The 10 Best Prepper Audiobooks
We’ve updated our list of the top 10 prepper audiobooks, and will continue to update each year to keep your listening options fresh and current.
Prepper audiobooks are a great way to get through a book and learn a few things without having to sit around. Physical books take precious time to sit down and read through and I always feel a little lazy reading a book since it feels like I am not being very productive.
Audiobooks fix this since I can work on my preps, mow the lawn, commute to work- all while listening to a book!
Audiobooks Can Improve Your Prepping
Audiobooks used to be annoying; you had to have several CDs or many cassettes and records to swap out between chapters. You had to hang out at your sound system to listen to them or save them for a road trip.
This is no longer the case. You can fit virtually all the prepping audiobooks available onto your phone and listen to them hands-free while doing anything you want. This makes them great for multi-taskers like myself.
If you are enthusiastic about staying up to date on prepping- it is a no-brainer.
The Top Audiobook Platform
There are plenty of ways to get your hands on audiobooks, but one of the most popular options (and the one I use) is Audible. It is an Amazon company that lets you subscribe and listen to audiobooks.
They have a free trial that gives you two books for free. It’s definitely worth checking out even if it’s just for the free books. In the list of the best prepper audiobooks below, I’ll put the Audible link for each book and you can sign up for the free trial if you are not already a member.
The 10 Best Prepper Audiobooks
Here is our list of the ten best prepper audiobooks and where to download them.
10. American Exit Strategy
by Mark Goodwin
Narrated by Kevin Pierce
Previous Rank = 10
7 hours, 46 minutes runtime
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Or use one Audible credit.
Realism is what Goodwin strives for, basing his dystopian fiction on a very possible financial meltdown. Although the method of the meltdown is certainly fiction, the grim aftermath could be a glimpse into the future.
This is the first book of the Economic Collapse Chronicles, so there is plenty to follow up with if you enjoy this one. The book is a good listen at almost eight hours. Find it on Audible.
9. Going Home
by A. American
Narrated by Duke Fontaine
Previous Rank: 9
13 hours, 12 minutes runtime
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Or use one Audible credit.
This book borderline glorifies an apocalyptic trek, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. The protagonist has it relatively easy for someone enduring SHTF, but this allows the author to explore other concepts.
This book is the first one of the Survivalist series, so it could suck you in for more if you get hooked. The audiobook is a nice length at thirteen hours long. Find it on Audible.
8. Getting Out
by Ryan Westfield
Narrated by Kevin Pierce
Previous rank = N/A
6 hours, 38 minutes runtime
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Or use one Audible credit.
There are a few EMP books on this list, but this action-packed book has earned its spot in the top 10. It has believable characters that get you invested early. Pick up Getting Out for a short, riveting listen.
7. Lights Out
by Ted Koppel
Narrated by Ted Koppel
Previous Rank = N/A
8 hours, 10 minutes runtime
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Or use one Audible credit.
Cyberattacks are a growing concern as technology continues to outpace security and legislative understanding. Koppel is clear and concise, using his journalistic tone to explore the possibilities of a cyberattack on critical infrastructure in the US. You may recognize his voice from Dateline and ABC News, where he anchored for years.
While Koppel doesn’t go far into exactly how the cyberattacks could be carried out, the effects are pretty spot on in his assessment. Koppel describes how he travels to investigate people who are prepared for these events, and praises preppers for their potential resilience to the situation. If a journalistic look at a cyberattack on our power grid sounds remotely interesting to you, you should give Lights Out a try.
6. The Journey Home
by John Winchester
Narrated by Travis Baldree
Previous Rank = 6
6 hours, 29 minutes runtime
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Or use one Audible credit.
Winchester crafts a story on how disasters usually don’t occur when it is convenient. The protagonist finds himself in a pickle when an EMP cripples the country as he is thousands of miles from home and his prepping stash.
It is the first book of the EMP Aftermath series. The book is six and a half hours long and serves as a great warning about preparedness on the move. Find it on Audible.
5. Long Road to Survival
by Lee Bradford
Narrated by Johnny Heller
Previous Rank = 5
4 hours, 2 minutes runtime
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Or use one Audible credit.
This series is sparked by a nuclear attack on all of the port cities. We all know how devastating that could be to our infrastructure and society, and Bradford does a great job of showing how tensions escalate under pressure.
It is the first book of the Prepper series. It is a short four-hour listen. Find it on Audible.
4. The Martian
by Andy Weir
Narrated by Wil Wheaton
Previous Rank = N/A
10 hours, 59 minutes runtime
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Or use one Audible credit.
I listened to this one back before the movie was made when the audiobook was narrated by R.C. Bray. Since then it’s been switched up to Wil Wheaton. You may remember him as Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation, but from the sample I heard he’s a solid pick for this novel.
The movie shows up in our 50 Survival Movies Preppers Should Watch, but the audiobook is worth the extra time commitment. If you’ve seen the movie, it is pretty faithful to the source with a few more hiccups Mark Watney has to deal with to survive.
Grab The Martian on Audible for an entertaining listen about realistic science fiction survival.
3. The Survivalist
by Arthur T. Bradley
Narrated by Jamie Buck
Previous Rank = 3
5 hours, 35 minutes runtime
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Or use one Audible credit.
Superpox-99 has wiped out the majority of the population in this popular fiction novel. Bradley details a true worst-case scenario right on the edge of impossible, but with a tone that has you feel as if you were there.
If you are looking for something different, be sure to check it out. It is the first book of the Frontier Justice series. The audiobook lasts five and a half hours, but it seems like it goes by quicker. Find it on Audible.
2. Pandemic
by A.G. Riddle
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini
Previous Rank = 2
18 hours, 53 minutes runtime
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Or use one Audible credit.
Mr. Riddle can write an intense novel, as he demonstrates in this book about an outbreak originating in Kenya. It will keep you on the edge of your seat for all 19 hours. Blending action and suspense together, one of the main characters has a bit of a ‘Jason Bourne’ storyline, with forgotten memories with mission-critical clues.
It also has a few correlations with the COVID-19 pandemic even though it was written in 2017. Some people are surprised by that, but we had the pandemic pegged in 2016 (not to brag). This book is the first of The Extinction Files series, so you can get into a whole series if you enjoy this one. Download Pandemic for a wild ride.
1. One Second After
by William R. Forstchen
Narrated by Joe Barrett
Previous Rank = 1
13 hours, 17 minutes runtime
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales. Or use one Audible credit.
This novel is set in my backyard (North Carolina) and is a harrowing tale warning of the consequences of an EMP detonation. The book has helped many get into prepping and is definitely a good listen. There is plenty to take away from this book practically, but it is also entertaining keeping you on the edge of your seat. We also have a full stand-alone review of the book.
John Matherson, the main character, has to make increasingly difficult and heartbreaking decisions as he and his family try to get by in Black Mountain after an EMP strike. Dwindling food supplies and critical medication cause issues, as well as other people who have been pushed to their limits.
The narration is great, which is another reason this is one of the best prepper audiobooks. The run time is about 13 ½ hours- so it will last you a good while if you can keep yourself from binging it! It is the first book of several in a series, so there is plenty to follow up on if you enjoyed it as much as we did. Give One Second After a listen if you need some good prepping motivation.
The Final Word
Staying informed is important but it is still hard to make time for. Audiobooks let you double up on time you are already doing other things. I like to listen on my commute, while doing yard work, and sometimes just relaxing. It never hurts to stay sharp and continue learning.
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Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.
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