Science fiction and fantasy that is fabulous on audio

Artemis

by Andy Weir

Bestselling author Andy Weir is back with a journey to earth's moon this time. There, thousands occupy connected glass bubbles that form a city. We meet a criminal named Jazz who finds herself trying to save the city. If "heist in space" sounds good to you, give this one a try. Weir still gives readers the detailed scientific explanations that make his stories such nerdish fun. Those of you who read and/or watched The Martian, you won't be surprised to learn a film version of Artemis is in the works too.

In the Quick

by Kate Hope Day

Brigid says: This tale follows young and brilliant astronaut trainee June from her time at the National Space Program to her assignment as the Engineer on a space station. And extra bonus points for a female sci-fi writer and a strong, interesting female lead.

Nimona

by Noelle Stevenson

Brigid says: After loving this incredible graphic novel about shapeshifter Nimona and her "evil" boss, I was excited to find the full cast audiobook with cool sound effects. The narration by Rebecca Soler, Jonathan Davis, and Marc Thompson brings the story to life in such a creative way. Funny, sad, sweet, strange, action-packed, and heartwarming. What a treasure! Plus, there is a Netflix adaptation that would make an awesome pairing.

Foe

by Iain Reid

Brigid says: Wow, this eerie psychological sci-fi really packs a punch. Married couple Junior and Henrietta live a quiet life on their farm before a stranger arrives with news that Junior has been randomly selected to take part in a mission to space with the company OuterMore.

The Starless Sea: A Novel

by Erin Morgenstern

The writing is absolutely lovely, the premise is interesting. I'm finding it strongly reminiscent of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, which I loved. Whispersync audio narration available (I've heard some readers say they could ONLY enjoy it on audio, and some say they could NEVER enjoy it on audio ... so there you go).

Tress of the Emerald Sea

by Brandon Sanderson

Brigid says: "The first release from Sanderson’s record-breaking Kickstarter book campaign, this standalone fantasy was written as a gift for his wife to make her smile during those early pandemic days. Thankfully, she urged him to share the book with readers, who embraced this delightful tale of a young woman journeying far across a treacherous sea to save her beloved from an evil Sorceress. If Tress’s quest sounds familiar, that is because it is heavily inspired by the much beloved The Princess Bride. The lively audiobook is performed by Michael Kramer, one-half of the married duo who narrates most of the author’s books. Whimsical, adventurous, and full of unique characters, it is hard not to have fun with this audiobook. Note: Sanderson initially chose not to make the audiobook available on Audible but he recently announced a deal is forthcoming."

Magic for Liars

by Sarah Gailey

Imagine The Magicians meets Who Framed Roger Rabbit? with dashes of Chinatown and Jessica Jones. The book follows Ivy, a private investigator hired to look into the gruesome murder of a faculty member at the private magical academy where her estranged sister Tabitha works. Content warnings apply. This gritty sapphic detective noir set at a magic school is wonderfully haunting on audio performed by Xe Sands!

A Dead Djinn in Cairo

by P. Djèlí Clark

Brigid says: The first in a fantasy series set in an alternate Egypt in 1912, this a short novella that can be read as a standalone and listened to in an afternoon. When Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi is sent to investigate a suspicious death from suicide by Cairo’s Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, she is quickly pulled into a much larger sinister plot.

Binti

by Nnedi Okorafor

The Binti trilogy, winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards, sat on my To Be Read list for too long. This novella drops you right into another galaxy where Binti is the first of her people to receive an offer to attend Oomza University, basically an ivy league college. Accepting the offer requires a huge sacrifice and a treacherous journey. I sped through this quick audiobook, thanks to excellent narration and a propulsive plot. Hear my full recommendation in Episode 256: The perks and pitfalls of omnivorous reading with Cliff Cullen.

The Kaiju Preservation Society

by John Scalzi

Brigid says: This sci-fi action book is so much fun! Jamie is a food delivery driver during COVID-19 who gets the unique opportunity to work for a highly secret company in a location far away with some VERY large creatures. Pacific Rim meets Jurassic Park in this energetic audiobook narrated by fan favorite, Wil Wheaton. Whispersync narration available. Very entertaining and humorous, this Audible original is like listening to a summer movie blockbuster.

All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries

by Martha Wells

Murderbot is the best, simply the best. The first novella in a popular series about a rogue Security Unit (SecUnit) who hacks their governor module and just wants to watch its favorite media program “The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon” undisturbed. You may have already heard about this book, but it's worth sharing again because Kevin R. Free’s phenomenal narration makes the series even better. I will never be able to read it in print again; the audiobooks are seriously that good! Light on the world-building and full of humor, this is my favorite book series currently being published. Plus, it's the perfect time to listen to the audiobook before the Apple TV+ show starring Alexander Skarsgård.

Quintessence

by Jess Redman

Brigid says: This is a touching story about Alma, a twelve-year-old who has recently moved to the town of Four Points and is suffering from panic attacks brought on by the move. When she witnesses a star that is shaped like a child fall from the sky, Alma and her friends set off on an exciting quest to save the starling. The wonderful audiobook is read by Caitlin Davies, who also narrated The Ex Hex. Perfect for fans of Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

Piranesi

by Susanna Clarke

Susanna Clarke's hotly anticipated second novel is a fantasy novel that plays with fantasy tropes, a mystery but not just a mystery, an altogether weird and extremely compelling book set in a strange house with labyrinthine passageways and just fifteen inhabitants, only two of which are alive. It's decidedly weird and took me a solid 20% to get oriented, but once I did I couldn't stop reading. Our narrator is Piranesi—though he suspects that's not really his name—and while I don't recommend googling the plot before you begin reading, I do recommend those reading with a literary lens google the Italian artist who shares his moniker.

Gideon the Ninth

by Tamsyn Muir

Brigid says: A darkly hilarious fantasy horror novel about Gideon, a lesbian swordswoman in a world of necromancers. Narrator Moira Quirk's voices are lively and simply charming, which is a lot to say for a book with so much blood and reanimated skeletons. A favorite of MMD Team member Leigh as well, I keep finding myself laughing out loud while listening and am reminded of the movie Army of Darkness. My friend Julie aptly describes this funny, touching, and gross first in a series as MTV’s Daria in space. Content warnings apply. 16 hrs 50 mins. Whispersync narration available.

Shuri: A Black Panther Novel (Marvel)

by Nic Stone

From the publisher: "An original, upper-middle-grade series starring the break-out character from the Black Panther comics and films: T'Challa's younger sister, Shuri! Crafted by bestselling author Nic Stone. Shuri is a skilled martial artist, a genius, and a master of science and technology. But, she's also a teenager. And a princess. This story follows Shuri as she sets out on a quest to save her homeland of Wakanda. For centuries, the Chieftain of Wakanda (the Black Panther) has gained his powers through the juices of the Heart-Shaped Herb. Much like Vibranium, the Heart-Shaped Herb is essential to the survival and prosperity of Wakanda. But something is wrong. The plants are dying. No matter what the people of Wakanda do, they can't save them. And their supply is running short. It's up to Shuri to travel from Wakanda in order to discover what is killing the Herb, and how she can save it, in the first volume of this all-new, original adventure."

Blood Oath (Nathaniel Cade Book 1)

by Christopher Farnsworth

Brigid says: The premise is wild. Nathaniel Cade is a dedicated secret agent for the President of the United States Cade. But he's no ordinary agent—he's a centuries-old vampire bound by a blood oath to protect US citizens from the stuff of nightmares with the aid of his human handler Zach Barrows. This one is not for the faint of heart, but great for fans of Blade and unique odd couple/buddy cop duos. Content warnings apply.

This Is How You Lose the Time War

by Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone

In this multi-award winning novella, enemy agents develop an unlikely correspondence after one discovers a letter. Red and Blue travel through different timelines in their race to win the time war, going back to different points in history to affect the outcome. The letters may start out as a taunt between rivals but they evolve into a sapphic love story. And yet, there’s still a war going on—and only one side can win.

Legendborn

by Tracy Deonn

Team member Leigh recommended this on the WSIRN team summer favorites episode. From Leigh: A riveting YA fantasy retelling of the King Arthur legend, this follows Bree, a 16-year-old Black girl, as she goes off to an early college program. Once there, she discovers magic exists, and that someone's messed with her memory of the night her mom died. She wants to get to the bottom of what actually happened, which includes infiltrating a secret society on campus. There are so many great layers and twists to this story, which examines racism, complicated grief, and generational trauma.

Carry On

by Rainbow Rowell

One of Brigid's three books loved on WSIRN Ep 275: How many book clubs is too many book clubs? and the first in a fantasy series set at Watford, a magickal school following Simon Snow aka "the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen" and his nemesis/roommate Baz. The plot is entertaining, surprising, and layered with so much emotion. The magickal spells like “U can’t touch this” & “these aren’t the droids you are looking for” are very clever and the delightful worldbuilding is top notch. (If you enjoy creative meta fiction, it is fun to note Carry On began as a “book within a book” of Rainbow Rowell’s YA novel Fangirl.)

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

by Shannon Chakraborty

City of Brass author Chakraborty kicks off a new trilogy with this spirited tale of a renegade pirate captain—who happens to be a middle-aged mother simply trying to enjoy her retirement. But after a former crewmate’s daughter is kidnapped, Amina reluctantly accepts one last job and pulls her long-retired crew together again to help. The historical fantasy unfolds on the high seas of the twelfth-century Indian Ocean and bursts with period detail and magical adventures. From the book’s touching dedication to the detailed author’s note and acknowledgments, I found this imaginative tale and irresistible protagonist unique, exciting, and just plain fun. For fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and Brandon Sanderson's Tress of the Emerald Sea.

Science fiction and fantasy that is fabulous on audio

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