Audiobooks Like Foundation and Empire

10 audiobooks for fans of Foundation and Empire

1. 1

   

   I, Robot

   Robots

   by Isaac Asimov

   Narrated by Scott Brick

   ★ 4.31 ABR Score (390.1K ratings)

   ★ 4.21 Goodreads (381.7K) ★ 4.46 Audible (8.4K)

   8h 20m listening time • Released 2004

   The nine stories that defined our cultural understanding of artificial intelligence — Asimov's Three Laws are still the framework everyone argues from today.

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2. 2

   

   Nemesis

   by Isaac Asimov

   Narrated by Scott Brick

   ★ 3.95 ABR Score (20.6K ratings)

   ★ 3.81 Goodreads (19.4K) ★ 4.42 Audible (1.2K)

   14h 20m listening time • Released 2019

   Scott Brick's measured, intelligent delivery elevates what could be a dry hard-sci-fi premise into something genuinely gripping—he finds the human stakes buried inside Asimov's sprawling solar system. If you want speculative fiction that trusts your brain but doesn't bore you, this is the rare narrator who makes that balance work.

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3. 3

   

   The Naked Sun

   Robot • Book 2

   by Isaac Asimov, Chris Moore

   Narrated by William Dufris

   ★ 4.42 ABR Score (67.3K ratings)

   ★ 4.2 Goodreads (64.3K) ★ 4.75 Audible (3.0K)

   7h 41m listening time • Released 2014

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4. 4

   

   Pebble in the Sky

   Galactic Empire • Book 3

   by Isaac Asimov

   Narrated by Jon Lindstrom

   ★ 4.08 ABR Score (28.3K ratings)

   ★ 3.9 Goodreads (27.7K) ★ 4.62 Audible (590)

   8h 35m listening time • Released 2020

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5. 5

   

   The Robots of Dawn

   Robot • Book 3

   by Isaac Asimov

   Narrated by William Dufris

   ★ 4.41 ABR Score (58.4K ratings)

   ★ 4.2 Goodreads (55.5K) ★ 4.74 Audible (2.9K)

   15h 43m listening time • Released 2014

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6. 6

   

   Dune Messiah

   Dune • Book 2

   by Frank Herbert

   Narrated by Scott Brick, Euan Morton, Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren

   ★ 4.21 ABR Score (442.3K ratings)

   ★ 3.89 Goodreads (410.7K) ★ 4.44 Audible (31.5K)

   8h 57m listening time • Released 2007

   The ensemble cast transforms this darker, messier sequel into something special: four narrators fully embodying the political intrigue and personal betrayals that make Paul's fall so much more compelling than his rise.

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7. 7

   

   Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

   Blade Runner

   by Philip K. Dick

   Narrated by Scott Brick

   ★ 4.18 ABR Score (528.8K ratings)

   ★ 4.09 Goodreads (517.9K) ★ 4.33 Audible (11.0K)

   9h 12m listening time • Released 2007

   The novel behind Blade Runner asks deeper questions than the film — what separates humans from machines, and does the answer even matter?

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8. 8

   

   The Tumultuous Lives of Karl Strong

   Middle Falls Time Travel • Book 18

   by Shawn Inmon

   Narrated by Scott Brick

   ★ 4.17 ABR Score (987 ratings)

   ★ 4.66 Goodreads (778) ★ 4.84 Audible (209)

   10h 31m listening time • Released 2023

   Scott Brick's measured, empathetic delivery transforms Karl's isolation into something genuinely moving—he captures the quiet desperation of a life derailed, then the fragile hope of a second chance, with perfect restraint.

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9. 9

   

   The Quantum Thief

   Jean le Flambeur • Book 1

   by Hannu Rajaniemi

   Narrated by Scott Brick

   Scott Brick's commanding narration brings the same intellectual depth and sense of grand scope to The Quantum Thief, while both audiobooks deliver intricate plots that reward close listening with richly layered science fiction worlds. Rajaniemi's exploration of identity and power across a sprawling future civilization echoes the empire-building themes of Asimov's classic, creating an equally immersive listening experience.

   ★ 3.68 ABR Score (24.9K ratings)

   ★ 3.82 Goodreads (24.1K) ★ 3.99 Audible (839)

   10h 53m listening time • Released 2011

   Scott Brick's crystalline delivery cuts through Rajaniemi's labyrinthine sci-fi heist like a blade—making a genuinely disorienting novel feel inevitable rather than impenetrable.

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10. 10

    

    Ender's Shadow

    Ender's Shadow • Book 1

    by Orson Scott Card

    Narrated by Scott Brick, Gabrielle de Cuir, full cast

    ★ 4.59 ABR Score (194.4K ratings)

    ★ 4.32 Goodreads (180.6K) ★ 4.76 Audible (13.8K)

    15h 42m listening time • Released 2005

    A companion novel that retells Ender's Game from Bean's perspective — and in many ways surpasses the original in emotional depth and strategic brilliance.

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