Science Fiction on Audio

Hidden Empire by Kevin J. Anderson (Narrated by George Guidall)
In the 25th century, humanity is just beginning to blossom in space exploration, thanks mostly to the aid of the alien Ildirans. The only other known galactic race is the long-gone Klikiss, who've deserted a world of robots and other bizarre technology on the moon Hyrilka; however, when archaeologist husband-and-wife team Louis and Margaret activate one particular device, they discover that they have awakened a hidden empire. The Hydrogues declare war on Earth. First in the Saga of Seven Suns.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (Read by Scott Brick)
The stories are connected by discussions between "robo-psychologist" Susan Calvin (the main character in most of the stories) and a reporter who is putting together a profile of her career. In Scott Brick's capable hands, this classic piece of science fiction glows anew. From stories of the first rudimentary robots to stories of robots complicated enough to need a robo-psychologist, Brick reads with the enthusiasm and clarity that places him among the best narrators in audio.

Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear (Narrated by George Guidall)
Molecular biologist Kaye Lang, a specialist in retroviruses, believes that ancient diseases encoded in the DNA of humans can again come to life. But her theory soon becomes chilling reality. For Christopher Dicken – a "virus hunter" at the Epidemic Intelligence Service – has pursued an elusive flu-like disease that strikes down expectant mothers and their offspring. The shocking link: something that has slept in our genes for millions of years is waking up.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Narrated by Paul Hecht)
Fahrenheit 451 is set in a grim, alternate-future setting ruled by a tyrannical government in which firemen as we understand them no longer exist: Here, firemen don't douse fires, they ignite them. And they do this specifically in homes that house the most evil of evils: books. But one day a fireman named Montag meets a young girl who demonstrates to him the beauty of books, of knowledge, of conceiving and sharing ideas; she wakes him up, changing his life forever. (Note: available on audio-cassette only.)

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (Narrated by Lynne Thigpen)
This coming-of-age story and road novel is the odyssey of one woman who is twice as feeling in a world that has become doubly dehumanized. The time is 2025. The place is California, where small-walled communities must protect themselves from hordes of desperate scavengers and roaming bands of "Paints," people addicted to a drug that activates an orgasmic desire to burn, rape and murder. When one small community is overrun, Lauren Olamina, an 18-year-old black woman, sets off on foot, moving north along the dangerous coastal highways.

Timeline by Michael Crichton (Read by John Bedford Lloyd)
Sometime in the future, a group of students is studying an archaeological site in France when the professor in charge disappears. While uncovering 600-year-old documents from the remains of a monastery, they discover a note dated April 7, 1357, and written in the professor's hand that says "Help me." Also try Crichton’s other sci-tech thrillers, like The Lost World and Prey.

Neanderthal by John Darnton (Narrated by George Guidall)
In the mountains of northern Asia, a guerrilla fighter vanishes, a schoolgirl is murdered, and an eminent Harvard paleontologist disappears. To a shadowy government agency in Maryland, these are all signs that something has gone terribly wrong with the most extraordinary expedition ever mounted. Matt Mattison and Susan Arnot, who were once lovers and are now academic rivals, are dispatched to find the secret their Harvard mentor was seeking: a species linked to the origins of mankind. They have existed for more than 40,000 years. They possess powers man cannot even imagine. And in a world dominated by humans, they are about to alter the face of civilization forever.

Minority Report and Other Stories by Phillip K. Dick (Performed by Keir Dullea)
In the world of The Minority Report, Commissioner John Anderton is the one to thank for the lack of crime. He is the originator of the Precrime System, which uses "precogs" – people with the power to see into the future – to identify criminals before they can do any harm. Unfortunately for Anderton, his precogs perceive him as the next criminal. But Anderton knows he has never contemplated such a thing, and this knowledge proves the precogs are fallible.

From Here to Infinity: an Exploration of Science Fiction Literature by Michael Drout
Wheaton College professor Michael Drout traces the history of science fiction in this series of stimulating lectures. From Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to today’s cutting-edge authors, Drout offers a compelling analysis of the genre, including a look at hard-boiled science fiction, the golden age of science fiction, New Wave writers, and contemporary trends in the field.

Time and Again by Jack Finney (Narrated by Paul Hecht)
Illustrator Simon Morley accepts a government assignment that takes him out of his 20th century apartment and transports him back to the streets of New York City in 1882. Simon thoroughly enjoys the experience, falls in love, and works at keeping his actions from altering the course of history. Also try the sequel: From Time to Time.

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman (Read by J. Paul Boehmer and Coleen Marlo)
When Doctor Impossible, an evil genius and ambitious wannabe world dominator, launches a new plot to seize control of the world, Fatale, a woman built by the NSA to be the next generation of weaponry, joins a group of misfit superheroes in their quest to destroy Doctor Impossible.

Dune by Frank Herbert (Performed by George Guidall)
Set on the desert planet Arakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family – and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream. A blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.

To the Stars by L. Ron Hubbard (Read by a multi-cast)
"Space is deep, Man is small and Time is his relentless enemy." In a future where spaceships traverse the universe at nearly the speed of light, a young engineer's dreams of making a fortune in space have nightmarish consequences as he is forced into duty aboard a long-passage starship. These ships prove Einstein's time-dilation theory (as mass approaches the speed of light, it approaches infinity, and time approaches zero) and even though their journey may only last a few weeks, decades have passed on Earth. Also try The Kingslayer.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer (Read by Kate Reading)
The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie Stryder's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Performed by George Guidall)
Frankenstein tells the story of a committed science student obsessed with discovering "the cause of generation and life" and "bestowing animation upon lifeless matter." Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

Star Wars: the Clone Wars by Karen Travis (Read by Jeff Gurner)
The Jedi Knights lead the battle against a powerful droid army of separatists, while Anakin Skywalker mentors his first Padawan, a girl named Ahsoka, while learning the skills of a warrior and becoming a hero of the Clone Wars. Also try: The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

The Great War: American Front by Harry Turtledove (Narrated by George Guidall)
In American Front, Turtledove envisions World War I as it may have been if fought on American soil. The United States and Germany clash with the Confederacy, France and Britain as the machines of modern warfare litter the landscape with carnage. Meanwhile, oppressed Southern blacks head toward a fateful confrontation.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (Narrated by Norman Dietz)
In the mid-19th century, a French professor and his two companions, trapped aboard a fantastic submarine as prisoners of the deranged Captain Nemo, come face to face with exotic ocean creatures and strange sights hidden from the world above.

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (Narrated by Alexander Spencer)
What is at first believed to be falling stars or harmless meteorites turns out to be cylindrical Martian ships filled with nightmarish, tentacled invaders and their robotic war machines. When curious Englanders come to inspect the still-smoking countryside, metallic appendages emerge from the pits to kill every living thing in their path with strange heat rays. The nameless narrator, trapped in a house almost completely crushed by the impact of a starship, watches in horror as the seemingly unstoppable Martians build their mechanical armies, kill hundreds with poisonous gas – and begin snacking on captured humans! Also try The Time Machine.