Harsh Climates, Wild Journeys

Have you dreamt about moving to a cabin in the woods and enjoying the solitude and awe of nature while living off the grid? The adventure genre has always been fascinated by remote places and natural wonders. Listening to an adventure audiobook or Audible Original production is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the raw beauty of the wilderness.

With 2020’s new adaptation of The Call of the Wild it’s a great time to revisit Jack London’s famous depiction of the Klondike gold rush. Set in the immense, frigid Yukon, The Call of the Wild is the story of a how a dog named Buck becomes a legend in the vast Canadian north. It’s a big-hearted adventure that’s sure to satisfy your itch to take a break from the grind and get back to nature.

New Worlds, New Horizons

Adventure isn’t restricted to just one genre. Some of the best action and adventure audiobooks cross over seamlessly into sci-fi and fantasy. It’s not hard to see why. Sci-fi adventures take our sense of mystery and wonder and grow it on a galactic scale, venturing into universes where remote planets have replaced desert islands.

If you haven’t heard of Becky Chambers’ The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, allow us to introduce the story of one small spaceship’s crew as it makes a long, hard journey through deep space. It’s a character-driven adventure with a “hanging out with the crew” vibe. By the time you’re finished, you’ll feel like you’ve made new friends and learned something new about Chambers’ strange, big universe.

Imaginary worlds are exciting because they can differ from one another so immensely, and because they’re home to all kinds of alien species. The world-building that takes place in stories like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet can leave you daydreaming about what it would be like to live in that world. The best sci-fi adventures take you places you never could have imagined. When you’re feeling bored with your routine, why not take a quick trip to a distant planet?

In Over Your Head Adventures

One of the most relatable aspects of adventure stories is protagonists who finds themselves in over their heads, tangled in an adventure that’s more than they bargained for. Not every adventure hero is a trained assassin or spy – some are just ordinary people who get caught up in events they can’t control. But what makes them heroes is their resourcefulness. They learn, adapt and thrive.

There may be no better example than the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It’s the classic story of a boy dealt a tough hand in life, but whose quick wit and fearlessness lead him on an incredible trip along the Mississippi River, foiling bad guys and helping his friends along the way.

Or there’s the unforgettable D’Artagnan of The Three Musketeers, a poor young man who arrives in Paris with big dreams of joining the Musketeers. A fish out of water in fine society, he quickly offends the famous Three Musketeers, who each challenge him to a duel. But his willingness to challenge authority and forgive petty squabbles quickly turns the Three Musketeers into his friends and allies.

Morning, noon, or night — these adventures will get your blood pumping again. And who knows? The larger than life protagonists may inspire you to channel their heroic resourcefulness and bravery and embark on an adventure of your own.

Start Your Next Adventure

Action and adventure audiobooks appeal to our desire for something bigger than everyday life. There’s a thrill that comes with exploring remote places, whether real or works of fiction. And there’s nothing like the joy you feel when the protagonists you love pull another victory from the jaws of defeat.

Why do you listen to action and adventure stories?

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