Audiobooks Like Sleeping Beauties

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Marin Ireland narrates Sleeping Beauties with a register that holds both the mundane small-town texture and the genuinely uncanny — across 25 hours the ensemble's moral arguments about gender and violence stay alive in her voice rather than becoming abstract, which is a real achievement in a King novel of this scope. Ten of the recommendations carry high ratings at similar long runtimes, drawing toward ambitious, socially textured speculative fiction where the length is part of the commitment the story demands.

10 audiobooks for fans of Sleeping Beauties

  1. 1
    The Tommyknockers cover

    The Tommyknockers

    by Stephen King

    Narrated by Edward Herrmann

    ★ 4.05 ABR Score (173.9K ratings)
    ★ 3.61 Goodreads (166.5K) ★ 4.5 Audible (7.4K)
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    Edward Herrmann's steady voice contrasts perfectly with King's tale of a Maine town slowly consumed by an alien intelligence buried in the woods.

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  2. 2
    11/22/63 cover

    11/22/63

    by Stephen King

    Narrated by Craig Wasson

    ★ 4.63 ABR Score (740.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (667.2K) ★ 4.66 Audible (73.7K)
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    A high school teacher discovers a time portal and attempts to prevent JFK's assassination, but changing history proves more complex than expected. Craig Wasson handles the epic scope beautifully.

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  3. 3
    This Inevitable Ruin cover

    This Inevitable Ruin

    Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 7

    by Matt Dinniman

    Narrated by Jeff Hays, Travis Baldree

    ★ 4.87 ABR Score (96.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.68 Goodreads (74.1K) ★ 4.93 Audible (22.1K)
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    Jeff Hays and Travis Baldree tackle the chaos of Faction Wars as Carl's team faces nine alien armies in a massive battle for the ninth floor's central castle.

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  4. 4
    Light Bringer cover

    Light Bringer

    Red Rising • Book 6

    by Pierce Brown

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

    ★ 4.86 ABR Score (121.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.77 Goodreads (110.6K) ★ 4.89 Audible (10.8K)
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    The sixth Red Rising book finds Darrow scattered across the galaxy while his enemies close in, and Tim Gerard Reynolds continues to inhabit these characters like he created them himself.

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  5. 5
    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.

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  6. 6
    Defiance of the Fall 2 cover

    Defiance of the Fall 2

    Defiance of the Fall • Book 2

    by TheFirstDefier, J.F. Brink

    Narrated by Pavi Proczko

    ★ 4.64 ABR Score (21.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.52 Goodreads (12.1K) ★ 4.84 Audible (9.6K)
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    Earth crumbles under invasion while Zac grows into a powerhouse, but becoming the world's strongest man makes him a target for every faction. Pavi Proczko's energetic narration matches the non-stop LitRPG action.

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  7. 7
    Leviathan Wakes cover

    Leviathan Wakes

    The Expanse • Book 1

    by James S. A. Corey

    Narrated by Jefferson Mays

    ★ 4.63 ABR Score (358.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.31 Goodreads (324.2K) ★ 4.75 Audible (33.8K)
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    Detective Miller and ice hauler Holden investigate a missing person case that uncovers a solar system-wide conspiracy threatening all of humanity. Mays handles the complex space opera with distinct voices for both protagonists as they navigate political tensions between Earth, Mars, and the Belt.

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  8. 8
    Persepolis Rising cover

    Persepolis Rising

    The Expanse • Book 7

    by James S.A. Corey

    Narrated by Jefferson Mays

    ★ 4.63 ABR Score (109.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.38 Goodreads (88.5K) ★ 4.78 Audible (20.6K)
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    Jefferson Mays continues his stellar Expanse narration as the aging Rocinante crew faces a new threat from Laconia's advanced alien technology.

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  9. 9
    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.

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  10. 10
    Death's End cover

    Death's End

    Remembrance of Earth's Past • Book 3

    by Liu Cixin, Ken Liu

    Narrated by P. J. Ochlan

    ★ 4.53 ABR Score (190.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.4 Goodreads (176.1K) ★ 4.64 Audible (14.0K)
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    Liu's trilogy concludes with humanity's final gambit against alien invasion spanning centuries of technological evolution. P. J. Ochlan handles the complex scientific concepts and emotional weight of civilization's potential extinction with steady 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.

Read our full ranking methodology →