Gene Wolfe books in order
American science fiction and fantasy writer
- Lived
- 1931–2019
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 54
- Series
- 1
Gene Wolfe published 41 novels, 1 novella, 10 short story collections and 2 other books, beginning with The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1972). The series is The Book of the New Sun (13 books, starting with The Shadow of the Torturer). 4 feature Latro. The best-known is The Shadow of the Torturer (1980).
Updated September 2026
The Book of the New Sun books in order (13)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Shadow of the Torturer (1980) · 2 The Claw of the Conciliator (1981) · 3 The Sword of the Lictor (1982) · 4 The Citadel of the Autarch (1983) · 5 The Urth of the New Sun (1987) · 6 Nightside the Long Sun (1993) · 7 Lake of the Long Sun (1994) · 8 Caldé of the Long Sun (1994) · 9 Exodus from the Long Sun (1996) · 10 On Blue's Waters (1999) · … all 13 below
- 1.
The Shadow of the Torturer (May 1980)
- 2.
The Claw of the Conciliator (Mar 1981)
- 3.
The Sword of the Lictor (Jan 1982)
- 4.
The Citadel of the Autarch (Jan 1983)
- 5.
The Urth of the New Sun (Aug 1987)
- 6.
Nightside the Long Sun (Apr 1993)
- 7.
Lake of the Long Sun (1994)
- 8.
Caldé of the Long Sun (1994)
- 9.
Exodus from the Long Sun (1996)
- 10.
On Blue's Waters (1999)
- 11.
In Green's Jungles (2000)
- 12.
Return to the Whorl (2001)
The Book of the New Sun, Vols. I & II (1983)
Where to start with Gene Wolfe
Start here
The Shadow of the Torturer
Gene Wolfe's most-read book and the first of the 13 The Book of the New Sun books.
Standalone novels in order
The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1972)
The Devil in a Forest (1976)
Peace (1982)
Book of the New Sun (1983)
Free Live Free (Dec 1984)
There Are Doors (Nov 1988)
Castleview (1990)
Pandora By Holly Hollander (1990)
Castle of Days (1992)
Litany of the Long Sun (Book of the Long Sun) (1994)
Sword & Citadel (1994)
Epiphany of the Long Sun (1997)
The Knight (2004)
The Wizard (2004)
The Wizard Knight (2005)
Severian of the Guild (2007)
Pirate Freedom (Nov 2007)
An Evil Guest (2008)
Lexicon Urthus Second Edition (2008)
Home Fires (Jan 2011)
Gate of Horn, Book of Silk (2012)
The Land Across (Nov 2013)
A Borrowed Man (2015)
Interlibrary Loan (2020)
Novellas in order
A Walking Tour of the Shambles (Apr 2002), with Neil Gaiman
Short story collections in order
The Island of Dr. Death and Other Stories (1980)
Book of Days (1981)
Endangered Species (1989)
Storeys from the Old Hotel (1992)
Dante's Disciples (1996)
Strange Travelers (2000)
Innocents Aboard (2004)
Starwater Strains (2005)
The Best of Gene Wolfe (Mar 2009)
Bone Swans (2015)
Other books in order
The Castle of the Otter (1982)
Complete Book of the New Sun (2017)
About Gene Wolfe
Gene Rodman Wolfe was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose, his fascination with memory and the strong influence of his Catholic faith. He was a prolific short story writer and novelist who won many literary awards. He was honored as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Gene Wolfe FAQ
- How many books has Gene Wolfe written?
- Gene Wolfe published 41 novels, 1 novella, 10 short story collections and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Gene Wolfe's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start The Book of the New Sun with The Shadow of the Torturer. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Gene Wolfe's last book?
- Interlibrary Loan (2020).
- What is Gene Wolfe's most famous book?
- The Shadow of the Torturer (1980) is Gene Wolfe's most widely read book.
- Are Gene Wolfe's books connected?
- 13 books belong to 1 series (The Book of the New Sun); the other 41 books stand alone.
Authors like Gene Wolfe
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.