Robert A. Heinlein books in order
American author and aeronautical engineer
- Lived
- 1907–1988
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 83
- Series
- 2
- Also writes as
- Anson MacDonald, Caleb Saunders, John Riverside, Lyle Monroe
Robert A. Heinlein published 58 novels, 12 novellas, 10 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book and 2 other books, beginning with Beyond This Horizon (1942). The 2 series include Future History (26 books, starting with Life-Line) and Heinlein juveniles (13 books, starting with Rocket Ship Galileo). The best-known is The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966).
Updated September 2026
Future History books in order (26)Series page
Reading order: 1 Life-Line (1939) · 2 Misfit (1939) · 3 Let There Be Light (1940) · 4 Universe (1941) · 5 —We Also Walk Dogs (1941) · 6 Common Sense (1941) · 7 Methuselah's Children (1958) · 8 Logic of Empire (1941) · 9 Space Jockey (1947) · 10 It's Great to Be Back! (1947) · … all 26 below
- 1.
Life-Line (1939)
- 2.
Misfit (1939)
- 3.
Let There Be Light (1940)
- 4.
Universe (1941)
- 5.
—We Also Walk Dogs (1941)
- 6.
Common Sense (1941)
- 7.
Methuselah's Children (1958)
- 8.
Logic of Empire (1941)
- 9.
Space Jockey (1947)
- 10.
It's Great to Be Back! (1947)
- 11.
The Green Hills of Earth (1951)
- 12.
Ordeal in Space (1988)
- 13.
The Long Watch (1948)
- 14.
Gentlemen, Be Seated! (1948)
- 15.
The Black Pits of Luna (1948)
- 16.
Delilah and the Space Rigger (1949)
- 17.
The Menace from Earth (1959)
- 18.
Searchlight (1962)
Coventry (1940)
"If This Goes On—" (Feb 1940)
The Man Who Sold the Moon (1950)
Orphans of the Sky (1963)
The Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein (1966)
Time Enough for Love (Jun 1973)
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (Nov 1985)
To Sail Beyond the Sunset (Jul 1987)
Heinlein juveniles books in order (13)Series page
Reading order: 1 Rocket Ship Galileo (1947) · 2 Space Cadet (1948) · 3 Red Planet (1949) · 4 Farmer in the Sky (1950) · 5 Between Planets (1951) · 6 The Rolling Stones (1952) · 7 Starman Jones (1953) · 8 The Star Beast (1954) · 9 Tunnel in the Sky (1955) · 10 Time for the Stars (1956) · … all 13 below
- 1.
Rocket Ship Galileo (May 1947)
- 2.
Space Cadet (1948)
- 3.
Red Planet (1949)
- 4.
Farmer in the Sky (1950)
- 5.
Between Planets (1951)
- 6.
The Rolling Stones (1952)
- 7.
Starman Jones (1953)
- 8.
The Star Beast (1954)
- 9.
Tunnel in the Sky (1955)
- 10.
Time for the Stars (1956)
- 11.
Citizen of the Galaxy (1957)
- 12.
Have Space Suit—Will Travel (Aug 1958)
- 13.
Starship Troopers (Nov 1959)
Where to start with Robert A. Heinlein
Start here
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Robert A. Heinlein's most-read book, rated by 87 Open Library readers.
Shortest way in
Double Star
One of the most-read, at about 170 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Beyond This Horizon (1942)
Gulf (1949)
Sixth Column (1949)
The Puppet Masters (1951)
Tomorrow, the Stars (1952)
Double Star (1956)
The Door into Summer (1956)
Stranger in a Strange Land (Jun 1961)
Podkayne of Mars (1963)
Glory Road (Jul 1963)
Farnham's Freehold (1964)
Three by Heinlein (1965)
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966)
Space Family Stone (1969)
Tricks of the Trade (1970)
I Will Fear No Evil (Nov 1970)
The Best of Robert Heinlein (1973)
The Notebooks of Lazarus Long (1978)
Expanded Universe (1980)
The Number of the Beast (Jul 1980)
Friday (Apr 1982)
Job: A Comedy of Justice (Sep 1984)
Assignment Earth (1987)
Grumbles from the Grave (1989)
Tramp Royale (1992)
For Us, the Living: A Comedy of Customs (Nov 2003)
Variable Star (Sep 2006)
Novellas in order
Magic, Inc (1940)
By His Bootstraps (Oct 1941)
Lost Legacy (Nov 1941)
Waldo (1942)
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (Oct 1942)
Assignment in Eternity (1953)
The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes (Mar 2020)
Short story collections in order
Waldo & Magic, Inc (1950)
A Heinlein Trio (1957)
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (1959)
The Past Through Tomorrow (1975)
Requiem (1992)
The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein (1999)
Off the Main Sequence (2005)
Non-fiction in order
Take Back Your Government (1992)
Other books in order
The Past Through Tomorrow: Book 1 (1982)
Green Hills of Earth and Space Jockey (1985)
Film and TV adaptations
- Destination Moon (1950)Film · from Rocket Ship Galileo
- The Brain Eaters (1958)Film · from The Puppet Masters
- The Puppet Masters (1994)Film · from The Puppet Masters
- The Door into Summer (2021)Film · from The Door into Summer
- Starship Troopers (1997)Film · from Starship Troopers
- Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012)Film · from Starship Troopers
- Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (2017)Film · from Starship Troopers
- Roughnecks: Starship Troopers ChroniclesTV · from Starship Troopers
About Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. His published works, both fiction and non-fiction, express admiration for competence and emphasize the value of critical thinking. His plots often presented provocative situations which challenged conventional social mores. His work continues to have an influence on the science fiction genre and on modern culture more generally.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Robert A. Heinlein FAQ
- How many books has Robert A. Heinlein written?
- Robert A. Heinlein published 58 novels, 12 novellas, 10 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Robert A. Heinlein's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Future History with Life-Line and Heinlein juveniles with Rocket Ship Galileo. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Robert A. Heinlein's last book?
- Grumbles from the Grave (1989).
- What is Robert A. Heinlein's most famous book?
- The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966) is Robert A. Heinlein's most widely read book.
- Are Robert A. Heinlein's books connected?
- 39 books belong to 2 series (Future History and Heinlein juveniles); the other 44 books stand alone.
- Does Robert A. Heinlein write under a pen name?
- Yes: Robert A. Heinlein has also published as Anson MacDonald, Caleb Saunders, John Riverside and Lyle Monroe.
- Which Robert A. Heinlein books have been adapted?
- 4 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Rocket Ship Galileo (as Destination Moon, film, 1950), The Puppet Masters (as The Brain Eaters, film, 1958), The Door into Summer (film, 2021) and Starship Troopers (film, 1997).
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.