The 18 Best Audiobook Series of All Time | Audible.ca
The 18 Best Audiobook Series of All Time
Find your next favourite listen in this list of the best book series of all time. From sci-fi adventures to unforgettable dramas to epic fantasy, these series are some of the best in their genres.
Finding your next favourite book can be tricky. How do you know which is a winner, or which will fall flat? And then, when you do find an audiobook you love, it's over before you know it. That is why a good series is so important. From fantasy series to trilogies, young adult fiction or a classic mystery series, knowing which set of tales to invest time and sink yourself into is a tricky task. We've curated a list of the best book series of all time, in a variety of genres. Whether you are revisiting old favourites or discovering something new, there is something here for everyone to enjoy.
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, starts off our list of best audiobook series. The first title in the series of the same name was a 2004 Pulitzer Prize Winner as well as a New York Times Top 10 Book of 2004 and the Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. The story is a deep and moving tale of generational connections and Civil War, blending hard realities with the deep bonds of fathers and sons.
This series is deeply American, showcasing what it means to live in, and fight for or against America. The Gilead series is made up of four titles: Gilead, Home, Lila, and Jack. Together, they form a beautifully written tale of heartbreak, pain and triumph. These books are powerful, gripping, and full of heartfelt emotion, making for an experience that will both entice and move any listener.
Robinson explores themes of Christianity and humanity in a story that is at once spiritual and grounded. The Gilead series is a must-listen for anyone seeking a deep and powerful set of stories.
For those looking for something lighter, the classic “trilogy in five parts” of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams hits the spot. Adams has a unique dark and dry sense of humour that is expertly expressed in the main character of Arthur Dent, and the chaotic adventure he embarks on once his home planet of Earth is destroyed. The tale then goes on to follow Dent and his companion Ford Prefect in a crazy intergalactic sci-fi adventure story like no other.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is both science fiction and comedy, mixing outer space with a humorous analysis of human behaviour, and the futility of it all. This story will have you laughing out loud, and contemplating the universe all at once.
The story has taken on many forms in the past, from radio play to movie and various written forms, but it is best known for its forms as a series of five novels, which have now also been adapted for audio. Narrators include both the hilarious and witty Stephen Fry, and actor Martin Freeman, who played the character of Arthur Dent in the 2005 film adaptation. A true crowd-pleaser, this series will be one you simply can't pause.
The Bobiverse series has been steadily becoming more and more popular. Written by Canada's own Dennis E. Taylor, it is a science fiction story of space probes, clones, enemy forces, artificial intelligence and politics. The many cloned Bobs are endlessly endearing, and the story is told with geeky humour that any sci-fi enthusiast will love.
The series consists of four books each of which is as engaging as the last. Taylor draws on his own experiences as a computer programmer to influence and develop the themes of technology and intelligence in his work. His writing style is both nerdy and contemplative, as the geeky and cheeky storylines and jokes ask a wider question about technological and human advancement.
The series has gathered a huge cult following and is wildly popular in its genre. This Audible Original series is narrated by Audie winner Ray Porter, who brings the necessary humour and lightness to a series that is quite impressive but doesn't take itself too seriously.
The Southern Reach Trilogy is for those that like both psychological thrillers and unexpected plot twists and turns. While the story is shrouded in the unknown, this is not your typical mystery series. Rather than a whodunnit, this trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer is full of truly inventive story arcs and gripping complexities.
The result is a chilling and contagious story you won't be able to stop listening to. From the first book through to the end of the series, you’ll be thoroughly captivated and constantly questioning what will happen next. Three installments, Annihilation, Authority and Acceptance, all come together to create an epic new trilogy that listeners looking for something out of the ordinary will love. For a chilling tale that twists at every turn, The Southern Reach Trilogy makes for a perfect addition to your library.
From one of Canada's most beloved authors, Margaret Atwood comes the riveting MaddAddam series. A true dystopian masterpiece, the series is told from the perspective of a narrator left in a broken world after a great disaster, struggling to comprehend what has happened to the world he once knew.
Atwood delivers an intriguing and deep tale full of the sharp wit and darkness she is so well known for, creating mystery and doubt, threaded with little bits of hope. The world she creates in MaddAddam is both fully other and disturbingly realistic, prompting listeners to ask the question, “Could this be what our future holds?”. The series consists of three titles:Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood, and MaddAddam.
Is there anyone that does grisly, mysterious, and spooky better than Stephen King? In his epic fantasy series, The Dark Tower, King brings the creepy horror he is best known for with a mixture of inventive fantasy and the survival-of-the-fittest mentality of a Western. The result is a masterpiece of dark fantasy literature that has earned legions of fans around the globe.
The series consists of nine novels and a short story, making it a truly epic endeavour for both writer and listener, but fans of King and dark tales will find it well worth the long haul. One of the best book series of all time, it has been adapted for the screen, as well as an equally thrilling series of expertly-narrated audiobooks.
The Newsflesh series by Mira Grant is another excellent option for horror lovers. These listens mix science fiction and horror for a dark and twisted tale that will have audiences on the edge of their seat. The story takes place after a zombie apocalypse, doing an impressive job of realistic worldbuilding, creating a chillingly relatable post-apocalyptic tale.
Feed, the first book in the series, won a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2011, and the series has garnered both audience and critical acclaim. Framed in a time of political upheaval, the series mixes conspiracy, treason, horror, themes of virology and a thick layer of suspense which come together to form an intriguing and entertaining story.
Grant's Newsflesh series is a perfect audiobook series for lovers of zombies, dystopian worlds, or post-apocalyptic tales looking for their next fix.
Since the time of Dracula, vampires have been popular characters in fiction, and they have seen a resurgence in popularity with series such as Twilight and The Vampire Diaries, but before their era was the classic, chilling, otherworldly series: The Vampire Chronicles. Best known for the first book in the series, Interview with a Vampire, Anne Rice is widely regarded as the master of the vampire genre.
This series is both fantasy and chilling horror, and Rice weaves suspense, tension, and danger effortlessly. Combined with the creepy are the vampire's stories of loss, love and desire which together make for a masterful story. For anyone that loves the resurgence of vampires in modern fiction, this series is a must-listen. The classic tale that brought vampires from Transylvania into the homes of book lovers everywhere, The Vampire Chronicles is one of the best book series of all time.
R. F. Kuang burst onto the literary scene with her debut historical military fantasy series, The Poppy War. The novels draw on the history of China in the 20th century, and the brutal Poppy Wars which occurred there, but add in a hefty measure of magic and mystery with all the politics and treachery inherent in historical fiction. The Poppy War is exciting and gripping, and when the action hits, it becomes a fast-paced tale of the terrors of war, and how far a soldier is willing to go for their country.
Kuang captures the history and essence of Chinese tradition and mixes it with myth, legend and pure magic for a wondrous tale that has captured a large following of fans. One of the best new book series to hit the market, the series consists of three titles which were released in 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. They are The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, and The Burning God.
Each novel dives deeper into the world of magic, exploring the price of power and the sacrifices needed to achieve greatness. This series is perfect for fantasy lovers that enjoy a story rooted in history, or who are fans of military and war tales. The series brings all these genres together in one incredible story.
The story that swept the world, The Hunger Games was more than a cult classic—it was a global phenomenon. For anyone that still hasn't encountered this series, you're in for a treat. Suzanne Collins builds a dystopian world where children are reaped in a lottery to enter the Games, a veiled testament to a past war that in theory serves as a reminder of how far society has come. But the games are nothing more than a scare tactic, where young children are forced to kill one another for viewer’s entertainment, a blatant display of societal hierarchy at its most brutal.
With the creation of her strong heroine main character, Collins gave audiences someone to root for that seemed relatable, engaging, and inspiring all at once. Katniss Everdeen is a rebel, a fighter, someone who stands up for what she believes in, but she is also a sister, a daughter, and at the end of the day, just a teen.
The mastery of this story is how Collins addresses political and societal injustices while creating an engaging and meaningful story through her much loved main characters. The series was adapted into a blockbuster film and became a best-selling book series across many countries. The Hunger Games is a must-listen audiobook experience.
His Dark Materials, the much-loved series by Philip Pullman is one of the most unique and interesting book series of all time. Pullman builds a world—multiple worlds—with such detail and care that the world seems to jump out of the book and pull the audience in. The story is both wonderfully unique and masterfully written, starting with a truly loveable rascal of a character in Lyra Silvertongue.
The series also has dark and sinister political and religious overtones, animal dæmons which are part of each person's essence and soul, love, unbreakable friendship, brutal betrayals and all sorts of fantastical characters like witches, angels and harpies. All together, Pullman creates a fantasy masterpiece that has been hailed as one of the great book series for young and old audiences alike. This is a series you can listen to time and time again which will excite, amaze and pull at your heartstrings all at once.
Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare is a fantasy book series that has a little bit of everything. This series will have audiences hooked as they dive into the underworld of New York City - the mystical underworld. This series is an international best-seller and has a devoted group of fans. It tops book lists of young adult series, fantasy series, and has been adapted into both a feature film and hit TV series in North America.
This series is perfect for anyone who loves teen fiction steeped in magic, mythical creatures, ruins and spells. Feisty main character Clary Fray is extremely popular with listeners and audiences who love following her on her wild adventures in and out of the immortal realms. This series is ideal for lovers of dark fantasy and teen drama.
Anne of Green Gables is a beloved Canadian classic. Written by Prince Edward Island's own L.M. Montgomery, Anne captured Canada's heart and became a surprise hit worldwide. The series is a quaint tale of a farm girl in Maritime Canada, struggling with fitting into a new family after she is adopted from an orphanage.
This series is a classic tale full of Canadian charm and heartwarming stories. The main character Anne is so loved for her eccentric ways, huge heart, and inability to ever stop talking. Her spunky nature and knack for getting into trouble led her to become a favourite with audiences across generations. Even though the story was first released in 1908, the fundamentals of the novels are timeless. This book series has sparked various adaptations on TV and film, most recently a Netflix series released in 2017, which goes to show that this story will continue to be loved for many years to come.
The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a classic series for kids. Once sold in boxed sets for teens and young readers, these charming stories regale the trials and triumphs of a family that moved to the Western Frontier. The audiobooks follow young girl Laura through her life on the prairie, eventually following her through a coming of age, all the way to her life as a young wife. The stories are simple, but heartwarming tales of life in a simpler time and the hard work and trials fought by those first settlers that came to North America to cultivate the prairies lands.
The story of Percy Jackson and the Olympians brings the mythic gods of Olympus into modern-day settings. Regular teen Percy thinks he has a normal life...until he discovers he is in fact a Demi-god of the sea. This series mixes a coming-of-age tale with the wonder and excitement of ancient deities for a rollercoaster ride of action and adventure.
Percy Jackson is the perfect YA audiobook series for fantasy-loving audiences. It tackles the ups and downs of teen life while offering an adventure of epic proportions in the form of battling and befriending Olympians while still navigating teen life. Rick Riordan captures the essence of teen life with ease, making for a relatable and engaging story for any teen listener.
The Chronicles of Narnia is another classic fantasy series designed for young audiences. The story follows four young sibling children as they stumble upon another world where animals talk, and magic is possible. This series has everything a kids book needs: an excellent easy-to-hate villain in the White Witch, child heroes everyone loves to root for, temptations, battles, kings and queens, and a series of lovable characters you wish were your true friends.
The Chronicles of Narnia is one of those classic series that parents who experienced the stories when young will be introducing to their children, reminiscing in the ability to share the childhood fairytale and relive them themselves. The morals and lessons in the books stand the test of time and are only further enhanced in the magic of audio, helping to ensure this series remains well-loved no matter how many years pass.
Is there a greater epic book series out there than the Lord of the Rings? This series has everything fans of epic fantasy could hope for—action, adventure, evil, battles, camaraderie and the classic tale of good overcoming evil. J.R.R. Tolkien is a master of fantasy and is one of the grandfathers of world-building. Few don’t know Middle-earth, whether from The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings trilogy itself. His attention to detail and sheer force of imagination brought the world of this series to life well before there was ever an acclaimed movie adaptation.
Memorable characters demonstrating compassion alongside immense bravery make this tale one to remember, and one which holds a special place in many people's hearts. And, as an audiobook, you don't have to worry about turning all those pages and pages—just sit back and let the comforting voice of Rob Inglis bring the magical world to life around you.
Most people know of A Game of Thrones—but that’s only the first installment in a series that is titled A Song of Ice and Fire. This series is one of the most well-known epic book series of all time, stemming in large part from the wildly popular television series adaptation. However the audiobooks, too, have a strong following, and for any fans of the show who have never listened in, this story is well worth adding to your library.
The series is a twisting and turning tale of power, betrayal, lust, friendship, war and secrets, with a heavy measure of magic thrown in as well. The result is an incredible story that you just have to experience for yourself. In audiobook form, it's impossible not to get lost in the wild tales of bloodthirsty leaders and devious royals in their dangerous battle for survival and victory.
The narrator of Atwood's riveting novel calls himself Snowman. When the story opens, he is sleeping in a tree, wearing an old bedsheet, mourning the loss of his beloved Oryx and his best friend Crake, and slowly starving to death. He searches for supplies in a wasteland where insects proliferate and pigoons and wolvogs ravage the pleeblands, where ordinary people once lived, and the Compounds that sheltered the extraordinary. As he tries to piece together what has taken place, the narrative shifts to decades earlier. How did everything fall apart so quickly? Why is he left with nothing but his haunting memories? Alone except for the green-eyed Children of Crake, who think of him as a kind of monster, he explores the answers to these questions in the double journey he takes - into his own past, and back to Crake's high-tech bubble-dome, where the Paradice Project unfolded and the world came to grief.
With breathtaking command of her shocking material, and with her customary sharp wit and dark humour, Atwood projects us into an outlandish yet wholly believable realm populated by characters who will continue to inhabit our dreams long after the last chapter. This is Margaret Atwood at the absolute peak of her powers.
