Great First Listens
Browse Great First Listens by Category
Featured Fantasy: Editor Sam's Favorite Book in the Harry Potter Series
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Book 3
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Jim Dale
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 45,207
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 41,483
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Story5 out of 5 stars 41,427
When the Knight Bus crashes through the darkness and screeches to a halt in front of him, it's the start of another far from ordinary year at Hogwarts for Harry Potter. Sirius Black, escaped mass-murderer and follower of Lord Voldemort, is on the run - and they say he is coming after Harry. In his first ever Divination class, Professor Trelawney sees an omen of death in Harry's tea leaves.... But perhaps most terrifying of all are the Dementors patrolling the school grounds, with their soul-sucking kiss....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Jim Dale at his best
- By rottndachs on 01-12-16
"...a turning point in the series..."
"In many ways, Prisoner of Azkaban really represents a turning point in the series, and for me, it perfectly encapsulates both the irreverent joy of the earlier books and the more mature emotional and dramatic tones of the later. There’s a chilling mystery to explore, a fascinating and hugely important backstory, and new magic to discover in the form of Divination, Animagi, and (my favorite) the Time Turner. In fact, this book, with its mind-bending climax, launched my obsession with the sci-fi trope of time travel. As long as we’re being honest, I might as well admit that I once attempted to make my own Marauder’s Map of my school. And my beloved cat of 12 years just might have been named after Remus Lupin . . ."
Top Voices in Sci-Fi & Fantasy
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The Dragons of Dorcastle
- The Pillars of Reality, Book 1
- By: Jack Campbell
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,296
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,771
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,777
The Mechanics and the Mages have been bitter rivals, agreeing only on the need to keep the world they rule from changing. But now a Storm approaches, one that could sweep away everything humans have built. Only one person has any chance of uniting enough of Dematr behind her to stop the Storm, but the Great Guilds and many others will stop at nothing to defeat her.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good book with some issues, still enjoyable read.
- By Wesley on 02-08-15
MacLeod Andrews
With his swagger-filled, tough-as-nails reading of Sandman Slim – the equivalent of a vocal strut – MacLeod Andrews announced himself as an edgy and invigorating voice in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, displaying the youthful charisma that would make him a favorite in the genre. Be it an arrogant, fallen angel-turned-hitman (as in Sandman Slim), an ordinary teenager looking to bring down tyrannical supervillains (Steelheart), or a computer hacker battling his mirror reflection (Duplicity), Andrews has cornered the market on voicing some of our favorite brash, young heroes.
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Mutineer
- Kris Longknife, Book 1
- By: Mike Shepherd
- Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
- Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,497
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,141
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,133
Kris Longknife is a daughter of privilege, born to money and power. Her father is the prime minister of her home planet, her mother the consummate politician's wife. She's been raised only to be beautiful and marry well. But the heritage of the military Longknifes courses through Kris' blood - and, against her parents' objections, she enlists in the Marines.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Harsh reviews seem undeserved to me
- By Jeffery on 09-29-10
Dina Pearlman
Fans of the long-running Kris Longknife and Anna Strong series recognize Dina Pearlman as irreplaceable, and we have to agree. Her rich, textured voice brings strange worlds and complex characters to life book after book. She can make the most fantastical of situations completely credible with just the right intonation. Her Irish and British accents are particularly impressive as is her mimicry of non-human voices—computerized, alien or otherwise, which is perhaps even more important in this genre!
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Hounded
- The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Kevin Hearne
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23,321
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21,308
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21,244
Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old - when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer. Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Finally, a modern day fantasy that really hits the
- By Chris on 01-02-12
Luke Daniels
If you love listening to Sci-Fi & Fantasy, you know that there are entire worlds and galaxies filled with strange characters. And it seems as though Luke Daniels has an entire galaxy of characters within himself, expertly voicing hard-nosed, battle-weary space captains, vengeful ancient deities, AI lifeforms, and even a loyal, comedic canine with an enthusiasm that makes you feel as if you are humanity’s only hope against intergalactic annihilation.
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The Fellowship of the Ring
- Book One in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Rob Inglis
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 31,007
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28,361
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Story5 out of 5 stars 28,458
The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume in the trilogy, tells of the fateful power of the One Ring. It begins a magnificent tale of adventure that will plunge the members of the Fellowship of the Ring into a perilous quest and set the stage for the ultimate clash between the powers of good and evil.
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5 out of 5 stars
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At last - The Definitive Recording!
- By L. N. on 10-10-12
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The Martian
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: R. C. Bray
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 159,809
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 147,468
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Story5 out of 5 stars 147,309
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plainold "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Worth it even if you've seen the movie
- By R. MCRACKAN on 12-08-17
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Ready Player One
- By: Ernest Cline
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 205,959
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 192,289
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 191,884
At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready Player One is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I’m sorry I waited so long to read this book.
- By Julie W. Capell on 05-27-14
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- By: Douglas Adams
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 32,300
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 27,518
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 27,515
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last 15 years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
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5 out of 5 stars
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HHTGH - Lightly Fried
- By J. Medany on 05-08-05
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Jurassic Park
- A Novel
- By: Michael Crichton
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19,032
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17,536
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17,519
Audie Award, Science Fiction, 2016. An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind's most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them - for a price.
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4 out of 5 stars
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CHAOS THEORY
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-30-16
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Red Rising
- By: Pierce Brown
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35,684
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33,263
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33,222
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wow, what a performance and what a story
- By Jared G on 08-27-16
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The Girl with All the Gifts
- By: M. R. Carey
- Narrated by: Finty Williams
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33,492
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30,943
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30,947
Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her "our little genius". Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh. Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Hours in, restarted so husband could listen too!
- By Pikay on 12-13-14
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World War Z: The Complete Edition (Movie Tie-in Edition)
- An Oral History of the Zombie War
- By: Max Brooks
- Narrated by: Max Brooks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Abridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 12,180
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 11,379
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11,377
World War Z: The Complete Edition is a new recording of Max Brooks’ best-selling novel, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, featuring 21 additional Hollywood A-list actors and sci-fi fan favorites performing stories not included in the original edition. New narrators include Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, Spiderman star Alfred Molina, The Walking Dead creator Frank Darabont, rapper Common, Firefly star Nathan Fillion, Shaun of the Dead’s Simon Pegg, and members of the casts of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes and more!
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4 out of 5 stars
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A Good Story with an All Star Cast but ABRIDGED
- By Kim Venatries on 05-22-13