E. E. Smith books in order
Food engineer and author
- Lived
- 1890–1965
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 33
- Series
- 2
- Also writes as
- E. E. "Doc" Smith
E. E. Smith published 25 novels, 1 novella, 2 short story collections, 2 non-fiction books and 3 other books, beginning with The Skylark of Space (1928). The 2 series include Lensman (6 books, starting with Triplanetary) and Skylark (4 books, starting with The Skylark of Space). The best-known is Triplanetary (1934).
Updated September 2026
Lensman books in order (6)Series page
Reading order: 1 Triplanetary (1934) · 2 First Lensman (1950) · 3 Galactic Patrol (1937) · 4 Gray Lensman (1939) · 5 Second Stage Lensmen (1953) · 6 Children of the Lens (1947)
- 1.
Triplanetary (1934)
- 2.
First Lensman (1950)
- 3.
Galactic Patrol (1937)
- 4.
Gray Lensman (1939)
- 5.
Second Stage Lensmen (1953)
- 6.
Children of the Lens (1947)
Skylark books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Skylark of Space (1928) · 2 Skylark Three (1948) · 3 Skylark of Valeron (1949) · 4 Skylark DuQuesne (1966)
- 1.
The Skylark of Space (1928)
- 2.
Skylark Three (1948)
- 3.
Skylark of Valeron (1949)
- 4.
Skylark DuQuesne (Jun 1966)
Where to start with E. E. Smith
Standalone novels in order
Lensman Series (1934)
Spacehounds of IPC (1947)
Grey Lensman (1971)
Getaway World (1977)
Strangler's Moon (1977)
The Clockwork Traitor (1978)
Masters of the Vortex (1979)
Purity Plot (1980)
Appointment at Bloodstar (Family D'Alembert #5) (1982)
Planet of Treachery (Family D'Alembert, Bk. 7) (1982)
Second Stage Lensman (1982)
Eclipsing Binaries (1983)
Subspace Explorers (1984)
The Omicron Invasion (1984)
Revolt of the Galaxy (1985)
Novellas in order
Imperial Stars (1976)
Short story collections in order
The Vortex Blaster (1960)
The Best of E. E. Doc Smith (1975)
Non-fiction in order
Cognitive Psychology (2006)
Cognitive Psychology: Mind and Brain (2008)
Other books in order
Masters of Space (1979)
Subspace Encounter (1983)
The E. E. Doc Smith MEGAPACK®: 11 Classic Novels and Stories (2015)
Free to read
All free classics
About E. E. Smith
Edward Elmer Smith was an American food engineer and science-fiction author, best known for the Lensman and Skylark series. He is sometimes called the father of space opera.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
E. E. Smith FAQ
- How many books has E. E. Smith written?
- E. E. Smith published 25 novels, 1 novella, 2 short story collections, 2 non-fiction books and 3 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read E. E. Smith's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Lensman with Triplanetary and Skylark with The Skylark of Space. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is E. E. Smith's last book?
- Skylark DuQuesne (1966).
- What is E. E. Smith's most famous book?
- Triplanetary (1934) is E. E. Smith's most widely read book.
- Are E. E. Smith's books connected?
- 10 books belong to 2 series (Lensman and Skylark); the other 23 books stand alone.
- Does E. E. Smith write under a pen name?
- Yes: E. E. Smith has also published as E. E. "Doc" Smith.
- Can I read E. E. Smith's books for free?
- Yes. 20 books by E. E. Smith are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like E. E. Smith
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.