It's probably a toss up between the Discworld series and the Bobiverse series.
Edit: for standalone book it would probably be Project Hail Mary.
Shameless plug:
lemmy.world/c/bobiverse
Seconding the Discworld series, but specifying that while the Random House Audio version narrated by Nigel Planer is excellent- The newer version by Penguin Audio with Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy and either Indira Varma or Collin Morgan are absolutely top shelf.
I was put off before I started them because I assumed it was the "Narrated by a full cast" type of thing which is usually terrible. This is one main narrator (either Collin or Indira if it's a wizard or witch heavy book, respectively) and then a new voice for the "author's asides" that makes you feel like Sir Terry Pratchett is telling you little secrets himself and then one special character gets their own voice actor who is just perfect and adds even greater depth to the magic of these books.
Bobiverse is also fantastic.
AND The audio version of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir gets a little extra something by being an audio version. If you haven't read that I recommend going in completely blind with no spoilers at all if possible, don't read a single thing about it first.
(Edit: just saw that Chainweasel just edited to also add Project Hail Mary.. maybe we should be in a book club together, lol. )
Edit 2: The Children of Memory series by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a very special one that has stayed with me and I still get misty thinking about it. Just wonderful.
AND The audio version of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir gets a little extra something by being an audio version. If you haven’t read that I recommend going in completely blind with no spoilers at all if possible, don’t read a single thing about it first.
agreed. went in without spoilers, and even the book version is surprising in what you're likely refering to
Oh, right! I heard that the book version has an illustration on the inside front cover that totally spoils. How stupid.
I have all of the Nigel Planer versions of discworld and have been putting off the new versions for exactly the same reason lol. And maybe we should look into a book club lol I saw roadkill by Dennis e Taylor is likely to get a sequel too, I enjoyed that one as well
I second this! Project Hail Mary.
I genuinely think the audiobook is the best version of this book. There are things that work best in audio, I'll avoid spoilers and leave it at that.
It's the same reader that does the bobiverse books, and they're pretty great.
I enjoyed bobiverse a lot when it was about science.
I could not be less interested in the metaphysics of the soul direction it's been taking :(
Hitchhikers Guide series read by Adams himself. His voice is just so good. Stephen Fry a close second.
Children On Time trilogy. Together with Three Body Problem generally the best Scifi I've read or listened to.
The Lord of the Rings series read by Rob Inglis is awesome. That’s probably my favorite way to consume the series.
The Hyperion books by Dan Simmons. Hyperion has full cast, the rest doesn't, but still very high quality narration.
Honourable mentions:
Dishonourable mention:
There are so many I really enjoy, these are all great stories with superb narration.
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher are awesome Narrated by James Masters
The Mitch Rapp Series By Vince Flynn Narrated by George Guidall
The Walt Longmire Series By Craig Johnson also narrated by George Guidall
The Victor the Assassin Series By Tom Wood The Rob Shapiro ones are narrated the best there is another narrator depending on region
The Riyria Series By Michael J Sullivan Narrated by Tim Gerrard Reynolds
The Night lord Series By Garon Whited Narrated by Sean Runnette
The Witcher Series By Andrzej Sapkowski narrated by Peter Kenny
Bobbiverse as previously mentioned
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinimon narrated by Jeff Hayes
I have listened to some of these series 3 or 4 times and would highly recommend them all.
Also
Skunk works by Ben R Rich Narrated by Pete Larkin
And project hail Mary as previously mentioned for stand alone titles.
Plus one for dungeon Crawler Carl and I'll add the Wandering Inn as another in a similar vein.
I'm currently enjoying Beware of Chicken. It's funnier than one would expect.
I gave up on wandering inn half way through the titan of baleros, it was a bit of a chore
I can see why, some story lines don't interest me as much like the king of destructions or the clowns but as a whole I really enjoy it and the voice acting imo is phenomenal. Andrea Parsneau is absolutely amazing in her range. From female to male to magical races she's just so good at doing voices and expressing emotions with them.
Shout out to my blind boy getting that trollussy. They both deserve each other.
Probably Mythos, Heroes, and Troy written and read by Stephen Fry. He writes Greek Mythology in a digestible, entertaining, but still information dense way, and he's an excellent narrator, of course.
Anansi Boys narrated by Lenny Henry
Normally I like it when Neil Gaiman narrates his books, but Lenny Henry does a phenomenal job with the Anansi Boys characters.
I personally cant recommend Siddhartha enough, i found it profound and surprisingly humorous.
I am partial to “Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” because the performer reading all the different parts does such a fantastic job.
The Helldivers series by Nicholas Sansbury Smith, as read by R.C. Bray. It's the perfect voice to tell the story of the protagonist.
Dimension of Miracles by Robert Sheckley
Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Girl from Earth's End by Tara Dairman
Anything by Karen Rose. Since we're talking audiobooks, I'd say the Cincinnati series, read by Hillary Huber, and specifically Into the Dark, because the female lead is my favorite of her characters. (You usually want to read from the start of a city, though.) These are suspense novels set in the real world, with pretty dark villains doing pretty evil shit, with characters that are damaged, but work through it in the romance part of the arc.
Another series that specifically is great in audiobook format are any of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series read by Lorelei King. They're all complete and utter nonsense with wild characters, but the writing and King's reading nail the tone of just taking it all in stride (mostly), and the result is a fun read.
For one more, Dick Hill reading Jack Reacher. These always feel like a light read, which is kind of weird with how brutal Reacher is, how dark some of the organizations he opposes are, and the fact that some of the conspiracies are deep and involved. But Reacher's methodology of steamrolling through any and all takers while protecting the innocent and systematically taking down bad shit that he comes across just feels inevitable. Scott Brick is fine for the later books, and some of the modern crimes are really well portrayed, but Dick Hill is special. I've recently borrowed older books that they re-recorded with someone else, and it just killed the experience for me, partly because it's just worse, partly because I know what greatness sounded like.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Best non-full cast narration I've heard yet and the book is a rare example of one which is truly better as an audio experience because of accents/local dialect which don't translate as well in writing.
The Stand by Steven King And Illuminati by Dan Brown
Were two of my favorites. Bonkers conspiracy stuff nowadays but I enjoyed it as fiction. xD
The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov Was another amazing one.
The cradle series written by Will Wight, narrated by Travis Baldree. Eastern inspired progression fantasy with fantastic characters and world