Sam Shepard books in order
American playwright and actor
- Lived
- 1943–2017
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 26
Sam Shepard published 3 novellas, 4 short story collections, 11 plays and 8 other books, beginning with True West (1981). The best-known is Buried Child (2005).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Sam Shepard
Start here
Buried Child
Sam Shepard's most-read book.
Novellas in order
Tooth of Crime (1974)
Kicking a Dead Horse (Vintage) (2008)
Spy of the First Person (2017)
Short story collections in order
Hawk Moon; a Book of Short Stories, Poems, and Monologues (1973)
Cruising Paradise (1996)
Great Dream of Heaven (2002)
Day Out of Days (2010)
Plays in order
Curse of the Starving Class (1976)
Four Two-act Plays (1980)
True West (1981)
Fool for Love (1983)
A Lie of the Mind (1986)
The Unseen Hand and Other Plays (1986)
States of Shock; Far North; Silent Tongue (1993)
Simpatico (Nov 1994)
The Late Henry Moss (2002)
Buried Child (2005)
The God of Hell (2010)
Other books in order
Operation Sidewinder (1970)
Angel City & Other Plays (1976)
Rolling Thunder Logbook (1977)
Motel Chronicles (1982)
Paris, Texas (1984)
Paris, Texas/Screenplay (1991)
Shepard Plays 1 (1996)
Fifteen One-act Plays (2012)
Film and TV adaptations
- Simpatico (1999)Film · from Simpatico
About Sam Shepard
Samuel Shepard Rogers III was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, author and musician whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays and several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs. His accolades include the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Drama Desk Award, the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award, and a record 10 Obie Awards, in addition to nominations for two Tony Awards, an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1994. The New York magazine described Shepard as "the greatest American playwright of his generation."
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Sam Shepard FAQ
- How many books has Sam Shepard written?
- Sam Shepard published 3 novellas, 4 short story collections, 11 plays and 8 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Sam Shepard's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Buried Child.
- What is Sam Shepard's last book?
- Spy of the First Person (2017).
- What is Sam Shepard's most famous book?
- Buried Child (2005) is Sam Shepard's most widely read book.
- Which Sam Shepard books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Simpatico (film, 1999).
Authors like Sam Shepard
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.