10 dark fantasy adventures to listen to after "Impact Winter"

This gothic fable is the ultimate full-cast audio experience. Starring the vocal talents of Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, James McAvoy, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis, Michael Sheen, and Neil Gaiman himself, this epic first act in the Sandman saga introduces listeners to the complex world and dazzling characters of Gaiman's acclaimed comic book series. Join Lord Morpheus, the immortal king of dreams and the imagination, in an audio production like no other.

If you've somehow made it this long without listening to Max Brooks's incredible postapocalyptic zombie saga, the wait should end now. This multicast production, which retells the story of an epic zombie war from the perspective of its few survivors, won the 2014 Audie Award for Best Multicast Performance, and for good reason. Alan Alda, John Turturro, Rob Reiner, Mark Hamill, Alfred Molina, and Martin Scorsese are among the famous voices who perform this now-legendary audio, which many fans agree is the tale's #1 version.

The bewitching first installment of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles features what might be the best vampire dialogue of all time. Flawlessly voiced by acclaimed performer Simon Vance (who will scratch your Impact Winter-induced itch for British-accented bloodsuckers), Interview with the Vampire kicks off the seductive saga of Louis, Lestat, Claudia, and Armand in a dark and ornate tale that leaves listeners thirsty for more.

George R.R. Martin’s tale of a vampire’s quest to unite his kind with humanity follows Abner Marsh, a struggling riverboat captain who finds himself unable to resist the request of the wealthy—and suspiciously pale—aristocrat Joshua York. Not until the maiden voyage of his new sidewheeler Fevre Dream would Marsh realize he had joined a mission more sinister than his most fantastic nightmare—and perhaps more noble than mankind's greatest dream: achieving immortality.

A tale steeped in vampiric lore by Stephen King, Salem's Lot is one of the horror master's most iconic novels, and an essential of vampire lit. Writer Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem's Lot in the hopes of casting out his own devils while finding inspiration for his new book. But when two young boys venture into the woods and only one comes out alive, Mears begins to realize that there may be something truly sinister at work in his mysterious hometown. Ron McLarty delivers a masterful performance of this classic chiller, which comes with King's own memorable foreword.

A grisly mystery featuring a memorable, magical detective, this genre-blending thriller combines urban fantasy with the supernatural. The first installment in the Dresden Files series, Storm Front introduces Harry Dresden, professional wizard and part-time PI, who’s called in to help the Chicago PD Special Investigation Unit with a grisly murder. It’s only when Dresden recognizes there’s black magic involved that the case becomes truly dangerous. Voiced by Earphones Award-winning performer James Marsters (famed as the vampire Spike from TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer), this thrilling noir is distinguished by a dark paranormal edge.

In this 10th-anniversary special edition of Neil Gaiman's iconic American Gods, a full cast of exceptional talent, led by Audie Award-winning voice actor Ron McLarty, reimagines the mytho-magical landscape that made Gaiman a household name. Following his release and a tragedy that leaves him hopeless, former convict Shadow is seeking something to keep him grounded. So, when a charming stranger offers him a job, he eagerly accepts. After all, there’s no way Shadow could have known his employer’s true identity—or the unimaginable journey across places and planes of existence that would lie ahead.

Performed by an incredible cast including Alan Cumming and Tim Curry, the dialogue and vivid descriptions in Bram Stoker's classic will instantly captivate listeners. Published in 1897, Dracula laid the foundation for an entire subgenre of horror stories, starting a vampire craze in pop culture that endures. Told from multiple points of view, the different perspectives of characters recounting their experiences with Count Dracula are spine-tingling. This theatrical performance by such talented voice actors creates an eerily palpable experience of the original vampire story.

Like Impact Winter, this is a medieval postapocalyptic vampire story in which the sun disappears from the world, but it's led by a disenchanted vampire hunter reminiscent of Geralt from The Witcher Saga. In this first volume of a dark fantasy saga from best-selling author Jay Kristoff, a war between humans and vampires has been raging since the last sunrise—27 long years ago. In a sea of darkness, only a few tiny sparks of light remain, including the sole surviving silversaint, Gabriel de León, who is imprisoned by the monsters he vowed to destroy. The narration, from talented performer Damian Lynch, is spellbinding.

Fans of vampires and classic horror will devour this immersive audio adaptation of J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 gothic novella. The performance, which stars David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) and Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones, Downtown Abbey) among an acclaimed cast of British performers, is as compelling and horrifyingly sexy as the story itself, which follows the passionate, all-consuming friendship between Laura and the haunting Carmilla.