Audiobooks Like Leviathan Wakes

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Jefferson Mays brings a restrained, matter-of-fact quality to the Expanse opener that suits a universe where violence is bureaucratic and conspiracy is just bad physics — his 21-hour read never overplays the noir, letting the scale of the threat accumulate quietly. He shares the list with one other recommendation, and the rest gravitate toward the same hard-science political thriller register where the stakes are civilizational but the story stays grounded in individual voices.

10 audiobooks for fans of Leviathan Wakes

  1. 1
    The Mercy of Gods cover

    The Mercy of Gods

    The Captive's War • Book 1

    by James S.A. Corey

    Narrated by Jefferson Mays

    4.26 ABR Score (42.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.16 Goodreads (38.5K) ★ 4.54 Audible (4.2K)
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    Humanity becomes test subjects in an ancient cosmic war, facing alien overlords who view us as expendable lab rats. Jefferson Mays captures the claustrophobic dread perfectly.

  2. 2
    Too Like the Lightning cover

    Too Like the Lightning

    Terra Ignota • Book 1

    by Ada Palmer

    Narrated by Jefferson Mays

    3.78 ABR Score (16.8K ratings)
    ★ 3.81 Goodreads (15.9K) ★ 4.17 Audible (865)
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    Jefferson Mays tackles Palmer's genre-bending 25th-century mystery with remarkable range, switching between the narrator's confessional tone and period-appropriate philosophical tangents.

  3. 3
    Morning Star cover

    Morning Star

    Red Rising • Book 3

    by Pierce Brown

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

    4.81 ABR Score (468.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.55 Goodreads (414.3K) ★ 4.82 Audible (54.2K)
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    Darrow's revolution reaches its bloody crescendo as he leads the rebellion against Gold tyranny in this explosive finale that Tim Gerard Reynolds narrates with fierce intensity.

  4. 4
    Golden Son cover

    Golden Son

    Red Rising • Book 2

    by Pierce Brown

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

    4.79 ABR Score (560.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.5 Goodreads (505.3K) ★ 4.81 Audible (55.5K)
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    Darrow continues his infiltration of Gold society while planning revolution from within the ruling class. Tim Gerard Reynolds captures the escalating political intrigue and brutal space battles with commanding intensity.

  5. 5
    The Dark Forest cover

    The Dark Forest

    Remembrance of Earth's Past • Book 2

    by Liu Cixin, Joel Martinsen

    Narrated by P. J. Ochlan

    4.56 ABR Score (243.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.4 Goodreads (224.9K) ★ 4.65 Audible (18.1K)
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    Liu Cixin's solution to the Fermi Paradox unfolds through cosmic sociology and interstellar hide-and-seek across P.J. Ochlan's measured performance.

  6. 6
    Devoradores de estrelas cover

    Devoradores de estrelas

    by Andy Weir, Natalie Gerhardt

    Narrated by Rafael Maia

    4.21 ABR Score (1.3M ratings)
    ★ 4.51 Goodreads (1.3M) ★ 5 Audible (12)
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    Grace desperately searches for a solution to save Earth from star-consuming microorganisms in this Portuguese edition of Weir's thrilling space adventure.

  7. 7
    Fallout cover

    Fallout

    Expeditionary Force • Book 13

    by Craig Alanson

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.69 ABR Score (26.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.52 Goodreads (7.2K) ★ 4.89 Audible (18.8K)
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    R.C. Bray returns with his beloved portrayal of Joe and Skippy, continuing the Expeditionary Force saga that has captivated millions of listeners.

  8. 8
    Dune cover

    Dune

    Dune • Book 1

    by Frank Herbert

    Narrated by 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

    4.66 ABR Score (1.8M ratings)
    ★ 4.29 Goodreads (1.6M) ★ 4.67 Audible (126.5K)
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    Paul Atreides' transformation from noble heir to messianic leader on the spice planet Arrakis unfolds through multiple skilled voices that capture each character's distinct perspective.

  9. 9
    The Primal Hunter 13 cover

    The Primal Hunter 13

    The Primal Hunter • Book 13

    by Zogarth

    Narrated by Travis Baldree

    4.65 ABR Score (9.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.6 Goodreads (5.4K) ★ 4.91 Audible (4.4K)
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    Jake teams up with his space worm buddy Sandy for a lunar adventure before the galaxy-wide battle begins with the Prima Guardian's arrival. Travis Baldree's enthusiastic delivery matches the story's escalating cosmic stakes perfectly.

  10. 10
    Match Game cover

    Match Game

    Expeditionary Force • Book 14

    by Craig Alanson

    Narrated by R.C. Bray

    4.64 ABR Score (19.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.5 Goodreads (6.6K) ★ 4.86 Audible (13.2K)
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    For the first time, Skippy the Magnificent faces an AI opponent of equal power—and he might actually need those filthy monkeys' help. Bray's Skippy remains perfection.

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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