Audiobooks Like Foundation and Empire

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Scott Brick narrates Foundation and Empire with the measured authority of someone comfortable in the scope of galactic history — the ten-hour runtime is brisk for Asimov's sweeping ideas, and Brick's baritone keeps the philosophical debates between characters feeling urgent rather than academic. Seven of the recommendations also feature Brick's narration, most from Asimov's own catalog, and the list matches on length, so you're essentially staying in one narrator's specific register across a whole corner of classic science fiction.

10 audiobooks for fans of Foundation and Empire

  1. 1
    I, Robot cover

    I, Robot

    Robots

    by Isaac Asimov

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    ★ 4.31 ABR Score (390.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.21 Goodreads (381.7K) ★ 4.46 Audible (8.4K)
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    Nine interconnected stories explore what happens when robots with rigid moral programming encounter human complexity and contradiction. These aren't action tales but philosophical puzzles wrapped in deceptively simple prose.

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  2. 2
    The Naked Sun cover

    The Naked Sun

    Robot • Book 2

    by Isaac Asimov, Chris Moore

    Narrated by William Dufris

    ★ 4.42 ABR Score (67.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.2 Goodreads (64.3K) ★ 4.75 Audible (3.0K)
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    William Dufris captures Baley's claustrophobic terror as the Earth detective must solve murder on a Spacer world where humans live in complete isolation.

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  3. 3
    The Robots of Dawn cover

    The Robots of Dawn

    Robot • Book 3

    by Isaac Asimov

    Narrated by William Dufris

    ★ 4.41 ABR Score (58.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.2 Goodreads (55.5K) ★ 4.74 Audible (2.9K)
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    Detective Baley investigates roboticide on Aurora, where humanoid robots challenge the Three Laws, and Dufris balances mystery plotting with Asimov's technological philosophy.

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  4. 4
    Dune Messiah cover

    Dune Messiah

    Dune • Book 2

    by Frank Herbert

    Narrated by Scott Brick, Euan Morton, Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren

    ★ 4.21 ABR Score (442.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.89 Goodreads (410.7K) ★ 4.44 Audible (31.5K)
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    Paul Atreides faces the burden of godhood as his religious followers wage jihad across the universe in Herbert's complex sequel, enhanced by skilled ensemble narration.

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  5. 5
    Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? cover

    Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

    Blade Runner

    by Philip K. Dick

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    ★ 4.18 ABR Score (528.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.09 Goodreads (517.9K) ★ 4.33 Audible (11.0K)
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    Bounty hunter Rick Deckard hunts escaped androids in post-apocalyptic San Francisco while questioning what makes someone human. Scott Brick's steady delivery suits the philosophical noir atmosphere.

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  6. 6
    The Tumultuous Lives of Karl Strong cover

    The Tumultuous Lives of Karl Strong

    Middle Falls Time Travel • Book 18

    by Shawn Inmon

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    ★ 4.17 ABR Score (987 ratings)
    ★ 4.66 Goodreads (778) ★ 4.84 Audible (209)
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    Scott Brick follows lonely Karl through multiple chances at life after dying of a heart attack, searching for connection in the time-traveling town of Middle Falls.

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  7. 7
    The Quantum Thief cover

    The Quantum Thief

    Jean le Flambeur • Book 1

    by Hannu Rajaniemi

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    Why this book?

    Scott Brick's commanding narration brings the same intellectual depth and sense of grand scope to The Quantum Thief, while both audiobooks deliver intricate plots that reward close listening with richly layered science fiction worlds. Rajaniemi's exploration of identity and power across a sprawling future civilization echoes the empire-building themes of Asimov's classic, creating an equally immersive listening experience.

    ★ 3.68 ABR Score (24.9K ratings)
    ★ 3.82 Goodreads (24.1K) ★ 3.99 Audible (839)
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    Jean le Flambeur wakes up in the Dilemma Prison having to kill himself daily—Rajaniemi's dense far-future SF gets Scott Brick's patient treatment.

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  8. 8
    Ender's Shadow cover

    Ender's Shadow

    Ender's Shadow • Book 1

    by Orson Scott Card

    Narrated by Scott Brick, Gabrielle de Cuir, full cast

    ★ 4.59 ABR Score (194.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.32 Goodreads (180.6K) ★ 4.76 Audible (13.8K)
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    Bean's parallel journey through Battle School gets full-cast treatment, with Scott Brick and Gabrielle de Cuir leading voices that capture both his genius and vulnerability.

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  9. 9
    Halo: Bad Blood (23) cover

    Halo: Bad Blood (23)

    Halo • Book 24

    by Matt Forbeck

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    ★ 4.26 ABR Score (3.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.09 Goodreads (1.5K) ★ 4.78 Audible (2.4K)
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    Fresh from their battle on Genesis, Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris flee from Cortana's twisted machinations in this pulse-pounding continuation of the Halo saga.

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  10. 10
    Halo: Retribution cover

    Halo: Retribution

    Halo • Book 22

    by Troy Denning

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    Why this book?

    Scott Brick's commanding narration captures the same sweeping sense of galactic conflict and strategic intrigue in both audiobooks, delivering complex political narratives with clarity and gravitas. Both works explore how individuals navigate massive power structures and impossible choices, creating equally immersive listening experiences across their 10-hour runtimes.

    ★ 4.20 ABR Score (2.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.13 Goodreads (1.1K) ★ 4.75 Audible (1.6K)
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    Political assassination threatens the fragile post-Covenant War peace, pulling familiar Halo characters into a conspiracy that could reignite galactic conflict. Scott Brick handles the military dialogue and alien politics with his trademark authority.

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How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

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