Best Andy Serkis Audiobooks

The best audiobooks narrated by Andy Serkis — 9 titles spanning Fantasy, Thriller, Biography & Memoir, averaging 4.32 ABR stars.

Andy Serkis is one of cinema's most celebrated performance artists, renowned for pioneering motion-capture acting in roles such as Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboots. That same transformative physicality and vocal imagination extends to his audiobook work, where he has taken on the entirety of Tolkien's legendarium. His readings of The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, and The Silmarillion represent a landmark in fantasy audio. Serkis voices dozens of distinct characters — from the bumbling warmth of Bilbo to the menace of Smaug to the ancient gravity of Treebeard — with a commitment that recalls his screen performances. His Gollum voice, developed over years on film, appears in the audio books with full authority. The Silmarillion, a notoriously challenging text, benefits from his ability to convey mythic grandeur. These recordings are considered essential listens for Tolkien fans.

Where to Start with Andy Serkis

  1. 1
    The Fellowship of the Ring cover

    The Fellowship of the Ring

    The Lord of the Rings • Book 1

    by J. R. R. Tolkien

    Narrated by Andy Serkis

    ★ 4.82 ABR Score (3.2M ratings)
    ★ 4.41 Goodreads (3.2M) ★ 4.92 Audible (24.9K)
    22h 38m listening time • Released 2021

    Andy Serkis doesn't just narrate this—he inhabits every voice so vividly that Middle-earth becomes a living, breathing world in your ears. His performance transforms the audiobook into something almost cinematic, making this the definitive way to experience Tolkien.

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  2. 2
    The Hobbit cover

    The Hobbit

    The Lord of the Rings • Book 1

    by J. R. R. Tolkien

    Narrated by Andy Serkis

    ★ 4.79 ABR Score (4.5M ratings)
    ★ 4.3 Goodreads (4.5M) ★ 4.92 Audible (28.4K)
    10h 25m listening time • Released 2020

    Andy Serkis transforms this into a masterclass in voice acting, giving each character such distinct presence that you forget you're listening to one narrator. It's the definitive audio experience of Middle-earth's greatest gateway story.

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  3. 3
    The Fellowship of the Ring cover

    The Fellowship of the Ring

    Middle-earth • Book 2

    by J.R.R. Tolkien

    Narrated by Andy Serkis

    ★ 4.66 ABR Score (3.2M ratings)
    ★ 4.41 Goodreads (3.2M) ★ 4.9 Audible (1.6K)
    22h 38m listening time • Released 2021
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  4. 4
    The Return of the King cover

    The Return of the King

    Middle-earth • Book 4

    by J.R.R. Tolkien

    Narrated by Andy Serkis

    ★ 4.60 ABR Score (1.1M ratings)
    ★ 4.58 Goodreads (1.1M) ★ 4.89 Audible (505)
    21h 52m listening time • Released 2021
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  5. 5
    The Sandman: Act I cover

    The Sandman: Act I

    Sandman Audible Original • Book 1

    by Dirk Maggs, Neil Gaiman, Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, James McAvoy, Andy Serkis, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Michael Sheen, Arthur Darvill, Miriam Margolyes

    Narrated by Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, Neil Gaiman, James McAvoy, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis, Michael Sheen

    ★ 4.48 ABR Score (78.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (24.9K) ★ 4.63 Audible (53.1K)
    11h 2m listening time • Released 2020
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  6. 6
    Small Gods cover

    Small Gods

    Discworld • Book 13

    by Terry Pratchett

    Narrated by Andy Serkis, Bill Nighy, Peter Serafinowicz

    ★ 4.44 ABR Score (136.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.32 Goodreads (134.6K) ★ 4.77 Audible (1.4K)
    11h 58m listening time • Released 2022
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  7. 7
    The Brightonomicon cover

    The Brightonomicon

    by Robert Rankin

    Narrated by David Warner, Rupert Degas, Andy Serkis, Martin Jarvis, Jason Isaacs, Sarah Douglas, Mark Wing-Davey

    ★ 3.80 ABR Score (2.1K ratings)
    ★ 3.77 Goodreads (2.0K) ★ 4.63 Audible (19)
    7h 17m listening time • Released 2019
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  8. 8
    The Child cover

    The Child

    by Sebastian Fitzek, Rupert Penry-Jones, Emilia Fox, Andy Serkis, Stephen Marcus

    Narrated by Rupert Penry-Jones, Jack Boulter, Emilia Fox, Stephen Marcus, Robert Glenister, Andy Serkis

    ★ 3.69 ABR Score (14.0K ratings)
    ★ 3.75 Goodreads (12.3K) ★ 3.75 Audible (1.7K)
    6h 55m listening time • Released 2014
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  9. 9
    A Particularly Nasty Case cover

    A Particularly Nasty Case

    by Adam Kay

    Narrated by Andy Serkis

    ★ 3.63 ABR Score (5.7K ratings)
    ★ 3.47 Goodreads (5.7K) ★ 4.55 Audible (11)
    10h 9m listening time • Released 2025
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How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →