Best Joe Hempel Audiobooks
Joe Hempel has built a quiet reputation as a go-to voice for dark genre fiction, and if you spend any time in horror and fantasy anthology circles, you've almost certainly heard him without realizing it. His work on the Weird Tales Magazine series — including the Sword & Sorcery issue and the centennial collection 100 Years of Weird — shows exactly what he does best: navigating dense, tonally varied anthologies where the material can shift from pulpy adventure to genuine dread within a single story. His voice is a controlled, mid-register baritone — not flashy, but precise — and that precision is what makes him effective across thriller, horror, and fantasy alike. Freida McFadden's The Intruder and Glenn Rolfe's Land of Bones both benefit from his grounded delivery, which keeps tension credible rather than theatrical. If you're a dark fiction obsessive who values consistency over showmanship, Hempel is exactly your narrator.
Where to Start with Joe Hempel
- New to Joe Hempel? Start here → The Intruder
- What fans keep coming back to → Brooklynaire
- Short listen, big payoff → The Darkness at Deception Pass
- Highest rated by listeners → The Art Of Saying NO
Best Joe Hempel Audiobooks
- 1
The Intruder
Narrated by Joe Hempel, Patricia Santomasso, Tina Wolstencroft
★ 4.36 ABR Score (374.7K ratings)★ 3.89 Goodreads (366.4K) ★ 4.48 Audible (8.3K)More about this pick
Casey's wilderness retreat becomes a nightmare when she discovers a blood-covered girl outside her cabin during a fierce storm. The mysterious child won't explain her injuries or identity, leaving Casey to wonder if she's helping a victim or harboring something dangerous.
- 2
Brooklynaire
Brooklyn Bruisers • Book 4
by Sarina Bowen
Narrated by Zachary Webber, Virginia Rose, Joe Hempel
★ 4.31 ABR Score (26.8K ratings)★ 4.04 Goodreads (23.9K) ★ 4.65 Audible (3.0K)More about this pick
Webber and Rose turn seven years of unspoken chemistry into one unforgettable night of sizzling tension.
- 3
The Darkness at Deception Pass
A Thomas Austin Crime Thriller • Book 9
by D.D. Black
Narrated by Joe Hempel
★ 4.27 ABR Score (3.8K ratings)★ 4.43 Goodreads (3.7K) ★ 4.62 Audible (193)More about this pick
Bodies beneath Pacific Northwest bridges might be suicides—or something more sinister in this atmospheric thriller. Hempel's grounded performance matches the procedural realism of Thomas Austin's investigation.
- 4
The Art Of Saying NO
by Damon Zahariades
Narrated by Joe Hempel
★ 3.76 ABR Score (9.9K ratings)★ 3.76 Goodreads (9.3K) ★ 4.39 Audible (568)More about this pick
Joe Hempel's direct delivery matches this no-nonsense guide to setting boundaries without guilt. At under 2.5 hours, it's a quick but powerful listen for anyone tired of being taken advantage of.
- 5
Weird Tales Magazine No. 366: Sword & Sorcery Issue
Weird Tales Magazine
by Various
Narrated by Scott Aiello, John Pirhalla, Simon Vance, Paul Woodson, Hillary Huber, Roger Clark, Tim Campbell, Chelsea Stephens, Dion Graham, Joe Hempel, Steve West, James Langton, Neil Hellegers, Natalie Naudus, Peter Berkrot
★ 3.72 ABR Score (53 ratings)★ 3.78 Goodreads (37) ★ 4.13 Audible (16)More about this pick
Classic sword and sorcery stories from masters like Neil Gaiman and Jane Yolen get full voice treatment from fifteen different narrators. Blood, magic, and steel dominate this fantasy anthology's diverse tales.
- 6
Land of Bones
by Glenn Rolfe
Narrated by Lauri Jo Daniels, Anneliese Rennie, Kyle Tait, Matt Godfrey, Joe Hempel, Kelsey Navarro, Sean Duregger, Curt Bonnem, Gary Bennet, Adam Bar, Travis Baldree, Chelsea Stephens, KC Johnston, Shawn Compton
★ 3.60 ABR Score (180 ratings)★ 3.79 Goodreads (168) ★ 4.58 Audible (12)More about this pick
Fourteen nightmare-fuel stories about demon lights, haunted motels, and apocalyptic love get full-cast treatment that turns each tale into its own horror radio drama.
- 7
Dead Detectives Society
by James Aquilone, Kevin J. Anderson, Jonathan Maberry, Steve Niles, Nancy A. Collins, Joe R. Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale, David Avallone, Lisa Morton, Nancy Holder, Alan Philipson, John Jennings, Tim Waggoner, Rena Mason, Jeff Strand
Narrated by Joe Hempel, Derek Austin, Jenn Lee, Dean Gallagher, Amber Dekkers, Gary Noon, Jennifer Pickens
★ 3.59 ABR Score (60 ratings)★ 4.25 Goodreads (44) ★ 4.56 Audible (16)More about this pick
Supernatural investigators—zombies, ghosts, vampires—solve macabre mysteries across dimensions in this horror anthology collection.
- 8
Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird
by Jonathan Maberry, R.L. Stine, Laurell K. Hamilton, Ray Bradbury, Victor LaValle, Robert E. Howard, Hailey Piper, H.P. Lovecraft, Tennessee Williams, Usman T. Malik, James Aquilone, Michael A. Arnzen
Narrated by Bronson Pinchot, Richard J. Brewer, Natalie Naudus, Joe Hempel, Dion Graham, Neil Hellegers, Zura Johnson, Simon Vance, Peter Berkrot, James Patrick Cronin, Gabrielle de Cuir, Grover Gardner, full cast
★ 3.57 ABR Score (285 ratings)★ 3.78 Goodreads (263) ★ 3.64 Audible (22)More about this pick
A century of Weird Tales Magazine celebrated through new and classic stories from Lovecraft, Bradray, Stine, and more. This comprehensive anthology spans generations of speculative horror.
- 9
Weird Tales Magazine No. 370: Monster Issue (Weird Tales Magazine)
Weird Tales Magazine
by Jonathan Maberry, Various, Various Narrators
Narrated by Ray Porter, Bronson Pinchot, Hillary Huber, Joe Hempel, Jennifer Pickens, Dion Graham, Simon Vance, Emily Woo Zeller, Neil Hellegers
★ 3.54 ABR Score (41 ratings)★ 3.76 Goodreads (21) ★ 4.35 Audible (20)More about this pick
A stellar ensemble cast transforms this monster-themed anthology into pure audio theater—each narrator nails their story's voice, making the twisted takes on familiar creatures genuinely unsettling.
- 10
Man, F*ck This House (And Other Disasters)
by Brian Asman
Narrated by Matt Godfrey, James Anderson Foster, Andrew Gibson, Joe Hempel, Jenn Lee, Zura Johnson, Ray Porter
★ 3.54 ABR Score (8.3K ratings)★ 3.34 Goodreads (8.3K) ★ 4 Audible (10)More about this pick
A stellar ensemble cast elevates these horror stories into something genuinely unsettling—each narrator nails their character's descent into dread with surgical precision.
- 11
Weird Tales Magazine No. 367
Weird Tales Magazine
Narrated by Scott Brick, Robert Fass, James Anderson Foster, Heath Miller, Neil Hellegers, Roger Clark, Joe Hempel, Edoardo Ballerini, Eunice Wong, Simon Vance, Holly Adams, Chris Henry Coffey, Ralph Lister, Natalie Naudus
★ 3.52 ABR Score (59 ratings)★ 3.79 Goodreads (47) ★ 3.75 Audible (12)More about this pick
Fourteen narrators tackle cosmic horror from Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and other masters of reality-bending fiction. The ensemble approach suits stories designed to destabilize your worldview completely.
- 12
Weird Tales Magazine No. 372: Cryptids & Urban Legends
by Jonathan Maberry, Full Cast, Various
Narrated by Hillary Huber, Joe Hempel, Nancy Wu, Matt Godfrey, Patricia Santomasso, Robert Fass, James Anderson Foster, James Fouhey, Derek Austin, Liam Gerrard, Ramiz Monsef, Justin Price, Ray Porter, Christopher Tester, full cast
★ 3.38 ABR Score (3 ratings)★ 4 Audible (3)More about this pick
A full-cast production that treats cryptid lore with genuine respect—the rotating narrators nail the eerie atmosphere while essays ground the mythology in real investigation and wonder.