Image via Bastien Lecouffe By David Caballero Published Aug 22, 2026, 12:08 AM EDT David is a Senior Editor at Collider focused primarily on Lists. His professional journey began in the mid-2010s as a Marketing specialist before embarking on his writing career in the 2020s. At Collider, David started as a Senior Writer in late 2022 and has been a Senior Editor since mid-2023. He is in charge of ideating compelling and engaging List articles by working closely with writers, both Senior and Junior, as well as other editors. Occasionally, David also reviews movies and TV shows and writes episode recaps. Currently, David is also writing his second novel, a psychological horror satire that will, hopefully, be picked up for publication sometime next year. Sign in to your Collider account Add Us Add on Google Preferred Source Google News Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Listen Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Audible is the undisputed leading service for the purchase and stream of audiobooks. The service includes a vast collection of titles in multiple genres, although fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and thriller aficionados will be particularly well served by the site's curation. The current Top 10 for Science Fiction & Fantasy is occupied nearly in its entirety by the Dungeon Crawler Carl series , but near the end of the list we find a gem from the 2010s that is more popular than ever, twelve years after its initial release.
Of course, I'm talking about Pierce Brown 's 2014 Red Rising , a dystopian sci-fi story that has endured as a fan favorite for over a decade. The first entry in what has become a series of six (soon to be seven), the book is among the best entries in the science fiction genre in the 21st century, an exhilarating, cinematic space opera that is as timeless as it's purely entertaining. The audiobook by veteran and accomplished narrator Tim Gerard Reynolds is an experience on its own, and perhaps the definitive way to experience this thrilling space adventure .
Darrow floating in the sky while wearing golden armor and holding his scythe in Red Rising Image via Bastien Lecouffe Deharme Red Rising is set in the far-off future, where the Solar System is under the control of the Society . People are born into one of 14 Colors that determine everything from their physical characteristics to their roles in everyday life. At the top sit the Golds, who are physically and intellectually superior; on the opposite end are the Reds, who are confined to doing the hard labor. The story centers on Darrow, a 16-year-old Red miner in the underground Mars colonies , harvesting the Helium-3 fuel meant to terraform the planet for humans to colonize.
Life is hard enough for Darrow, but things worsen when his wife, Eo, is whipped and hanged after they both sneak into a restricted underground forest. Darrow illegally buries her and is also hanged , but is saved by his uncle and taken to the rebel group known as the Sons of Ares. The leader, Dancer, comes up with a plan to turn Darrow into a Gold to infiltrate their society , hoping to overthrow the system from within. Thus, Darrow embarks on a transformative journey that will eventually see him enroll in the prestigious Mars Institute, where the elite Golds are trained.
An image of Mars from Red Rising Image via Pierce Brown Red Rising features many of the…