The Book of the New Sun books in order A series by Gene Wolfe
The Book of the New Sun series by Gene Wolfe has 13 books, from The Shadow of the Torturer (May 1980) to The Book of the New Sun, Vols. I & II (1983). Read it in order, starting with The Shadow of the Torturer.
Reading order: 1 The Shadow of the Torturer (1980) · 2 The Claw of the Conciliator (1981) · 3 The Sword of the Lictor (1982) · 4 The Citadel of the Autarch (1983) · 5 The Urth of the New Sun (1987) · 6 Nightside the Long Sun (1993) · 7 Lake of the Long Sun (1994) · 8 Caldé of the Long Sun (1994) · 9 Exodus from the Long Sun (1996) · 10 On Blue's Waters (1999) · … all 13 below
Updated September 2026
All 13 The Book of the New Sun books in order
- 1.
The Shadow of the Torturer (May 1980)
- 2.
The Claw of the Conciliator (Mar 1981)
- 3.
The Sword of the Lictor (Jan 1982)
- 4.
The Citadel of the Autarch (Jan 1983)
- 5.
The Urth of the New Sun (Aug 1987)
- 6.
Nightside the Long Sun (Apr 1993)
- 7.
Lake of the Long Sun (1994)
- 8.
Caldé of the Long Sun (1994)
- 9.
Exodus from the Long Sun (1996)
- 10.
On Blue's Waters (1999)
- 11.
In Green's Jungles (2000)
- 12.
Return to the Whorl (2001)
The Book of the New Sun, Vols. I & II (1983)
The Book of the New Sun FAQ
- How many The Book of the New Sun books are there?
- There are 13 The Book of the New Sun books, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read the The Book of the New Sun books in?
- In publication order, starting with The Shadow of the Torturer (May 1980): 1 The Shadow of the Torturer (1980) · 2 The Claw of the Conciliator (1981) · 3 The Sword of the Lictor (1982) · 4 The Citadel of the Autarch (1983) · 5 The Urth of the New Sun (1987) · 6 Nightside the Long Sun (1993) · … all 13 below.
- What is the first The Book of the New Sun book?
- The Shadow of the Torturer (May 1980).
- What is the latest The Book of the New Sun book?
- The Book of the New Sun, Vols. I & II (1983).
- Is the Book of the New Sun series finished?
- There have been no new The Book of the New Sun books since 1983; Gene Wolfe died in 2019.
Sources: series order and dates from Wikidata and Open Library. Last updated September 2026.