Exoplanet Audiobook Preview: Everything We Know About Andy Weir & Benjamin Percy’s Sci-Fi Event

Whenever the name Andy Weir is attached to a science fiction project, the audiobook community pays attention. Following the immense success of The Martian and Project Hail Mary [1] [2], Weir is stepping into an executive producer role for Exoplanet, a major new Audible Original sci-fi thriller written by acclaimed novelist Benjamin Percy (The Ninth Metal, Red Moon) [3].

As an honest curator who evaluates audiobooks primarily on how well they use the medium, I’ve been tracking the announcement details closely. While this is not a standalone novel written entirely by Weir himself, its premise hits all the exact buttons that made Project Hail Mary an unforgettable listening experience.

What is Exoplanet about?

The core premise centers on the starship Wild Blue Yonder. During deep-space transit, the vessel is violently torn apart by a quantum anomaly. Instead of perishing together, the surviving crew members crash-land on the exact same deadly exoplanet—but with one terrifying twist: they are separated across different eras [4].

The stellar cast embodies this fragmented timeline:

• Chief Engineer Jeff Shaw (played by Anthony Mackie), aided by his virtual assistant voiced by fan-favorite narrator Ray Porter, must fight to survive an unforgiving present while trying to find a way back to his daughter [4].
• First Officer Becca Bang (played by Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose) is stranded in a hostile alien past [4].
• Science Officer Logan Bowers (played by Emmy nominee John Leguizamo) wakes up in a machine-ruled future that theoretically shouldn't exist yet [4].

Adding to the dread, the quantum anomaly wasn't a random glitch. A relentless alien intelligence is feeding on human technology across epochs, and it has been waiting for them [4].

Why audio is the only right format for this story

Andy Weir captured the essence of why this project is built specifically for your earbuds:

“Benjamin Percy’s writing in Exoplanet takes [problem-solving science] and adds a twist that genuinely kept me up at night: what if the people trying to save each other were separated not by distance, but by centuries? You can't see that story. You have to hear it. The crackle across a five-hundred-year gap, the desperation in a voice that doesn't know if anyone's still listening.” [4]

Furthermore, Audible has enlisted Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Sound to craft immersive audio design, paired with an original score by composer Rob Cairns [4]. For listeners who rank sound production alongside narrator performance, this production level places Exoplanet in elite company alongside full-cast adaptations like Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Full-Cast Edition.

Should you pre-order or add it to your radar?

Exoplanet launches exclusively on Audible on November 5, 2026, and is available for pre-order now [4]. If you are looking for your next major sci-fi fix after finishing Dungeon Crawler Carl or the Cosmere audiobooks, this time-slip thriller is easily one of the most exciting audio events of the year.

We will publish a full, honest review as soon as the title drops in November. In the meantime, you can secure it using your membership or a trial credit.