20 Best Space Audiobooks

With various galaxies, planets, and asteroids to explore—and imagine—authors have long taken to the stars for their literary endeavors. Such a vast landscape can make it difficult to pick the perfect listen; luckily, we have you covered for where to get started. Check out our list of the 20 best space audiobooks to launch your next listening experience.

Red Rising

De: Pierce Brown

Narrado por: Tim Gerard Reynolds

Serie: Red Rising, Libro 1

Duración: 16 h y 12 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 01-28-14

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 73,744 calificaciones

In the color-coded society of the future, a Red is part of the neglected lower class. Veteran performer Tim Gerard Reynolds voices Darrow, a Red who works all day under the guise of making Mars livable for future generations, doing what he believes is right for his children and future generations. He soon discovers that he and his compatriots are nothing but slaves under the thumb of the domineering Gold caste living in an oasis and that all of their work on Mars has been a means of suppression. Fed up, Darrow makes it his mission to overthrow the status quo and fight for a better future. Reynolds is credited with performing over 300 audiobook titles and his abilities shine through to provide distinct qualities to the various castes, crafting a portrait of a troubled planet on the cusp of drastic change.
Space Opera

De: Catherynne M. Valente

Narrado por: Heath Miller

Serie: The Space Opera, Libro 1

Duración: 9 h y 45 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 04-10-18

Idioma: Inglés

4 out of 5 stars 1,313 calificaciones

What if we solved all of our problems via reality show competition? Not unlike our human fascination with today’s ever-popular competitive television craze, Space Opera puts the throes of the universe’s problems on stage and over a loudspeaker in a puzzling, elaborate display of entertainment, competition, politics, and war. Earphone Award-winner Heath Miller serves as our host for the event, and Catherynne M. Valente’s entertaining writing and critical perspectives shine through in this sarcastic examination of human tendencies and the subgenre of space opera itself.
Ender's Game

Special 20th Anniversary Edition

De: Orson Scott Card

Narrado por: Stefan Rudnicki, Harlan Ellison, Gabrielle de Cuir

Serie: The Enderverse, Libro 6, The Ender Saga, Libro 1

Duración: 11 h y 57 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 12-30-01

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 44,363 calificaciones

From the Space Race to tales of galaxies far, far away, the outer reaches offer authors the perfect landscape to craft their stories. Orson Scott Card’s award-winning Ender’s Game is part space epic, part examination of war. This enhanced 20th Anniversary Edition follows young Ender as he’s tested with simulations and virtual reality to become the next general for Earth in the ongoing war against the Buggers. As he trains, a full cast of narrators documents his journey to help the world be reborn—if he can survive the war, that is. New listeners will be treated to an astronomical adventure and old fans will get the bonus of Card’s original manuscript that he wrote and recorded for this special selection.
Fuzzy Nation

De: John Scalzi

Narrado por: Wil Wheaton, John Scalzi - introduction

Serie: Fuzzy Sapiens, Libro 7

Duración: 7 h y 19 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 05-10-11

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 13,880 calificaciones

With an introduction narrated by the author and the entire audiobook helmed by famed science fiction actor Wil Wheaton, this New York Times best-selling reimagination of the 1962 sci-fi classic Little Fuzzy is an ode to H. Beam Piper’s beloved work and an homage to the entire science fiction genre. Jack Holloway is satisfied working as an independent contractor, prospecting and surveying for the company ZaraCorp and leaving his past in the past. When he finds himself in a complicated corporate situation—with wealth on the line—he suddenly finds himself with the fate of an entire species (the titular Fuzzies) on his hands. Suddenly, Jack isn’t as alone in the universe as he once thought and is faced with the moral responsibility of standing up for what’s right. An examination of human decency and corporate greed, Fuzzy Nation is a listen that will make you think about our unseeable impacts on those around us.
The Martian

De: Andy Weir

Narrado por: Wil Wheaton

Duración: 10 h y 59 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 01-01-20

Idioma: Inglés

5 out of 5 stars 38,941 calificaciones

A modern-day classic that’s been adapted into a blockbuster film, The Martian has received the new audio production it deserves. The second title on our list narrated by sci-fi sweetheart Wil Wheaton, the bonus content and production of this Audible exclusive make it worth giving this favorite a listen. After Mark Watney becomes one of the first people to walk on Mars, he faces being stuck there after a dust storm. When his crew believes him to be dead and they evacuate, Mark is truly alone—on a new planet, with no way to alert Earth that he’s still alive, and nowhere near enough supplies to survive long enough for rescue. He’s sure death looms, but before giving up, he channels his skills and will to survive. With bonus material that gives more insight into Mark’s character, this is a truly unique audiobook that will delight listeners whether it’s their first or fiftieth time with this story.
Dune

De: Frank Herbert

Narrado por: 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

Serie: Dune, Libro 1, The Dune Sequence, Libro 12

Duración: 21 h y 2 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 12-31-06

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 125,118 calificaciones

This Audie Award-winning production of one of the most notable fantasy/sci-fi audiobooks of our time will draw in listeners with narration by a full cast including beloved performer Scott Brick. Originally published in 1965, it’s widely considered one of the best in the science fiction canon and it does far more than just recount adventures in outer space: Dune is a political examination that still contains fresh insight today, more than 50 years after publication. Set 20,000 years in the future, humans have ventured out and colonized various planets. On the inhospitable desert planet of Arrakis, melange—a spice-like drug with the ability to extend and enhance life—is obsessively sought after. Otherwise undesirable, Arrakis is the setting for clashes of politics, religion, environmentalism, technology, and the human spirit, and protagonist Paul Atreides is faced with the daunting task of leading his family’s stewardship of the planet. Though set far in the future, Dune gives its human listeners pause to question similar examples of human strife on Earth.
Seveneves

A Novel

De: Neal Stephenson

Narrado por: Mary Robinette Kowal, Will Damron

Duración: 31 h y 55 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 05-19-15

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 25,457 calificaciones

A favorite of both President Barack Obama and Bill Gates, Seveneves comes from New York Times best selling author Neal Stephenson. Listeners can immerse themselves in this captivating tale of destruction and survival; following a devastating event that left Earth teetering on the edge of survival, leaders and societies must unite to create a plan of survival. Just as we experience in reality, though, the unpredictable qualities of human interaction come into play and impact everything. Journeying into the unknown is difficult, especially when the entirety of human existence is on the line. With notes of various genres, this tale of venturing into the unknown—both outer space and culturally—makes this an intriguing work of speculative fiction and a captivating listen.
Binti

De: Nnedi Okorafor

Narrado por: Robin Miles

Serie: Binti, Libro 1

Duración: 2 h y 30 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 09-22-15

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 3,979 calificaciones

Going off to college is a big transition for everyone, but when you’re the first in your family and your ship to university is hijacked by a group of aliens, the journey quickly becomes trickier than you could have ever planned. Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novella, Binti is helmed by storytelling champion Robin Miles and her myriad of unique voices. As Binti faces the challenge of making peace with an alien species that’s been at war with the human race, she discovers her own unique powers that make her mission more possible than she might have thought. She is an important part of solving a war she did not start, and Miles’s narration captures the emotional growth that Binti experiences throughout the audiobook.
The Singularity Trap

De: Dennis E. Taylor

Narrado por: Ray Porter

Duración: 11 h y 23 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 06-05-18

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 33,010 calificaciones

In this Audible Original, beloved narrator Ray Porter and award-winning author Dennis E. Taylor explore the lengths to which people will go for their families, as well as the implications of artificial intelligence on human existence. In an attempt to finally lift his family out of poverty, Ivan Prichard finds himself on a mining ship, destined to uncover treasures. When he’s suddenly possessed by artificial intelligence, he’s trapped between two worlds and two forces—the needs of his family and the forces of AI. Ray Porter’s tense narration is punctuated by his dramatic performances of Ivan’s communications via phone and radio, making it feel like he is dispatching directly to the listener...which means the AI is always listening in.
Falling Free

Miles Vorsokigan, Book 4

De: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrado por: Grover Gardner

Serie: Vorkosigan Saga (chronological), Libro 1

Duración: 8 h y 44 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 09-23-09

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 3,319 calificaciones

Narrated by one of AudioFile’s Best Voices of the Century, Grover Gardner, Falling Free tackles hard questions and highlights how even outer space isn’t free from the ugly underbelly of capitalism. Quaddies have been created to make the workforce even more productive—but at a cost. With a second pair of arms where human legs would be, they’re optimized for working in low gravity environments and can withstand such conditions much better than humans, but they are fully enslaved—down to their most basic means of existence. Their bodies and minds are in the hands of those who created them, and when a more lucrative labor model shows up, the Quaddies face potential extinction. Leo Graf, a human engineer who’s long been a trainer of the Quaddies, changes his role and helps them break free in a story that quickly evolves into one epic rescue mission.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Wayfarers, Book 1

De: Becky Chambers

Narrado por: Rachel Dulude

Serie: Wayfarers, Libro 1

Duración: 14 h y 23 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 05-21-19

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 4,294 calificaciones

In her self-published debut, author Becky Chambers shines as a master of space opera in this audiobook. When protagonist Rosemary Harper joins a scrappy group on a flimsy spaceship, she doesn’t care that things are a little rough around the edges—she’s just happy to have somewhere to call home that will afford her adventures across the galaxy. Narrator Patricia Rodriguez skillfully performs different characters across various galactic species that are constantly at odds. And believe it or not, squabbling is prevalent in outer space; luckily for listeners, Rodriguez bickers with herself impeccably. When the group is given the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel across the galaxy, though, they have to come together for a cause bigger than their petty spats. But when a lucrative business opportunity falls into their laps, the crew must put themselves in harm’s way as they cross the war-torn galaxy and learn how to rely on each other as a mismatched family.
The Dispossessed

A Novel

De: Ursula K. Le Guin

Narrado por: Don Leslie

Serie: The Hainish Cycle, Libro 5

Duración: 13 h y 25 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 09-14-10

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 3,956 calificaciones

Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the most notable science fiction authors of our time, known for doing a skillful job of using the final frontier to give listeners a critical examination of our society. Narrator Don Leslie takes you through your headphones and to a despondent moon settled by utopian anarchists. Overrun by poverty, war, and class clashes with the mother planet, its inhabitants are in a dire state. Shevek is a genius physicist who decides to combat the strife between these two worlds. An outcast from an outcast planet, Shevek finds himself as a bridge between the two societies and a feeling of responsibility to mend the rifts.
The Stars Are Legion

De: Kameron Hurley

Narrado por: Nicole Poole, Teri Schnaubelt

Duración: 11 h y 49 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 03-31-17

Idioma: Inglés

4 out of 5 stars 509 calificaciones

Kameron Hurley’s The Stars Are Legion examines an element of human society that’s as prevalent as breathing: resource control. Another trend of human nature arises as well: the salvation of the whole teetering on the shoulders of an individual. The Legion is a mass of ship-planets that are home to warring families. As the homes are slowly deteriorating and each family resorts to their survival instincts—looting and fighting for dominance—protagonist Zan awakes to no memories and the responsibility of gaining control of the only ship that can give them hope for survival. Tasked with taking the helm, she faces the horrors of the ships and the dark sides of humanity in this space thriller. The two main characters are voiced distinctly by Nicole Poole and Teri Schnaubelt, so there’s no confusion about whose story is being told as the audiobook progresses. (And in an already complex story of intricately composed worlds by Hurley, it’s an advantage knowing that you won’t get lost while listening.)
Ancillary Justice

De: Ann Leckie

Narrado por: Adjoa Andoh

Serie: Imperial Radch, Libro 1

Duración: 12 h y 41 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 11-13-18

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 2,870 calificaciones

The first title in Ann Leckie’s trilogy of New York Times best sellers, this winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke awards is a joy to listen to. Veteran narrator Adjoa Andoh voices the entire trilogy, so this is a great listen if you’re looking to dive into a new series. Andoh narrates protagonist Breq’s journey after her ship crashes and she’s left to finish her quest alone. Flashing back between her present strive for justice and 19 years prior when her journey was just beginning, listeners begin to understand how Breq ended up in her current circumstances—and why she’s looking for revenge.
Embassytown

De: China Mieville

Narrado por: Susan Duerden

Duración: 12 h y 23 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 05-17-11

Idioma: Inglés

4 out of 5 stars 1,199 calificaciones

Humans have long been colonizers of other countries, continents, and, in Embassytown, other planets. Seasoned author China Miéville brings a tale of human and alien coexistence on the planet of Arieka to life. Just as Miéville is a master of language, the language of the Ariekei beings is unique to the universe and enables much more than vocals and written words. Human colonist Avice Benner Cho cannot understand the language but she herself is a figure of speech—the physical embodiment of a smile. Susan Duerden’s narration helps listeners understand a language that can’t be comprehended and grasp the struggle faced by the protagonist when she returns home from her adventures: looming war threatens a choice between a family life she no longer identifies with and a community of aliens whose language she cannot understand.
Leviathan Wakes

De: James S. A. Corey

Narrado por: Jefferson Mays

Serie: The Expanse, Libro 1

Duración: 20 h y 56 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 06-30-17

Idioma: Inglés

5 out of 5 stars 32,721 calificaciones

The Expanse series is introduced by Leviathan Wakes. A New York Times best-selling series and now a TV series on Amazon Prime, this epic tale is the perfect introductory listen if you’re looking for a new world of fantasy in space to invest in. The future is science-backed—that is, author James S.A. Corey doesn’t force listeners to suspend their disbelief in order to understand the plot, so you’ll have an easier time being absorbed by the story. Humankind is facing numerous challenges 200 years in the future, and many originally innocent parties suddenly find themselves in the throes of the solar system’s struggles. At nearly 21 hours long, this audiobook never wavers in the skilled hands of narrator Jefferson Mays. You’re sure to stay enthralled and be glad for more audiobooks in this series.
The Martian Chronicles

De: Ray Bradbury

Narrado por: Mark Boyett

Duración: 7 h y 43 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 10-21-14

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 3,920 calificaciones

No setting is off limits for master dystopian author Ray Bradbury, even Mars. In this collection of short stories, Bradbury sets the scene of a planet conquered by humans, battles between newcomers and natives, and the planet’s power that its invaders underestimated. This isn’t necessarily a tale of success: The Martian Chronicles gives listeners a new experience when it comes to astronomical colonization, and wise lessons to glean from. This audiobook can easily be listened to straight-through or story by story, as one would break up an episodic novel. Tasked with voicing humans and Martians alike, narrator Mark Boyett performs them all seamlessly and there’s no doubt for listeners who’s speaking. This auditory experience affords listeners a clearer perspective on what’s happening from story to story, with a certain level of familiarity afforded to Mars in the process.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

De: Douglas Adams

Narrado por: Stephen Fry

Serie: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Libro 1

Duración: 5 h y 51 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 04-28-05

Idioma: Inglés

4.5 out of 5 stars 55,708 calificaciones

Navigating the universe has long been a topic of great importance—so what better way to dive into such an awe-inspiring topic than with a bit of a laugh? The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the go-to map to explore the final frontier with a hefty dose of humor. Plus, skilled narrator Stephen Fry brings his acting and comedic experience to this listen, capturing the entertaining roots of this tale: originally broadcast as a radio program on the BBC, this audiobook calls back to the story’s original format. Down-on-his-luck Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect narrowly avoid the destruction of Earth and are left to wander the universe. Thankfully, Ford is a researcher for the latest edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide, so he has a good idea of where to go and a copy of the guide for inspiration. (Oh, and he also happens to be an alien.) Like a classic road trip epic, listeners are guided through whimsical corners of the cosmos where they’ll encounter plenty of quirky characters.
Ninefox Gambit

De: Yoon Ha Lee

Narrado por: Emily Woo Zeller

Serie: Machineries of Empire, Libro 1

Duración: 10 h y 52 m

Fecha de lanzamiento: 06-14-16

Idioma: Inglés

4 out of 5 stars 1,056 calificaciones

New York Times best selling author Yoon Ha Lee brings this story of military science fiction and space epic to life with the help of narrator Emily Woo Zeller. In this tale of redemption, Captain Kel Cheris is not only looking to reclaim her career and respect but also faces compromising the fate of her world if she fails in her mission. As a result, she must recruit the help of a general she despises—and doesn’t trust. If you’re looking for a new series to invest in, Zeller narrates all three audiobooks for a cohesive listening experience.