Samuel R. Delany books in order
American author and literary critic
- Born
- 1942
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 48
- Series
- 1
Samuel R. Delany has published 32 novels, 9 novellas, 4 short story collections and 3 non-fiction books, beginning with The Jewels of Aptor (1962). The series is Return to Nevèrÿon (4 books, starting with Tales of Nevèrÿon). The best-known is Babel-17 (1966). The latest is Letters from Amherst (2019).
Updated September 2026
Return to Nevèrÿon books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 Tales of Nevèrÿon (1979) · 2 Neveryóna (1983) · 3 Flight from Nevèrÿon (1985) · 4 The Bridge of Lost Desire (1987)
- 1.
Tales of Nevèrÿon (Sep 1979)
- 2.
Neveryóna (Apr 1983)
- 3.
Flight from Nevèrÿon (1985)
- 4.
The Bridge of Lost Desire (1987)
Where to start with Samuel R. Delany
Start here
Babel-17
Samuel R. Delany's most-read book.
Shortest way in
The Einstein Intersection
One of the most-read, at about 155 pages.
Newest
Letters from Amherst
Published 2019.
Standalone novels in order
The Jewels of Aptor (1962)
The Towers of Toron (1964)
City of a Thousand Suns (1965)
Out of the Dead City (1966)
Babel-17 (May 1966)
The Einstein Intersection (1967)
Nova (1968)
Quark/3 (1971)
The Fall of the Towers (1974)
Dhalgren (Jan 1975)
Triton (Feb 1976)
We Who Are About To (1977)
Starboard Wine (1984)
Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand (Dec 1984)
The Motion of Light in Water (1988)
They Fly at Çiron (1993)
The Mad Man (1994)
Atlantis (1995)
Hogg (1995)
Trouble on Triton (1996)
1984 (2000)
Shorter Views (2000)
Phallos (2004)
About Writing (2005)
Dark Reflections (2007)
Conversations with Samuel R. Delany (2009)
Return to Nevèrÿon (2011)
Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders (Apr 2012)
The American Shore (2014)
Captives of the Flame (2016)
Letters from Amherst (2019)
Novellas in order
The Ballad of Beta-2 (1965)
Empire Star (1966)
Empire (1978)
Heavenly Breakfast (1979)
Bread & Wine (1998)
The Atheist in the Attic (2018)
Short story collections in order
Driftglass (1971)
Nebula Winners (1980)
Distant Stars (1981)
Aye, and Gomorrah, and Other Stories (2003)
Non-fiction in order
The Jewel-Hinged Jaw (1977)
Longer Views (1996)
Times Square Red, Times Square Blue (1999)
About Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. Delany is an African American writer and literary critic. His work includes fiction, memoir, criticism, and essays on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Samuel R. Delany FAQ
- How many books has Samuel R. Delany written?
- Samuel R. Delany has published 32 novels, 9 novellas, 4 short story collections and 3 non-fiction books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Samuel R. Delany's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Return to Nevèrÿon with Tales of Nevèrÿon. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Samuel R. Delany's latest book?
- Letters from Amherst (2019).
- What is Samuel R. Delany's most famous book?
- Babel-17 (1966) is Samuel R. Delany's most widely read book.
- Are Samuel R. Delany's books connected?
- 4 books belong to 1 series (Return to Nevèrÿon); the other 44 books stand alone.
- Can I read Samuel R. Delany's books for free?
- Yes. 2 books by Samuel R. Delany are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Samuel R. Delany
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Kurt Vonnegut
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Richard Stallman
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Doris Lessing
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Robert Silverberg
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Ayn Rand
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.