Audiobook performers have set the bar too high.

Submitted by Thatoneguy0311 t3_zxjpu7 in books

Not sure if this is the correct sub to post this or if this has been discussed before but I’ll try it anyway. a little back story, I commute an hour each way to work and during my time driving I listen to audiobooks with audible. I have discovered that when it comes to narrators there are two kinds performers, and readers. Performers have different voices and accents for each character, the listening can tell who is talking based on the voice where as readers just read the book in a monotone droning that can make the best of books unbearable to listen to. Recently I just finished a 15 book series narrated by R.C Bray and another long series narrated by Luke Daniels and now my expectation is so high I can’t get into other books with less talented narrators.

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crixx93 t1_j20qa4e wrote

Voice actors are very under appreciated

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bythepowerofboobs t1_j20nk0o wrote

Let me recommend Steven Pacey. I just finished the First Law trilogy and Pacey blew me away with his skill at making each character unique.

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SlightSupermarket533 t1_j20q1m9 wrote

Seconded. He only gets better in the standalone books. It makes it hard to listen to older stuff I have with mediocre or bad narrators for sure.

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diviledabit t1_j20soom wrote

I've recently finished the second first law trilogy and went straight into one of his other series and was soooooo disappointed that Pacey isn't narrating them.

He is, by far, the greatest audio book narrator I have ever listened to.

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Impressive-Box9151 t1_j22fteg wrote

If you haven't listened to Luke Daniels, please go sample his work. I am going to go check out the series you've mentioned, but let me tell you what... I loved reading the Iron Druid Chronicles (urban fantasy), but after listening to Daniels' narration, simply reading the books is not enough. He's amazing.

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diviledabit t1_j22h8gc wrote

Will do. What book do I start with?

You start the first law with The Blade Itself.

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Impressive-Box9151 t1_j22hy7v wrote

Hounded is the first book in IDC. It did take him a couple books to fully develop, but absolutely worth every second.

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AceCups1 t1_j20uqb9 wrote

Came here to mention Steven Pacey. Might be the best narrator out there right now.

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g29fan t1_j217qbe wrote

Same. Listened to the First Law series multiple times just for his narration. Absolutely spectacular performance.

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Maximus361 t1_j212dn5 wrote

Yes! His various accents are a very creative way to give characters more individuality. It makes the experience way better than if I read it myself. It almost feels like listening to a movie with a full cast! I remember one book having French, German, Russian, Spanish, British, and Scottish accents all in one book, simply amazing!

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Serethe t1_j23l0ws wrote

He's so damn good. His characterisations combined with the fact that Joe Abercrombie is so good at writing each perspective in a different voice makes those audio books some of my favourite things ever.

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aidz_drumz t1_j2521jo wrote

Agree with this wholeheartedly. This man should get whatever the audio narration equivalent of an Oscar is. I absolutely love his work on the First Law series.

Others that also do an excellent job on many good titles are Simon Vance, Kate Reading/Michael Kramer, John Lee, Michael Page, Nick Podehl (if you're into the LitRPG style he mostly does), Orlagh Cassidy and Rupert Degas. Recently got a book series done by Andrea Parsneau. She took a bit of getting used to, but now she's grown on me.

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Alexi_Reynov t1_j20vefo wrote

The Wheel of Time series in its entirety was done fantastically by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. Different tone and pacing for characters and a variety of accents. Switching between each depending on the Pov character for the section/chapter.

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ButtNowButt t1_j214vrp wrote

They also did the Stormlight Archives. Very well done

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sa11os t1_j219sqx wrote

And Micheal did all the Mistborn books. Love them both so much.

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ButtNowButt t1_j21j2ep wrote

I'm torn between that one and Witcher. I've read mistborn but not Witcher.

I've got an hour commute so I've got time

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Infamous_Button6302 t1_j2169jl wrote

Yes, can second this. It's been great listening to the odd chapter while reading the print mainly. Both actors are superb and the Lan voice is chefs kiss

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MsAggieCoffee t1_j233qzh wrote

I got the Shades of Magic series on audible and almost returned them because of how bad the narrator was on the first book…such a relief when it switched to those two for the second and third book.

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Theamazing-rando t1_j23hf2t wrote

I struggled with Kate Reading during the Storm light Archives but was a big fan by the end of the wheel of time series. Any performer that can help me get through all the "tugging her braid" or "straightening her skirt" in WoT is a talent and money well spent!

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parksandrecpup t1_j227aqp wrote

Are there two versions, because the version I listened to was awful. I put it down after two chapters.

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iceman0486 t1_j23jdhs wrote

The first book is rough due to age or a bad switch to the Audible format. It gets better.

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sonsoflarson t1_j20nven wrote

I just finished The Sandman Vol.1 and I'd love to find more audio books that are as immersive as that one. The ones I heard before would be some boring old guy putting me to sleep, any recommendations?

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bythepowerofboobs t1_j20ob5s wrote

Anything from Graphic Audio is going to have a full cast and production similar to The Sandman.

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OliM9696 t1_j2379zx wrote

listened to the first 3 mistborn books by grahpicaudio. They spoiled me.

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runawai t1_j20st3n wrote

Anything where Neil Gaiman narrates his work is a treat! Neverwhere (not the full voice cast) would be a good place to start.

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sonsoflarson t1_j21ahau wrote

Ya his voice is great for audio books, I've been meaning to check out American Gods or Good Omens.

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runawai t1_j21b4au wrote

The American Gods audiobook is full voice cast, and I really love it. It’s great for road trips!

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PaulBradley t1_j21odtv wrote

There's both available I believe.

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runawai t1_j220uw7 wrote

Oh how perfect! I’ve got some new reading to do! Thank you!

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rocima t1_j21utff wrote

Yes! Came here to say this. Just finishing the magnificent Neverwhere now!

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lamesauce15 t1_j20yww1 wrote

World War Z has an outstanding cast for its audio book.

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Cultural_Elk1565 t1_j21amz8 wrote

Yup, world War z complete cast reading has come to the very top of my listen list! I listen to a lot of books, and it is top notch.

Also, anything Stephen King narrated by will Patton.

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MalevolentRhinoceros t1_j21k526 wrote

Andy Serkis narrates all 3 volumes of LOTR, plus The Hobbit, and he goes hard on it.

​

I also just finished The Hunger Games audiobooks, and Tatiana Maslany does an excellent job with it. Unfortunately, I'm seeing that she's only done two other books outside the trilogy.

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PaulBradley t1_j21nz4v wrote

Andy Serkis singing is like a kick in the balls everytime, it's so bad. He's really good at the action sequences though.

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rocima t1_j21vwzk wrote

His singing is truely ghastly ‐ like frogs being grated on fingernails. I now fast forward through all the songs ‐ a great pity as I love them in the books: they were the first poems I memorised as a teenager.

I started off being enthusiastic about his reading but now, halfway through the Fellowship, I am getting a bit tired of all his regional brit accents, though I like his "normal" voice when he's doing plain narrative,.

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PaulBradley t1_j21wtgx wrote

Oh no. I'd blocked out the people from Gondor having Liverpudlian accents. It's truly horrific.

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PaulBradley t1_j21wytq wrote

Faramir sounds like Craig Charles.

I love Craig Charles. But he's not my first pick for Faramir.

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the_dolomite t1_j26g67u wrote

You might check out the version recorded by Rob Inglis in 1990, I think he does a great job with the songs.

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PaulBradley t1_j21o9qv wrote

Sandman II & III are out.

They're adapted by Dirk Maggs and he has some other gems in his back catalogue.

I went on a similar quest recently.

Also I grew up with the LotR BBC radio adaptation and it's incredible.

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jrhoffa t1_j211j2l wrote

I'm curious how they adapted it for audio. The art is a big part of the experience for me.

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ElTontoDelPueblo t1_j250tjs wrote

Quick shout-out to non-english VA, such as the Spanish team. Extremely talented and utterly professional, second to none.

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open_door_policy t1_j20t88g wrote

Ray Porter (Bobiverse) and Nick Podehl (A Pattern of Shadow and Light) are also both amazing.

I'm in about the same boat as you. Now when I see a book I've been waiting for, and they've gotten Wil Wheaton or another bookreader instead of a voice actor I get a little sad.

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hgaterms t1_j250iaa wrote

Ray Porter narrating Project Hail Mary is god tier.

Seriously. The book won Audiobook of the Year. It's that good!

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meghan_thepagan t1_j22zxgu wrote

Nick Podehl also narrated Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles—great narration!

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1ToeIn t1_j2140ly wrote

What do you all think of “full cast” audio books? Personally, I don’t like them. I prefer one narrator/reader. Full cast is one of those things that seemed like a good idea, but in actuality it’s unpleasant/difficult to listen to.

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Thatoneguy0311 OP t1_j21hn0b wrote

I thought I would like it, but I am with you, not really a fan. I am also not a huge fan of music in the background that goes with the scene; it can be done well but I can also be done very poorly.

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kratly t1_j21b16i wrote

I'm with you. It's too jarring to listen to. I've tried them a few times. There was even a book a few years ago that had really incredible cast lineup. I couldn't get into it.

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By contrast, I didn't even necessarily like the Dutch House but I liked listening to it just because it was narrated by Tom Hanks.

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asexualotter t1_j21j02p wrote

I'm not OP. But I prefer one narrator but I do like when they do different voices/accents. I don't have anything against audio dramas but if I'm listening specifically to an audio book I want one narrator.

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Cultural_Elk1565 t1_j21bbzh wrote

World War Z really changed my mind. Mostly because there is one steady constant, max Brooks reading the interviewer grounded that book for me.

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PaulBradley t1_j21nd8t wrote

I treat them as something different, I file them away with radio dramas like Sandman and the BBC LotR, I follow Dirk Maggs for ones that are done well, and I was looking forward to Sam.Mendes.Oliver Twist until I realised it's only 2hrs long.

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Perfect_Drawing5776 t1_j23d38r wrote

Depends on the book and how it’s produced. I loved Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which is epistolary and each character was a different actor who read their own letters. The Historian, on the other hand, was an overproduced mess where if a character was reading a letter that recounted a conversation between two other people, you’d get all four voices-the recipient, the letter writer, and the two people overheard.

I hate sound effects but will admit to not minding the jazz bumpers in The Rivers of London.

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pendragon_cave t1_j24pmls wrote

This is definitely hit or miss. My son and I are listening to a Redwall audiobook together (a youth/YA series set in a British style medieval countryside with animal characters). It has a full cast, occasional background music, and the author voices several of the characters. We are very much enjoying it but I don't think it would be a good fit for other types of books.

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Shakemyears t1_j20s9y6 wrote

I’m a big fan of Bronson Pinchot (Aliens: Phalanx; Ambergris) and of Ray Porter (Project Hail Mary)

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Steve_78_OH t1_j2136n6 wrote

Ray Porter is a freaking wizard.

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dirkyount t1_j21ndw3 wrote

Porters Hail Mary or Webber’s IT are my two favorite

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hgaterms t1_j250kz7 wrote

That's award winning freaking wizard, to you mister! haha

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Cultural_Elk1565 t1_j21azg0 wrote

Alien: phalanx was easily the most surprising book I've listened to as a huge fan of the franchise.

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ColHapHapablap t1_j22fva2 wrote

And Bronson Pinchot in the Hard Magic Series. Love those books. Such a fun listen

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tangomusket t1_j21v1ug wrote

Bronson Pinchot reading Wise Blood is really good.

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CallmeFishmeal_ t1_j20qgjh wrote

Peter Kenny reading The Witcher series did an amazing job doing unique voices for every character in an enormous world. I could listen to that series over and over.

Also Simon Vance reading Clive Barker's books is an amazing voice narrator. I can tell which character is speaking without it even being said because Simon, like Peter, does an amazingly unique voice for each character.

Lastly, Ralph Lister reading the Malazan series does a pretty good job, but I haven't actually dove into that series yet, but really like what I hear from samples of his narration.

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CallmeFishmeal_ t1_j20r09o wrote

Also, I think Michael Kramer and Kate Reading do a good job with The Wheel of Time series, but Michael dulls down in The Stormlight Archive series, but Kate has never disappointed yet.

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CurrentlyNobody t1_j20uw14 wrote

Will also add that there's just a plethora of poorly written books out there, likely due at least in part to self publishing, and great narrators can even inject some life into those that wasn't actually there.

Great narrators are Magical Entities!

I proofread audiobooks for a living so am exposed to the difference between readers and narrators on the daily. I do suggest you not to give up entirely on the readers, or those who aren't at their best in one work. Narrating well isn't nearly as effortless as it sounds. Some will improve over time. Some...maybe just belong to non fiction.

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Thatoneguy0311 OP t1_j20xwss wrote

What is the process of proofreading an audiobook? Do you listen and follow along with the text and do quality control before the audiobook is released?

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CurrentlyNobody t1_j20zgw4 wrote

I follow along with the text and mark a spreadsheet when I find issues in the audio waves. We mark for things such as: Mispronunciations, inconsistencies, misreads, extra words, etc. We also mark or edit out random sounds that can occur, alternate takes, or stuff that doesn't belong, like extra long pauses. The spreadsheet and marked audio waves and book text all get sent back to the narrators for rerecord. Others will perform their magical functions of editing out more challenging things and splicing corrected audio back into the waves and voila, audiobook.

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flyingponytail t1_j21i700 wrote

How did you get into this and does it pay decently? Who do you work for and do you have any suggestions on how to break into that field? Thanks

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CurrentlyNobody t1_j21la2p wrote

I basically fell into it really. I mean I knew I wanted to work in publishing to make my English Lit degree make some sense. I just online searched publishers in my state. Discovered my current company exists and applied and interviewed several times. They look for people with college degrees (on any subject as we publish a diverse range of stuff) and a love of reading. My coworkers are all geeks in something or other. It's awesome.

The pay isn't overly awesome though, particularly living in a high cost of living area, but it's full time with generous paid time off and holidays, plus 401K and health benefits. I got to select my own schedule which is super helpful. And since Covid it's basically become fully remote minus 1 day a week. They also announced this year we full timers are now allowed to live outside of the state it's in, which was never allowed since I have been there. Essentially that means I am now hopeful of moving somewhere with a lower cost of living so the pay from this place will stretch further.

Suggest you google audiobook jobs near me as a start.

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LadyMechanicStudio t1_j218adi wrote

RC Bray and Luke Daniels are my 2 favorites!

If you like them, be sure to check out:

Off to Be the Wizard (how i first heard Luke Daniels) and rest of its series

Iron Druid Chronicles (long series of Luke Daniels with a an awesomely varied cast of characters)

The Dresden Files series (James Marsters from Buffy of all things, but a great performance and fun series)

Anything Ray Porter (especially Bobiverse series)

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agent_mick t1_j220i0z wrote

seconding Dresden Files! If you're not familiar, it's written in first person, and James becomes Harry. And his distinct voices when he is reading the other characters are fantastic.

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Impressive-Box9151 t1_j22g8e1 wrote

Thank you for the IDC comment. Was going to comment the same. Also love James Marsters / Dresden Files. So well narrated. Now, i also have a new series to check out!

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LadyMechanicStudio t1_j2e8xkr wrote

I found IDC following Luke Daniels after listening to Off To Be the Wizard. So happy I did.

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Impressive-Box9151 t1_j2ewjw6 wrote

I love both the author and the series, but Daniels is such an amazing narrator. I'm really looking forward to listening to Off to Be the Wizard!

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Jrocker-ame t1_j23h3q7 wrote

There is was time where I thought James Marsters was British. He even showed up in torchwood with the same accent. I was thrown when I heard his real voice. You always see British actors taking American roles. Not the other way around. Insane.

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squirrlycellist t1_j24e7hp wrote

Marsters does a phenomenal job with the Dresden series. His performance is hilarious at times and heart wrenching at the right times.

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Shreddie42 t1_j20um9t wrote

Nick Podehl is in my opinion an excellent talent, with a ability to perform so many different voices and add characterisation into the pot, I started listening to some series he narrates just because I liked his voices.

Also Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are excellent.

And final because while checking the spelling of Kramer in my library I spotted it, the dialogue and story of "this is how you lose the time war" is at a base level excellent, the voice work by the two narrators Cynthia Farnell and Emily Woo Zeller are perfection.

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ErrickJohnson t1_j210zj0 wrote

And it really makes a difference! Recently listened The Blade Itself, because everyone swears by the narrator and it was amazing. On the other hand, I switched from listening to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to reading it because of how terrible the narrator was. I've got a lot of respect for good voice actors.

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memphis_reigns t1_j211xp1 wrote

Scott Brick does a good job in the Jack Ryan books, its too bad they didn't have him do them all

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alfredpsmurtz t1_j218qvw wrote

Check out his narration of the Brian Haig series featuring Sean Drummand as a former special forces soldier turned army lawyer. Awesome books raised o the next level by Scott Brick's narration.

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Willing_Razzmatazz87 t1_j219gh3 wrote

The fist A Series Of Unfortunate Events audiobook was narrated by Tim Curry and it was perfection. Then they replaced him with a guy who uses the most whiny childish voices for the main characters and I had to give up a few books into the series. At that point I’d rather watch the Netflix show and listen to Patrick Warburton.

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Blurbingify t1_j21p89w wrote

Just so you know the guy who replaced him was the author himself aka Lemony Snicket. But I agree he wasn't great. Fortunately he only does books 3-5.

Tim Curry comes back for book 6 onwards.

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ActonofMAM t1_j20oicv wrote

Bray is definitely at the top of the field. I also like Grover Gardner and Susan Ericksen.

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Structive t1_j20t0lo wrote

RC bray is amazing in the Expeditionary Force series. So funny and very engaging. I see he has done a few other series but his voice is so locked into certain characters for me I don't know what would happen if I listened to another book narrated by him. Voice performers are fantastic but I wonder if they risk trapping themselves into a particular role or series because they killed it so hard.

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Thatoneguy0311 OP t1_j20whvh wrote

I know what you mean. That is the 15 book series I just finished. Bray does such a fantastic job bringing skippy to life that now if I ever hear him do that voice again in another book I’m going to immediately think of skippy.

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Pandora5422 t1_j210ky2 wrote

I read a lot of audiobooks and have had experience with some of the worst narrators to the point I had to send the book back. I made it a rule now that I will only take the book after I listen to the sample. In Audible every book has it. If you can make it through the 5 minutes you will learn to appreciate new narrators and also weed out the ones you know you won’t enjoy.

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Impressive-Box9151 t1_j22gh91 wrote

This has saved me so many credits.

Also, paying attention to when they change the narrator in the muddle of a series! Why!?

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Grace_Alcock t1_j21hhk4 wrote

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith reading The Rivers of London series, Barbara Rosenblat reading Elizabeth Peters’ books, and Eric Conger reading John Sandford’s Virgil Flowers books…total pleasure…I wish I had their skills.

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ExaBrain t1_j21w2hq wrote

As someone starting out in audiobook voice work, it’s something I never realised. Not only is it a challenge to give each character a unique voice without making it cartoonish you then need to keep it consistent over the time you do the read. I have chapter files for each of the characters where I have a baseline read to lock in the voice.

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mikepictor t1_j20nfee wrote

They are releasing all the Discworld books with new narrators, and so far they have been superb (and I say that as an enormous fan of the previous narrator Stephen Briggs)

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Maltavius t1_j20pja8 wrote

Briggs versions are still better though.

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PaulBradley t1_j21ok6c wrote

Yeah, surprisingly I agree.

I'm still disappointed the Tony Robinson recordings were abridged.

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Zulumar t1_j22y4ae wrote

Agreed and wish to add that the earlier ones with Nigel Planer are excellent as well. His reading of Guards, Guards! and Men At Arms were nearly perfect.

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SonnyCalzone t1_j20r14g wrote

Was recently listening to Briggs narrate The Colour of Magic and I caught myself wishing they'd turn off the reverb. I have severe hearing loss in both ears (for which I do wear hearing aids since 1974 but they only help so much,) and I am not overly fond of effects on the voices of book narrators.

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Inkdrunnergirl t1_j21mmi1 wrote

Scott Brick is a great audio narrator as well

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_Borg_Queen_ t1_j21ohgi wrote

YES! Scrolled this through to find him, or to comment in his favor if he hadn't been mentioned, yet!

For some, he may also be a good, uh, "step-down" from the more intense character acting in narration, whilst still being very talented, and with definition in his characters. Absolutely recommend looking up Scott Brick's library of narration (his Asimov is great)!

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Aggie1234 t1_j21n89v wrote

George Guidall does a fantastic job on Westerns. I’ve listened to about 10 books from the Longmire series and couldn’t imagine anyone else doing them. I associate his voices with the characters more than the actors from the tv show.

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slackmeyer t1_j22kwqi wrote

Yes, he's an incredible reader. He's also read Tony Hillerman books, and "The Gollem and the Jinn".

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gamecocky t1_j213k41 wrote

Tim Gerard Reynolds. Excellent narration in Red Rising trilogies and Riyria series

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fars0001 t1_j21p4vk wrote

Yess. I just finished the first trilogy of Red Rising. Couldn't agree with you more

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gamecocky t1_j227t2u wrote

You started the second trilogy yet? I put it off for a while based on people’s bad opinions of the multi POV. It’s not quite as well narrated but better written than the first trilogy I think. TGR just has the perfect tone for Darrow it’s eerie

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fars0001 t1_j230wo7 wrote

No not yet. I wanna take couple of days off before jumping back in. Yeah I've seen some mixed comments about the first book but apparently it gets better in the second book? And about TGR, it's not just Darrow, I mean yeah his angry Darrow is definitely one of the best voice acting I've heard (gave me goosebumps at the end of Morning star) but some how he manages to change his voice perfectly for different characters.. His Aja voice is so damn creepy

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flimityflamity t1_j21bsik wrote

I've sometimes found problems on the other extreme. A few audiobooks are overproduced with music and sound effects in ways that make them hard to listen to.

I'm not sure how much each character needs their own voice but monotones definitely kill the book for me.

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Philosopher_of_Soul t1_j21eldj wrote

Jeff Hays narrating Dungeon Crawler Carl is fantastic. You go in thinking Princess Dounut is voiced by a woman, but its not, it's all Hays. Scary good.

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Positive-Taro-600 t1_j22cwu0 wrote

I feel like this list is a loooot of men. Who are the best women voice performers?!

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bookboyfriends t1_j22usn1 wrote

Martha Webb or MJ Webb. Fantastic voice with amazing ability to change characters. The talent really came to life with a middle grade book she narrated.

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mjflood14 t1_j24utf4 wrote

Author Marian Keyes is brilliant in the audiobook of her latest, Again, Rachel. I could listen to her all day.

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stuckinMo-2017 t1_j22kah5 wrote

Great female narrator is Julia Whelan.

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bookboyfriends t1_j22v4yz wrote

Yes they really do a mind blowing job of bringing books to life. It’s so hard when I go from an amazing narrator to having Siri read to me when the audiobook isn’t available. Though Siri is quite funny when she says “Seriously” in a dramatic voice, the only line she says differently. (Is this really the day I realize I give my phone a gender. Oh jeez)

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rockscarr t1_j24w02u wrote

Yereli Arizmendi is my voice crush. She read American Dirt to me and I was swooning and practicing my Spanish for weeks. My favorite is when Jim Dale reads me those Potter books. He is so damn good. The only reason I haven't quit my job with the 100 mile commute is because I discovered audiobooks. I use the library app Hoopla. It's pretty awesome. And free. Tell your library you need it.

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Spartanfred104 t1_j20qlht wrote

I really like Todd McLarens narrating.

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parkerm1408 t1_j20xs6h wrote

Toby Longworth does alot of narrations for black library (warhammer stuff) and he's amazing.

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Bloodless_Arcane t1_j213bdj wrote

Rupert Degas narrating The Name of the Wind and The Wiseman's Fear is just perfection!

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Tonymush t1_j21h4cy wrote

Dresden files and James Marsden there was one book that was narrated by someone else and due to fan uproar they had to get James to go back and do it again

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agent_mick t1_j220mbm wrote

James Marsters* from Buffy :)

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Tonymush t1_j2239sk wrote

Oh I know it's spike I just always get the name confused 😂😂😂

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agent_mick t1_j23j2b7 wrote

Fair enough! Sorry to be a smarty pants :) To be fair, James Marsden is also very attractive.

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Tonymush t1_j23jz4k wrote

No hassle I was after a few beers last night so I knew I'd get it wrong

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JennaLS t1_j21irrr wrote

I know exactly the series narrated by Bray you're referring to. That man is a legend in my book and his rendition of Skippy I will never forget.

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Aggie1234 t1_j21ngie wrote

I’ve done a few Audible ones where an actor/actress read them, and most where fantastic. Reece Witherspoon doing “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Great Gatsby” were incredible.

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4519030019054058 t1_j21oxvp wrote

When I borrow an audiobook from the library I listen to the first chapter ; if the book is read by a “reader” who is boring I return the book right away. There are some great performers out there who make the story come alive!

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CakeEatingDragon t1_j21r29n wrote

I've listened to audio books just based off the reader before. Its wild and full on radio theatre in some cases.

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lem753 t1_j21s26p wrote

Voice actors really make the book. Simon Vance and Frank Muller are personal favourites.

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Raspberries-Are-Evil t1_j22bs3w wrote

I produce audio books. Often the budget does not allow for a real pro reader and the author does their best…

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IDontEvenCareBear t1_j22hdjl wrote

I hear the voices of characters when I read. When I switch to an audiobook sometimes I struggle to accept their voice in the role bc it’s not what I imagined for them. Others are spot on to mine, or are better.

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cherrybananas13 t1_j22hhms wrote

Ray Porter is another amazing narrator for audiobooks

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TooManySorcerers t1_j22m43m wrote

I totally feel this. This is especially prevalent in the Worm audiobook, which is divided between multiple narrators who each took different sections of the story. A couple of them are fantastic, great to listen to. There is ONE in particular, and she read both the Leviathan and Echidna arcs (some of the best parts of the entire story), and jfc she was so utterly terrible that it ruined two of the series' highest points. I couldn't even get through a couple of chapters of her. I gave up and just reread the arcs physically before returning to the audiobook. And from then on I skipped entire arcs anytime I saw she was the reader.

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Thatoneguy0311 OP t1_j22nrm6 wrote

Frank Herbert’s dune has a complete narrator swap mid book, it was off putting but not so much so as to ruin the experience.

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TooManySorcerers t1_j22rnkh wrote

Interesting. I've never consumed Dune as an audiobook. Do they say why they switch?

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Thatoneguy0311 OP t1_j22ztou wrote

If there is an explanation, I never looked I to it. IIRC it’s not even from one chapter the the next, it’s almost mid paragraph.

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rawtale1 t1_j22t581 wrote

I got spoiled with Steven Pacey and his reading of Firat Law. Many good audiobooks are hard for me to listen after this series.

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WanderAllen t1_j2350ip wrote

In my opinion the problem is the difference between the books and the productions. First of all, I’m Italian so I listen many books in Italian language and about them I think it’s like movies: you can find for example excellent movies with high budget and others with medium or low budget. There are books read by interesting performers as the saga of Harry Potter or Dune. They lead the listener into the story. Others instead are simple readers. I found an interesting podcast if you want try: it is LeVar Burton Reads you know?

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OnkelBums t1_j235rfj wrote

Found the filthy monkey. Yuck.

(reference to the 15 book series).

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Otherwise_Act2441 t1_j238v5q wrote

It's not that they are less talented because they narrate by reading in a straightforward manner, it's a stylistic choice. Not all narrators have a boring monotone. There are also plenty of "performers" who irritate me and I cannot listen to the audiobook. There's times when the content matter doesn't lend itself to someone acting things out.

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Live_Tax7209 t1_j24bwox wrote

Kobna Holbrook-Smith voiced The Rivers of London series. He is so good that even the author, Ben Aaronovitch, says he now writes the characters in Kobna’s voice! It is the perfect collaboration and makes listening to RoL a pure joy.

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OnetB t1_j24jjw9 wrote

Lonesome Dove by Lee Horsley. I have 30 hours a week to listen to audiobooks uninterrupted. I’m easily past 100 books finished this year. Lonesome Dove is far and above the best of the best.

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PhysicsIsFun t1_j21cg7n wrote

I prefer the readers to the performers. We all have our likes and dislikes.

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Thatoneguy0311 OP t1_j22njwp wrote

To each their own. I’m not against readers, I just find the delivery more suited to non-fiction personally.

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Whaealeigh t1_j21l5ou wrote

I really enjoy Zara Ramm who has narrated Jodi Taylors "Time Police" and "Chronicles of St Mary's". Also Joe Jameson who narrates across a number of genres.

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GFVeggie t1_j21lo6q wrote

As audiobooks have become more popular the techniques have changed.

I have almost all of Nora Roberts writing as JD Robb - In Death series. The very first book is read by the same reader who reads them all, Susan Erikson. Going from book one to book two there is a huge difference in the quality of the production.

Not sure why. The books were popular before they went to audio so it wasn't that much of a gamble.

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kjb76 t1_j21o5wv wrote

Simon Slater doing Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is so good. It’s too bad they didn’t use him for the other two books in the series.

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mott100 t1_j22170w wrote

Go look at Graphic Audio.

They have much more expensive audio books, but the quality is amazing.
Full cast, sound effects, and music that fits contextually

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Neona65 t1_j229ooi wrote

I just listened to Return to Life, a nonfiction book about children with past life memories.

The narrator was so good, I forgot it wasn't narrated by the author and kept thinking , "Wow, this psychiatrist is doing a great job with different voices." Lol.

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Zalenka t1_j22brrz wrote

I'm editing a novel I wrote and am recording an audiobook to help edit and damn to think there's incidental music and sound effects for hours upon hours of audio in some audiobooks.

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MANGOlistic t1_j22e0ki wrote

Oh yeah, totally. Audiobook narrators are so mindblowingly talented, I've never been able to enjoy booys the way that audiobooks allow me to, because I'm not a voice actor or performer of any sort, and the voice in my head is monotonous af. Michael Kramer remains my favorite narrator/voice performer because he's the only one that I've listened to thus far that can tonally distinguish a comma from a period. If that's not talent, I don't know what is.

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mind_the_umlaut t1_j22erka wrote

Listen to Patrick Stewart reading A Christmas Carol, and Ron Moody reading Oliver Twist. Stephen Fry is superb at reading the Harry Potter series. And I hear you, sometimes narrators have a quirk... I just listened to The Three Body Problem, and the narrator (Luke Daniels) was okay, but pronounces 'calm' as cllllllmm. My regional accent drops the L entirely (cahhmm) , but his dwells on the L. Funny what sticks out, and I think the word calm appears in Three Body Problem about a thousand times. I've heard that Project Hail Mary has a great narration, too.

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1961tracy t1_j22ipwm wrote

Ell Potter narrating Hamnet: Gorgeous. I am wrecked forever. Santino Fontana/ You: I couldn’t get through the ebook, but his narration changed my mind. Ari Fliakos/The Nix : he made all the characters seem different. I wanted to hear more after it ended and it was 21 hours long.

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10thIsTheBest t1_j22km81 wrote

I recommend anything read by Natalie Naudus. She's brilliant

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MacimoBly t1_j22tww0 wrote

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August narrated by Peter Kenny is almost impossible to turn off. James Lee Burke novels read by Will Patton are awesome. Where the Craw Dads Sing narrated by Cassandra Campbell is hauntingly gripping. So much good stuff out there so little time!

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MacimoBly t1_j22uosi wrote

Ooo! Oooo! also Davina Porter narrating the Outlander series is masterful.

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Im3th0sI t1_j234l1g wrote

Absolutely. The narrator makes the audiobook. I had an experience listening to the Belgariad where the narrator was just like you said, different voices, different accents. Once I got to the Malloreon, the narrator was so flat I couldn't go on.

Currently listening to Peter V Brett's Painted Man collection narrated by Colin Mace and he's just too good!

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bringtimetravelback t1_j24mjvh wrote

the narrator makes or breaks the audiobook**

there's a lot of fantastic books out there that i just can't bear the audible narration to; others that i think are enhanced beyond the core material by having a good narrator

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Im3th0sI t1_j24n8lj wrote

Examples please :) in the vein of sci-fi/fantasy if possible

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bringtimetravelback t1_j24ote1 wrote

this appears to be an unpopular opinion as i read comments upthread praising the narration, but i utterly despise Peter Kenny's Witcher narration.

please don't confuse this with me saying Peter Kenny is a bad narrator or is bad at doing voices. he is good at both. i just find him completely inappropriate and the voices he chooses or is capable of doing, to be unsuited and ludicrous.

i know there are more, but i usually listen to full audible samples now and shelve away the titles i dont like the narration style to as "read this yourself when you can"

andy serkis does good on LOTR but his singing is excruciating, too. ALL SONGS MUST BE SKIPPED i can't take it

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Isihogg t1_j2369cy wrote

The Malazan Book of the Fallen series had one narrator switch between books, but both narrators are excellent and the narrators for the other book series in the universe are also quality.

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PennyKBurke t1_j23fxdu wrote

Try some funny light reading with Janet Evanovich, Her Staphane Plum (One for the Money and more) series is read by Lorelei King. Laugh out loud funny!

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PennyKBurke t1_j23g1jh wrote

Also All the Pretty Horses read by of all people Brad Pitt!

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hamipe26 t1_j23iy10 wrote

Yeah, the ones that act out the scenes are the best. Everyone should do that.

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somecatgirl t1_j23qmnt wrote

I looked up all the books Imogene Church narrated because I liked her voice haha

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bartturner t1_j23z48o wrote

Davina Porter. She is just amazing.

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FairyFlying t1_j240tgz wrote

Give The Martian audiobook a try if you haven't already. It won awards, for good reason.

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Intrepid_Call_5254 t1_j24316w wrote

So true. I listened to The Dutch House read by Tom Hanks. That REALLY set a high bar.

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Kindly_Coconut_1469 t1_j243bw2 wrote

I highly recommend Jim Dale's version of the Harry Potter series. I listened to them after reading the books, and he really brought them to life. Scenes that were amusing when I read them had me laughing out loud when listening to him. And his Hagrid voice sounded exactly like Robby Coltrane, before Coltrane was even cast in the first movie.

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Deweydc18 t1_j248mrb wrote

He’s not quite as much a performer as some others, but I wholeheartedly recommend Jeremy Irons’ version of Lolita

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AgentFlatweed t1_j24aelj wrote

I’m not an avid audiobook fan but I’ve liked Campbell Scott in them. He’s done a lot of them and he’s generally good at threading that needle where, it’s always him doing his own voice, but his inflections change depending on the character. In The Shining he didn’t outright try to sound like Danny but he sounded like how an adult would do an impression of a kid.

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throwaway-clonewars t1_j24apk2 wrote

I haven't read many audiobooks (probably like 10 in all my reading years, 5 of which were recent), but the narrator for the Maze Runner series was like this. Albeit, his female voices weren't amazing, but there was never any doubt on who was speaking.

Now I'm sad I didn't really pay attention when listening who did them (I mean I can search later) so I can't give a name right this moment.

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themuntik t1_j24aqtt wrote

some of those people just 'have it' then you read whatever books they do instead of following authors.

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neeleshsonii t1_j24rr5v wrote

I heard "The Christmas Carol". by Charles Dickens recently and surprisingly, the narrator had used Different voices for different characters.

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CaliGramTam t1_j250is4 wrote

Dutch House narrated by Tom Hanks - I listened to it twice - He's just that good

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Patchzilla t1_j25akbz wrote

I loved the expeditionary force books, brays narration blew me out of the water !

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Alagane t1_j26a78n wrote

The newer Dune audio book has a whole voice cast with some sound effects. I got stoned and stared at a wall for like 4 hours just lost in the descriptions and voices. One of the best audiobooks I've ever heard.

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safetyrepublic t1_j26jvs3 wrote

i love a good narrator, someone who sounds like they are the actual character. recently tho i was dissappointed in a narrator and it was for The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han narrated by Lola Tung. It just sounded like she was about to start laughing every other sentence but nothing funny was happening!

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SonnyCalzone t1_j20qjo5 wrote

I was recently listening to R. C. Bray narrate Weir's The Martian and I was not impressed. Then again, my idea of a good time with narrators is David Ogden Stiers (of M*A*S*H fame) when he narrated Clancy's Hunt For Red October and Wil Wheaton (of Stand By Me fame) when he narrated Cline's Ready Player One, so what do I know? LoL

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