Audiobooks Like Steelheart

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MacLeod Andrews narrates Brandon Sanderson's superhero-dystopia opener with a restless urgency that fits a revenge story told by a teenager who has been rehearsing his mission for years — the 13-hour runtime has the propulsive quality of an action plot that's been tightly structured rather than padded. The world-building gets delivered in motion rather than in expository pauses, which is a real narration trick. Several of these are Sanderson titles with similar runtime and that same kinetic-magic-system energy, and the rest sit in the same action-forward speculative fiction lane.

10 audiobooks for fans of Steelheart

  1. 1
    Starsight cover

    Starsight

    Skyward • Book 2

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Suzy Jackson

    ★ 4.61 ABR Score (133.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.34 Goodreads (109.9K) ★ 4.77 Audible (23.1K)
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    Spensa goes undercover among the alien Superiority to steal their hyperdrive technology, infiltrating the very empire that keeps her planet trapped. Suzy Jackson handles both Spensa's voice and the various alien characters with skill.

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  2. 2
    Tailored Realities cover

    Tailored Realities

    Skyward universe

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by André Santana, Avi Roque, Dion Graham, Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick, Imani Jade Powers, January LaVoy, MacLeod Andrews, Michael Kramer, Ray Porter, Shahjehan Khan, Stephanie Németh-Parker

    ★ 4.09 ABR Score (4.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.05 Goodreads (4.0K) ★ 4.68 Audible (454)
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    Sanderson's short fiction collection spans fantasy and science fiction, including the never-before-published novella 'Moment Zero.' The stellar cast of eleven narrators brings distinct voices to each story, showcasing the breadth of Sanderson's imagination.

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  3. 3
    Tor.com: Selected Original Fiction, 2008-2012 cover

    Tor.com: Selected Original Fiction, 2008-2012

    by Tor Books, Sylvia Day, Brandon Sanderson, Charles Stross, Ken MacLeod, Lee Mandelo, Rachel Swirsky, Meghan McCarron, John Scalzi

    Narrated by Luke Daniels, R.C. Bray, Amy McFadden, MacLeod Andrews, Kathleen Gati, Cassandra Campbell, Jill Redfield, Gideon Emery

    ★ 3.49 ABR Score (305 ratings)
    ★ 3.32 Goodreads (104) ★ 3.76 Audible (201)
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    Award-nominated short fiction from Tor.com's early years, featuring Sanderson, Scalzi, and other genre masters. Multiple narrators tackle diverse stories spanning science fiction and fantasy.

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  4. 4
    Cytonic cover

    Cytonic

    Skyward • Book 3

    by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Suzy Jackson

    ★ 4.35 ABR Score (79.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.05 Goodreads (67.8K) ★ 4.64 Audible (12.0K)
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    Spensa infiltrates enemy territory light-years from home after proving herself among humanity's best starfighters against the alien Krell.

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  5. 5
    Monsters of Men cover

    Monsters of Men

    Chaos Walking • Book 3

    by Patrick Ness

    Narrated by Nick Podehl, Angela Dawe, MacLeod Andrews

    ★ 4.28 ABR Score (92.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.22 Goodreads (90.9K) ★ 4.57 Audible (1.4K)
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    War erupts between humans and Spackle as Todd and Viola face impossible choices that will determine their world's survival. Three narrators capture the multiple perspectives of this devastating finale.

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  6. 6
    The Original cover

    The Original

    by Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    ★ 3.95 ABR Score (12.9K ratings)
    ★ 3.78 Goodreads (9.9K) ★ 4.4 Audible (3.0K)
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    Julia Whelan's performance anchors this sci-fi thriller with such precision that the identity-bending narrative hits harder than it has any right to in three hours. Sanderson and Kowal crafted something genuinely unsettling about consciousness and autonomy—and the audio format lets it burrow under your skin.

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  7. 7
    Dungeon Crawler Carl cover

    Dungeon Crawler Carl

    Dungeon Crawler Carl • Book 1

    by Matt Dinniman

    Narrated by Jeff Hays

    ★ 4.80 ABR Score (335.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.48 Goodreads (284.3K) ★ 4.86 Audible (51.2K)
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    When Earth becomes a literal death game show, one man and his ex-girlfriend's cat fight for survival in underground dungeons designed to entertain alien viewers. Jeff Hays channels Carl's desperate humor perfectly, making the absurd premise land with surprising emotional weight.

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  8. 8
    The Martian cover

    The Martian

    The Martian • Book 1

    by Andy Weir

    Narrated by Wil Wheaton

    ★ 4.76 ABR Score (1.3M ratings)
    ★ 4.42 Goodreads (1.3M) ★ 4.8 Audible (42.3K)
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    Stranded astronaut Mark Watney's fight for survival on Mars combines technical ingenuity with dark humor, perfectly matched by Wil Wheaton's engaging delivery.

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  9. 9
    Network Effect cover

    Network Effect

    Murderbot Diaries • Book 5

    by Martha Wells

    Narrated by Kevin R. Free

    ★ 4.61 ABR Score (139.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.46 Goodreads (129.2K) ★ 4.74 Audible (9.9K)
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    Kevin R. Free's deadpan delivery transforms Murderbot from a sardonic loner into someone genuinely worth rooting for—the audiobook does what the best narration does, making you hear the heart beneath the snark.

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  10. 10
    Ender's Game cover

    Ender's Game

    The Ender Saga • Book 1

    by Orson Scott Card

    Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, Harlan Ellison, Gabrielle de Cuir

    ★ 4.59 ABR Score (1.5M ratings)
    ★ 4.31 Goodreads (1.5M) ★ 4.63 Audible (44.6K)
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    Child genius Ender Wiggin's military training at Battle School prepares him for humanity's war against alien "buggers" in this complex moral examination.

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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 →