6 Masterpiece Novels That Are Perfect Audiobook Listens

Audiobooks are more accessible than ever, and readers who aren’t already on board with the audiobook “revolution” (as Stephen King once called it) need to start somewhere. Why not with these unequivocal masterpieces? Because every one of them is as great to listen to as it is to read the old-fashioned way.

The audiobook recommendations below are a selection of genre classics, specifically crime fiction, sci-fi and fantasy. Of course, this is just a small sampling of the must-read novels that make stellar listening material. A place to start. Each entry here is essential reading, but the point is that people experience the text. And real ones, like Stephen King, know that hearing prose is just as valid a way of engaging with it as reading. (Yes, King is represented here, but which book? Read on to find out!)

Audiobooks are the perfect way to boost your reading numbers, and hit your book goals for the year. They’re also a great alternative to podcasts. Sick of hearing people banter and shout their opinions in your ears? Switch to an iconic novel instead. It is easier than ever to get audiobooks, and audiobook production quality is higher than ever. It is a boom period for listening to novels, as the entries here demonstrate.

All the novels here are masterworks on the page, and in each case, the audiobook performances more than live up to the material.

The Three-Body Problem

Read By Luke Daniels And/Or Rosalind Chao; Approximately 13 Hour Listen

Author Liu Cixin’s Three-Body Problem is one of the most certifiably flawless masterpieces of modern science fiction. Three-Body is an expertly crafted novel, which plays out as a mystery over the course of the text. It’s a patient, methodical book, full of wild sci-fi ideas, but neither the pacing nor the subject matter ever bog the book down. That’s especially true when it comes to the audiobook versions.

That’s right, versions. The Three-Body Problem audiobook narrated by Luke Daniels is impeccable, but so is the one voiced by Rosalind Chao, who starred in the Netflix adaptation of the novel. Listeners can’t go wrong either way; both bring life and energy to their readings of Liu’s novel.

Three-Body Problem hinges on some huge reveals late in the book; these beats were translated into the Netflix adaptation, but the show arguably didn’t fully capture the “wow” factor they have in the novel. Both Three-Body audiobooks preserve the impact of these reveals on the page, and even heighten their delivery in some ways.

The Power of the Dog

Read By Ray Porter; 20 Hour Listen

The Power of the Dog reads like an action movie script. It is an adrenaline rush of a novel. There’s something about the way author Don Winslow delivers shocking moments and big twists that hits differently on the page and on audio, but either way, it hits. That is a product of Winslow’s prose, but credit also goes to veteran audiobook narrator Ray Porter, who has the pitch-perfect voice for the material.

Ray Porter is also an actor, with many TV and film appearances over the years. Notably, he portrayed DC big bad Darkseid in the Snyder Cut of Justice League.

Power of the Dog traces the blood feud between a DEA agent and a drug cartel kingpin over decades. It’s a western-tinged crime thriller set against the violent backdrop of the War on Drugs. Porter’s rendition of Winslow’s text is mesmerizing; his voice is full of pathos, conveying the emotional gravity of the novel expertly while also reserving room for a hint of the sardonic quality that pervades Power of the Dog.

L.A. Confidential

Read By Craig Wasson; 17 1/2 Hour Listen

James Ellroy’s L.A. Confidential is considered one of the GOATs of crime fiction. It is also historical fiction, set in 1950s Los Angeles, following multiple LAPD officers as they investigate, but also commit, a series of violent crimes. The book’s intricate plot became the source material for an equally lauded movie adaptation. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to be well-versed in the genre, but the truth is, it’s also not an easy read. Which makes it a perfect audiobook listen.

For many people, L.A. Confidential might actually be easier to follow on audiobook than on the page. Ellroy’s style in the novel can be abrasive, but narrator Craig Wasson’s delivery smooths over these rough edges. Or at least makes them more digestible. And, for readers willing to double up and switch between audiobook and text, L.A. Confidential is the perfect candidate for that treatment.

The Name of the Wind

Read By Nick Podehl; 28 Hour Listen

This one is for the fantasy fans. The Name of the Wind is the first book in Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles. It is a marvelous introduction to a vibrant fantasy world that rivals George R.R. Martin’s Westeros for one of the most fully-realized and compelling in all of modern fantasy. And narrator Nick Podehl’s telling of the tale effortlessly conveys the grandeur of what Rothfuss is doing on every page.

The Name of the Wind is packed with lore and flawless fantasy worldbuilding, and it all comes at the reader very fast. The book is dense, but an absolute pageturner. Which is why the audiobook is clutch. Because it forces listeners to savor each moment as it comes, even if all the details aren’t absorbed on the first listen. Trust that the book is good enough that you’ll want to do a second. (The Name of the Wind is, by the way, another great book to bounce between text and audio.)

The Stand

Read By Grover Gardner; 47 Hour Listen

This is for anyone who wants their Audible credit to really go the distance. Stephen King’s The Stand is nearly two full days long in audiobook hours. It is a massive undertaking either to read or to listen to King’s opus. The perk of the audiobook is that it really emphasizes the horror of The Stand, especially in its early apocalyptic chapters as the “Captain Trips” virus spreads.

The novel is also a fantasy epic, but King’s gruesome attention to detail, and his macabre sense of humor, really come through in audiobook format. Narrator Grover Gardner has to read at a brisk pace, considering the scope of the story and its word count, but he does so without rushing. Every dark corner of The Stand gets its due in Gardner’s delivery. Stephen King novels, especially the longest ones, can be intimidating, and audiobooks are a great tool for tackling that challenge.

Neuromancer

Read By Robertson Dean; 10 1/2 Hour Listen

Robertson Dean’s reading of William Gibson’s Neuromancer deserves to be considered nearly as iconic in its own right as Gibson’s novel itself. Or, perhaps it is better to say it is an iconic extension of Gibson’s work. Readers familiar with the ur-text of cyberpunk know that it is a total bop, the kind of book you don’t put down once you’ve picked it up. The Neuromancer audiobook narrated by Dean is just as devourable.

All the narrators listed here have memorable voices, but Dean’s in Neuromancer is a straight-up earworm. Listeners will never be able to get the way he says “Case,” the name of the novel’s protagonist, or the inflections he puts on his voice for characters like Molly Millions, or Wintermute, out of their heads. And as propulsive as the text of Neuromancer is, none of that momentum is lost on audio.

With hype building for the release of Apple TV’s long-awaited Neuromancer TV adaptation, legions of people are about to discover Gibson’s novel for the first time. It’s a great beach read, no question, but it’s also a perfect listen for long commutes, because it is an all-time great audiobook rendition of a legendary novel.

Drop some more flawless audiobook recommendations in the comments, readers!