Gore Vidal books in order
American writer
- Lived
- 1925–2012
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 60
- Series
- 1
- Also writes as
- Edgar Box
Gore Vidal published 33 novels, 1 novella, 3 short story collections, 18 non-fiction books, 4 plays and 1 other book, beginning with The City and the Pillar (1948). The series is Narratives of Empire (6 books, starting with Washington, D.C).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Gore Vidal
Start here
The City and the Pillar
Gore Vidal's most-read book.
Shortest way in
Creation
One of the most-read, at about 574 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Williwaw (1946)
The City and the Pillar (Jan 1948)
Death in the Fifth Position (1952)
The Judgement of Paris (1952)
Death Before Bedtime (1953)
Death Likes It Hot (1954)
Julian (1964)
Messiah (1965)
A Search for the King (1967)
Myra Breckinridge (Feb 1968)
Two Sisters (1970)
Myron (1974)
Matters of Fact and of Fiction (1977)
Kalki (1978)
Three by Box (1978)
In a Yellow Wood (1979)
Creation (Jan 1981)
Pink Triangle and Yellow Star (1982)
Duluth (1983)
Live from Golgotha: The Gospel According to Gore Vidal (Sep 1992)
Palimpsest (1995)
The Season of Comfort (1996)
The Smithsonian Institution (Oct 1998)
The Golden Age (2000)
The Last Empire (2001)
Point to Point Navigation (2006)
The Selected Essays of Gore Vidal (2008)
Novellas in order
Dark Green, Bright Red (1978)
Short story collections in order
A Thirsty Evil (1956)
United States (1972)
Clouds and Eclipses (2006)
Non-fiction in order
Rocking the Boat (1962)
Reflections Upon a Sinking Ship (1969)
Vidal in Venice (1985)
Armageddon? (1987)
At Home (1988)
A View from the Diners Club (1991)
Screening History (1992)
The Decline and Fall of the American Empire (1992)
Virgin Islands (1997)
The American Presidency (1998)
Dreaming War (2002)
Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace (2002)
Against the Beast (2003)
Invention of a Nation (2003)
Imperial America (2004)
Conversations with Gore Vidal (2005)
Gore Vidal (2006)
Selected Essays (2007)
Plays in order
Visit to a Small Planet (1957)
The Best Man (1960)
Romulus (1962)
An Evening with Richard Nixon (1972)
Other books in order
Sex, Death, and Money (1968)
Film and TV adaptations
- Myra Breckinridge (1970)Film · from Myra Breckinridge
About Gore Vidal
Eugene Luther Gore Vidal was an American writer and public intellectual known for his cynical epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays criticized the social and sexual norms he perceived as driving American life. Vidal was heavily involved in politics, and unsuccessfully sought office twice as a Democratic Party candidate, first in 1960 to the United States House of Representatives, and later in 1982 to the United States Senate.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Gore Vidal FAQ
- How many books has Gore Vidal written?
- Gore Vidal published 33 novels, 1 novella, 3 short story collections, 18 non-fiction books, 4 plays and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Gore Vidal's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Narratives of Empire with Washington, D.C. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Gore Vidal's last book?
- The Selected Essays of Gore Vidal (2008).
- What is Gore Vidal's most famous book?
- The City and the Pillar (1948) is Gore Vidal's most widely read book.
- Are Gore Vidal's books connected?
- 6 books belong to 1 series (Narratives of Empire); the other 54 books stand alone.
- Does Gore Vidal write under a pen name?
- Yes: Gore Vidal has also published as Edgar Box.
- Which Gore Vidal books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Myra Breckinridge (film, 1970).
- Can I read Gore Vidal's books for free?
- Yes. 3 books by Gore Vidal are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Gore Vidal
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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Jorge Luis Borges
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Aldous Huxley
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Virginia Woolf
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James Baldwin
Also wrote literary fiction and essays
V. S. Naipaul
Also wrote literary fiction and essays
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.