Best Found Family Sci-Fi Audiobooks

Zero Hour

Expeditionary Force • Book 5

by Craig Alanson

Narrated by R.C. Bray

The Merry Band of Pirates faces their biggest crisis yet as their stolen alien ship falls apart and Skippy the AI apparently dies, stranding them thousands of lightyears from Earth.

Breakaway

Expeditionary Force • Book 12

by Craig Alanson

Narrated by R.C. Bray

R.C. Bray's delivery of Joe Bishop and Skippy's banter is so sharp and perfectly timed that twelve books in, the humor still lands harder than the space battles. If you've made it this far in the series, Breakaway doubles down on what works: character chemistry that feels lived-in and dialogue that crackles with personality.

Network Effect

Murderbot Diaries • Book 5

by Martha Wells

Narrated by Kevin R. Free

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.

Renegades

Expeditionary Force • Book 7

by Craig Alanson

Narrated by R.C. Bray

R.C. Bray's deadpan delivery elevates Alanson's sarcastic sci-fi humor into something genuinely hilarious—he's the perfect voice for a ragtag crew that keeps accidentally saving the world.

Valkyrie

Expeditionary Force • Book 9

by Craig Alanson

Narrated by R.C. Bray

R.C. Bray's delivery transforms this ninth book into pure momentum—his timing on the humor is so sharp it cuts, making you forget you're listening to a 20-hour audiobook about saving Earth from annihilation.

Mavericks

Expeditionary Force • Book 6

by Craig Alanson

Narrated by R.C. Bray

R.C. Bray's deadpan delivery transforms Alanson's chaotic space comedy into pure audio gold—his timing on the jokes lands harder than any book could manage, making this the most fun installment yet.

Torith

System Universe • Book 2

by SunriseCV

Narrated by Adam Verner

Derek continues his interdimensional travels with a soulbound murder bunny who dreams of becoming a chef. LitRPG comedy that balances absurd humor with genuine character development and world-building.

Artificial Condition

The Murderbot Diaries • Book 2

by Martha Wells

Narrated by Kevin R. Free

Murderbot teams up with a sarcastic AI research vessel to investigate its own dark past at a mining facility. Kevin R. Free perfectly balances the android protagonist's deadpan humor with genuine vulnerability.

Savannah

System Universe • Book 3

by SunriseCV

Narrated by Adam Verner

Derek discovers that not all noble houses are corrupt when House Gracefall shows unexpected honor after losing one of their young masters. Third entry keeps this LitRPG series grounded in character growth over power progression.

A Closed and Common Orbit

Wayfarers • Book 2

by Becky Chambers

Narrated by Rachel Dulude

Trials of Cydaria

System Universe • Book 4

by SunriseCV

Narrated by Adam Verner

Derek finally finds a home in Savannah, building his first shop while navigating city politics and respectable leadership. Adam Verner captures Derek's relief at discovering a place worth defending in this system apocalypse tale.

Harrow the Ninth

The Locked Tomb Trilogy • Book 2

by Tamsyn Muir

Narrated by Moira Quirk

Until the End of the World

Until the End of the World • Book 1

by Sarah Lyons Fleming

Narrated by Julia Whelan

Julia Whelan voices Cassie Forrest, who decides to get her life together on the same day the world ends. Her performance captures Cassie's dark humor as she and her friends barely escape to a cabin before civilization collapses.

Captain Vorpatril's Alliance

Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) • Book 15

by Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by Grover Gardner

Ivan Vorpatril's simple surveillance job spirals into marriage, murder plots, and family schemes across multiple planets in this romantic space opera that proves even side characters deserve epic adventures.

The Cost of Survival

The System Apocalypse • Book 3

by Tao Wong

Narrated by Nick Podehl

After defeating the Onlivik Spores at devastating cost, John faces System-integrated races and powerful new monsters in this LitRPG where survival demands creative solutions.

Winterfair Gifts

Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #13.1 • Book 13

by Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by Grover Gardner

Miles Vorkosigan's wedding preparations spiral into romantic chaos and assassination plots on Barrayar. A perfect bite-sized entry into Bujold's beloved universe for both newcomers and series devotees.

Commune: Book One

Commune • Book 1

by Joshua Gayou

Narrated by R.C. Bray

A massive solar storm destroys modern civilization, forcing developed nations back into the Dark Ages while survivors struggle to adapt. R.C. Bray's narration captures the apocalyptic scope.

Assembly's Folly (Antecedents' Legacy Book 5)

Antecedents' Legacy • Book 5

by Daniel Schinhofen

Narrated by Andrea Parsneau

Zander's legendary single-fist takedown of three behemoths leads to a deadly Assembly summons in this high-stakes space opera conclusion. Andrea Parsneau's commanding performance captures both the triumph and political machinations perfectly.

After It Happened: Publisher's Pack, Books 1 & 2

After It Happened #1-2 • Book 1

by Devon C. Ford

Narrated by R.C. Bray

When plague kills nearly everyone, survival means protecting the few companions you find along the way. R.C. Bray guides listeners through this brutal post-apocalyptic world where death is commonplace but hope persists.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Wayfarers • Book 1

by Becky Chambers

Narrated by Rachel Dulude

The Kaiju Preservation Society

by John Scalzi

Narrated by Wil Wheaton

Jamie Gray stumbles from pandemic food delivery into interdimensional monster conservation work. Wheaton brings playful energy to Scalzi's pandemic-era comfort food about giant creatures and found family.

Blood of the Innocent

ONSET • Book 3

by Glynn Stewart

Narrated by Ray Porter

ONSET's supernatural agents have beaten the vampires, but an ancient enemy offers peace talks that smell like a trap. Ray Porter's gruff narration fits the urban fantasy action perfectly.

Citizen of the Galaxy

by Robert A. Heinlein

Narrated by Grover Gardner

A slave boy's journey from auction block to merchant prince unfolds across Heinlein's galaxy-spanning tale of abolition and identity, with Grover Gardner capturing both the intimate character moments and sweeping scope.

United States of Apocalypse

United States of Apocalypse • Book 1

by Mark Tufo, Armand Rosamilia

Narrated by Sean Runnette, Julia Whelan

WWIII erupts on American soil, forcing unlikely heroes to defend a nation brought to its knees by terrorism and global abandonment.

The Gap Into Madness: Chaos and Order

The Gap Cycle • Book 4

by Stephen R. Donaldson

Narrated by Scott Brick

As Thanatos Minor explodes, unlikely allies escape aboard Trumpet with hostile forces in pursuit. Former enemies Morn Hyland and others must cooperate for survival in this space opera exploring trust, desperation, and moral complexity.

Lost Hope

The Bridge Sequence • Book 3

by Nathan Hystad

Narrated by Ray Porter

Porter's urgent delivery captures Rex's race against time as Earth faces invasion while he tries to save his sister and Marcus from ultimate sacrifice.

Freedom's Choice

Catteni • Book 2

by Anne McCaffrey

Narrated by Susie Breck, Dick Hill

Humans enslaved on an alien planet must decide whether to fight for their prison world when they learn their captors are just mercenaries. The dual narration by Breck and Hill adds energy to this space colonization tale of survival and resistance.

Magnitude

Multiverse Space • Book 1

by Dean M. Cole

Narrated by R.C. Bray

Elite SAS operators battle sentient land-hungry robots across multiple universes after Earth invasion goes wrong. R.C. Bray anchors this multiverse military thriller with his signature intensity, handling both special ops action and alien universe complexity with equal skill.

Earthside

Quantum Earth • Book 2

by Dennis E. Taylor

Narrated by Ray Porter

Twenty-something scientists manage humanity's survival after the Yellowstone super-eruption destroys civilization. Ray Porter returns to voice Taylor's signature blend of science and humor.

Renegade Star

Renegade Star • Book 1

by J.N. Chaney

Narrated by Luke Daniels

Captain Jace Hughes discovers Earth isn't the myth everyone believes when a mysterious nun boards his ship with dangerous cargo. Luke Daniels captures the wonder and terror of this space-faring adventure perfectly.

Ragnarok

I Bring the Fire • Book 6

by C. Gockel

Narrated by Barrie Kreinik

Chaos incarnate Bohdi Patel just wants to survive on icy Jotunheim, but Loki's oath to burn Asgard complicates everything. Kreinik handles the mythological complexity with clear distinction between characters.

Fates

I Bring the Fire • Book 4

by C. Gockel

Narrated by Barrie Kreinik

Two years after Loki destroyed Chicago's financial district, Thor needs humanity's help to find the missing trickster god. Barrie Kreinik captures both divine arrogance and mortal desperation as gods and humans collide.

Orion Uncharted

Orion Colony • Book 2

by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez

Narrated by Ray Porter

The Orion's crash scatters its crew across an alien world where local wildlife, supply shortages, and a mysterious unopenable door threaten survival. Dean and his friends must band together despite diminishing hope of ever returning home.

Planet of the Japes (Space Team Universe, 7)

Space Team • Book 7

by Barry J. Hutchison

Narrated by Carolyn Kashner, Christopher Walker, Danny Gavigan, Mort Shelby, Nora Achrati, Rose Elizabeth Supan, Yasmin Tuazon, Rob McFadyen, Darius Johnson, Phil Thron, Mark Harrietha

Space Team follows mysterious coordinates to a planet-sized theme park populated by homicidal clownbots and zero safety regulations. The full cast brings manic energy to this absurd blend of comedy and cosmic horror.

Falling Free

Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) • Book 4

by Lois McMaster Bujold, Suford Lewis, James A. McMaster

Narrated by Grover Gardner

Engineer Leo Graf discovers his zero-gravity adapted students are being exploited by their corporate creators in this standalone Vorkosigan universe prequel.

Sand

The Sand Chronicles • Book 1

by Hugh Howey

Narrated by Jeremy Arthur

Four siblings scattered across a post-apocalyptic desert world buried under endless dunes search for each other and answers about their father's disappearance in this haunting family saga.

The Way to the Stars

Star Trek: Discovery • Book 4

by Una McCormack

Narrated by January LaVoy

Cadet Sylvia Tilly's backstory reveals how an inexperienced student became crucial to Discovery's Mirror Universe escape. January LaVoy captures Tilly's nervous energy and growing confidence throughout her academy years.

The Arrival

Animorphs • Book 38

by K.A. Applegate, Katherine Applegate

Narrated by Adam Verner

When Ax's own people arrive, the series reaches its emotional climax: he must choose between loyalty to his bloodline and his found family.

The System Apocalypse Books 1-3

The System Apocalypse #1-3 • Book 1

by Tao Wong

Narrated by Nick Podehl

John's weekend camping trip in Yukon National Park becomes survival horror when the world ends via blue boxes and leveling systems. Levels replace nuclear apocalypse while monsters spawn in Canadian wilderness.

Bug Hunt

Argonauts • Book 1

by Isaac Hooke

Narrated by Luke Daniels

Ex-military Rade launches interstellar security company Argonauts but faces ruthless creditors and mysterious clients. Their first job hunting unknown aliens tests both their mechs and their survival instincts.

The Battle of D.C.

Commune • Book 5

by Joshua Gayou, Devon C. Ford

Narrated by R.C. Bray

R.C. Bray returns to guide Books and Bug's polar-opposite friendship as they lead pregnant survivors toward a rumored hospital in post-apocalyptic Washington.

Star Trek: Discovery: Somewhere to Belong

Star Trek: Discovery • Book 9

by Dayton Ward

Narrated by January LaVoy

Captain Burnham and Discovery crew adjust to life 900 years in the future, reconnecting with worlds devastated by the Burn. January LaVoy handles the ensemble cast well, maintaining the series' hopeful tone.

Three Days in April

by Edward Ashton

Narrated by John Pirhalla, Barrie Kreinik, Katharine Chin, Daniel Henning

Anders Jensen navigates life as a broke genetic anomaly with a data-thief roommate, bar-fighting girlfriend, and cyborg best friend in a world divided by genetic engineering.

Whalesong

Arcana Imperii • Book 3

by Miles Cameron

Narrated by

Thor Stokel's dream ship Silver Star becomes a nightmare of solo flights, bad deals, and customs disasters. Military security traded for merchant independence proves costly in this space opera.

The Wolves of Winter

by Tyrell Johnson

Narrated by Jayme Mattler

Lynn McBride's survival in post-apocalyptic Canada gets tested when strangers threaten her family's fragile existence in the frozen Yukon wilderness.

The Wasteland Series

Wasteland #1-4

by Jon Cronshaw

Narrated by Virtual Voice

Abel's journey from drug-addicted scavenger to reluctant hero of enslaved children spans four novels of post-apocalyptic survival. The AI narration surprisingly works for this gritty wasteland tale.

Where is Anybody?

Gideon Sable • Book 5

by Simon R. Green

Narrated by Gideon Emery

Gideon Emery returns to voice master thief Gideon Sable in what might be his most dangerous heist yet. Emery's performance captures both the character's legendary confidence and the desperation driving him back into the game.

Archangels of Funk

Cinnamon Jones • Book 2

by Andrea Hairston

Narrated by January LaVoy

January LaVoy navigates Hairston's post-apocalyptic world of Water Wars and roving militias with skill that matches the novel's complexity. Her performance balances the story's serious themes with its underlying sense of hope and community.

Genesis

Prodigal Project • Book 1

by Ken Abraham, Daniel Hart

Narrated by Dick Hill

After the Rapture, Azul Dante's Prodigal Project offers hope to the left behind, but seven souls face their ultimate test. Religious thriller exploring faith in humanity's darkest hour.

Nophek Gloss

The Graven • Book 1

by Essa Hansen

Narrated by Dan Bittner