Thrillers have carved out a unique space within science fiction where science, technology, and human hubris become battlegrounds for survival.
Plenty of well-known authors, and even filmmakers, have explored this subgenre: Max Brooks, Andy Weir, Blake Crouch, Neal Stephenson, and John Michael Crichton, to name a few.
Sci-fi thrillers typically combine elements of both genres:
- thriller elements that are action-packed, plot-driven, and suspenseful
- science fiction (and technology) elements that are kept somewhat grounded in a phenomenon that seems, on the surface, to be possible
For example, in John Michael Crichton’s book Jurassic Park, he tells a cautionary tale about genetic engineering when dinosaurs are brought back from extinction and placed in a theme park. Throughout the novel and the iconic 1992 movie, various characters fight for survival after the titular park’s dinosaur enclosers suffer an electronic shutdown. We have the survival suspense element that keeps the reader’s pulse pounding while they wait with bated breath to see who will survive alongside the science fiction narrative with the genetically re-engineered dinosaurs that got them into this nasty situation in the first place.
Science fiction thrillers stand out as particularly captivating as they can transport readers to worlds both terrifyingly possible and fantastically unimaginable. Oftentimes, in these nail-biting stories, the future of humanity hangs in the balance, and survival is hard fought. Like most other tales, they offer escapism but in a way that examines our present-day society and reflects on potential futures by exploring cautionary tales of what can happen.
Read on for our carefully curated selection of sci-fi thrillers that deliver both cutting-edge science fiction with heart-pounding suspense
Symbiote
Written by Michael Nayak, narrated by Paul Bellatoni
Contagion meets The Walking Dead in this new sci-fi thriller where a biological threat ravages scientists and military personnel at the South Pole.
As World War III rages, the scientists in Antarctica are thankful for the isolation—until a group of Chinese scientists arrive at the American research center with a dead body…and something else.
Within seventy-two hours, thirteen others lie dead in the snow. A parasite trigged by the cold is spreading by touch and rapidly evolving. It triggers violent tendencies in the winter crew, and, more insidiously, the beginnings of a strange symbiotic telepathy.
Exhausted by suspicion and fear, with rescue impossible for months, the desperate crew members turn on each other. A small group of survivors try to resist the siren call of the growing hive mind and stay alive long enough to solve the mystery of the symbiotic microbe’s origins. But the symbiote is more than a disease—it is a biological weapon that can change the balance of power in a time of war. And the survivors cannot let anyone infected bring the symbiote back to civilization.
First Impact
Book #1 in the The 6th Extinction series
Written by Tara Ellis, narrated by Nick Mondelli; Jennifer Jill Araya, Sara Young, Curtis Michael Holland
A harrowing post-apocalyptic thriller about how far people will go to survive after a horrific global disaster.
Kyle was the first to detect the incoming threat. As a leading astronomer in the study of Near-Earth Objects, his obsession with a rare asteroid containing three orbiting moons provided the only warning. But it wouldn’t be enough to protect his daughter, let alone the rest of the world.
Dallas has committed her life to unraveling the mysteries of deep time and humanity’s ancient past. Confronted with its imminent extinction, she’s forced to rely on the relationships made in the present and draws upon her unique skillset to seek unexpected answers.
From the tundra of Alaska to the ancient caves of South Africa, a group of strangers are pulled together through a string of catastrophic events. Events that reveal how the definition of an apocalypse can be redefined and how our past may hold the key to preserving the future.
Past Crimes
Written by Jason Pinter, narrated by Ellen Quay
Welcome to Earth+.
The year is 2037, and nearly all human interactions have migrated to the virtual world. Now, true-crime fans don’t just listen to podcasts or watch documentaries—they participate in hyper-realistic simulations and hunt for clues to solve the most famous and gruesome crimes in history. Criminal entertainment is a multibillion-dollar industry, and at the forefront is Past Crimes: known by its millions of fans as the Disneyland of Death.
Action-packed, satirical, and beyond compelling, Past Crimes examines our obsession with true crime and how the pain of others has become a multi-billion-dollar industry, while also exploring the sinister possibilities of the virtual world.
Baby X
Written by Jason Pinter, narrated by Ellen Quay
When any biological matter can be used to create life, stolen celebrity DNA sells to the highest bidder—or the craziest stalker—in this propulsive thriller.
In the near-future United States, where advanced technology can create eggs or sperm from any person’s cells, celebrities face the alarming potential of meeting biological children they never conceived. Famous singer Trace Thorne is tired of being targeted by the Vault, a black market site devoted to stealing DNA. Sick of paying ransom money for his own cell matter, he hires bio-security guard Ember Ryan to ensure his biological safety.
Ember will do anything she can to protect her clients. She knows all the Vault’s tricks—discarded tissues, used straws, lipstick tubes—and has prevented countless DNA thefts. Working for Thorne, her focus becomes split when she begins to fall for him, but she knows she hasn’t let anything slip—love or not, his DNA is safe. But then she and Thorne are confronted by a pregnant woman, Quinn, who claims that Thorne is the father of her baby, and all bets are off.
Brilliantly plotted and terrifyingly prescient, Baby X is an unpredictable and relentless speculative thriller perfect for fans of Blake Crouch and John Marrs.
The Escher Man
Written by T. R. Napper, narrated by Nick Atkinson
A cartel enforcer across Southeast Asia must escape a world of paranoia and violence to save his family in this cerebral and multi-layered cyberpunk science fiction novel, from the award-winning author of 36 Streets.
Perfect for fans of William Gibson’s The Peripheral and Five Minds by Guy Morpuss.
“Your name is Endel ‘Endgame’ Ebbinghaus. It is Saturday, 3 September, 2101. You’re head of security for Mister Long, boss of the Macau Syndicate, a drug cartel. Your memories are being wiped and rewritten. You keep this log because you’re hard-pressed to remember what day it is. But today is a special day, mate. This is your last day on the job.”
‘Endgame’ is a violent man, the perfect enforcer. But Endel is also a father and husband—haunted by the memories of his estranged family, and the life they once had.
Endel wants them back, and he wants out. But life in the syndicate isn’t one you can simply leave.
Endgame is a violent man. Or is he? In a world where memory manipulation is the weapon of choice for the powerful, Endel can’t tell friends and enemies apart anymore, can’t be sure if he’s a person or a tool.
Trapped in a taut, twisting nightmare, Endel must find a way to escape the labyrinth they’ve made of his mind, and take revenge.
Seven Days ‘Til Mayhem
Book #1 in the Echoes of the Just series
Written by Austin Chambers, narrated by Gary Bennett
When a worldwide cyber-attack releases every prisoner at once, everything changes.
Kevin Richardson wrestles with the choice to help in this global crisis far beyond his training as a volunteer state guard. After he chases down and subdues a desperate murderer, however, he realizes that courage in this new chaotic world is needed now more than ever.
But as the hackers escalate their unimaginable plans, Kevin teams with other first responders who slowly realize the truth. The danger is less about the criminals—and more about the swift collapse of law and order at every level.
Kevin’s inner demons emerge as the outer world unravels. Will he find redemption in confronting them? Or will the mayhem consume him first?
If you like collapsing societies, courage in the face of fear, and intense character struggles, then you’ll love this realistic and gripping post-apocalyptic thrill ride.
Broken Horizons
Book #1 in the Ashes of Tomorrow series
Written by Derek Shupert, narrated by Andrea Emmes; Nick Mondelli; Trevor Wilson
Broken Horizons is a post-apocalyptic survival thriller featuring flawed characters faced with surviving a national disaster.
In the tumultuous life of Siena Lang, each passing day morphs into an arduous battle. Then the unthinkable happens—the grid mysteriously fails, plunging the nation into a lockdown, cutting off all communication and means of travel.
As disaster stirs, Ryan Parker finds himself evading pursuers. Ryan seeks refuge in the solitude of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and in a twist of fate, he stumbles upon a ghost from his past that threatens the course of his future.
Survival is now a race against time. Will Siena endure the challenges long enough to reach and save Max? Will Ryan outrun his pursuers long enough to help an old friend? The answer remains uncertain in a world gripped by chaos.
Looking for more sci-fi that hits close to home? Check out our blog post, When Life Imitates Art: 9 Sci-Fi Audiobooks That Hit Close to Reality >
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