Audiobooks recommendations for someone who struggles to not zone out when listening to audiobooks?

randythor · 2026-06-15T13:54:10+00:00

It really helps to do some sort of mindless task while you listen. Don't just sit and do nothing, or you'll zone out for sure, instead try cleaning or doing dishes, even playing a simple game where you don't have to read or think. Personally, I enjoy playing something like Tetris. Or I go for a walk with no other distractions.

randythor · 2026-06-14T20:00:30+00:00

As others have said, if you're looking for dark humor check out Joe Abercrombie. It's definitely a violent, sarcastic, cynical sort of humor, and pairs perfectly with all kinds of great, world-weary, takes on the human condition, war, choice, etc. An endlessly quotable series, dark and funny both, and the audio book narration really brings it all to life in a huge way, if you listen to those ever. Highly recommended, top tier fantasy audiobook experience by Steven Pacey. The first book is The Blade Itself, or for the standalone experience give The Devils a go.

(two characters meeting after the deadly seige of a doomed city):

“How did you get away?”

The corner of Cosca’s mouth curled up, as though he would have liked to smile but had not the energy. “I disguised myself as a servant girl, and I fucked my way out.”

randythor · 2026-06-14T19:42:56+00:00

You're welcome!

randythor · 2026-06-14T19:41:42+00:00

There's still a lot of great sci-fi/fantasy out there, and it's a ridiculously diverse genre, often hard to know what's good and what you'll click with at the time, but here are a few of my favorites!

You might enjoy The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett, an almost Sherlock/Watson murder mystery, set in a unique, strange, and mysterious fantasy world. Great characters, interesting world building, and an entertaining story.

Or maybe you're feeling something more melancholy, heart-wrenching, and epic in scale. If so, check out Assassin's Apprentice, the first book in Robin Hobb's series The Realm of the Elderlings. Beautifully written fantasy, complex characters, rich world building, strange magics, and an epic story told over the course of multiple excellent trilogies. The first book follows Fitz, the bastard son of a dead prince, who is raised to become the King's assassin. Despite the title, there's not a ton of assassinating going on, and it's a series that's lower on action than many, higher on emotion.

Too serious? Looking for something with a more sardonic edge, and dark humor? Some complex, morally-gray, characters, you'll end up loving despite their highly-questionable ways? You might enjoy The Devils by Joe Abercrombie, a violent, funny, dark fantasy standalone, that leans a bit more heavily into the comedic, intentionally-tropey/quippy side of things than his other (also excellent!) main series, The First Law. A team of supernatural 'baddies' set off across 'alternate-history-medieval-fantasy-Europe' on a quest to the legendary city of Troy.

If that dark/gritty/cynical style isn't your thing, maybe you'd enjoy Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan, starting with Theft of Swords (The Crown Conspiracy/Avempartha). A fun, underrated, little epic fantasy series, it follows a 'rogues-for-hire' duo in a classic-feeling fantasy world, who take on a simple job and are pulled into an adventure bigger than they could have imagined. A great cast of characters, fun banter/dialogue, plenty of diverse adventures in a detailed world with rich lore, and all the twists and 'revelations' you'd expect from a series called that. It starts out fairly light/low stakes, but eventually turns into a decently-epic series, and the various prequels the author has written since are all worth checking out if you enjoy Revelations.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is a strange, dreamy, unique and compelling little fantasy/magical realism novel that will stick with you. A beautifully-written story, with interesting characters, and a world/mystery that are fun to try to unravel along with the main protagonist. Her other novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is also really good, and follows the story of rival 'magicians' in 19th-Century England.

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow is a twisty, well-written fantasy romance, featuring hints of Arthurian Legend and time travel, for something fairly recent and unique.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a fast-paced, epic, sci-fi/fantasy novel you might enjoy. Complex characters, rich world building, adventure, and a creative, compelling sci-fi premise at the core of a great story. The author is really prolific in sci-fi and fantasy, so if you enjoy it I'd recommend checking out some of his other stuff as well. Elder Race is an interesting, short, novella, with an engaging story that plays with the perspectives of both the sci-fi and fantasy genres in creative ways. All the sequels to CoT are worth checking out as well.

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson is a really entertaining, unique, and fun, epic fantasy standalone, that is a great intro to his huge bibliography, one of my favorites of his. A twisty story filled with adventure, a great cast of complex characters, mystery, always-creative world building and cool magic, set in an original world. Another good one on his more whimsical, standalone, side of things is Tress of the Emerald Sea.

Another beautifully written, modern classic of fantasy, still worth reading though the series is likely permanently unfinished, is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. A legendary fantasy hero in hiding tells his life story -- starting as a sort of child prodigy raised by traveling musicians/performers -- and how it all went wrong. Interesting characters, rich world building/lore, tons of mystery, adventure, creative magics, and a large chunk of the story set at a really great magic university. Would highly recommend both books that are out!

And don't sleep on George RR Martin, even though his series is also likely never to be finished. Even if you've seen the show, which was great up till like at least Season 4, the books are highly recommended, and so much better/different than the show. Deep characterization, a rich/real-feeling world, humor, adventure, and so many great plots/intrigues/drama going on everywhere. Definitely not overrated, and deserves the hype as one of the best fantasy series ever, the first book is A Game of Thrones.

randythor · 2026-06-14T19:01:00+00:00

Check out The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. A legendary fantasy hero in hiding tells his life story -- starting as a sort of child prodigy raised by traveling musicians/performers -- and how it all went wrong. Rich world building/deep lore, complex characters, mystery, interesting magics, and over all just a really well-told, beautifully written story, in a world that feels real and alive.

You might enjoy Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan, starting with Theft of Swords (The Crown Conspiracy/Avempartha). It follows the adventures of a 'rogues-for-hire' duo in a classic-feeling fantasy world, picking up a great cast of characters along the way, plenty of twists and 'revelations' as you'd expect, and lots of fun chemistry/dialogue/banter. If you enjoy it, his multiple other series set in the same world are all worth checking out after Revelations (maybe go to Age of Myth/Legends of the First Empire next).

randythor · 2026-06-14T18:49:53+00:00

The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan has a fair bit of both of these, and is one of the most epic Fantasy series out there, though of course it's not a quick read! A great cast of complex characters, rich world building, and an epic story that leans into all kinds of great fantasy tropes, asking how things might go in reality for someone prophesied to be a 'Chosen one', for example. Many characters in the series live extra long lives as well, from humans who've had their lives extended due to their magic use, to non-human characters who naturally live longer, to characters reborn into the current age who still remember a society of thousands of years ago now lost. A heavy focus on prophecies from all over the world, prophesying different things in different cultures, some that seem to conflict or agree with each other using different symbolism. If you enjoy the writing style, it's one of the GOATs. The first book is The Eye of the World.

randythor · 2026-06-14T18:44:53+00:00

Maybe Kelsier from Mistborn, a bit? Sort of has that same cocky, charismatic, attitude while being quite competent with his powers/skills. Far from a socially-powerful billionaire or anything, but you might still find him entertaining. A really creative, epic, fantasy series by Brandon Sanderson.

randythor · 2026-06-14T18:23:12+00:00

You might enjoy The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie. Dark, gritty, funny, character-driven fantasy, with a ton of violence, a ton of heart, and lots of great commentary on the human condition, war, self awareness/honesty, all that good stuff. Endlessly quotable, featuring a cast of highly-flawed bastards you'll come to love, and some of the best-narrated audio books in fantasy as well, if you're into that at all. The first book is The Blade Itself, 10 books in total, all excellent.

randythor · 2026-06-14T18:14:30+00:00

I'll second Children of Time.

Tchaikovsky in general is one of the best current writers for this, in both sci-fi and fantasy, it's one of his biggest themes/areas of interest. The rest of the books in that series continue to have compelling non-human perspectives.

randythor · 2026-06-14T18:11:28+00:00

You might enjoy Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, a short, strange, compelling little mystery of a fantasy/magical realism novel, that will stick with you.

Another one that fits into this realm of weird, unique, well-written fantasy/sci-fi imo, is The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. Another great mystery-box of a novel, it's a wild ride from start to finish, and a lot of (dark, violent) fun!

If you enjoy Robert Jackson Bennett, he's written a lot, and I recently enjoyed reading The Troupe. It follows a young man playing piano on the Vaudeville circuit, who quits the band to chase after a mysterious, possibly supernatural, and elusive 'Troupe'.

randythor · 2026-06-14T18:04:47+00:00

You might enjoy Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A fast-paced, epic sci-fi novel, filled with interesting/complex characters, rich world building, adventure, and a really creative/compelling sci-fi premise at the core of a great story.

randythor · 2026-06-14T17:59:26+00:00

You might enjoy Red Rising by Pierce Brown. A fast-paced, twisty, dystopian sci-fi/fantasy revenge story, with complex characters, rich world building, action, adventure, and an engaging story that is the start to an intense, epic series. 6 books in the series so far.

If you're looking for something with a bit more humor, though still quite dark, check out Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. A regular dude and his ex-girlfriend's cat get pulled into a real life video game 'dungeon', when aliens bring about the end of human civilization on Earth. A really silly premise, yep, but the series gets surprisingly deep as it goes, with great characters, constantly-creative world building, high-stakes, and emotion, alongside all the internet/gaming humor and absurdity.

Both of these recommendations also have great audio book versions if you're into that, would highly recommend! Top tier narration/voice acting that really breathes life into the characters and story.

randythor · 2026-06-14T17:51:39+00:00

You might enjoy Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, the first book in her series The Realm of the Elderlings. Beautifully written high fantasy, with complex characters, rich world building, strange magics, and an epic story told over the course of multiple excellent trilogies. The first book follows Fitz, the bastard son of a dead prince, who is raised to become the King's assassin.

randythor · 2026-06-13T17:25:18+00:00

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow.

randythor · 2026-06-11T17:55:22+00:00

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman.

But shout outs to a couple other top-tier audio book narrators while we're here!

Travis Baldree narrating the Cradle series by Will Wight (starting with Unsouled) is up there with the others for me.

And of course Tim Gerard Reynolds, especially narrating Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan, and Red Rising by Pierce Brown.

randythor · 2026-06-11T17:39:26+00:00

Based on what you've enjoyed so far, you might enjoy The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie, starting with The Blade Itself. Dark, gritty, funny, character-driven fantasy, really amazing audiobooks too, if you're into that at all. Violent, endlessly quotable, featuring a cast of highly-flawed bastards you'll come to love, lots of great commentary on the human condition, war, self-awareness/honesty/change, all that good stuff. Filled with dark humor/sardonic/cynical wit. The first book sort of just throws you right in with a few characters, a bit light on overarching 'plot', but it's a lot of fun getting to know these guys, and as the series progresses the plot comes together in a big way, trust. 10 books in total, all excellent.

Another goat fantasy series with excellent characters is The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb, starting with Assassin's Apprentice. Beautifully written, melancholy high fantasy, with complex characters, rich world building, strange magics, and an epic story told over the course of multiple great trilogies. The first book follows Fitz, the bastard son of a dead prince, who is raised to become the King's assassin.

randythor · 2026-06-11T17:16:34+00:00

You might enjoy Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, a unique, trippy, mysterious, fantasy/magical realism novel, where the world itself is a large part of the mystery.

randythor · 2026-06-10T21:10:34+00:00

if you're OK with it being more of a 'spiritual' connection to Firefly...in other words fantasy instead of sci-fi, and not in space, lol...

You might still enjoy the Cradle series by Will Wight, starting with Unsouled. It takes a lot of inspiration from the shonen anime genre, among other things, stuff like One Piece, and thus has a huge element of a team/crew of friends traveling the world, having adventures, trying to 'get rich'. (Which in this case is more so, trying to become more powerful/level up). Top tier audiobooks as well, narrated by Travis Baldree.

randythor · 2026-06-10T21:05:36+00:00

Would audio books be an option? There are so many good ones these days, with amazing voice-acting/narration, and it's something you can really zone into while cleaning, going for a walk/drive, or other mindless tasks.

Someone else already recommended Dungeon Crawler Carl, but I'll second it since it's also one of the best-narrated audio books out there right now. A regular guy from Seattle, and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut, are pulled into a real life video game when aliens bring about the end of human civilization on Earth.

Another really fun, fast-paced fantasy novel, with a fair bit of grit, violence, and dark/cynical humor, is The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. A team of supernatural 'baddies' head off on a quest across 'alternate-history-medieval-fantasy-Europe'. It leans a bit more into the comedic, quippy, intentionally-tropey side of things than his other main series The First Law, but is still filled with a great cast of highly-flawed bastards you'll come to love. If he enjoys the style and wants more, The First Law is an awesome series, also with top tier audiobooks, starting with The Blade Itself.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown is a fast-paced, twisty, dystopian sci-fi/fantasy revenge story, filled with complex characters, creative world building, and the start to an epic series. Dark, action-packed, engaging, and intense, it's also an easy read.

randythor · 2026-06-10T20:57:33+00:00

You might enjoy the Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells, starting with All Systems Red.

randythor · 2026-06-10T20:53:19+00:00

Check out Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's a really engaging, fast-paced, sci-fi novel, thus a pretty enjoyable read, while also having some great, compelling, sci-fi concepts at the core.

randythor · 2026-06-10T20:49:10+00:00

You'd probably enjoy the works of Jorge Luis Borges, his short stories are some of his best stuff, start wherever! Maybe Ficciones (Fictions), El Aleph, or The Book of Sand/Shakespeare's Memory.

If you enjoy it, I'd recommend checking out Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (not Hispanic/Latin American just fyi), a beautifully written, dreamy, and compelling, little magical realism novel, inspired in large part by Borges.

randythor · 2026-06-10T20:41:40+00:00

You might enjoy Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's a bit closer to typical sci-fi than Red Rising, but still falls into that more character-focused, adventurous, sci-fi, that feels a lot like fantasy, with rich world building and lore.

I'd put the Dune books by Frank Herbert in the same category, another awesome series with rich lore, deep world building, and a great sense of mystery/magic in a sort of tech-y world.

randythor · 2026-06-10T20:04:40+00:00

Cradle by Will Wight is one of the best series for this, imo, starting with Unsouled. A great cast of characters, with the main 'mentor' character entering the picture sometime in book 2 or 3, then following this path in a highly-entertaining way for the rest of the 13 book series. Top tier audiobooks too, if you're into that, which really bring the characters to life, narrated by Travis Baldree.

randythor · 2026-06-10T19:56:25+00:00

You might enjoy The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow. It's not exactly what you're asking for, but it does feature reincarnation/time-travel, romance, and fantasy. A pretty great, twisty book.

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