Arthur Koestler published 22 novels and 13 non-fiction books, beginning with Darkness at Noon (1940).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Arthur Koestler
Start here
Darkness at Noon
Arthur Koestler's most-read book.
Shortest way in
Arrival and Departure
One of the most-read, at about 192 pages.
Standalone novels in order
The Brown Book of the Reichstag Fire and Hitler Terror (Aug 1933)
Darkness at Noon (1940)
Scum of the Earth (1941)
Arrival and Departure (1943)
Thieves in the Night (1945)
The Age of Longing (1951)
Réflexions Sur La Peine Capitale (1957), with Albert Camus
The Lotus and the Robot (1960)
Suicide of a Nation? (1963)
The Sleepwalker (1963)
The Act of Creation (1964)
The Gladiators (1965)
The Ghost in the Machine (1967)
Arrow in the Blue (1969)
The Invisible Writing (1969)
The Trail of the Dinosaur (1970)
The Call-Girls (1973)
The Heel of Achilles: Essays 1968–1973 (1974)
The Thirteenth Tribe (1976)
Stranger on the Square (1984)
Workbook - IB Diploma Math HL Part 1 (2013)
The Case of the Midwife Toad (2016)
Non-fiction in order
Dialogue with Death (1937)
The Yogi and the Commissar (1942)
Insight and Outlook (1949)
The God That Failed (1949), with André Gide and Ignazio Silone
The Sleepwalkers (1959)
The Watershed (1960)
Spanish Testament (1966)
Drinkers of Infinity (1968)
The Roots of Coincidence (1972)
The Heel of Achilles (1974)
Janus (1978)
Janus: A Summing Up (1978)
Kaleidoscope (1981)
About Arthur Koestler
Arthur Koestler was an Austro-Hungarian-born author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest, and was educated in Austria, apart from his early school years. In 1931, Koestler joined the Communist Party of Germany but resigned in 1938 after becoming disillusioned with Stalinism.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Arthur Koestler FAQ
- How many books has Arthur Koestler written?
- Arthur Koestler published 22 novels and 13 non-fiction books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Arthur Koestler's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Darkness at Noon.
- What is Arthur Koestler's last book?
- Stranger on the Square (1984).
- What is Arthur Koestler's most famous book?
- Darkness at Noon (1940) is Arthur Koestler's most widely read book.
Authors like Arthur Koestler
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.