Cordwainer Smith books in order
American author
- Lived
- 1913–1966
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 15
- Also writes as
- Carmichael Smith, Felix C. Forrest
Cordwainer Smith published 9 novels, 2 short story collections, 3 non-fiction books and 1 other book, beginning with The Political Doctrines of Sun Yat-sen (1937). The best-known is Psychological Warfare (1954).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Cordwainer Smith
Standalone novels in order
Space Lords (May 1965)
You Will Never Be the Same (1970)
The Planet Buyer (1975)
Norstrilia (Feb 1975)
Instrumentality Mankind (1979)
The Instrumentality of Mankind (1985)
Quest of the Three Worlds (1987)
The Rediscovery of Man (1988)
We the Underpeople (2006)
Short story collections in order
The Best of Cordwainer Smith (Jul 1975)
When the People Fell (Sep 2007), with Frederik Pohl
Non-fiction in order
Psychological Warfare (1954)
Other books in order
The Underpeople (1968)
Free to read
All free classics
About Cordwainer Smith
Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger, known by his pen-name Cordwainer Smith, was an American author of science fiction. He was an officer in the US Army, a scholar of East Asia, and an expert in psychological warfare. He was one of science fiction's more influential authors despite his relatively limited output and his early death at the age of 53.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Cordwainer Smith FAQ
- How many books has Cordwainer Smith written?
- Cordwainer Smith published 9 novels, 2 short story collections, 3 non-fiction books and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Cordwainer Smith's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Psychological Warfare.
- What is Cordwainer Smith's last book?
- Space Lords (1965).
- What is Cordwainer Smith's most famous book?
- Psychological Warfare (1954) is Cordwainer Smith's most widely read book.
- Does Cordwainer Smith write under a pen name?
- Yes: Cordwainer Smith has also published as Carmichael Smith and Felix C. Forrest.
- Can I read Cordwainer Smith's books for free?
- Yes. 7 books by Cordwainer Smith are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Cordwainer Smith
Alfred Bester
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Walter M. Miller Jr.
Also wrote science fiction and literary fiction
Cyril M. Kornbluth
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Robert Silverberg
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H. Beam Piper
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Damon Knight
Also wrote science fiction and literary fiction
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.