James Blish books in order
American science fiction and fantasy author
- Lived
- 1921–1975
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 52
- Series
- 2
- Also writes as
- William Atheling, Jr.
James Blish published 24 novels, 12 novellas, 14 short story collections and 2 other books, beginning with A Case of Conscience (1958). The 2 series include Star Trek (8 books, starting with Star Trek 1) and After Such Knowledge (3 books, starting with A Case of Conscience). The best-known is Star Trek 1 (1967).
Updated September 2026
Star Trek books in order (8)
Reading order: 1 Star Trek 1 (1967) · 6 Star Trek 6 (1972) · 7 Star Trek 7 (1972) · 8 Star Trek 8 (1972) · 11 Star Trek 11 (1975) · 12 Star Trek 12 (1977) · Spock Must Die! (1970) · Star Trek 2 (1975)
- 1.
Star Trek 1 (Jan 1967)
- 6.
Star Trek 6 (1972)
- 7.
Star Trek 7 (Jul 1972)
- 8.
Star Trek 8 (Nov 1972)
- 11.
Star Trek 11 (Apr 1975)
- 12.
Star Trek 12 (Nov 1977)
Spock Must Die! (Jan 1970)
Star Trek 2 (1975)
After Such Knowledge books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 A Case of Conscience (1958) · 3 Black Easter (1968) · 4 The Day After Judgment (1971)
- 1.
A Case of Conscience (1958)
- 3.
Black Easter (1968)
- 4.
The Day After Judgment (1971)
Where to start with James Blish
Start here
Star Trek 1
James Blish's most-read book and the first of the 8 Star Trek books.
Shortest way in
Cities in Flight
One of the most-read, at about 605 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Earthman, Come Home (1955)
They Shall Have Stars (1956)
Fallen Star (1957)
Get Out of My Sky (1957)
The Seedling Stars (1957)
The Triumph of Time (1958)
Galactic Cluster (1959)
A Torrent of Faces (1967)
The Warriors of Day (1967)
Vor (1967)
Welcome to Mars (1968)
Nebula Award Stories. 5 (1969)
Anywhen (1970)
Cities in Flight (1970)
More Issues at Hand (1970)
And All the Stars a Stage (1971)
Doctor Mirabilis (1971)
Jack of Eagles (1973)
Star Trek 10 (1974)
After Such Knowledge (1991)
Star Trek: The Classic Episodes 1 (1991)
Novellas in order
The Duplicated Man (1959)
The Star Dwellers (1961)
Titan's Daughter (1961)
A Life for the Stars (1962)
The Night Shapes (1962)
The Issue at Hand (1964)
Mission to the Heart Stars (1965)
Star Trek 5 (1972)
Midsummer Century (Apr 1972)
The Quincunx of Time (1973)
Devils Day (1990)
Short story collections in order
Star Trek 3 (Apr 1969)
Star Trek 4 (1971)
Star Trek 9 (1973)
The Star Trek Reader (1976)
The Star Trek Reader III (1977)
The Star Trek Reader IV (1978)
Star Trek: The Classic Episodes 2 (Sep 1991)
Other books in order
Star Trek Novel (1970)
Cities in Flight, Vol. I (1991)
Free to read
All free classics
About James Blish
James Benjamin Blish was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his Cities in Flight novels and his series of Star Trek novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel A Case of Conscience won the Hugo Award. He is credited with creating the term "gas giant" to refer to large planetary bodies.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
James Blish FAQ
- How many books has James Blish written?
- James Blish published 24 novels, 12 novellas, 14 short story collections and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read James Blish's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Star Trek with Star Trek 1 and After Such Knowledge with A Case of Conscience. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is James Blish's last book?
- Star Trek 12 (1977).
- What is James Blish's most famous book?
- Star Trek 1 (1967) is James Blish's most widely read book.
- Are James Blish's books connected?
- 11 books belong to 2 series (Star Trek and After Such Knowledge); the other 41 books stand alone.
- Does James Blish write under a pen name?
- Yes: James Blish has also published as William Atheling, Jr..
- Can I read James Blish's books for free?
- Yes. 6 books by James Blish are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
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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.