I recently saw a list of top audiobooks and decided to put together a list of 10 recommended audiobooks for science fiction fans.
I’m a science fiction fan, so it wasn’t difficult to come up with a good list. The problem was narrowing the list down to only 10.
Even if you’re not a big science fiction fan, you’re going to find some great audiobooks listed below.
Most of the best science fiction audiobooks don’t have Storm Troopers.
1 – The Time Machine – H G Wells
While The Time Machine might not be the first science fiction book, it’s by far the best early science fiction work.
One of the shorter audiobooks on this list, every science fiction fan needs to take the time to listen to The Time Machine.
2 – Dune – Frank Herbert
First published in 1965, Dune is one of the most famous science fiction books of all time. Many video adaptations exist for Dune, but none of them seem to get things just right.
On the other hand, the audiobook version of Dune is as good as reading the original book. If you don’t know what the fuss is about, listen to Dune today.
3 – Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
You might be familiar with Ender’s Game from a movie adaptation or a video game. But the best version is still the original work by Orson Scott Card. And the audio version is every bit as good as the original.
Andrew Ender Wiggin is the hero, and you follow his story as he’s trained to fight as a child to save his world. It doesn’t take long for things to get complicated for Ender.
4 – Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
Often found on lists of the best novels of all time, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a book everyone needs to listen to, even if you’re not a science fiction fan.
Huxley’s book is a lot like the Matrix movies. But I like it better than the movies. The hero of the book, Bernard Marx, questions what appears to be a perfect world. What he finds and how he finds it makes this the perfect audiobook.
5 – Starship Troopers – Robert A Heinlein
I’ve read many opinions about the greatest science fiction writer of all time. It’s not the largest group, but Heinlein fans believe he’s the best of all time.
Heinlein wrote a lot of good books, so it’s hard to pick just one for this list. But I decided Starship Troopers is the right choice. The book gives you a new perspective on the word bugs.
6 – Foundation – Isaac Asimov
Many people consider Isaac Asimov as the greatest science fiction author of all time. He’s not my favorite science fiction author, but there’s no question he still influences the field in many ways.
The first book of the famous Foundation Trilogy, Foundation is in the distant future. Humans have taken over the galaxy. Hari Seldon in the main character and Foundation is your perfect introduction to the great Asimov.
7 – 2001: A Space Odyssey – Arthur C Clarke
Science fiction writers have to be careful in writing about a certain time in the future. The future eventually arrives, and authors are judged by what they got right and wrong.
2001 has long passed, but this Clarke book is still one of the best science fiction books of all time. And if you haven’t read A Space Odyssey, you’re in for a treat the first time you listen. I can’t wait for you to learn about Hal.
8 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a true love or hate book. People either think it’s one of the best books ever, or they don’t understand what the big deal is.
Stephen Fry reads the audio version of the book, and his narration is reason enough to listen to this cult classic.
9 – Ready Player One – Ernest Cline
Ready Player One is set in 2045, and Wil Wheaton narrates the audiobook.
In Ready Player One, there’s an overpopulation issue. The majority of the population lives a miserable existence. But a new virtual reality system offers a possible escape. Follow the hero, Wade Watts, as he tries to escape his miserable situation.
10 – We Are Legion (We Are Bob) – Dennis E Taylor
One of the newest books on this list, We Are Legion is a fascinating tale involving cryogenics. Robert Johansson, otherwise known as Bob, had his head frozen for the future, but things didn’t go quite as he planned.
I like to read books and don’t listen to many audiobooks. We Are Legion is one of the few books that seem better in audiobook format than on the page.
I love to try to find science fiction themed slot machines when I gamble, but I’ve searched the slots at Choctaw Casino for games based on these books. I’ve found none, although I have found games based on television and movie properties like Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica.
Conclusion
I think I discovered some of these audiobooks on Nicholas Bredimus’s website, but I can’t find the page there now. Maybe I was thinking of someone else, though.
Every list of recommendations is biased by the author. The list of 10 recommended audiobooks for science fiction fans has the same problem.
But, all 10 books on this list belong on the list. Once you finish these books you can add new audiobooks to your list.