Norman Mailer books in order
American writer
- Lived
- 1923–2007
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 46
- Also writes as
- Andreas Wilson
Norman Mailer published 26 novels, 2 short story collections, 12 non-fiction books, 1 poetry collection, 1 play and 4 other books, beginning with The Naked and the Dead (1948).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Norman Mailer
Start here
The Naked and the Dead
Norman Mailer's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The Naked and the Dead (1948)
Barbary Shore (1951)
The Deer Park (1955)
Death for the Ladies, and Other Disasters (1962)
An American Dream (1965)
The Short Fiction of Norman Mailer (1967)
Why Are We in Vietnam? (1967)
Miami and the Siege of Chicago (1968)
The Armies of the Night (1968)
A Fire on the Moon (1970)
St. George and the Godfather (1972)
The Fight (1975)
Genius and Lust (1976)
The Naked and the Dead By Norman Mailer (1976)
A Transit to Narcissus (1978)
The Executioner's Song (1979)
Of Women and Their Elegance (1980)
Of a Fire on the Moon (1982)
Ancient Evenings (1983)
Tough Guys Don't Dance (1984)
Harlot's Ghost (1991)
The Gospel According to the Son (1997)
The Time of Our Time (1998)
The Spooky Art (2003)
On God (2007)
The Castle in the Forest (2007)
Short story collections in order
Advertisements for Myself (1959)
The Essential Mailer (1982)
Non-fiction in order
The White Negro (1957)
The Presidential Papers (1963)
The Prisoner of Sex (1971)
Existential Errands (1972)
Marilyn (1973)
Marilyn: A Biography (1973)
Some Honorable Men (1976)
Pieces and Pontifications (1982)
Conversations with Norman Mailer (1988)
Oswald's Tale (1995)
Portrait of Picasso as a Young Man (1995)
The Selected Letters of Norman Mailer (2014)
Poetry in order
Cannibals and Christians (1966)
Plays in order
Maidstone (1971)
Other books in order
The Homosexual Villain (1955)
The Bullfight (1967)
Why Are We at War? (2003)
Fuera De La Ley (2014)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Executioner's Song (1982)TV · from The Executioner's Song
- Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)Film · from Tough Guys Don't Dance
About Norman Mailer
Nachem Malech Mailer, known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American writer, journalist, and filmmaker. In a career spanning more than six decades, Mailer had 11 best-selling books, at least one in each of the seven decades after World War II.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Norman Mailer FAQ
- How many books has Norman Mailer written?
- Norman Mailer published 26 novels, 2 short story collections, 12 non-fiction books, 1 poetry collection, 1 play and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Norman Mailer's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Naked and the Dead.
- What is Norman Mailer's last book?
- The Castle in the Forest (2007).
- What is Norman Mailer's most famous book?
- The Naked and the Dead (1948) is Norman Mailer's most widely read book.
- Does Norman Mailer write under a pen name?
- Yes: Norman Mailer has also published as Andreas Wilson.
- Which Norman Mailer books have been adapted?
- 2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Executioner's Song (TV, 1982) and Tough Guys Don't Dance (film, 1987).
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.