You've come to the right place for otherworldly experiences. In 2025, cozy fantasy is still going strong, plus we’ve got LitRPG to round out the escapism. There’s also some speculative fiction that’s a bit too prescient-feeling, if you know what we mean. But the best science fiction and fantasies are meant to make you sit up and think about the state of society from a fresh perspective, veiled as it is in a world different from our own. We’ve got magical schools, toxic lesbian vampires, intergalactic adventures, and mythological retellings for you. All you need to do is put on your headphones and be swept away.
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I already loved Emily Tesh for her jaw-dropping sci-fi about a space cult, Some Desperate Glory. So, I was beyond excited that in her latest novel Tesh explored one of my favorite realms of fiction: magical schools. In this world, demonic summoning is an important skill for every magician to learn, and Director Walden is one of the best. But one of the biggest demons there is has come to torment her teenage students, who are very reckless, as most teenagers are. What ensues is Tesh’s razor-sharp observations about systems and the human condition, coupled with complex, reality-based characters. Narrator Zara Ramm invokes the presence of Director Walden’s many sides, and it’s a real treat of a listen. The Incandescent is not to be missed for any and all fantasy fans. To hear more from Emily Tesh, listen to our interview. —Melissa B.
I adored This Is How You Lose the Time War, which Amal El-Mohtar co-wrote with Max Gladstone, so I had my hopes up for her solo debut. If you also loved that book for its stunning use of language, you will adore The River Has Roots. Grammar is magic in this fairy tale—but it’s not the grammar you’re thinking of: the stuffy subject of our elementary school days. In this story, grammar is the beauty and power of the way words meld together, play off one another, and construe meaning. I hesitate to reveal too much lest I ruin the journey. Let Gem Carmella’s effusive, playful performance (complete with gorgeous singing) guide you through this delightful tale. To hear more from Amal El-Mohtar, read our interview. —Sam D.
Blossoming out of a collaborative fictional landscape known as the SCP Foundation, whose mission is to “secure, contain, and protect” mankind from a variety of unexplainable entities, this fascinating novel from a British computer programmer contemplates the idea that the world is full of “antimemes.” These are entities that by their very nature are impossible to retain or remember. While some are relatively harmless (like giant, gentle creatures who use antimemetic properties as camouflage), the more nefarious antimemes are devouring entire teams of scientists with no one the wiser. Because how do you fight an enemy you aren't even aware exists? The structure of the story—moving back and forth in time and peppered with redacted classified documents—makes room for rich audio elements, while also surfacing compelling and relevant questions around history, memory, and fascism in a world rife with deepfakes and misinformation. —Emily C.
Edward Ashton has the magical ability to combine the science-y smarts and philosophical quandaries of highbrow sci-fi with the irreverent tone of a Simon Pegg buddy comedy. In The Fourth Consort, humans have achieved deep-space travel, but not on their own merits. They've simply allied themselves with one of two rival colonizing entities that are in a race to gather as many “client” civilizations as possible across the universe. A human diplomat is forced into an unlikely alliance with a “stick man” alien who represents the other conglomerate when they find themselves stranded on a planet of enormous, politicking insect-like creatures. Cue the bromance! Narrator Barrie Kreinik somehow manages to embody the voices of a huge swath of aliens of differing tones and perspectives. It's fascinating and funny and everything I love about this genre. To hear more from Edward Ashton, read our interview. —EC
If you’re into LitRPG, then I know you know about Matt Dinniman. If you’re not, then it’s time for you to check out this genre and this author. This is book 7 in Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series, and I promise if you start at book 1, you’ll still be having a blast by the time you get to This Inevitable Ruin. There’s a talking cat, self-aware NPCs fighting back, and a grand alien TV show. For the release of This Inevitable Ruin, narrator Jeff Hays even tattooed Princess Donut (the cat) on his butt, no joke. It’s a movement not to be missed. To hear more from Matt Dinniman, listen to our interview. —MB
Kerry Washington returns as Dr. Virginia Edwards in the second season of this supernatural thriller. Fully immersive, edge-of-your seat action doesn’t let up as you follow Virginia on the run from a politician with a cadre of fanatic followers at his beck and call. Luckily, Virginia now has a collection of friends to help her hide as she grapples with the implications of the foretelling that’s put a target on her and her newborn son, who may be the key to stopping the escalating natural disasters that plague the world. The full cast includes such notables as Giancarlo Esposito, Dulé Hill, Rhenzy Feliz, Guillermo Diaz, Ebony Obsidian, and Yvette Nicole Brown. Blending Bible stories with modern-day conflict, the story’s twists and turns kept coming—and concluded with an explosive ending. —MB
The year is 2119. Climate change and nuclear disaster have dramatically shifted both the physical and sociopolitical landscapes. Our hero is Tom, a scholar who navigates the archipelagos of what was once Great Britain to conduct research on his obsession—a lost poem from the year 2014 called “A Corona for Vivien.” What unfolds from there is textbook McEwan: two propulsive timelines, overt social commentary, and a central mystery that reveals itself slowly to the listener. I adored What We Can Know—and in anchoring the novel on a lost poem, McEwan has made this tale a love letter to the written word as an art form. David Rintoul and Rachel Bavidge’s performances submerge you in the world of this story—one into the obsession, and one into the mystery. This one will make you stop, think, and then press play all over again. To hear more from Ian McEwan, listen to our interview. —Katie O.
Robert Blaise released the first three books of his 1% Lifesteal series this year, and each one is a hit. Narrator Daniel Wisniewski’s voice is so epic, it feels like you’re on the adventure of a lifetime as main character Freddy Stern goes from lowly grocery store clerk to a progressively more powerful human with the gift and curse of 1% Lifesteal—a talent that allows him to heal, no matter how much damage he takes. It’s progression fantasy at its finest, with tropes like grinding, rags-to-riches, and weak-to-strong, but then Blaise throws every plot device you’ve ever known out the window so that you’re constantly surprised. For someone who has listened to everything under the sun, I found it very satisfying. —MB
Some listens just leave you quiet, with nothing but the sound of your heartbeat filling the space. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil did exactly that. It’s beautiful and painful and so full of longing: for freedom, for love, for a life that feels like your own. Told across three timelines, the story is layered and intimate, with characters whose lives twist around each other in ways that are heartbreaking, brilliant, and just a little toxic (okay, okay, a lot toxic). Julia Whelan, Katie Leung, and Marisa Calin bring it all to life with performances that flow together as seamlessly as the stories of María, Charlotte, and Alice. I finished it and just kept thinking: WOW, this is truly something special. —Patty R.
I’ve had an insatiable appetite for monster fiction since last year’s Someone You Can Build a Nest In, so Molly O’Neill’s debut rocketed to the top of my list this year. Greenteeth’s monstrous protagonist is Jenny, a centuries-old lake monster who rescues Temperance, a witch who has been cast out of her home and tossed to her death in Jenny’s lake. What follows is a story of friendship and adventure that left me utterly smitten. Catrin Walker-Booth brings such authenticity and charm to these characters. Cozy fantasy fans, I hope your tea is already steeping for this one. —SD
