Authors Directory

Authors / C

Portrait of John W. Campbell

John W. Campbell books in order

American science fiction writer

Lived
1910–1971
Country
United States
Books
3
Also writes as
Arthur McCann, Don A. Stuart, Karl van Campen

John W. Campbell published 1 novel, 1 novella and 1 short story collection, beginning with Who Goes There? (1938).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with John W. Campbell

Standalone novels in order

  1. Invaders from the Infinite (1961)

    Read free

Novellas in order

  1. Who Goes There? (Aug 1938)

    Adapted for film

    Buy

Short story collections in order

  1. Who Goes There? (1948)

    Buy

Film and TV adaptations

Free to read

All free classics

About John W. Campbell

John Wood Campbell Jr. was an American science fiction writer and editor. He was editor of Astounding Science Fiction from late 1937 until his death and was part of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Campbell wrote

"super-science" space opera under his own name and other stories under his primary pseudonym, Don A. Stuart. Campbell also used the pen names Karl Van Kampen and Arthur McCann. His novella Who Goes There? (1938) was adapted as the films The Thing from Another World (1951) and The Thing (1982); as well as a prequel The Thing (2011).

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

John W. Campbell FAQ

How many books has John W. Campbell written?
John W. Campbell published 1 novel, 1 novella and 1 short story collection that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read John W. Campbell's books in?
Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Who Goes There?.
What is John W. Campbell's last book?
Invaders from the Infinite (1961).
What is John W. Campbell's most famous book?
Who Goes There? (1938) is John W. Campbell's most widely read book.
Does John W. Campbell write under a pen name?
Yes: John W. Campbell has also published as Arthur McCann, Don A. Stuart and Karl van Campen.
Which John W. Campbell books have been adapted?
1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Who Goes There? (as The Thing from Another World, film, 1951).
Can I read John W. Campbell's books for free?
Yes. 9 books by John W. Campbell are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.

Authors like John W. Campbell

Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.