Best Sci-Fi Audiobooks

The highest-rated science fiction audiobooks scored by reader and listener reviews, from space opera to hard sci-fi — performed by narrators who bring future worlds to life.

Science fiction and audiobooks are a natural pairing. The best sci-fi novels build entire universes — alien civilizations, faster-than-light travel, dystopian futures — and a skilled narrator transforms those worlds from words on a page into something cinematic. From the cerebral tension of Project Hail Mary to the sprawling politics of The Expanse, sci-fi audiobooks deliver experiences that rival film and television.

This list ranks the top science fiction audiobooks using our own scoring algorithm, which blends reader and listener review data with rating volume. We prioritize titles with strong performances and broad acclaim, covering everything from space opera and hard sci-fi to near-future thrillers.

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  1. 1
    This Inevitable Ruin cover

    This Inevitable Ruin

    Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 7

    by Matt Dinniman

    Narrated by Jeff Hays, Travis Baldree

    4.87 ABR Score (96.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.68 Goodreads (74.1K) ★ 4.93 Audible (22.1K)
    28h 40m listening time • Released 2025

    Jeff Hays and Travis Baldree elevate this escalating war arc into pure theatrical spectacle—28 hours of faction battles, shifting alliances, and genuine stakes that hit harder because the narration sells every betrayal and impossible choice.

  2. 2
    Light Bringer cover

    Light Bringer

    Red Rising • Book 6

    by Pierce Brown

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

    4.86 ABR Score (121.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.77 Goodreads (110.6K) ★ 4.89 Audible (10.8K)
    30h 8m listening time • Released 2023

    Tim Gerard Reynolds transforms 30 hours of space opera into something intimate and devastating—his voice makes you feel Darrow's impossible weight between savior and father as much as the epic battles around him.

  3. 3
    Morning Star cover

    Morning Star

    Red Rising • Book 3

    by Pierce Brown

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

    4.81 ABR Score (468.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.55 Goodreads (414.3K) ★ 4.82 Audible (54.2K)
    21h 50m listening time • Released 2016

    Tim Gerard Reynolds delivers a career-best performance across 22 hours of revolutionary fervor—his voice work transforms the final Red Rising installment into an unforgettable emotional and political reckoning that justifies the entire trilogy's brutal setup.

  4. 4
    Dungeon Crawler Carl cover

    Dungeon Crawler Carl

    Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 1

    by Matt Dinniman

    Narrated by Jeff Hays

    4.80 ABR Score (335.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.48 Goodreads (284.3K) ★ 4.86 Audible (51.2K)
    13h 31m listening time • Released 2021

    Jeff Hays turns this LitRPG into pure comedy gold—his character work transforms what could be a grim survival story into something genuinely hilarious that you'll want to binge in days.

  5. 5
    Hell Divers VII: Warriors cover

    Hell Divers VII: Warriors

    Hell Divers Series • Book 7

    by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.79 ABR Score (9.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.86 Audible (9.3K)
    16h 13m listening time • Released 2020
  6. 6
    Golden Son cover

    Golden Son

    Red Rising • Book 2

    by Pierce Brown

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

    4.79 ABR Score (560.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.5 Goodreads (505.3K) ★ 4.81 Audible (55.5K)
    19h 3m listening time • Released 2015

    Tim Gerard Reynolds transforms this brutal space opera with a voice that captures both Darrow's rage and vulnerability, making the 19-hour listen feel essential rather than exhausting.

  7. 7
    Catching Fire cover

    Catching Fire

    The Hunger Games • Book 2

    by Suzanne Collins

    Narrated by Tatiana Maslany

    4.79 ABR Score (4.2M ratings)
    ★ 4.36 Goodreads (4.2M) ★ 4.89 Audible (16.6K)
    11h 3m listening time • Released 2019

    Tatiana Maslany captures Katniss's unraveling with such raw intensity that you feel the rebellion igniting in real time—her performance transforms the sequel into something darker and more dangerous than the first.

  8. 8
    Tiamat's Wrath cover

    Tiamat's Wrath

    The Expanse • Book 8

    by James S.A. Corey

    Narrated by Jefferson Mays

    4.79 ABR Score (105.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.57 Goodreads (83.1K) ★ 4.88 Audible (21.8K)
    19h 8m listening time • Released 2019
  9. 9
    Hell Divers V: Captives cover

    Hell Divers V: Captives

    Hell Divers Series • Book 5

    by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.77 ABR Score (13.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.82 Audible (13.8K)
    9h 50m listening time • Released 2019
  10. 10
    The Martian cover

    The Martian

    The Martian • Book 1

    by Andy Weir

    Narrated by Wil Wheaton

    4.76 ABR Score (1.3M ratings)
    ★ 4.42 Goodreads (1.3M) ★ 4.8 Audible (42.3K)
    10h 59m listening time • Released 2020

    Wil Wheaton's deadpan delivery transforms this survival story into something hilarious and gripping—his timing on Watney's wisecracks lands perfectly while keeping the genuine stakes sharp.

  11. 11
    Hell Divers III: Deliverance cover

    Hell Divers III: Deliverance

    Hell Divers Series • Book 3

    by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.74 ABR Score (20.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.77 Audible (20.1K)
    11h 18m listening time • Released 2018
  12. 12
    Caliban's War cover

    Caliban's War

    The Expanse • Book 2

    by James S. A. Corey

    Narrated by Jefferson Mays

    4.72 ABR Score (210.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (185.8K) ★ 4.86 Audible (24.8K)

    Jefferson Mays makes every faction and alien threat feel viscerally real—this is space opera that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the final reveal.

  13. 13
    Critical Mass cover

    Critical Mass

    Expeditionary Force • Book 10

    by Craig Alanson

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.71 ABR Score (34.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.52 Goodreads (9.1K) ★ 4.89 Audible (25.2K)
    19h 25m listening time • Released 2020

    R.C. Bray's deadpan delivery makes the chaos sing—he nails every comedic beat while keeping the existential stakes brutally real. If you've loved the series, this one escalates everything.

  14. 14
    Hell Divers II: Ghosts cover

    Hell Divers II: Ghosts

    Hell Divers Series • Book 2

    by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.71 ABR Score (22.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.74 Audible (22.8K)
    8h 13m listening time • Released 2017
  15. 15
    Hell Divers IV: Wolves cover

    Hell Divers IV: Wolves

    Hell Divers Series • Book 4

    by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.71 ABR Score (15.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.76 Audible (15.3K)
    9h 25m listening time • Released 2018
  16. 16
    Hell Divers VI: Allegiance cover

    Hell Divers VI: Allegiance

    Hell Divers Series • Book 6

    by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.70 ABR Score (10.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.78 Audible (10.5K)
    11h 16m listening time • Released 2019
  17. 17
    Hell Divers VIII: King of the Wastes cover

    Hell Divers VIII: King of the Wastes

    Hell Divers Series • Book 8

    by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.70 ABR Score (6.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.82 Audible (6.4K)
    13h 52m listening time • Released 2021
  18. 18
    Fallout cover

    Fallout

    Expeditionary Force • Book 13

    by Craig Alanson

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.69 ABR Score (26.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.52 Goodreads (7.2K) ★ 4.89 Audible (18.8K)
    22h 29m listening time • Released 2021

    R.C. Bray's comedic timing and character work elevate this space opera into something genuinely funny—he makes you laugh out loud at the banter between Joe and Skippy while keeping the stakes high.

  19. 19
    Nemesis Games cover

    Nemesis Games

    The Expanse • Book 5

    by James S.A. Corey

    Narrated by Jefferson Mays

    4.69 ABR Score (142.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.45 Goodreads (116.9K) ★ 4.8 Audible (25.9K)
    18h 6m listening time • Released 2015
  20. 20
    All These Worlds cover

    All These Worlds

    Bobiverse • Book 3

    by Dennis E. Taylor

    Narrated by Ray Porter

    4.68 ABR Score (134.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.4 Goodreads (65.4K) ★ 4.78 Audible (68.9K)
    7h 56m listening time • Released 2017

    Ray Porter's performance captures each Bob clone's distinct personality so perfectly that you'll forget you're listening to one narrator—it's like having a full cast in your head. The emotional stakes hit harder than the first two books, making this the trilogy's most rewarding installment.

  21. 21
    After It Happened: Publisher's Pack 3 cover

    After It Happened: Publisher's Pack 3

    After It Happened • Book 5

    by Devon C. Ford

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.67 ABR Score (5.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.82 Audible (5.0K)
    13h 28m listening time • Released 2018
  22. 22
    For We Are Many cover

    For We Are Many

    Bobiverse • Book 2

    by Dennis E. Taylor

    Narrated by Ray Porter

    4.67 ABR Score (149.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.37 Goodreads (75.2K) ★ 4.77 Audible (74.0K)
    8h 59m listening time • Released 2017

    Ray Porter's performance transforms the Bobiverse's multiple Bobs from a gimmick into genuinely distinct voices—each one feels like a real person making impossible decisions while the stakes keep escalating in ways that actually land.

  23. 23
    Dark Age cover

    Dark Age

    Red Rising • Book 5

    by Pierce Brown

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds, John Curless, Moira Quirk, James Langton, Rendah Heywood

    4.66 ABR Score (159.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.51 Goodreads (140.5K) ★ 4.74 Audible (18.8K)
    33h 58m listening time • Released 2019

    Five narrators keep this sprawling space opera moving at breakneck speed, each voice so distinct you forget you're listening to an ensemble cast. Brown's plotting hits harder than ever when you're locked in for 34 hours of genuine stakes.

  24. 24
    Mockingjay cover

    Mockingjay

    The Hunger Games • Book 3

    by Suzanne Collins

    Narrated by Tatiana Maslany

    4.66 ABR Score (3.8M ratings)
    ★ 4.12 Goodreads (3.8M) ★ 4.86 Audible (16.8K)
    11h 19m listening time • Released 2019

    Tatiana Maslany's raw, fractured performance captures Katniss at her most broken and angry—she makes the final rebellion feel like a tragedy, not a victory lap.

  25. 25
    Dune cover

    Dune

    Dune • Book 1

    by Frank Herbert

    Narrated by Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, Euan Morton, Simon Vance, Ilyana Kadushin, Byron Jennings, David R. Gordon, Jason Culp, Kent Broadhurst, Oliver Wyman, Patricia Kilgarriff, Scott Sowers

    4.66 ABR Score (1.8M ratings)
    ★ 4.29 Goodreads (1.6M) ★ 4.67 Audible (126.5K)
    21h 2m listening time • Released 2007

    The Godfather of science fiction epics: a richly imagined desert world where politics, religion, and ecology collide in a story that feels more relevant every decade.

Want to narrow it down? Browse sci-fi audiobooks by narrator, runtime, or popularity to find the perfect listen for your next commute or road trip.

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 →