What's a good audiobook to pick if you're picking your very first audiobook ever?

[Sandi]

Caitlin wrote: "Thanks to everyone who answered my sub-question!"

It would make a great topic on its own.

[Warren]

Listen to the audio sample for Snow crash-
http://iurl.no/7a863

Or whatever book your considering.
After 30 seconds you'll know which is right for you.

[Grim]

The thing about audio books isn't so much the book as the person reading it for you (Narrating). We all have personal likes and dislikes.

Although I had already read the Harry Potter books I ended up getting the audio versions to help my kids with reading. The American version read by Jim Dale (Still and UK English voice actor, he's from the carry on movies of the 70s) was a dream. I enjoyed listening to him reading it so much I ended up getting the whole series on audio and listening to them all even though I had read them. I believe he got awards for his performance reading them.

An example of not liking a reader was my initial second harry potter audio book read by Stephen Fry. His voice just grated on me I absolutely hated it and went looking for the US versions by Jim Dale for the rest. (I think Jim Dale filled the books with wonder magic and fun, where as Stephen Fry was too serious and sombre in comparison. Its argued this made Fry's versions of the last two books better but I never tried them so don't know)

I also agree with the Dresden files read by James Marsters from Buffy fame, although he took a while to get used to as I had read the books and seen the TV show and his wasn't the voice I had imagined, but by the third book he had grown on me and I enjoyed his narration.

I'd also like to suggest the iron druid series by Kevin Hearne narrated by Luke Daniels, good narration, very interesting book, exciting and fun, a good mixture of action and humour which really came across in the narration.

My first ever audio book was about 30 years ago, it was Bio of a Space Tyrant series, and as a kid I loved them, but I can't recall author or narrator off the top of my head sorry - and besides what we appreciated with wonder as kids, often falls way short when revisited as adults. My childhood memories of the Tv series Blakes 7 was brilliance beyond compare. It was on Tv again a few years back, god it was awful, terrible acting, atrocious special effects and the plots were often plain daft. Ah the glories of youth

[Sandi]

Bio of a Space Tyrant was by Piers Anthont. The series has been re-released in ebook. I didn't know it used tto be in audio.