John Varley books in order
American science fiction author
- Lived
- 1947–2025
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 22
- Series
- 2
John Varley published 18 novels, 1 novella and 3 short story collections, beginning with The Ophiuchi Hotline (1977). The 2 series include Gaea trilogy (3 books, starting with Titan) and Eight Worlds (2 books, starting with Steel Beach). The best-known is Wizard (1980).
Updated September 2026
Gaea trilogy books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Titan (1979) · 2 Wizard (1980) · 3 Demon (1984)
- 1.
Titan (Jan 1979)
- 2.
Wizard (Aug 1980)
- 3.
Demon (Jun 1984)
Where to start with John Varley
Start here
Titan
Book 1 of Gaea trilogy, the series that includes Wizard, John Varley's most-read book.
Shortest way in
Steel Beach
One of the most-read, at about 480 pages.
Standalone novels in order
The Ophiuchi Hotline (Apr 1977)
In the Hall of the Martian Kings (1978)
The Persistence of Vision (1978)
The Barbie Murders (1980)
Millennium (Jun 1983)
Superheroes (1995)
Red Thunder (2003)
The John Varley Reader (2004)
Mammoth (2005)
Red Lightning (2006)
Rolling Thunder (2008)
Slow Apocalypse (2012)
Irontown Blues (2018)
Novellas in order
Press Enter■ (May 1984)
Short story collections in order
Picnic on Nearside (Sep 1980)
Blue Champagne (1987)
Champagne Bleu (Feb 1992)
About John Varley
John Herbert Varley was an American science fiction writer who won Hugo and Nebula awards for his novellas "The Persistence of Vision", "PRESS ENTER ■", and "The Pusher".
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
John Varley FAQ
- How many books has John Varley written?
- John Varley published 18 novels, 1 novella and 3 short story collections that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read John Varley's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Gaea trilogy with Titan and Eight Worlds with Steel Beach. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is John Varley's last book?
- Irontown Blues (2018).
- What is John Varley's most famous book?
- Wizard (1980) is John Varley's most widely read book.
- Are John Varley's books connected?
- 5 books belong to 2 series (Gaea trilogy and Eight Worlds); the other 17 books stand alone.
Authors like John Varley
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.