Science Fiction & Fantasy Audiobooks
Here are some of the mind-blowing audiobooks that sci-fi and fantasy fans should definitely have on their radar. From epic favorite series to mind-blowing new dystopian novels, we have all the must-listen science fiction and fantasy audiobooks that you’ll love. Get in on some unmissable sci-fi and fantasy listens today.
Here are some of the mind-blowing audiobooks that sci-fi and fantasy fans should definitely have on their radar. From epic favorite series to mind-blowing new dystopian novels, we have all the must-listen science fiction and fantasy audiobooks that you’ll love. Get in on some unmissable sci-fi and fantasy listens today.
Spotlight
The year is 2050. Ava and her girlfriend live in what's left of Brooklyn, and though they love each other, it's hard to find happiness while the effects of climate change rapidly eclipse their world. Soon, it won't be safe outside at all. The only people guaranteed survival are the ones whose applications are accepted to The Inside Project, a series of weather-safe, city-sized structures around the world. Jacqueline Millender is a reclusive billionaire/women’s rights advocate, and thanks to a generous donation, she’s just become the director of the Inside being built on the bones of Manhattan. Her ideas are unorthodox, yet alluring—she's built a whole brand around rethinking the very concept of empowerment. Shelby, a business major from a working-class family, is drawn to Jacqueline’s promises of power and impact. When she lands her dream job as Jacqueline’s personal assistant, she's instantly swept up into the glamourous world of corporatized feminism. Also drawn into Jacqueline's orbit is Olympia, who is finishing up medical school when Jacqueline recruits her to run the health department Inside. The more Olympia learns about the project, though, the more she realizes there's something much larger at play. When Ava is accepted to live Inside and her girlfriend isn’t, she’s forced to go alone. But her heartbreak is quickly replaced with a feeling of belonging: Inside seems like it’s the safe space she’s been searching for… most of the time. Other times she can’t shake the feeling that something is deeply off. As she, Olympia, and Shelby start to notice the cracks in Jacqueline's system, Jacqueline tightens her grip, becoming increasingly unhinged and dangerous in what she is willing to do—and who she is willing to sacrifice—to keep her dream alive. At once a mesmerizing story of queer love, betrayal, and chosen family, and an unflinching indictment of cis, corporate feminism, Gabrielle Korn's Yours for the Taking holds a mirror to our own world, in all its beauty and horror. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
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American Gods [TV Tie-In]: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hobbit Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stardust: The Gift Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stardust Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Omens: A Full Cast Production Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Alchemist Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Omens Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anansi Boys Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Picture of Dorian Gray: Classic Tales Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kindred Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Graveyard Book: Full Cast Production Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Left Hand of Darkness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/52001: A Space Odyssey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The City of Brass: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Keeper of Lost Things: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Change: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Dirty Job Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/520,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Classic Tales Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The House of the Spirits: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unfinished Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5State of Fear Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Confessions Of An Ugly Stepsister Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fragile Things Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Bookshops & Bonedust This program is read by the author. "Read by the author, a talented and animated fantasy narrator who also voiced Legends, the book presents a colorful cast of new and familiar characters that is sure to ensorcell and delight listeners." —Booklist When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn't always what we seek. Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books. Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it. What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do? Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine. Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected. “Take a break from epic battles and saving the world. This is a low-stakes fantasy that delivers exactly what's advertised: a wholesome, cozy novel that feels like a warm hug. This is my new comfort read.”—Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart, on Legends & Lattes A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Narrow Road Between Desires #1 New York Times–bestselling phenomenon Patrick Rothfuss returns to the wildly popular Kingkiller Chronicle universe with a stunning reimagining of “The Lightning Tree.” Expanded to twice its previous length, this touching stand-alone story is sure to please new readers and veteran Rothfuss fans alike. No one taller than the stone. Come to blacktree, come alone. Tell no adult what’s been said, Lest the lightning strike you dead. Follow the Kingkiller Chronicle’s most charming fae as he schemes his way through the small town of Newarre. While Bast cares nothing for the laws of man, he is beholden to older, deeper laws. And despite his cleverness and care, Bast finds himself forced to choose between betraying his master and helping a hated enemy. Playful, sweet, and sly as Bast himself, The Narrow Road Between Desires explores a previously unseen part of Temerant, and shows a side of Bast we’ve only glimpsed before. Learn more about Bast as he goes against his better judgment and follows his heart’s desire. For after all, what good is wisdom if it keeps you from finding your way to danger and delight?
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sanctuary of the Shadow Enter at your own risk—and discover the greatest show unearthed in this explosive, darkly imaginative debut fantasy … For humans, the circus is a place filled with wonder and amazement. For Harrow, though, it’s a place to hide from those who slaughtered her entire clan. Disguising her abilities as part of her act has kept her true identity safe for years. Until he arrives. A strange new attraction with no name, no memory of who—or even what—he is, let alone an explanation for his odd yet deadly powers. But beneath the layers of anger and isolation, one glimpse into his inky eyes reveals a soul that calls out to the loneliness in her own. And so she chooses him. Harrow is drawn to the darkness, to her insatiable need to soothe the beast who threatens their very existence. But with every secret she unlocks from his past, another from hers whispers free as well—luring enemies who will stop at nothing to get their final revenge on Harrow. And she’s afraid she’s given them the perfect weapon against her … because he’s not what he seems. But maybe it’s time they finally learn—neither is she.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Starling House: A Reese's Book Club Pick "This book has everything you could possibly want this fall...a cursed town, a haunted house, a vivid & eerie setting—plus, characters willing to risk everything." —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club October ’23 Pick) Starling House is a gorgeous, modern gothic fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January. I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen…. Opal is a lot of things—orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier—but above all, she's determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago. All she left behind were dark rumors—and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway. I should be scared, but in the dream I don’t hesitate. Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House—and make some extra cash for her brother's escape fund—she can't resist. But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around. In my dream, I’m home. And now she’ll have to fight. Welcome to Starling House: enter, if you dare. A Book of the Month Club Pick An October 2023 Indie Next Pick A LibraryReads October 2023 Hall of Fame Pick EW.com, Fall Book Must Reads 2023 Washington Post, Noteworthy Books for October Paste Magazine, The Must-Read Fantasy Books of Fall 2023 PopSugar Best New Fantasy Books of 2023 BookPage, Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2023 OBSERVER’S Must-Read Books of Fall 2023 Polygon, 12 Best New SFF for the Fall LitHub, October’s Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Bookish, October’s Most-Anticipated Books Gizmodo, October's Huge List of New Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Books A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Iron Flame “The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity." Xaden Riorson Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College-Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves. Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end. The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order. Book #1 Fourth Wing Book #2 Iron Flame
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Whalefall: A Novel A USA TODAY BESTSELLER Named a Best Book of 2023 by Book Riot, Shelf Awareness, and NPR The Martian meets 127 Hours in this “astoundingly great” (Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author) and scientifically accurate thriller about a scuba diver who’s been swallowed by an eighty-foot, sixty-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out. Jay Gardiner has given himself a fool’s errand—to find the remains of his deceased father in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Monastery Beach. He knows it’s a long shot, but Jay feels it’s the only way for him to lift the weight of guilt he has carried since his dad’s death by suicide the previous year. The dive begins well enough, but the sudden appearance of a giant squid puts Jay in very real jeopardy, made infinitely worse by the arrival of a sperm whale looking to feed. Suddenly, Jay is caught in the squid’s tentacles and drawn into the whale’s mouth where he is pulled into the first of its four stomachs. He quickly realizes he has only one hour before his oxygen tanks run out—one hour to defeat his demons and escape the belly of a whale. Suspenseful and cinematic, Whalefall is an “powerfully humane” (Owen King, New York Times bestselling author) thriller about a young man who has given up on life…only to find a reason to live in the most dangerous and unlikely of places.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Godkiller INSTANT #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER! “An epic fantasy odyssey begins.” — Entertainment Weekly "A richly rendered world . . . Kaner writes action that's both fun and intelligible . . . If "The Last of Us" didn't slake your thirst for stories of a grizzled fighter taking a tough kid on the road, then Godkiller should be your jam.” — Charlie Jane Anders, The Washington Post Enter a land of gods and monsters, soldiers and mercenaries, secrets and wishes—the explosive #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut in a new trilogy for fans of The Witcher and Gideon the Ninth Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world—but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays “godkillers” to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows. As a child, Kissen saw her family murdered by a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing them and enjoys it. But all this changes when Kissen is tasked with helping a young noble girl with a god problem. The child’s soul is bonded to a tiny god of white lies, and Kissen can’t kill it without ending the girl’s life too. Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, the unlikely group must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favor. Pursued by assassins and demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning. Something is rotting at the heart of their world, and they are the only ones who can stop it. “Godkiller will have you in its grasp from the first pages. . . An extraordinary journey.” — Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree "Beautifully imagined and intensely felt . . . Godkiller is a bone-rattling fantasy thriller that flies by in a breathtaking rush." — Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Locke & Key "Epic and intimate, tender and sharp, Godkiller is a triumph of storytelling." — Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Transition: A Novel This richly imaginative, immersive, and “electrifyingly relevant” (William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author) debut novel follows a shocking disappearance amid the climate crisis of our near future—perfect for fans of Station Eleven and The Last Thing He Told Me. Emi Vargas, whose parents helped save the world, is tired of being told how lucky she is to have been born after the climate crisis. But following the public assassination of a dozen climate criminals, Emi’s mother, Kristina, disappears as a possible suspect, and Emi’s illusions of utopia are shattered. A determined Emi and her father, Larch, journey from their home in Nuuk, Greenland to New York City, now a lightly populated storm-surge outpost built from the ruins of the former metropolis. But they aren’t the only ones looking for Kristina. Thirty years earlier, Larch first came to New York with a team of volunteers to save the city from rising waters and torrential storms. Kristina was on the frontlines of a different battle, fighting massive wildfires that ravaged the western United States. They became part of a movement that changed the world—The Great Transition—forging a new society and finding each other in process. Alternating between Emi’s desperate search for her mother and a meticulously rendered, heart-stopping account of her parents’ experiences during The Great Transition, this novel beautifully shows how our actions today determine our fate tomorrow. A triumphant debut, The Great Transition is “a book for the present and the future—read this and you will be changed” (Michelle Min Sterling, New York Times bestselling author).
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A River of Golden Bones: Book One of the Golden Court From bestselling author and TikTok sensation A.K. Mulford comes the first riveting, enchanting book in the all-new Golden Court romantasy trilogy—A River of Golden Bones begins a journey of self-discovery, romance, and adventure for a young heir as she/they comes out of hiding to save her sister from a malicious, powerful sorceress and her dangerous sleeping curse. A sleeping curse. A fallen court. A secret twin. Twins Calla and Briar have spent their entire lives hiding from the powerful sorceress who destroyed their kingdom…and from the humans who don’t know they are Wolves. Each twin has their own purpose in life: Briar’s is to marry the prince of an ally pack and save the Golden Court. Calla’s purpose is to remain a secret, her twin’s shadow . . . the backup plan. No one knows who Calla truly is except for her childhood friend—and sister’s betrothed—the distractingly handsome Prince Grae. But when Calla and Briar journey out of hiding for Briar’s wedding, all of their well-made plans go awry. The evil sorceress is back with another sleeping curse for the last heir to the Golden Court. Calla must step out of the shadows to save their sister, their kingdom, and their own legacy. Continuing to hide as a human and denying who she truly is, Calla embarks on a quest across the realm, discovering a whole world she never knew existed. Outside the confines of rigid Wolf society, Calla begins to wonder: who could she be if she dared to try? Full of adventure, love, gender exploration, and self-discovery, A River of Golden Bones follows Calla’s journey through treacherous Wolf kingdoms, monster-filled realms, and the depths of their own heart in this thrilling romantic fantasy. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Remedial Magic “No one builds worlds like Melissa Marr.” ―Charlaine Harris, New York Times bestselling author The Magicians meets One Last Stop in this brand-new fantasy romance Remedial Magic, about an unassuming librarian who 1) has fallen in love with a powerful witch; 2) has discovered that she is a witch; and 3) must attend magical community college to learn how to save her new world from complete destruction by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr! Ellie loves working in her local library in the small town of Ligonier. She loves baking scones and investigating the mysterious and captivating in her spare time. And there is nothing more mysterious and captivating than the intriguingly beautiful, too properly dressed woman sipping tea in her library who has appeared as if out of nowhere. The pull between them is undeniable, and Ellie is not sure that she wants to resist. Prospero, a powerful witch from the magical land of Crenshaw, is often accused of being… ruthless in her goals and ambitions. But she is driven to save her dying homeland, and a prophecy tells her that Ellie is the key. Unbeknownst to Ellie, her powers have not yet awakened. But all of that is about to change. A Macmillan Audio production from Bramble Books.
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Book of Doors: A Novel A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness. Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading. But this is no ordinary book… It is the Book of Doors. Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them. Then she’s approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox. He’s a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The tome now in Cassie’s possession is not the only book with great power, but it is the one most coveted by those who collect them. Now Cassie is being hunted by those few who know of the Special Books. With only her roommate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors—and the other books in his secret library’s care—from those who will do evil. Because only Drummond knows where the unique library is and only Cassie’s book can get them there. But there are those willing to kill to obtain those secrets. And a dark force—in the form of a shadowy, sadistic woman—is at the very top of that list.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shadow Speaker A deluxe, expanded edition of an out-of-print early novel from Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor, with a brand-new introduction from the author. Niger, West Africa, 2074 It is an era of tainted technology and mysterious mysticism. A great change has happened all over the planet, and the laws of physics aren't what they used to be. Within all this, I introduce you to Ejii Ugabe, a child of the worst type of politician. Back when she was nine years old, she was there as her father met his end. Don't waste your tears on him: this girl's father would throw anyone under a bus to gain power. He was a cruel, cruel man, but even so, Ejii did not rejoice at his departure from the world. Children are still learning that some people don't deserve their love. Now fifteen years old and manifesting the abilities given to her by the strange Earth, Ejii decides to go after the killer of her father. Is it for revenge or something else? You will have to find out in this book. I am the Desert Magician, and this is a novel I have conjured for you, so I'm certainly not going to just tell you here.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5System Collapse Am I making it worse? I think I’m making it worse. Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back. Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize. But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit–heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Saint of Bright Doors The Saint of Bright Doors sets the high drama of divine revolutionaries and transcendent cults against the mundane struggles of modern life, resulting in a novel that is revelatory and resonant. Fetter was raised to kill, honed as a knife to cut down his sainted father. This gave him plenty to talk about in therapy. He walked among invisible powers: devils and anti-gods that mock the mortal form. He learned a lethal catechism, lost his shadow, and gained a habit for secrecy. After a blood-soaked childhood, Fetter escaped his rural hometown for the big city, and fell into a broader world where divine destinies are a dime a dozen. Everything in Luriat is more than it seems. Group therapy is recruitment for a revolutionary cadre. Junk email hints at the arrival of a god. Every door is laden with potential, and once closed may never open again. The city is scattered with Bright Doors, looming portals through which a cold wind blows. In this unknowable metropolis, Fetter will discover what kind of man he is, and his discovery will rewrite the world. A Macmillan Audio production from Tor.com.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Free People's Village In an alternate 2020 timeline, Al Gore won the 2000 election and declared a War on Climate Change rather than a War on Terror. Green infrastructure projects have transformed U.S. cities into lush paradises (for wealthy, white neighborhoods, at least), and the Bureau of Carbon Regulation levies carbon taxes on every financial transaction. Maddie Ryan is a 24-year-old English teacher at a predominantly Black high school in Houston. Teaching is just a job for her; it pays the bills, and she lives for band practices with her queer punk band, Bunny Bloodlust. When Maddie learns that the neighborhood where she teaches and her band plays is to be sacrificed for a new electromagnetic hyperway out to the suburbs, she joins a Black-led organizing movement fighting for the neighborhood. At first, she’s only focused on keeping her band together and getting closer to the band’s guitarist (and her crush) Red. But working with Save the Eighth forces Maddie to reckon with the harm she has already done to the neighborhood—both as a resident of the gentrifying Lab and as a white teacher in a predominantly Black school. When police respond to their protests with violence, the Lab becomes the epicenter of “The Free People’s Village”—an occupation that promises to be the birthplace of an anti-capitalist revolution. In The Free People’s Village, Sim Kern dares to ask the question that many socialjustice-minded individuals have long grappled with: When justice comes knocking, will you be brave enough to answer?
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Name Is Iris: A Novel “Brilliant.” —The Washington Post * “Nuanced and compelling.” —The New York Times From the PEN/Hemingway Award–winning author of The Madonnas of Echo Park, an engrossing dystopian novel set in a near-future America where mandatory identification wristbands turn second-generation immigrants into second-class citizens—“a well-imagined allegory of divisive racial politics” (Kirkus Reviews). Iris Prince is starting over. After years of drifting apart, she and her husband are going through a surprisingly drama-free divorce. She’s moved to a new house in a new neighborhood, and has plans for gardening, coffee clubs, and spending more time with her nine-year-old daughter Melanie. It feels like her life is finally exactly what she wants it to be. Then, one beautiful morning, she looks outside her kitchen window—and sees that a wall has appeared in her front yard overnight. Where did it come from? What does it mean? And why does it seem to keep growing? Meanwhile, a Silicon Valley startup has launched a high-tech wrist wearable called “the Band.” Pitched as a convenient, eco-friendly tool to help track local utilities and replace driver’s licenses and IDs, the Band is available only to those who can prove parental citizenship. Suddenly, Iris, a proud second-generation Mexican American, is now of “unverifiable origin,” unable to prove who she is, or where she, and her undocumented loved ones, belong. Amid a climate of fear and hate-fueled violence, Iris must confront how far she'll go to protect what matters to her most. “Part social commentary and part thoughtful consideration of themes that include family, identity, transitions, perspectives, and hope” (Shelf Awareness), My Name Is Iris is an all-too-possible story that offers a brilliant and timely look at one woman’s journey to discover who she can’t—and can—be.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Deliciously Mated He'll break his clan's oath to protect his mate. Eagan has discovered a thief at Lake Haven Lodge. She comes in the night taking only what she needs to survive. But, what can he do when he catches her and realizes she's his fated mate? A mate he's pledged to never claim. She'll do whatever it takes to leave behind the life she had. Clara is a ghost. She disappeared from her cushy life to live alone with the guilt that plagues her. However, living off the grid has forced her to get creative with her resources. When desperation sets in, the mountain lodge nearby is her saving grace. Until she gets caught by a beast of a man who looks at her like she's his. Now, Eagan will go against his entire clan to draw Clara out of the woods and into his arms. Welcome to Lake Haven Lodge. These mountain cats know exactly what you need to make your stay unforgettable. ***Contains adult language and explicit sex scenes. Intended for mature audiences only.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The World Wasn't Ready for You: Stories “The most profound terror is rooted in love—the terror of losing love, of love betrayed, of love in peril. Justin C. Key’s work is a cold knife through a hot heart, a surgical blade unleashing gouts of searing fear.”—Cory Doctorow, author of Red Team Blues, Little Brother, and Radicalized “An electrifying collection of stories that would make Octavia E. Butler smile.”—Ebony Black Mirror meets Get Out in this gripping story collection reminiscent of the work of Octavia E. Butler, which deftly blends science fiction, horror, and fantasy to examine issues of race, class, and prejudice—an electrifying, oftentimes heartbreaking debut from an extraordinary new voice. Justin C. Key has long been obsessed with monsters. Reading R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps as a kid, he imagined himself battling monsters and mayhem to a triumphant end. But when watching Scream 2, in which the movie’s only Black couple is promptly killed off, he realized that the Black and Brown characters in his favorite genre were almost always the victim or villain—if they were portrayed at all. In The World Wasn’t Ready for You, Key expands and subverts the horror genre to expertly explore issues of race, class, prejudice, love, exclusion, loneliness, and what it means to be a person in the world, while revealing the horrifying nature inherent in all of us. In the opening story, “The Perfection of Theresa Watkins,” a sci-fi love story turned nightmare, a husband uses new technology to download the consciousness of his recently deceased Black wife into the body of a white woman. In “Spider King,” an inmate agrees to participate in an experimental medical study offered to Black prisoners in exchange for early release, only to find his body reacting with disturbing symptoms. And in the title story, a father tries to protect his son, teaching him how to navigate a prejudiced world that does not understand him and sees him as a threat. The World Wasn’t Ready for You is a gripping, provocative, and distinctly original collection that demonstrates Key’s remarkable literary gifts—a skill at crafting science fiction stories equaled by an ability to sculpt characters and narrative—as well as his utterly fresh take on how genre can be used to delight, awe, frighten, and ultimately challenge our perceptions. Wildly imaginative and powerfully resonant, it introduces an unforgettable new voice in fiction.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Under the Smokestrewn Sky "[Narrator Heath] Miller's pacing is superb as he flawlessly depicts each character in this bizarre world." —AudioFile on Along the Saltwise Sea Under the Smokestrewn Sky is the series finale of the 4-book Up-and-Under series, written by bestselling author Seanan McGuire under the open pseudonym A. Deborah Baker. Since stumbling from their world into the Up and Under, Avery and Zib have walked the improbable road across forests, seas and skies, finding friends in the unlikeliest of places and enemies great in number, as they make their way toward the Impossible City in the hope of finding their way home. But the final part of their journey is filled with danger and demise. Not everyone will make it through unscathed. Not everyone will make it through alive. The final part of the enchanting Up-and-Under quartet reminds us of the value of friendship and the price one sometimes pays for straying from the path. No-one’s safety can be guaranteed under the smokestrewn sky. A Macmillan Audio production from Tor.com.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dark Need Constance Abandoned as a baby, Constance has spent all her life alone, surviving from day-to-day and dealing with her ever-increasing hunger. Since the age of 18, she has fought the need for sex until she can’t take it anymore and finally relinquishes her innocence. Five years on, she spends her weekdays as an office clerk in Hackney, London, and her weekends searching for nameless hook-ups in the hope they will quench her unrelenting desires and her body’s constant need. A freak accident sets her on a course that changes her life completely but finally reveals who she truly is. Dominic An enforcer for his kind, Dominic’s job is to protect Succubi’s from other immortal races and hide them from the humans. His job simple, until a rogue female hits his radar and sets off every protective instinct he has. He can’t help but find her body alluring, releasing a desire he is not ready for. But Dominic’s life is turned upside down when her soul calls to him, sealing a bond that is forbidden.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Here in Avalon An “enchanting” (Caroline Kepnes, author of You) New York City fairy tale about two sisters that fall under the spell of an underworld cabaret troupe that might be a dangerous cult—but one that makes the materialist world left in its wake feel like a sinister cult itself. Rose has come a long way. Raised—and often neglected—by a wayward mother in New York City’s chaotic bohemia, Rose has finally built the life she’s always wanted: a good job at a self-help startup, a clean apartment, an engagement to a stable if self-satisfied tech CEO who shares her faith in human potential, hard work, and the sacrifice of childish dreams. Rose’s sister Cecilia, on the other hand, never grew up. Irresponsible and impetuous, prone to jetting off to a European monastery one month and a falcon rescue the next, Cecilia has spent her life in pursuit of fairy-tale narratives of transcendence and true love—grand ideas Rose knows never work out in the real world. When Cecilia declares she’s come home to New York for good, following the ending of a whirlwind marriage, Rose hopes Cecilia might finally be ready to face adulthood: compromises and all. But then Cecilia gets involved with the Avalon: a cultish-sounding cabaret troupe—one that appears only at night, on a mysterious red boat that travels New York’s waterways—and soon vanishes: one of a growing number of suspicious disappearances among the city’s lost and loneliest souls. The only way Rose can find Cecilia is by tracking down the Avalon herself. But as Rose gets closer to solving the mystery of what happened to her sister, the Avalon works its magic on her, too. And the deeper she goes into the Avalon’s underworld, she more she begins to question everything she knows about her own life, and whether she’s willing to leave the real world behind.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Death I Gave Him A Twenty-First Century Hamlet. Hayden Lichfield’s life is ripped apart when he finds his father murdered in their lab, and the camera logs erased. The killer can only have been after one thing: the Sisyphus Formula the two of them developed together, which might one day reverse death itself. Hoping to lure the killer into the open, Hayden steals the research. In the process, he uncovers a recording his father made in the days before his death, and a dying wish: Avenge me … With the lab on lockdown, Hayden is trapped with four other people—his uncle Charles, lab technician Gabriel Rasmussen, research intern Felicia Xia and their head of security, Felicia’s father Paul—one of whom must be the killer. His only sure ally is the lab’s resident artificial intelligence, Horatio, who has been his dear friend and companion since its creation. With his world collapsing, Hayden must navigate the building’s secrets, uncover his father’s lies, and push the boundaries of sanity in the pursuit of revenge.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Convergence Problems From the Hugo, Nebula, Locus and Nommo award nominated author of Shigidi and The Brass Head Of Obalufon comes a stunning new collection of stories that investigate the rapidly changing role of technology and belief in our lives as we search for meaning, for knowledge, for justice; constantly converging on our future selves. In “An Arc of Electric Skin,” a roadside mechanic seeking justice volunteers to undergo a procedure that will increase the electrical conductivity of his skin by orders of magnitude. In “Blowout,” a woman races against time and a previously undocumented geological phenomenon to save her brother on the surface of Mars. In “Ganger,” a young woman trapped in a city run by machines must transfer her consciousness into an artificial body and find a way to give her life purpose. In “Debut,” Nairobi-based technical support engineer tries to understand what is happening when an AI art system begins malfunctioning in ways that could change the world. The sixteen stories of Convergence Problems, which include work published for the first time in this collection, rare stories, and recently acclaimed work, showcase Talabi at his creative best: playful and profound, exciting and experimental, always interesting. "Beautiful, vibrant, and electrifying, this has the makings of a modern classic."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) • A Publishers Weekly Top Ten Spring 2024 Roundup pick
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Red Moon Dark, moving and original, a story of family, survival, and getting on with life... Flynn Sinclair understands pack loyalty — for years as his Alpha father’s enforcer, he has done things in the name of duty that he can’t ever forget. But the vast expanse of Alaska offers him a peace he’s never known. Alone, removed from pack life, he can focus on his research and try to forget his life before. But duty has a way of inviting itself in, and Flynn finds himself doing two reckless things in one week: leaving the safety of Alaska to save his brother Connor’s life, and unwittingly falling in love with Evie Thompson, a woman who doesn’t deserve to be drawn into his terrifying world. Connor carries news of their father’s descent into madness, and it looks like neither geography nor Flynn’s attempts at disengagement will put off a confrontation. Flynn had finally begun to believe that he might deserve something good in his life — something like Evie — but to move forward in the light, he must first reconcile with the dark.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Night Child A psychic gift... Muriah La Deaux's latest job requires her to locate an ancient codex detailing a prophecy of an immortal birth. But before she can deliver it, her client is brutally murdered. Now a man with chaos in his eyes wants the codex she's hiding. An immortal child... Issa is one of the original Night Walkers, a proud protector of the mortal world. Now, when the survival of his entire race rests on protecting an unborn child, Issa is the only immortal strong enough to protect Muriah on a risky mission--locate the lost scrolls that will trap their foe--but his tenuous grasp on his sanity is slipping. The ultimate sacrifice... Muriah's headstrong spirit awakens feelings in Issa that are best left buried. But as the battle between love and chaos ensues, sacrifices must be made…
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dragon My Heart She's finally free, but now she's playing century catch up. Freedom isn't what Eleria thought it was. Not only does she have to deal with the invention of the motor car, but what the hell is a tok-tik? She has to relearn the world, which is not helped by a green dragon who thinks they're joined at the hip and won't leave her be. Unsure what to do with a dragon who has puppy tendancies, she does the only thing she can think of... and leashes him. When her hard-won freedom is threatened, Eleria must make a choice. Roll over to her former master... or fight. She'll fight to the last to protect herself, her new friends, and for the right to choose
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ultimatum His captive has issued a most unusual ultimatum. . . He must make love to her . . . Little does he know that giving her what she needs may bind him to her forever . . . Rystani star pilot Xander is willing to use unusual methods, no matter how unorthodox, to save the galaxy from a deadly virus. He's already resorted to kidnapping bio-geneticist Alara Calladar in the hopes that her psi-talent of identifying DNA will help find a cure to save both their worlds. But now his sworn enemy has revealed that her biology requires her to periodically regenerate her cells by making love or she'll die. Really die. Xander is stunned, yet fascinated, by her admission and wonders what other secrets she's keeping. While he has little choice but to agree to trade his life-saving love making for her psi powers, he's determined to keep an emotional distance. No way is he falling for her, a woman from a race who invaded and occupies his home world. Soon their desperate bargain becomes a turbulent but all-consuming passion. Her body isn't just rejuvenating each time they make love, it's adapting to his on a genetic level. Before long she will be unable to make love to any man but Xander. Xander resists becoming her conquest, but not even the dangerous mission can distract him from Alara's appeal. She's just the kind of woman he admires. Intelligent, resourceful, and passionate. If only he trusted her. If only she wasn't the enemy. If only his heart didn't have a mind of its own. When together they must merge their talents to fight the most powerful forces in the galaxy, will trust win out, or will they lose each other forever? The much-awaited sequel to The Challenge and The Dare.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ending Forever Axel Rivers can’t get his head above water. Throughout his life, he’s worn many hats — orphan, musician, veteran, husband, father—but a year ago, a horrific event he now calls The Bad Day tore down everything he’d built. Grief-stricken, unemployed, and drowning in debt, Axel needs cash, however he can find it. Enter Kindred Eternal Solutions. Founded by the world’s six wealthiest trillionaires and billionaires, Kindred promises to create eternal life through mastering the science of human resurrection. With the technology still being developed, Kindred seeks paid volunteers to undergo tests that will kill and resurrect their body—again and again—in exchange for a check. Axel signs up willingly, but when he undergoes the procedure—and comes back, over and over—what will he find on the other side of death?
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Reaping The Reaping was supposed to be three trials. Three trials, Victor Canidae had to complete and in doing so–he’d successfully earn Nerina Simpson as his mate. Three Trials. For him only. But the Goddess Selene has plans of her own. Plans that are far reaching and affect not only Pack Canidae, but Clan Denali. A concern that has all of the Northern territory pulling out their claws. The council all agree, Nerina is not the answer, in turn, bringing back insecurities and concerns, Victor thought long buried. But with this new twist in the mix, there’s only three things either of them can do. Face their fears, Face each other. And above all, do not fail.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Calamity Winter's Orbit meets Ilona Andrews in this sexy enemies-to-lovers romance. “Constance Fay...wildly combines heart-stirring romance with a high-stakes adventure in a wonderfully deep space odyssey. This passionate story is a heady mix of suspense, romance, and intrigue, all set within an intricate and intriguing new world!”--Rebecca Zanetti, New York Times bestselling author of You Can Hide The captain of a ragtag mercenary ship is given an offer she can't refuse by the ruthless head of an intergalactic noble family. The only catch? She'll have to team up with his son--an upsettingly competent hardbody with his own agenda--to get her reward. She’s got a ramshackle spaceship, a misfit crew, and a big problem with its sexy newest member… Temperance Reed, banished from the wealthy and dangerous Fifteen Families, just wants to keep her crew together after their feckless captain ran off with the intern. But she’s drowning in debt and revolutionary new engine technology is about to make her beloved ship obsolete. Enter Arcadio Escajeda. Second child of the terrifying Escajeda Family, he’s the thorn in Temper’s side as they’re sent off on a scouting mission on the backwater desert planet of Herschel 2. They throw sparks every time they meet but Temper’s suspicions of his ulterior motives only serve to fuel the flames between them. Despite volcanic eruptions, secret cultists, and deadly galactic fighters, the greatest threat on this mission may be to Temper’s heart. A Macmillan Audio production from Bramble.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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About Science Fiction & Fantasy
In sci-fi and fantasy audiobooks, fiction and storytelling are used to explore futuristic and fantastical concepts, particularly those based on science and technology. In the earliest days of science fiction, fantasy elements predominated; the Epic of Gilgamesh is often cited as an early precursor to our modern understanding of sci-fi. Early sci-fi works such as One Thousand and One Nights, while later works like Gulliver's Travels are still cited as examples. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was an early example of science fiction tropes in the 19th century. Our modern conception of science fiction, on the other hand, includes robots, cyborgs, interstellar travel, and a host of other sci-fi tropes and themes, all making for enthralling listening. Artificial intelligence, the future, and apocalyptic plots and settings are common themes in this popular combined genre. When listening to science fiction and fantasy audiobooks, it's commonplace for listeners to wonder if technology is here to help or harm us. Newer science fiction and fantasy includes bestsellers like Good Omens, written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, who are both legends of the genre. Newer sci-fi tends to revolve around environmental issues and the larger impact of biotechnology, nanotechnology and the internet in general. Listening to an audiobook about science fiction can help you see the future.
In sci-fi and fantasy audiobooks, fiction and storytelling are used to explore futuristic and fantastical concepts, particularly those based on science and technology. In the earliest days of science fiction, fantasy elements predominated; the Epic of Gilgamesh is often cited as an early precursor to our modern understanding of sci-fi. Early sci-fi works such as One Thousand and One Nights, while later works like Gulliver's Travels are still cited as examples. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was an early example of science fiction tropes in the 19th century. Our modern conception of science fiction, on the other hand, includes robots, cyborgs, interstellar travel, and a host of other sci-fi tropes and themes, all making for enthralling listening. Artificial intelligence, the future, and apocalyptic plots and settings are common themes in this popular combined genre. When listening to science fiction and fantasy audiobooks, it's commonplace for listeners to wonder if technology is here to help or harm us. Newer science fiction and fantasy includes bestsellers like Good Omens, written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, who are both legends of the genre. Newer sci-fi tends to revolve around environmental issues and the larger impact of biotechnology, nanotechnology and the internet in general. Listening to an audiobook about science fiction can help you see the future.