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Future History books in order A series by Robert A. Heinlein

The Future History series by Robert A. Heinlein has 26 books (18 novels and 8 shorter works), from Life-Line (1939) to To Sail Beyond the Sunset (Jul 1987). Read it in order, starting with Life-Line.

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

Updated September 2026

All 26 Future History books in order

  1. 1.

    Life-Line (1939)

    Buy
  2. 2.

    Misfit (1939)

    Buy
  3. 3.

    Let There Be Light (1940)

    Buy
  4. 4.

    Universe (1941)

    Buy
  5. 5.

    —We Also Walk Dogs (1941)

    Buy
  6. 6.

    Common Sense (1941)

    Buy
  7. 7.

    Methuselah's Children (1958)

    186 pages★ 3.7 (10 ratings)

    Buy
  8. 8.

    Logic of Empire (1941)

    Buy
  9. 9.

    Space Jockey (1947)

    Buy
  10. 10.

    It's Great to Be Back! (1947)

    Buy
  11. 11.

    The Green Hills of Earth (1951)

    188 pages★ 4.0 (7 ratings)

    Buy
  12. 12.

    Ordeal in Space (1988)

    266 pages

    Buy
  13. 13.

    The Long Watch (1948)

    Buy
  14. 14.

    Gentlemen, Be Seated! (1948)

    Buy
  15. 15.

    The Black Pits of Luna (1948)

    Buy
  16. 16.

    Delilah and the Space Rigger (1949)

    Buy
  17. 17.

    The Menace from Earth (1959)

    225 pages

    Buy
  18. 18.

    Searchlight (1962)

    Buy

  19. Coventry (1940)

    Buy

  20. "If This Goes On—" (Feb 1940)

    Buy

  21. The Man Who Sold the Moon (1950)

    267 pages★ 4.3 (10 ratings)

    Buy

  22. Orphans of the Sky (1963)

    128 pages★ 3.5 (8 ratings)

    Buy

  23. The Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein (1966)

    189 pages

    Buy

  24. Time Enough for Love (Jun 1973)

    64 pages★ 4.0 (6 ratings)

    Buy

  25. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (Nov 1985)

    388 pages★ 3.1 (12 ratings)

    Buy

  26. To Sail Beyond the Sunset (Jul 1987)

    445 pages★ 3.0 (9 ratings)

    Buy

Future History FAQ

How many Future History books are there?
There are 26 Future History books, as of September 2026.
What order should I read the Future History books in?
In publication order, starting with Life-Line (1939): 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) · … all 26 below.
What is the first Future History book?
Life-Line (1939).
What is the latest Future History book?
To Sail Beyond the Sunset (Jul 1987).
Is the Future History series finished?
There have been no new Future History books since 1987; Robert A. Heinlein died in 1988.
Did Robert A. Heinlein write other series?
Yes: Heinlein juveniles.

More series by Robert A. Heinlein

All Robert A. Heinlein books

Sources: series order and dates from Wikidata and Open Library. Last updated September 2026.