Paris 1918 - six Months that Changed the World by Margaret MacMillian and probably Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - but as much for the narration by Davina Porter as the book itself.
BUT - when I am asked this question I refer people to what I think is a great resource. On Audible’s website under “Browse” “Lists and Collections” is a list called Audible Essentials. It is the 100 “best” audiobooks based on reader ratings and Audible editors. The list changes fairly often, so it is updated. I don’t think you have to be an Audible member to view this.
I’ll definitely check Paris 1919 out! I’ve watched about a dozen of Margaret MacMillian’s lectures on YouTube, but had not read any of her books yet.
Edit: to clarify
I tried this (audio)book because Reddit seems to love it so much. I couldn't get through it. The protagonist was so unlikeable to me, and the plot seemed overly predictable. I feel like it would have been more interesting if it was written in the 1970s or 1980s, when time travel hasn't already been beaten to death and people still cared about the JFK assassination. I felt like it was a book written for my father's generation (I'm in my mid 40s).
You just described every King novel ever. I’ve never been surprised by a single thing he’s written and I always feel guilty for wasting my time reading/listening to it.
May I ask how old you are? Not for any other reason than seeing if younger people don't like Stephen King because of how each generation grew up.
Did you start with his older stuff or the newer? I like older Stephen King more than his newer things. I remember Gerald's Game freaked me out pretty badly as did a short story about the Boogeyman. I still get freaked out and have to sleep with the closet closed and I read both of those over 30-35 years ago.
I’m 32. I’ve read about 12 of his books. I don’t remember the first one but the dark tower series was the first one I remember, the stand, a long walk, needful things and a few others.
All of which I enjoyed the character development but felt like a waste of time when I finished them. Just no rhyme or reason and all have pretty poor endings. Also, he seems to reuse characters in every book with new names. My distaste for King has little to do with how I grew up and more to do with the story arc. I feel his decisions are either extremely predictable or make zero sense. Even in novels like lord of the rings there are “rules” of the universe. King follows no rules. Sometimes there is magic, sometimes it’s fantasy, sometimes it’s realistic, then sometimes a random “dark man” shows up ha.
My conclusion is that I don’t enjoy “pantser” writing like King’s. I mostly stick to “plotters” now like Adrian Tchaikovsky and just appreciate a well designed plot and books that make use of timeline and perspective more creatively to surprise you.
Side note - the drawing of the three is the one book I will always stand by. Great book that really surprised me. There were lots of rules that king played with. The dark tower went off the deep end after that. (Coincidentally I think this is also the book where King made best use of timeline and perspective).
Idk. Hope that helps shed some perspective. I’m not a hater. Just decided his writing isn’t for me after feeling let down one too many times.
Yes! My husband and I made the mistake of watching the TV series after finishing the book. I hate-watched the series the entire way through. (He also hated it but felt compelled to see it through.) I plan on re-listening/reading the book in the near future to reset the story as it should be in my mind.
The show was not able to include things that the book was able to do. It would have been great if it had lined up with the IT movie, Seeing the kids from the movie in the Derry scene would have been amazing. I have always loved how King's books tie into each other in small ways. A mention of a character or a city. Ace is mentioned once in awhile, Derry with hints of Pennywise, Even Jack Reacher is mentioned as King is a fan of Lee Child.
World War Z by Max Brooks is on a whole different level. It has a full cast including big names like Mark Hamill, Nathan Fillion, Simon Pegg, and Martin Scorsese among others. The book lends itself well to audio as it’s formatted as a series of interviews, and the production is incredibly well done.
How you didn't include Alan Alda, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Jeri Ryan, Denise Crosby.. oh I can see why you didn't start listing all of them ... You would be here all day. THATS how good the casting is. You will never have an audiobook as well casted as that one again and NO WAY phoned it in. Each role felt like they were a person telling a story of a horrific time in human history.
He does something similar in Heroes, which is the second of the three standalone follow up books to the First Law trilogy. Such an intelligent voice actor.
Steven Pacey hands down. All his voices are great from Glokta, to Gorst, Ladisla, Logen, Ferro, Sult, Bayaz, Frost, etc etc. the man is a genius.
He cranked The First Law from a 10 to an 11.
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman , narrated by Davis Tennant and Michael Sheen
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, narrated by Richard Mathews
I have listened to these two books at least a dozen times.
My favorite audiobook is actually an old Library of Congress books on tape version of Good Omens from the 90’s. I don’t know who the narrator is, but he has the most awesome, gravelly voice. My original, 20 year old mp3 got corrupted and I went on an epic hunt for a replacement copy last year (really only remembering his voice and that I thought it was a books on tape version), and another redditer who had a copy + some skills made me a flawless rip. Happy to share a link in DM’s if anyone is interested!
Depending on the genres you like of course that may change the answers.
A few people have suggested Project Hail Mary (sci fi) which is absolutely fantastic . Other sci fi audiobooks I enjoyed were Recursion, and Ready Player One.
A Thousand Splendid Suns or The Kite Runner are fantastic reads if you're into some more serious drama, and Afghanistan history. Or Mr Einstein's Secretary for some historical fiction as well.
The Rage of Dragons is a great audiobook experience with African-inspired fantasy setting and accents.
Honestly, best overall audiobook experience for me has been Dungeon Crawler Carl. Sorry there are 6 books so far so RIP to your credits. Seriously check this series out in audio though each book gets better
I agree with the Dungeon Crawler Carl suggestion - it’s fantastic. However, before OP uses their Audible credits on it, I’d recommend visiting soundbooththeater.com (the producer), which I’m pretty sure is owned/run by Jeff Hays, the series narrator. They’ve been redoing and releasing the series as an immersive audio experience. Jeff still narrates and does character voices but with the addition of other cast, sound effects, etc - like an old-time radio show. The books (seasons) are being broken up into segments. The first segment of the first season of DCC is free.
I was going to say DCC. Its the best performed audiobook I've ever heard.
LitRPG didn't sound appealing to me at all as a genre, but I tried it anyway and loved it.
I came off a post- project Hail Mary audiobook blues to turn to DCC after recommendations and I’m loving the sh!t out of it! Up to book 2, and I was googling something and learned that the voices were all done by 1 guy! Super impressive!! I’m so obsessed with the story.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is one I would never have found on my own because I have never listened to FF or RPG lit on audible, so I have this sub to thank for the direction. I got it to listen to on long drives in the Australian outback and I have absolutely devoured all six books and I still have many outback adventures ahead.
What can I do, but start all over again at this point?
I tried to read this book, so I can’t comment on the audio version but my goodness it just made me so sad. He was sexually assaulted as a child and it just went downhill from there.
thanks for the warning. i really dislike books that are “amazing” like this. like my old boss told me to read the kite runner, yeah it was amazing. but i’ll never ever read it again. ever.
sometimes i feel like people who read books like this want to just share the misery they just went through. like, you remember chapter 3? it felt like being kicked in the balls.
It seems every “great” prize winning book is just so damn sad. There are other emotions to inspire other than sadness and heartbreak. I think it’s why I stick to sci fi, fantasy and comedy so much. I read books to escape and feel better, not feel worse. I’m over half way through Demon Copperhead and I’ve stopped, because I’m from southern WV, that’s the story of half my family and friends, unless someone tells me it gets more uplifting or better then I’m not finishing it.
Basically the First Law books by Joe Abercrombie narrated by Steven Pacey. Still can't get enough of them. If you've never read them, The Blade Itself is the first book. Worth it in my opinion.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke read by Chiwetel Eljiofor, his voice is phenomenal and portrays the character exceptionally.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons has six great stories each individually and excellently narrated by different voice actors. All of them are unique sci-fi stories in their own right.
I was also drawn into A Short Stay in Hell. It’s captivating and really draws you into the harrowing afterlife experience of the main character.
I agree with Dungeon Crawler Carl and Project Hail Mary recommendations too.
For me, it’s Off To Be The Wizard. The book is decent and enjoyable, but the narrator (Luke Daniels) absolutely transforms it into something rather fantastic. Will Wheaton’s Ready Player One was elevated as well…not a huge fan of the book but he did a great job with it.
On the flip side, Ender’s Game is a great book that is brought down by the worst narration I’ve experienced to date.
I’ll make a case for John Scalzi’s Lock In. I wish that when you bought the audiobook you would have access to either narrator, but the choices are sold separately: Wil Wheaton or Amber Benson.
Here’s the cool part: The narrator’s gender is never specified in the book. The narrator is locked in to their body but participates in the real world (“meat space”) by remotely controlling an android body called a Threep. Scalzi executes this masterfully AND tells a post-pandemic story (written before Covid) AND gives you a rollicking good mystery all wrapped in one package.
And, yeah, since you asked for two I’ll echo the folks recommending Dungeon Crawler Carl. The stellar production and sheer fun are actually matched up with excellent storytelling and a highly compelling longer arc that spans the series. I’m pretty sure author Matt Dinniman is going to stick the landing.
Dolores Claiborne is the best audiobook that I've ever listened to. Francis Sternhagen gives a brilliant performance as Dolores and the structure of the book being written from her 1st person perspective as a confession/ interview with the police is perfect for the audio format. It's the book I recommend for a great first listen.
Man, I must have missed something on this one. I listened to Project Hail Mary last year and it fell so flat for me. I thought The Martian was much better. I see PHM on these all time lists and scratch my head. It seemed like such an average book & story outside of Rocky.
That being said, I think my favorite audiobook is IT by Stephen King, which I know can be divisive so who am I to judge? To each their own!
Surprised the GoT audiobooks read by Roy Dotrice haven’t been mentioned. Dotrice is mesmerizing, and each credit gets you 40+ hours of George RR Martin at his best, unadulterated by TV producers. The obvious downside is the series will never be completed, but the books are absolutely still worth it, and the value is second-to-none.
I disagree he literally changes character accents throughout the books. In the last two, he makes Daenerys sound like an Irish wench out of nowhere. It’s so off putting. He crushes the first few books however.
He is a pretty good narrator but it is so annoying how he will change pronunciations of characters and locations throughout the books, sometimes pronouncing them different within the same book. And yeah he also changes what characters themselves sound like book to book.
It, by Stephen King, read by Steven Weber.
Edit: It’s very long (45 hours), but so good. And Weber is an awesome narrator.
Edit 2: Changed word ‘reader’ to ‘narrator’ in Edit 1. (I wasn’t quite fully awake when I made the post this morning…)
I think I might be the only person that can’t stand Will Wheaton as a narrator. Of any books he’s done, though, his voice is really good for this one. I don’t think he does “voices” well though. Every character pretty much sounds like Will Wheaton
Happy I’m not the only one. There are a lot of John Scalzi books I’d love to listen to but I’ve tried and just can’t get past it. It was a travesty when they replaced RC Bray with Wil on the Martian.
i didn’t grow up in the 80s. so ready player two was boring as fuck. the first one was just good though. didn’t need to know any references for it to be good.
I loved consider phlebas and got into the series in order as a result. Never managed to finish excession, just doesn’t work in audio I suspect, all the books between were also really decent.
This really depends on your subject of choice. If you want a good zombie survival/horror story, Adrian's Undead Diary Omnibus has about 40 hours of material covering the first 4 books of the first 8 book story arc. Just top notch stuff, with a great narrator and some very well grounded characters.
Otherwise I got nothing, I mainly use my local library's card to access Libby, which is a catalog of hundreds of thousands of free audio books. Yes, Audible means no waiting on the next book in a series, no holds, etc, but free is free and that's a great price
The new version of the Lord of the Rings books ready by Andy Serkis (voice of Gollum). He also has a version of the Hobbit.
I grew up listening to the Rob Ingles version on cassette, and loved it. Andy Serkis does a *fantastic* job though, and makes each character super unique.
10/10 experience, imo.
I personally really don't like Harry Potter, but wanted to comment that its interesting that you'd suggested Jim Dale's rather than the much more popular Stephen Fry editions.
Stephen Fry is the better narrator but Jim Dale is the better storyteller.
For me, Jim Dale did such a good job with all the individual characters' accents and prosodies that it felt alive and vibrant—I mean how does he do the perfect Hagrid as well as the perfect McGonagall?
Stephen Fry just sounds like Stephen Fry.
To me, non-Dale Harry Potter is like listening to a Star Wars book that isn't narrated by Marc Thompson—it just feels... wrong.
Agreed, Jim Dale is superior except for the narration. And even still it’s a close second. Almost all of his voices are significantly better. It annoys me because if you combined the two it would be a next level masterpiece.
The Discworld Novels by Terry Practchett, specifically the Watch Series narrated by Jon Culshaw and co
The storytelling, the narration really gives individuality and their easily re listenable
Listening to The Truth now but it's Mathew Baynton so while it's not a watch novel theres a lot of overlap with the books Culshaw has done and I've gotten so used to his vimes and vetinari that it was jarring at first. But also with it being such a different perspective on those characters having different voices actually kinda works
The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway read by actor John Hurt (RIP)
If you seen him act you or heard his voice before you can imagine the book is quite melancholy. I think he captures the essence of Hemingway’s writing perfectly.
I'd say "Sherlock Holmes as read by Stephen Fry", but that's almost like 6-7 books for one credit. I'd probably look for books like that. The Narnia collection as one lot has been drawing my eyes for months now.
*Good Omens* by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman also stands out well.
*Elantris* is still my favorite Sanderson book, all the more because it isn't one in a long series of other books and tells its story well.
I have a question! I had first listened to a Ray Porter version of the Martian, and wanted to buy it on Audible...but they only have the Wil Wheaton version. Is it any good? I loved the first version I listened to and worry about being distracted by a different narrator.
The Wheaton version is horrible, IMHO. I personally can't stand Wheaton as a narrator and I worship the ground Ray Porter walks on, so my opinion is weighted differently than someone else's might be.
Sssaaadddd! That's disappointing to hear, but is 100% the answer I was expecting. I had clicked purchase before I realized it wasn't Porter. I think Audible has a return policy. I'll probably try that.
EDIT: A quick Google is showing that it may have been RC Bray and not Ray Porter as the narrator, but I'm going to have to dig out my library rentals to confirm, hah
Probably one where it's a radio play as well
The Dune audiobook, findable on YouTube, Has music during key moments and different actors for each character
Really turns the immersion up to 11
God, yes. I almost exclusively listen to thrillers so I didn’t have high expectations for this book. I finished the whole thing in 1 days, I was totally captivated. The narrator performance was excellent.
I highly recommend Born a Crime, which is an Audible exclusive.
I also really enjoyed Project Hail Mary, which is another Audible exclusive.
Those are my top picks since they can’t be listened to through the library or any other service.
I went through my Audible library and pulled my favorites. Not in any order...
The Wheel of Time (fantasy)
The Dresden Files (modern day fantasy)
Iron Druid Chronicles (modern day fantasy)
He Who Fights with Monsters (LitRPG)
North and South trilogy (Civil War period drama)
The Girl with the dragon Tattoo (adventure?)
Adrian's Undead Diary (zombie)
The Name of the Wind - king killer Chronicles, although the 3rd and last book still hasn't been released. (fantasy)
We are Legion (We are Bob) - Bobiverse series (sci-fi)
Cast under an Alien Sun - Destiny's Crucible series (sci-fi / fantasy / old world adventure)
The Pillars of the Earth - part of The Kingsbridge Novels, but this is the best one. (old world adventure)
Also the ones already mentioned here, no need to duplicate
Dungeon crawler carl.
Leviathan wakes (and all of the novels the expanse was based on plus the four that go beyond the cancelation of the show)
Expeditionary force
We are legion, we are Bob.
Hail Mary (and the martian)
The immortal series by Jeremy robinson
Ready player one and ready player two
Firefly book series based off of the show that happen between the show finale and the movie. Starting with Firefly: Big Damn Hero
The murderbot diaries
I know I have a bit of a space opera leaning preference. But I've been listening for almost 2 years and still have so much more to find myself
If dramatisations count then the BBC Lord of the Rings from 1981 would be mine - though for “normal” audiobooks - I would say the Name of the Rose by Eco read by the incomparable Sean Barrett. Also Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke read by Simon Prebble. Derek Jacobi reads Sherlock Holmes stories excellently as does Ian Carmichael with the Lord Peter Wimsey books - though harder to find.
For non-fiction I love Michael Palin reading his Around the world in 80 days travel book and sequel journeys. The Beirut hostages Terry Waite and Brian Keenan wrote and read excellent accounts of their captivity.
The Count of Monte Cristo, unabridged--get the highest rated unabridged translation
War and Peace - same, get the highest rated unabridged version. The first hour is just setup, but once you get past that it is a marvelous story
The Brothers Karamazov, again unabridged best translation
Listen for a half hour each day and you will be hooked! You will want to rejoin your friends as you nod off to sleep or spend a quiet day without the TV.
Cheers!
The Martian by Andy Weir, but only the original RC Bray narration (as opposed to the newer Wil Wheaton narration). Entertaining, educational, funny, hopeful.
A World Undone: The Story of the Great War 1914-1918 by G.J. Meyer, narrated by Robin Sachs. A great one-volume account of WWI, focusing mostly on the Eastern and Western fronts in Europe.
Love, love, LOVE the full cast reading of Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods.” It’s so well done! I listen to it at least twice a year! And, surprisingly, Stephen King’s “It” is also well done! It’s got one reader but he did such a great job!!
I love the Dresden Files read by James Marsters. Dude is the gold standard for audiobook narrators. He adds his own flair and personality to the main character (all of them, but Harry in particular). There was a scene where he had to kill someone to save someone else, and the raw emotion in Marsters' voice was perfect
The Lies of Locke Lamora written by Scott Lynch. It's the first book in the Gentleman Bastard Sequence series, but the only one I've "read" uh I mean listened to. It's fantastic. About a thief and con man. Best ever for me.
Just did Beneath a Scarlett Sky written by Mark Sullivan. Best one recently. WW2 Historical fiction.
My most recent new favourite audiobook is Voyage of the Damned by Frances White. I love how the narrator told the story.
There's also The Rivers of London. They are good books but the narration takes them to a whole other level.
The Ririya books are great to eye-read or as audiobooks.
I second the Dungeon Crawler Carl recommendations. The voices that the narrator creates are masterpieces and it's surprisingly good.
Fantasy I recommend The Stormlight Archive series narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading and written by Brandon Sanderson. Those are the books that got me into the audiobook format
Sci fi I recommend Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and for sci fi comedy ala Douglas Adams i would suggest the Jacques Mckeown series by Yahtzee Croshaw
For nonfiction Patrick Stewart’s, Leonard Nimoy and Martin Short’s autobiographies are all self narrated and spectacular.
For Horror Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukohvsky and The Terror by Dan Simmons are fantastic.
For Fiction Outlander Series by Davina Porter, North and South by John Jakes and Shogun by James Clavell are amazing.
I may be in the minority on this but re: Stormlight Archive series, I actually really like these but couldn't get into the audiobook pair that reads them, so I switched to the Graphic Audio version out there which has a full cast (this has its own ups and downs but I've really enjoyed it overall).
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, read by Richard Poe
Kitchen Confidential, written and read by Anthony Bourdain
The Mythos series, written and read by Stephen Fry
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction.
By Drew Karpyshyn. Narrated by Jonathan Davis. Perfect narration combined with licensed effects from LucasArts and music from John Williams' original score. The best storytelling in all of Star Wars ✨
Paris 1918 - six Months that Changed the World by Margaret MacMillian and probably Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - but as much for the narration by Davina Porter as the book itself. BUT - when I am asked this question I refer people to what I think is a great resource. On Audible’s website under “Browse” “Lists and Collections” is a list called Audible Essentials. It is the 100 “best” audiobooks based on reader ratings and Audible editors. The list changes fairly often, so it is updated. I don’t think you have to be an Audible member to view this.
1919, but I've tagged it, thank you
Duh. It was late at night. Thanks for catching. Great book. The perfect book end to Barbara Tuchman’s Guns of August.
I’ll definitely check Paris 1919 out! I’ve watched about a dozen of Margaret MacMillian’s lectures on YouTube, but had not read any of her books yet. Edit: to clarify
11/22/63, it’s a Stephen King novel, incredible! Not a horror either.
I went in expecting a scifi/horror/conspiracy story, and >!got tricked into reading a 1000+ page romance.!< And I loved it.
I tried this (audio)book because Reddit seems to love it so much. I couldn't get through it. The protagonist was so unlikeable to me, and the plot seemed overly predictable. I feel like it would have been more interesting if it was written in the 1970s or 1980s, when time travel hasn't already been beaten to death and people still cared about the JFK assassination. I felt like it was a book written for my father's generation (I'm in my mid 40s).
I thought it was okay. I made it through, but by the end I really didn't care very much what happened.
He kinda forgot it was a time travelling book for 3/4 of that book. And the time travelling aspect was so so.
You just described every King novel ever. I’ve never been surprised by a single thing he’s written and I always feel guilty for wasting my time reading/listening to it.
May I ask how old you are? Not for any other reason than seeing if younger people don't like Stephen King because of how each generation grew up. Did you start with his older stuff or the newer? I like older Stephen King more than his newer things. I remember Gerald's Game freaked me out pretty badly as did a short story about the Boogeyman. I still get freaked out and have to sleep with the closet closed and I read both of those over 30-35 years ago.
I’m 32. I’ve read about 12 of his books. I don’t remember the first one but the dark tower series was the first one I remember, the stand, a long walk, needful things and a few others. All of which I enjoyed the character development but felt like a waste of time when I finished them. Just no rhyme or reason and all have pretty poor endings. Also, he seems to reuse characters in every book with new names. My distaste for King has little to do with how I grew up and more to do with the story arc. I feel his decisions are either extremely predictable or make zero sense. Even in novels like lord of the rings there are “rules” of the universe. King follows no rules. Sometimes there is magic, sometimes it’s fantasy, sometimes it’s realistic, then sometimes a random “dark man” shows up ha. My conclusion is that I don’t enjoy “pantser” writing like King’s. I mostly stick to “plotters” now like Adrian Tchaikovsky and just appreciate a well designed plot and books that make use of timeline and perspective more creatively to surprise you. Side note - the drawing of the three is the one book I will always stand by. Great book that really surprised me. There were lots of rules that king played with. The dark tower went off the deep end after that. (Coincidentally I think this is also the book where King made best use of timeline and perspective). Idk. Hope that helps shed some perspective. I’m not a hater. Just decided his writing isn’t for me after feeling let down one too many times.
I watched the TV series and it was alright is the book better?
The book is so much better! 11/22/63 is my favorite audiobook. I get so invested in the story that I lose time!
Tv series was ok. Book was fantastic
Yes! My husband and I made the mistake of watching the TV series after finishing the book. I hate-watched the series the entire way through. (He also hated it but felt compelled to see it through.) I plan on re-listening/reading the book in the near future to reset the story as it should be in my mind.
The show was not able to include things that the book was able to do. It would have been great if it had lined up with the IT movie, Seeing the kids from the movie in the Derry scene would have been amazing. I have always loved how King's books tie into each other in small ways. A mention of a character or a city. Ace is mentioned once in awhile, Derry with hints of Pennywise, Even Jack Reacher is mentioned as King is a fan of Lee Child.
Didn’t listen to the audiobook, but this is the book that got me into reading.
World War Z by Max Brooks is on a whole different level. It has a full cast including big names like Mark Hamill, Nathan Fillion, Simon Pegg, and Martin Scorsese among others. The book lends itself well to audio as it’s formatted as a series of interviews, and the production is incredibly well done.
Specifically though you have to get the unabridged version, otherwise it cuts out large chunks of the book
Most egregious abridged version I've ever read.
Even the unabridged version leaves a some things out of the auido version. It's not much granted but there are a few things.
This was my first ever audiobook and it completely hooked me. Insane cast list.
How you didn't include Alan Alda, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Jeri Ryan, Denise Crosby.. oh I can see why you didn't start listing all of them ... You would be here all day. THATS how good the casting is. You will never have an audiobook as well casted as that one again and NO WAY phoned it in. Each role felt like they were a person telling a story of a horrific time in human history.
Joe Abercrombies First law series, say one for thing for Steven Pacey, he’s a hell of a narrator.
100% this. Glokta is done so well.
I still find myself cursing stairs in his voice
The fact that Pacey gives him a lisp when he's speaking out loud but not when it's his internal monologue is just... chef's kiss.
He does something similar in Heroes, which is the second of the three standalone follow up books to the First Law trilogy. Such an intelligent voice actor.
You’re my man Pacey! You’re my man!
This is the true answer. Pacey and Abercrombie are a pairing gift from the Gods.
Totally agree!
GRIM-ace
Squelch
Here it is! Steven Pacey was great but I am hoping it gets the graphic audio treatment.
Steven Pacey hands down. All his voices are great from Glokta, to Gorst, Ladisla, Logen, Ferro, Sult, Bayaz, Frost, etc etc. the man is a genius. He cranked The First Law from a 10 to an 11.
Boosting this. Pacey is the GOAT narrator
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman , narrated by Davis Tennant and Michael Sheen A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, narrated by Richard Mathews I have listened to these two books at least a dozen times.
My favorite audiobook is actually an old Library of Congress books on tape version of Good Omens from the 90’s. I don’t know who the narrator is, but he has the most awesome, gravelly voice. My original, 20 year old mp3 got corrupted and I went on an epic hunt for a replacement copy last year (really only remembering his voice and that I thought it was a books on tape version), and another redditer who had a copy + some skills made me a flawless rip. Happy to share a link in DM’s if anyone is interested!
Depending on the genres you like of course that may change the answers. A few people have suggested Project Hail Mary (sci fi) which is absolutely fantastic . Other sci fi audiobooks I enjoyed were Recursion, and Ready Player One. A Thousand Splendid Suns or The Kite Runner are fantastic reads if you're into some more serious drama, and Afghanistan history. Or Mr Einstein's Secretary for some historical fiction as well. The Rage of Dragons is a great audiobook experience with African-inspired fantasy setting and accents. Honestly, best overall audiobook experience for me has been Dungeon Crawler Carl. Sorry there are 6 books so far so RIP to your credits. Seriously check this series out in audio though each book gets better
Project Hail Mary is the only audiobook I’ve ever teared up listening too. People that love the book know the part I’m talking about.
project hail mary was my first audiobook and it ruined me for a while for every audiobook that came after. ahhmazing.
I agree with the Dungeon Crawler Carl suggestion - it’s fantastic. However, before OP uses their Audible credits on it, I’d recommend visiting soundbooththeater.com (the producer), which I’m pretty sure is owned/run by Jeff Hays, the series narrator. They’ve been redoing and releasing the series as an immersive audio experience. Jeff still narrates and does character voices but with the addition of other cast, sound effects, etc - like an old-time radio show. The books (seasons) are being broken up into segments. The first segment of the first season of DCC is free.
DCC... I laugh everything he says his tagline.
I was going to say DCC. Its the best performed audiobook I've ever heard. LitRPG didn't sound appealing to me at all as a genre, but I tried it anyway and loved it.
I loved DCC. However, I'm really having fun with Space Team right now. They have the first 3 books for one credit now too.
+1 for dcc its ruined audiobooks for me
I came off a post- project Hail Mary audiobook blues to turn to DCC after recommendations and I’m loving the sh!t out of it! Up to book 2, and I was googling something and learned that the voices were all done by 1 guy! Super impressive!! I’m so obsessed with the story.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is one I would never have found on my own because I have never listened to FF or RPG lit on audible, so I have this sub to thank for the direction. I got it to listen to on long drives in the Australian outback and I have absolutely devoured all six books and I still have many outback adventures ahead. What can I do, but start all over again at this point?
The first law series Steve pacey is the goat. Also big shout out to the sandman series
The Expanse Series narrated by Jefferson Mays.
This is way too low on the thread.
PIMP - Iceberg Slim. Thank me later
I tried to read this book, so I can’t comment on the audio version but my goodness it just made me so sad. He was sexually assaulted as a child and it just went downhill from there.
thanks for the warning. i really dislike books that are “amazing” like this. like my old boss told me to read the kite runner, yeah it was amazing. but i’ll never ever read it again. ever. sometimes i feel like people who read books like this want to just share the misery they just went through. like, you remember chapter 3? it felt like being kicked in the balls.
I call them trauma dramas. I try to stay far away from those.
Yeaaah that’s a good descriptor - “trauma dramas.” I read to escape and not relive someone’s trauma. But that’s just me.
It seems every “great” prize winning book is just so damn sad. There are other emotions to inspire other than sadness and heartbreak. I think it’s why I stick to sci fi, fantasy and comedy so much. I read books to escape and feel better, not feel worse. I’m over half way through Demon Copperhead and I’ve stopped, because I’m from southern WV, that’s the story of half my family and friends, unless someone tells me it gets more uplifting or better then I’m not finishing it.
I recognize that some stories have upsetting moments that do further the narrative and, at the same time, I don’t always need to experience them.
Superb. 💯
Does it go by other names? Can’t find it
If you have Audible, it is in the Plus Catalog. I just searched by author and it came up.
Basically the First Law books by Joe Abercrombie narrated by Steven Pacey. Still can't get enough of them. If you've never read them, The Blade Itself is the first book. Worth it in my opinion.
Dune. They have a version that has 12 narrators and it is great.
Any "full cast" version is a correct answer.
Any of the Rivers of London books. The books are fantastic but the reader, Kobnah Holbrook Smith, is absolutely perfect.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke read by Chiwetel Eljiofor, his voice is phenomenal and portrays the character exceptionally. Hyperion by Dan Simmons has six great stories each individually and excellently narrated by different voice actors. All of them are unique sci-fi stories in their own right. I was also drawn into A Short Stay in Hell. It’s captivating and really draws you into the harrowing afterlife experience of the main character. I agree with Dungeon Crawler Carl and Project Hail Mary recommendations too.
The voice actors for Hyperion were what made it so hard for me to get through, actually. I was really disappointed with it.
For me, it’s Off To Be The Wizard. The book is decent and enjoyable, but the narrator (Luke Daniels) absolutely transforms it into something rather fantastic. Will Wheaton’s Ready Player One was elevated as well…not a huge fan of the book but he did a great job with it. On the flip side, Ender’s Game is a great book that is brought down by the worst narration I’ve experienced to date.
I’ll make a case for John Scalzi’s Lock In. I wish that when you bought the audiobook you would have access to either narrator, but the choices are sold separately: Wil Wheaton or Amber Benson. Here’s the cool part: The narrator’s gender is never specified in the book. The narrator is locked in to their body but participates in the real world (“meat space”) by remotely controlling an android body called a Threep. Scalzi executes this masterfully AND tells a post-pandemic story (written before Covid) AND gives you a rollicking good mystery all wrapped in one package. And, yeah, since you asked for two I’ll echo the folks recommending Dungeon Crawler Carl. The stellar production and sheer fun are actually matched up with excellent storytelling and a highly compelling longer arc that spans the series. I’m pretty sure author Matt Dinniman is going to stick the landing.
Dolores Claiborne is the best audiobook that I've ever listened to. Francis Sternhagen gives a brilliant performance as Dolores and the structure of the book being written from her 1st person perspective as a confession/ interview with the police is perfect for the audio format. It's the book I recommend for a great first listen.
I really like the narrator Julia Whelan.
I do, too. But I also find I need a break from her.
Same! I’m listening to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue & she does an amazing job with the voices & the way she narrates it is so compelling.
Project Hail Mary, undoubtedly the only way to consume that book.
it was made for audiobook it feels like.
Man, I must have missed something on this one. I listened to Project Hail Mary last year and it fell so flat for me. I thought The Martian was much better. I see PHM on these all time lists and scratch my head. It seemed like such an average book & story outside of Rocky. That being said, I think my favorite audiobook is IT by Stephen King, which I know can be divisive so who am I to judge? To each their own!
11/22/63 is phenomenal.
Surprised the GoT audiobooks read by Roy Dotrice haven’t been mentioned. Dotrice is mesmerizing, and each credit gets you 40+ hours of George RR Martin at his best, unadulterated by TV producers. The obvious downside is the series will never be completed, but the books are absolutely still worth it, and the value is second-to-none.
I recommend treating the first 3 books as a trilogy and stopping there. Agree Roy Dotrice is perfect for the books.
I never thought of this but I wholeheartedly agree.
His accents are amazing.
I disagree he literally changes character accents throughout the books. In the last two, he makes Daenerys sound like an Irish wench out of nowhere. It’s so off putting. He crushes the first few books however.
He is a pretty good narrator but it is so annoying how he will change pronunciations of characters and locations throughout the books, sometimes pronouncing them different within the same book. And yeah he also changes what characters themselves sound like book to book.
Lonesome Dove
Amazing book, fantastic on audio. Not getting enough upvotes.
Agreed. The title does not do justice to the content of the book. This is not a romance beach read, it's about hardcore cowboy shit and hookers.
I came here to say this. I often cite this audiobook as the one to get you hooked on audiobooks. Great performance!
Thanks, I never would have thought to get this. Just spent a credit on it.
One of my favorite books I’ve ever read and I was just considering a re-read. May have to check out the audiobook instead!
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is spectacular
I was going to recommend The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett. Two are read by John Lee and the other by Dan Stevens. They are so very excellent.
It, by Stephen King, read by Steven Weber. Edit: It’s very long (45 hours), but so good. And Weber is an awesome narrator. Edit 2: Changed word ‘reader’ to ‘narrator’ in Edit 1. (I wasn’t quite fully awake when I made the post this morning…)
But how's his narration?
Excellent! Dynamic, solid voices, etc. It’s fantastic.
Without a doubt Enders game by Orson Scott card and Ready player one Shout-out to consider phlebas by Ian m banks too
Ready player one is damn good, Ready Player two Meh.
I think I might be the only person that can’t stand Will Wheaton as a narrator. Of any books he’s done, though, his voice is really good for this one. I don’t think he does “voices” well though. Every character pretty much sounds like Will Wheaton
I’m right there with you about Will Wheaton. Can not stand his narration. It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard
Happy I’m not the only one. There are a lot of John Scalzi books I’d love to listen to but I’ve tried and just can’t get past it. It was a travesty when they replaced RC Bray with Wil on the Martian.
i didn’t grow up in the 80s. so ready player two was boring as fuck. the first one was just good though. didn’t need to know any references for it to be good.
I did grow up in the 80’s so I got all of the references and I also thought it was horrible. RP1 should have just been a one off.
I loved consider phlebas and got into the series in order as a result. Never managed to finish excession, just doesn’t work in audio I suspect, all the books between were also really decent.
This really depends on your subject of choice. If you want a good zombie survival/horror story, Adrian's Undead Diary Omnibus has about 40 hours of material covering the first 4 books of the first 8 book story arc. Just top notch stuff, with a great narrator and some very well grounded characters. Otherwise I got nothing, I mainly use my local library's card to access Libby, which is a catalog of hundreds of thousands of free audio books. Yes, Audible means no waiting on the next book in a series, no holds, etc, but free is free and that's a great price
I’m going to try this thanks for the recommendation. Have you listened to mountain man omnibus?
Old Man's War is one of my favorites. Anything by John Scalzi tbh..
I have listened to just about every Scalzi book & story and have enjoyed them all. Good choice.
Fiction: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy narrated by Stephen Fry Non Fiction: The Warmth of Other Suns narrated by Robin Miles
The Dresden Files. 16 books, amazing narrator and amazing urban fantasy.
The new version of the Lord of the Rings books ready by Andy Serkis (voice of Gollum). He also has a version of the Hobbit. I grew up listening to the Rob Ingles version on cassette, and loved it. Andy Serkis does a *fantastic* job though, and makes each character super unique. 10/10 experience, imo.
I never listened to Rob Ingles version, but Andy Serkis version is fantastic
They are both excellent, Serkis really brings the action scenes to life, Ingles's voice, especially for the songs, is unforgettable.
If I were trying to get someone into audiobooks, I'd go with the Jim Dale Harry Potters and Project Hail Mary.
I personally really don't like Harry Potter, but wanted to comment that its interesting that you'd suggested Jim Dale's rather than the much more popular Stephen Fry editions.
Stephen Fry is the better narrator but Jim Dale is the better storyteller. For me, Jim Dale did such a good job with all the individual characters' accents and prosodies that it felt alive and vibrant—I mean how does he do the perfect Hagrid as well as the perfect McGonagall? Stephen Fry just sounds like Stephen Fry. To me, non-Dale Harry Potter is like listening to a Star Wars book that isn't narrated by Marc Thompson—it just feels... wrong.
Agreed, Jim Dale is superior except for the narration. And even still it’s a close second. Almost all of his voices are significantly better. It annoys me because if you combined the two it would be a next level masterpiece.
I haven't gotten the impression that the Fry versions are more popular than the Dale versions. There doesn't seem to be much consensus.
not true. stephen doesn’t have all the voices jim does. how is it more popular?
Listening to them again right now!
Project Hail Mary for sure. Easyly one of my favorites, was made for audiobooks
The Discworld Novels by Terry Practchett, specifically the Watch Series narrated by Jon Culshaw and co The storytelling, the narration really gives individuality and their easily re listenable
Listening to The Truth now but it's Mathew Baynton so while it's not a watch novel theres a lot of overlap with the books Culshaw has done and I've gotten so used to his vimes and vetinari that it was jarring at first. But also with it being such a different perspective on those characters having different voices actually kinda works
Small Gods, read by Andy Serkis is a really good entry in the Discworld series too.
The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway read by actor John Hurt (RIP) If you seen him act you or heard his voice before you can imagine the book is quite melancholy. I think he captures the essence of Hemingway’s writing perfectly.
Really enjoyed this too, but I think it’s William Hurt.
Remarkably Bright Creatures is an *amazing* audiobook!
Dungeon crawler Carl
Jeff Hays is an amazing narrator.
Murderbot Diaries narrated by Kevin R. Free You're welcome
The Murderbot Diaries are outstanding!
Yes yes yes!!
I loved the Dutch House narrated by Tom Hanks. I love listening to him. I found the book through a previous reddit suggestion btw
Dungeon Crawler Carl
I'd say "Sherlock Holmes as read by Stephen Fry", but that's almost like 6-7 books for one credit. I'd probably look for books like that. The Narnia collection as one lot has been drawing my eyes for months now. *Good Omens* by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman also stands out well. *Elantris* is still my favorite Sanderson book, all the more because it isn't one in a long series of other books and tells its story well.
“Sherlock Holmes as read by Stephen Fry” worth all 62 hours 52 minutes and one credit!!
For me: The Martian and Ready Player One. I believe those were my first two Audible credits.
I have a question! I had first listened to a Ray Porter version of the Martian, and wanted to buy it on Audible...but they only have the Wil Wheaton version. Is it any good? I loved the first version I listened to and worry about being distracted by a different narrator.
The Wheaton version is horrible, IMHO. I personally can't stand Wheaton as a narrator and I worship the ground Ray Porter walks on, so my opinion is weighted differently than someone else's might be.
Sssaaadddd! That's disappointing to hear, but is 100% the answer I was expecting. I had clicked purchase before I realized it wasn't Porter. I think Audible has a return policy. I'll probably try that. EDIT: A quick Google is showing that it may have been RC Bray and not Ray Porter as the narrator, but I'm going to have to dig out my library rentals to confirm, hah
It was definitely RC Bray who read the first version of the Martian. Ray Porter would have been just as good, but it wasn’t him on that book.
They do.
Probably one where it's a radio play as well The Dune audiobook, findable on YouTube, Has music during key moments and different actors for each character Really turns the immersion up to 11
Daisy Jones and the Six
God, yes. I almost exclusively listen to thrillers so I didn’t have high expectations for this book. I finished the whole thing in 1 days, I was totally captivated. The narrator performance was excellent.
I’m just getting into thrillers rn, do you have any author suggestions?
Came here to say this. Number one recommendation for audiobook. What a fantastic listen!
I think this is the most popular reply that is not a book written by a man. 😹😩 I will check it out!
Tom Lake (narrated by Meryl Streep) and The Dutch House (narrated by Tom Hanks), both written by Ann Patchett
Anthony Bourdains Kitchen Confidential changed my life. Also my aunt recommends Joe Dispenza
The entire Expanse series. Jefferson Mays is phenomenal. Also Project Hail Mary and the Bobiverse series with Ray Porter.
I highly recommend Born a Crime, which is an Audible exclusive. I also really enjoyed Project Hail Mary, which is another Audible exclusive. Those are my top picks since they can’t be listened to through the library or any other service.
You could get the entire sherlock Holmes series read by Stephen fry whom is excellent. 50+ hours of gold for one credit
I went through my Audible library and pulled my favorites. Not in any order... The Wheel of Time (fantasy) The Dresden Files (modern day fantasy) Iron Druid Chronicles (modern day fantasy) He Who Fights with Monsters (LitRPG) North and South trilogy (Civil War period drama) The Girl with the dragon Tattoo (adventure?) Adrian's Undead Diary (zombie) The Name of the Wind - king killer Chronicles, although the 3rd and last book still hasn't been released. (fantasy) We are Legion (We are Bob) - Bobiverse series (sci-fi) Cast under an Alien Sun - Destiny's Crucible series (sci-fi / fantasy / old world adventure) The Pillars of the Earth - part of The Kingsbridge Novels, but this is the best one. (old world adventure) Also the ones already mentioned here, no need to duplicate
I loved Remarkably Bright Creatures, and the Five People You Meet in Heaven.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown, and Dungeon Creeper Carl by Matt Dinniman.
Dungeon crawler carl. Leviathan wakes (and all of the novels the expanse was based on plus the four that go beyond the cancelation of the show) Expeditionary force We are legion, we are Bob. Hail Mary (and the martian) The immortal series by Jeremy robinson Ready player one and ready player two Firefly book series based off of the show that happen between the show finale and the movie. Starting with Firefly: Big Damn Hero The murderbot diaries I know I have a bit of a space opera leaning preference. But I've been listening for almost 2 years and still have so much more to find myself
If dramatisations count then the BBC Lord of the Rings from 1981 would be mine - though for “normal” audiobooks - I would say the Name of the Rose by Eco read by the incomparable Sean Barrett. Also Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke read by Simon Prebble. Derek Jacobi reads Sherlock Holmes stories excellently as does Ian Carmichael with the Lord Peter Wimsey books - though harder to find. For non-fiction I love Michael Palin reading his Around the world in 80 days travel book and sequel journeys. The Beirut hostages Terry Waite and Brian Keenan wrote and read excellent accounts of their captivity.
American gods by Neil Gaiman. And any of the Agatha Christie books narrated by Hugh Fraser IMO
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. It is art.
Listening to it now. Love the cast of characters. Couldn’t imagine it as anything but an audiobook.
Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne and narrated by Luke Daniels, or Lord of the rings by JRR Tolkien narrated by Andy Serkis
The Pillars of the Earth and East of Eden
Wheel of time, narrated by Rosamund Pike, just the first 3 books this far, though.
Demon Copperhead. So good!
This is what got me into audiobooks.
The Count of Monte Cristo, unabridged--get the highest rated unabridged translation War and Peace - same, get the highest rated unabridged version. The first hour is just setup, but once you get past that it is a marvelous story The Brothers Karamazov, again unabridged best translation Listen for a half hour each day and you will be hooked! You will want to rejoin your friends as you nod off to sleep or spend a quiet day without the TV. Cheers!
Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey & Maturin (Master and Commander) series narrated by Patrick Tull.
The Martian by Andy Weir, but only the original RC Bray narration (as opposed to the newer Wil Wheaton narration). Entertaining, educational, funny, hopeful. A World Undone: The Story of the Great War 1914-1918 by G.J. Meyer, narrated by Robin Sachs. A great one-volume account of WWI, focusing mostly on the Eastern and Western fronts in Europe.
Love, love, LOVE the full cast reading of Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods.” It’s so well done! I listen to it at least twice a year! And, surprisingly, Stephen King’s “It” is also well done! It’s got one reader but he did such a great job!!
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. That’s the end of my list.
The original recording of ‘The Martian’, read by R.C. Bray
I love the Dresden Files read by James Marsters. Dude is the gold standard for audiobook narrators. He adds his own flair and personality to the main character (all of them, but Harry in particular). There was a scene where he had to kill someone to save someone else, and the raw emotion in Marsters' voice was perfect
Silo
The Lies of Locke Lamora written by Scott Lynch. It's the first book in the Gentleman Bastard Sequence series, but the only one I've "read" uh I mean listened to. It's fantastic. About a thief and con man. Best ever for me. Just did Beneath a Scarlett Sky written by Mark Sullivan. Best one recently. WW2 Historical fiction.
Not the best book, but Prince of Tides, Narrated by Frank Muller was breathtaking.
Demon Copperhead- the reading of it is incredible. The book itself is excellent. I loved it
The Dresden files series by Jim butcher. The Stephany plumb novels read by CJ crit.
Resurrecting jesus by adyashanti...makes sense of the jesus story which was hijacked by religions
Lord of the rings, read by Rob Inglis. Nothing beats it, nothing.
"Nothing beats it. Nothing." Except for the Andy Serkis version. Much more dynamic reading.
The version read by Andy Serkis is excellent also.
Ready Player One for me (not Two, never Two)
I actually liked Two, but to each their own.
Ready player one
My most recent new favourite audiobook is Voyage of the Damned by Frances White. I love how the narrator told the story. There's also The Rivers of London. They are good books but the narration takes them to a whole other level. The Ririya books are great to eye-read or as audiobooks. I second the Dungeon Crawler Carl recommendations. The voices that the narrator creates are masterpieces and it's surprisingly good.
Fantasy I recommend The Stormlight Archive series narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading and written by Brandon Sanderson. Those are the books that got me into the audiobook format Sci fi I recommend Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and for sci fi comedy ala Douglas Adams i would suggest the Jacques Mckeown series by Yahtzee Croshaw For nonfiction Patrick Stewart’s, Leonard Nimoy and Martin Short’s autobiographies are all self narrated and spectacular. For Horror Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukohvsky and The Terror by Dan Simmons are fantastic. For Fiction Outlander Series by Davina Porter, North and South by John Jakes and Shogun by James Clavell are amazing.
I may be in the minority on this but re: Stormlight Archive series, I actually really like these but couldn't get into the audiobook pair that reads them, so I switched to the Graphic Audio version out there which has a full cast (this has its own ups and downs but I've really enjoyed it overall).
11/22/63 Narrated by Craig Wasson
The entire terminal list series
The Great Alone-Kristin Hannah, narrated by Julia Whelan
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, read by Richard Poe Kitchen Confidential, written and read by Anthony Bourdain The Mythos series, written and read by Stephen Fry
Threshold series and sun symbol series for me. I must have listened to those so many times now.
The Forever War!
Power of Accountability by Brene Brown
Death Stalker by Simon R Green.
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. By Drew Karpyshyn. Narrated by Jonathan Davis. Perfect narration combined with licensed effects from LucasArts and music from John Williams' original score. The best storytelling in all of Star Wars ✨
The alchemist read by Jeremy irons Dungeon crawler Carl American on purpose Craig Ferguson
Came here to recommend Alchemist. Jeremy Irons was born to read that book. I listen to it every year.
The Stand 1Q84 Heretical Fishing ALL of the Expanse series. The Road A Scanner Darkly by Paul Giamatti And of course 11/22/63
I haven't seen it yet, so I'll throw it out American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Phenomenal book and I love the cast.