Audiobooks are a commuter staple. Obviously you don't have to be a commuter to love audiobooks: Take any mundane task and add an excellent audiobook and next thing you know, you will be wanting to do said mundane task just so you can get another 20 minutes with your book.
2020 was the year that many of us went from long commutes to the office, to a "commute" that looked more like a two minute stumble from the bed to the dining table. If we were lucky enough not to live alone, our workspaces were often shared with spouses or "homeschooling" child overlords. Those of us who could, dashed out the door at lunch, or the second the workday ended in an attempt walk off whatever we were feeling about the state of the world, grateful for some time to indulge in the ritual of the audiobook; to lose ourselves in another world for a while. Thankfully, there was no shortage of new material.
Last week, ten of the titles nominated for our first round of voting advanced to the second round; today, we find out which one of those ten the Discover Sci-Fi community thought was the very best. Curious to see which 2020 audiobook release came out on top? Read on to find out!
Without further ado, based on the combined nominations and votes here on the Discover Sci-Fi blog and the Facebook group, here are your top choices for the best audiobook published 2020!
10. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini, narrated by Jennifer Hale
“Narrator Jennifer Hale's outstanding performance brings this story of alien invasion to life…Hale’s portrayal of Kira is mellow and contemplative, reflecting a person who spends most of her time alone in the quiet reaches of space. Hale's range of differentiation is masterly as she animates all the quirky characters Kira meets. From the rough, snarky slang of an ex-military woman to the half-mad musings of a human "ship mind," every unique voice enhances the listening experience.” —AudioFile Magazine
The audiobook production of Christopher Paolini’s To Sleep in a Sea of Stars won an AudioFile Earphones Award this year, thanks in part to the incredible voice work of Jennifer Hale. Despite being a veteran voice actor with over 30 years experience, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars was Hale’s first audiobook. We do hope she’ll be narrating more in the future!
Have you read or listened to this yet? Those looking to make the most of their Audible credits can’t go wrong with this one, which delivers over 32 hours of award-winning entertainment!
During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she's delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move.
As war erupts among the stars, Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. First contact isn't at all what she imagined, and events push her to the very limits of what it means to be human.
While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand upon the brink of annihilation. Now, Kira might be humanity's greatest and final hope....
Pick up To Sleep in a Sea of Stars here on Amazon
9. Final Days by Nathan Hystad and Jasper T. Scott, narrated by Ray Porter
"With every book I've done, I have found that the author has a voice and if I can just do my best to stay out of the way of that voice, then the writer will convey what he's trying to put across. So for me, it's really more about enabling the text and what the author is trying to say.” —Ray Porter
Award-winning actor and narrator Ray Porter has said one of the things he loves about narrating books is the “diversity of work projects,” and if you look at the list of credits to his name, you’ll see he’s worked on everything from a full cast production of the beloved children’s classic Charlotte’s Web, to many of our favorite science fiction books, including our ninth place title, Nathan Hystad and Jasper T. Scott’s epic Final Days.
A mysterious convergence of natural disasters threatens to destroy life as we know it, and people across the United States are going missing. With no one left to investigate, Special Agent Kendra Baker takes the case, trying to solve the disappearances before she’s out of time.
Among those abducted is Valeria Miller, the daughter of ex-Marine Corporal Andrew Miller, and he’ll stop at nothing to find her.
With the help of an unstable conspiracy theorist, they find themselves on the trail of a reclusive billionaire who just might have all the answers.
As the natural catastrophes escalate and the evacuations commence, it becomes a race against the clock to find the abductees before it’s too late.
Start listening to Final Days here on Amazon.
8. Rhythm Of War By Brandon Sanderson narrated by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer
“Only after they convince us that audiobook narrators should always marry audiobook narrators, does one of them--we can't remember who--say, "It's great except when we both need to use the recording studio at the same time."
"Or when we're both reading books about sociopathic killers."
"Or when one of us thinks the other one has a better book."
"Or when one of us comments on the other's work.” —Aurelia C. Scott, AudioFile magazine
Each accomplished narrators in their own right, the effect of Kate Reading and Michael Kramer coming together as co-narrators is synergistic. If you haven’t listened to anything these two have worked on together, prepare to be blown away by their performance of the books in Brandon Sanderson’s fantastic Stormlight Archive Series, which includes your 8th place pick, Rhythm of War.
The Stormlight Archive saga continues in Rhythm of War, the eagerly awaited sequel to Brandon Sanderson's number one New York Times best-selling Oathbringer, from an epic fantasy writer at the top of his game.
Get your copy of Rhythm of War here on Amazon.
7. Savage Wars by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole, narrated by Stephen Lang
Our seventh place selection is Jason Anaspach and Nick Cole’s Savage Wars, a book that has the distinction of being the 2020 Dragon Award Winner for Best Military Science Fiction. The audio book, performed by legendary actor Stephen Lang (Avatar, Tombstone, Gods & Generals) was a wish come true for fans of Galaxy’s Edge. In late 2017, Galaxy’s Edge listeners voted on what story they most wanted to be told in the Galaxy’s Edge universe. The runaway winner was Savage Wars. The entire trilogy was released in 2020 and exclusive signed Savage Wars posters raised over $11,000 for pro-veteran charities!
They were the Savages. Raiders from our distant past. Elites who left Earth to create tailor-made utopias aboard the massive lighthuggers that crawled through the darkness between the stars. But the people they left behind on a dying planet didn't perish in the dystopian nightmare the Savages had themselves created: they thrived, discovering faster-than-light technology and using it to colonize the galaxy ahead of the Savages, forming fantastic new civilizations that surpassed the wildest dreams of Old Earth.
Until the Savages came in from the Darkness….
Start reading Savage Wars here on Amazon.
6. Hell Divers VII by Nicholas Sansbury Smith, narrated by R.C. Bray
Last month, following the landslide of winning titles voiced by R.C. Bray in our poll for the best audiobook of all-time, we had the great pleasure of hosting a conversation between Bray and bestselling author Nicholas Sansbury Smith. Early on in the chat, Smith jokingly referred to this year’s SOVAs as the “RC Bray Awards” It was funny but also true: R.C. Bray has SIX titles nominated in the SOVAs, one of which is our 6th place entry, Smith’s Hell Divers VII: Warriors. The winners won’t be announced until the 20th of this month, but it wouldn’t surprise us a bit if Bray’s incredible narration of Smith’s work took home the win. If you’ve yet to pick this up, it’s well past time!
While the Hell Divers cross an ocean to battle the machines, an old flesh-and-blood threat returns to the islands.
The mission to Rio de Janeiro ended in victory, but it came at a dire cost, killing most of those who set out to rescue the stranded survivors. Even worse, the skinwalkers’ leader, Horn, escaped with his demonic crew and is coming to take the throne.
Back at the Vanguard Islands, King Xavier Rodriguez has been severely injured in another battle to protect the kingdom. Now an infection threatens to kill the one man who can keep the peace. As he fights for survival, new intel from Rio de Janeiro gives humanity hope of destroying the biggest threat of all: the machines - if the machines don’t find the Vanguard Islands first.
Start listening to Hell Divers VII: Warriors here on Amazon.
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5. Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline, narrated by Wil Wheaton
Ernst Cline's Ready Player Two was one of the most highly anticipated release of the year. Finally released, nine years after Cline’s wildly successful debut Ready Player One, we wondered: would it live up to the hype? There will always be detractors when it comes to follow-ups to books that rocketed to the heights that Ready Player One did, but judging by it’s 5th place landing on this list, we’d say it was another success, well-received by the sci-fi community.
As with the Ready Player One, the audiobook production of Ready Player Two was impressively performed by the accomplished voice and screen actor, Wil Wheaton.
An unexpected quest. Two worlds at stake. Are you ready?
Days after Oasis founder James Halliday's contest, Wade Watts makes a discovery that changes everything. Hidden within Halliday's vault, waiting for his heir to find, lies a technological advancement that will once again change the world and make the Oasis a thousand times more wondrous, and addictive, than even Wade dreamed possible. With it comes a new riddle and a new quest. A last Easter egg from Halliday, hinting at a mysterious prize. And an unexpected, impossibly powerful, and dangerous new rival awaits, one who will kill millions to get what he wants. Wade's life and the future of the Oasis are again at stake, but this time the fate of humanity also hangs in the balance.
Get your copy of Ready Player Two here on Amazon.
4. Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor, narrated by Ray Porter
Dennis E. Taylor’s Bobiverse series recently took a highly respectable 2nd place spot in our top ten poll to decide the best audiobooks of all time, so it was no surprise to see the most recent instalment in the series, Heaven’s River, place so well in this poll for best audiobook of 2020.
As with previous instalments in the series, the fourth book pairs Taylor’s witty storytelling with Ray Porter’s superb narration. If you have somehow missed it, this fan favorite would make a super binge listen to close out the year!
More than a hundred years ago, Bender set out for the stars and was never heard from again. There has been no trace of him despite numerous searches by his clone-mates. Now Bob is determined to organize an expedition to learn Bender’s fate - whatever the cost.
But nothing is ever simple in the Bobiverse. Bob’s descendants are out to the 24th generation now, and replicative drift has produced individuals who can barely be considered Bobs anymore. Some of them oppose Bob’s plan; others have plans of their own. The out-of-control moots are the least of the Bobiverse’s problems.
Undaunted, Bob and his allies follow Bender’s trail. But what they discover out in deep space is so unexpected and so complex that it could either save the universe - or pose an existential threat the likes of which the Bobiverse has ever faced.
Dive into Heaven's River here on Amazon.
3. Critical Mass by Craig Alanson, narrated by RC Bray
Craig Alanson released Columbus Day, the first book in his Expeditionary Force series almost five years ago. By the time this post is published the 11th book, Brushfire, will have just been released. Since that first book, ExForce has become a phenomena, an unstoppable force with an ever growing, passionate fanbase. Alanson’s fast paced and often hilarious narrative is impeccably voiced by one of the best of the business, R.C. Bray. While many of you are no doubt ears deep in book 11, let’s just take a minute to pause the recording and celebrate Critical Mass, which was rightly nominated as one of the best audiobooks published this year and which landed, in 3rd spot in our poll!
The Merry Band of Pirates are in desperate trouble after the end of their last mission, and the real danger to humanity is just getting started.
Hostile aliens have discovered there is something odd going on with wormholes in the galaxy, and their investigations could lead to finding a shortcut to Earth....
Get your copy of Critical Mass here on Amazon.
2. Mount Fitz Roy by Scott Sigler, narrated by Ray Porter
In second place we have another long-awaited sequel: Scott Sigler's Mount Fitz Roy. Fans of Sigler's Earthcore have been waiting years for Mount Fitz Roy, the second book in Sigler's Sun Symbol series. With some fans declaring it his best book yet, clearly it was well worth the wait!
Mount Fitz Roy is the third book in this top 10 narrated by Ray Porter, and as with the others, his voice work is impeccable over almost 30 hours of narration. Definitely worth a listen if you haven't picked it up yet!
O'Doyle, a middle-aged former member of a disgraced black-ops unit, gets his aging team back together to go after this fortune. Funded by the mining company EarthCore, he, Bertha, and his crew of 40-something operators try to turn back the clock long enough to make them all richer than their wildest dreams.
But three miles below the surface, where geothermal temperatures will cook you alive, something is waiting. Waiting, and guarding. This time, O’Doyle is well-prepared and well-armed - if he survives, he will be set for life, and he will have his revenge for the Utah massacre.
Start listening to Mount Fitz Roy here on Amazon.
1. South Coast: Shaman's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper by Nathan Lowell, narrated by Jeffrey Kafer
Our first place spot goes to Nathan Lowell's South Coast: Shaman's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper, featuring a brilliant performance by one of our favorite narrators, Jeffery Kafer!
Lowell penned this work in 2007, his fourth novel that year. If it has succeeded as an audiobook, it owes at least some of that success to having been written for audio to begin with. Having a story that was built to be heard instead of seen means the audiobook has a leg up over text versions in terms of ease of reading. As book one of a series that took until 2020 to complete, the fanbase for this built as a slow burn over more than a decade. New fans continue to find the book and fall in love with life on the South Coast.
Podium's production values undoubtedly contributed to the success of the audiobook. Their production team produces some of the very best audio in the business. South Coast is no exception.
Otto is Richard Krugg's only son and heir to the Shaman's gift.
Otto doesn't want it. He wants to be a fisherman. When company policies force unwelcome changes onto his life and threaten even the security of the village, Otto discovers that being a shaman isn't optional.
Jimmy Pirano is caught between the devil and the deep green sea when new production quotas are handed down from corporate headquarters. Locked into a century of existing practice, Jimmy is forced to find new ways to fish and new places to do it in or face the very real possibility that Pirano Fisheries will lose the St. Cloud franchise.
Join Otto, Richard, and Rachel Krugg as they struggle with what it means to be the son of a shaman. Cast off with Jimmy, Tony, and Casey as they navigate the shoals and shallows of corporate fishery along the South Coast.
Grab South Coast: Shaman's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper here on Amazon.
Audiobook fans, we'd love to hear from you! Did your favorite make the cut? How many of these fabulous audiobooks have you listened to and which one will you try next?
Weigh in on the comments here on the blog, or visit us here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and make sure to check out our most recent poll while you're there!
*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon, Goodreads & Wikipedia, unless otherwise credited.
