the way through.
Cyber Storm
Matthew Mather
Mike is a family man just trying to do right by his family when all of a sudden, the world’s news networks present a series of disasters that catches everyone off guard. When both the real world and the cyber world begin to crumble, his hometown of New York City gets hit with a massive snowstorm that cuts them off from the rest of the world. This is cutting-edge fiction that will have you biting your nails the entire time. It is a fast-paced, action-filled story that you will not soon forget.
A Discovery of Witches: A Novel
Deborah Harkness, Author
This is the story of a young woman named Diana who is descended from witches and who discovers a long-lost manuscript in a library in Oxford. It is an alchemical manuscript that summons an underworld that she decides to explore with her main man Matthew, who is a vampire geneticist. The story is a unique one and is Ms. Harkness’ first novel but it is already loved by fans all around the world. Picture Twilight meets Outlander and you’ll understand why the book is so amazing.
Split Second
Douglas E. Richards, Author
Nathan is a physicist who thinks that he has found a way to travel back in time but only by a fraction of a second. His fiancée, Jenna, joins him as he tests his methods and finds out that the split second can make a big difference in the event right before it. Add in some evil forces that are trying to destroy Jenna and you’ll understand why this novel offers so much action and adventure. The book makes you think about this concept of time and what it means to every one of us.
Red Rising
Pierce Brown, Author
Darrow is a member of the lowest caste of his color-coded world on Mars, the Reds. He and his fellow Reds have been brought to believe that they are working together to make the world a better place but they eventually learn that this is not the case. In fact, they are actual slaves of the top caste, the Gold caste, so Darrow decides to infiltrate the Institute where the next overlords struggle for power so that he can fight for people of his kind. He decides to do everything in his power to bring down these enemies even if he has to eventually become one of them to do so.
The Paper Magician
Charlie N. Holmberg, Author
Ceony is in school hoping to learn be-spelling metal but ends up studying another craft instead — paper magic. She thinks that she’ll be bored but she soon learns that this type of magic is far more exciting than she thought it would be. She joins an apprenticeship under Thane, who helps her bring stories to life and read fortunes as well. Soon, her teacher is hurt and she must use some forbidden magic to save him so she embarks on an adventure to do just that.
Bella Forrest, Author
Come join a land that is divided and where men rule one half and women the other. These halves are known as Matrus and Patrus. A teenager named Violet is living on the female side but is determined to get to the other side to find her long-lost younger brother. But this is more difficult than she imagined, in part because she has never been one to like rules, especially in a land where women are taught to be submissive to men. Violet moves forward anyway and learns much more about the human spirit than she ever thought possible.
Dark Matter: A Novel
Blake Crouch, Author
Jason awakes from unconsciousness to realize that he doesn’t recognize his wife and that his son no longer exists. It is not amnesia because he can remember who his wife and son are but he has no clue where they are or how to get back to them. To find the answers he’s looking for, he’ll have to take an adventurous but horrifying journey where nothing is certain. This is top-notch science fiction that speaks of choices, uncharted waters, and the amazing things we’ll do to make our dreams come true.
The Man of Legends
Kenneth Johnson
It’s New Year’s Eve weekend in 2001 in New York City and three peoples’ lives come together. Jillian is a journalist who discovered photographs 85 years apart with the same man in them and the man is the same age in all of the pictures. Will has a secret past and is the object of a manhunt led by the Vatican and a former U.N. envoy named Hanna. Over the next 48 hours, the lives of Jillian, Will, and Hanna will intertwine in some amazing ways and the listeners will be on the edge of their seats waiting to find out what happens next.
Pandemic: The Extension Files, Book 1
A.G. Riddle, Author
A pandemic is always scary and this book tells the story of a very dangerous one that starts in Kenya and resembles the Ebola virus. Peyton, a CDC doctor, and Desmond, who woke up in a hotel room and doesn’t know why he’s there, try to piece together a huge mystery that will help them determine how the outbreak got so bad and what started it in the first place. As they race the clock, the pandemic is getting worse, making this a story that you won’t want to stop reading until the very end.
Children of Blood and Bone
Tomi Adeyemi, Author
Zelie lives in a magic-filled land called Orisha until a monarchy comes in and stops all of the magic being performed. Now her mother is gone and the citizens feel hopeless. It’s up to Zelie to strike back against the monarchy and bring back the magic that made Orisha special many years ago. But she isn’t sure that she can do it, especially with vengeful spirits all around her and her growing attraction towards one of her enemies. This is a story that you won’t be able to resist.
The Wind Through the Keyhole: The Dark Tower
Stephen King, Author
A standalone novel by the great Stephen King, this is the story of a gun-slinger named Roland who has to investigate a killer who is a shape-shifter and “skin man.” He takes charge of a young boy named Bill and reads to him from the Book of Eld as his mother did with him so that Bill can be less afraid of what is going on around him. Whether you’re an avid fan of the Dark Tower series or you’re new to this type of story, you’ll love this novel.
Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson
Jess is a young boy who forms a unique friendship with Leslie when she beats him in a running match. The two create a magical world in the woods called Terabithia and make themselves king and queen of this imaginary kingdom. Jess and Leslie are inseparable until a tragedy affects both of them. From then on Jess has to rely on what Leslie taught him so that he can be strong enough to survive. This is a charming and touching story that shows what the true power of friendship is all about.
Table of Contents
Most of these books are fantasy, not SF. Anything with magic, magical kingdoms, unicorns, dragons, elves, etc. is fantasy, and I wish reviewers would stop conflating the two genres.