Adam Roberts Reading Order

31 books (1998–2026)

Adam Roberts edited twenty-five anthology collections spanning fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and other genres between 1998 and 2023. These books gather short fiction from multiple authors and should be read in publication order, beginning with Murder on Route 66. The series appears to be complete as of 2023. Each anthology focuses on different themes, settings, or concepts, from genre-specific collections like Year's Best SF 11 to thematic volumes such as Paradox: Stories Inspired by the Fermi Paradox.

Start with Murder on Route 66, the first of 25 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Murder on Route 66 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Infinities 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Sixteenth Annual Collection 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Elemental: The Tsunami Relief Anthology 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Year's Best SF 11 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Science Fiction: The Best of the Year, 2007 Edition 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Mammoth Book of Mindblowing SF 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Catastrophia 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Fables from the Fountain 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Pandemonium: Stories of the Smoke 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Best New SF 26 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Time Traveler's Almanac 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Irregularity 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Noir 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Paradox: Stories Inspired by the Fermi Paradox 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Solaris Rising 3 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Crises and Conflicts 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Literary Wonderlands 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Best of British Science Fiction 2016 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Shoreline of Infinity 8½ 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Shoreline of Infinity 8½: Edinburgh International Book Festival Special Edition 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	The Year's Best Military & Adventure SF Volume 3 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2017 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Best of British Science Fiction 2017 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Scarlet Traces 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	The Best of British Fantasy 2018 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	We'll Never Have Paris 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	No More Heroes 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Reports from the Deep End 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Cwej: Springs Eternal: Part 1 of Cwej: Seasons 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2003–2012)

The Cardboard Box of the Rings is a two-book fantasy parody series by Adam Roberts, published between 2003 and 2004. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with The Soddit followed by The Sellamillion. These humorous takes on epic fantasy conventions offer a comedic alternative to their source material inspirations.

Start with The Soddit and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Soddit 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Sellamillion 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Bored of the Rings(By: Henry N. Beard,The Harvard Lampoon) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

12 books (2012–2016)

Imaginings is a complete anthology series edited by Adam Roberts, comprising twelve standalone stories published between 2012 and 2016. Each volume features a different author exploring imaginative fiction across fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and related genres. Readers should follow publication order beginning with Cold Grey Stones / Colder Greyer Stones by Tanith Lee and continuing through Mementoes by Keith Brooke to experience the full collection.

Start with Cold Grey Stones / Colder Greyer Stones(By: Tanith Lee), the first of 12 books in the Imaginings series.

#	Title
1	Cold Grey Stones / Colder Greyer Stones(By: Tanith Lee) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Last and First Contacts(By: Stephen Baxter) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Objects in Dreams(By: Lisa Tuttle) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Stories from the Northern Road(By: Tony Ballantyne) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Feast and Famine(By: Adrian Tchaikovsky) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Microcosmos(By: Nina Allan) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Twember(By: Steve Rasnic Tem) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Strange Visitors(By: Eric Brown) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Saint Rebor 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Sleeps With Angels(By: Dave Hutchinson) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Light Warden(By: Liz Williams) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Mementoes(By: Keith Brooke) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

7 books (2005–2027)

Adam Roberts' non-fiction series comprises six complete books published between 2005 and 2020, spanning literary criticism, writing guides, and cultural analysis. These works should be read in publication order, beginning with The History of Science Fiction and concluding with It's the End of the World: But What Are We Really Afraid Of?. The series reflects Roberts' expertise across science fiction, fantasy, and speculative literature, offering both scholarly examination and practical guidance for writers and readers alike.

Start with The History of Science Fiction, the first of 6 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	The History of Science Fiction 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Riddles of the Hobbit 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Get Started in: Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Landor's Cleanness: A Study of Walter Savage Landor 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Sibilant Fricative: Essays and Reviews 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	It's the End of the World: But What Are We Really Afraid Of? 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	An A-Z of J. R. R. Tolkien 2027

50 books (2009–2024)

The Routledge Literature Companions is an ongoing series of reference volumes published by Routledge from 2009 to 2024, comprising 49 books edited by various scholars and experts. Each volume functions as a standalone companion guide to a specific literary genre, movement, or cultural tradition, offering essays and critical perspectives on topics ranging from science fiction and experimental literature to travel writing, environmental humanities, and beyond. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction. These comprehensive guides serve researchers, students, and general readers seeking in-depth explorations of their areas of literary interest.

Start with The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction(With: Andrew Butler,Mark Bould,Sherryl Vint), the first of 49 books in the Routledge Literature Companions series.

41 books (2015–2026)

Shoreline of Infinity is an ongoing science fiction magazine series that began in 2015 and continues through 2026, comprising 41 issues to date. Each issue features work from multiple authors and should be read in publication order, starting with issue 1. The series includes contributions from renowned science fiction writers alongside emerging voices, with issues typically containing short stories, poetry, and occasional special editions. Readers seeking contemporary science fiction and speculative fiction will find a diverse range of themes and styles across the magazine's growing collection.

Start with Shoreline of Infinity 1(By: Noel Chidwick), the first of 41 books in the Shoreline of Infinity Science Fiction Magazine series.

9 books (2002–2024)

Adam Roberts' Short Stories/Novellas series spans nine books from 2002 to 2024 and remains ongoing. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Park Polar and continuing through The Swoon. Roberts draws on his background in fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and non-fiction to craft these standalone and interconnected shorter works, making the series accessible to readers seeking concentrated doses of speculative fiction.

Start with Park Polar, the first of 9 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#	Title
1	Park Polar 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Jupiter Magnified 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Anticopernicus 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Lake Boy 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Wodwo Vergil 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Man Who Would Be Kling 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Stealing For The Sky 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Midas Rain 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Swoon 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2004–2015)

Adam Roberts' three-book collection of short stories spans from 2004 to 2015 and represents a complete series best enjoyed in publication order. Beginning with Swiftly: Stories That Never Were and Might Never Be, the series continues with Adam Robots and concludes with Rave and Let Die: The SF and Fantasy of 2014, blending elements of fantasy, science fiction, and mystery throughout.

Start with Swiftly: Stories That Never Were and Might Never Be and read in order.

#	Title
1	Swiftly: Stories That Never Were and Might Never Be 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Adam Robots 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Rave and Let Die: The SF and Fantasy of 2014 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

42 books (2003–2015)

Smart Pop is a completed anthology series comprising 38 books published between 2003 and 2015, each exploring a different film, television show, book, or pop culture phenomenon through essays and analysis by various authors. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Seven Seasons of Buffy and spanning titles that examine everything from Joss Whedon's Buffyverse to classic literature adaptations, science fiction franchises, and contemporary media. With contributions from notable science fiction and fantasy authors, each volume offers fan-focused critical perspectives on beloved entertainment properties.

Start with Seven Seasons of Buffy(By: Scott Westerfeld,Charlaine Harris,Chelsea Quinn Yarbro,Kevin Andrew Murphy,Christie Golden,Sherrilyn Kenyon,Nancy Holder,Lawrence Watt-Evans,David Brin,Jacqueline Lichtenberg,Jean Lorrah,Laura Resnick,Sarah Zettel,Nancy Kilpatrick,Michelle West,Glenn Yeffeth,Margaret L. Carter,Peg Aloi,Marguerite Krause,Jennifer Crusie,Carla Montgomery), the first of 38 books in the Smart Pop series.

#	Title
1	Seven Seasons of Buffy(By: Scott Westerfeld,Charlaine Harris,Chelsea Quinn Yarbro,Kevin Andrew Murphy,Christie Golden,Sherrilyn Kenyon,Nancy Holder,Lawrence Watt-Evans,David Brin,Jacqueline Lichtenberg,Jean Lorrah,Laura Resnick,Sarah Zettel,Nancy Kilpatrick,Michelle West,Glenn Yeffeth,Margaret L. Carter,Peg Aloi,Marguerite Krause,Jennifer Crusie,Carla Montgomery) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Taking the Red Pill(By: Glenn Yeffeth) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Five Seasons of Angel(By: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro,Peter S. Beagle,Laura Anne Gilman,Sherrilyn Kenyon,Nancy Holder,Jacqueline Lichtenberg,Jean Lorrah,Josepha Sherman,Laura Resnick,Candace Havens,Glenn Yeffeth,Michelle Sagara,Steven Harper,Amy Berner,Marguerite Krause,Abbie Bernstein,Jennifer Crusie,Don DeBrandt,K. Stoddard Hayes,Joy Davidson,Don Kerns) 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Stepping through the Stargate(By: P.N. Elrod,Roxanne Conrad) 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	What Would Sipowicz Do? Race, Rights and Redemption in NYPD Blue(By: Glenn Yeffeth,Shanna Caughey) 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Alias Assumed(By: Tracy S. Morris) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Farscape Forever! Sex, Drugs and Killer Muppets(By: Glenn Yeffeth) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Finding Serenity(By: Robert Brian Taylor) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Flirting With Pride And Prejudice(By: Glenn Yeffeth,Jennifer Crusie) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	King Kong Is Back! An Unauthorized Look at One Humongous Ape!(By: David Brin) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Navigating the Golden Compass(By: Glenn Yeffeth) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Revisiting Narnia(By: Shanna Caughey) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The Anthology at the End of the Universe 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The War of the Worlds(By: Connie Willis,Mercedes Lackey,H.G. Wells,Mike Resnick,Stephen Baxter,Lawrence Watt-Evans) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Totally Charmed(By: Maggie Shayne,Rebecca York,Jody Lynn Nye,Evelyn Vaughn,Tanya Huff,Vera Nazarian,Jennifer Crusie) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Beauty(By: Glenn Yeffeth) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Boarding the Enterprise(By: Robert J. Sawyer,David Gerrold) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Getting Lost(By: Orson Scott Card) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Investigating CSI(By: Leah Wilson,Donn Cortez) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	So Say We All(By: Peter B. Lloyd,Richard Hatch) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	The Battle for Azeroth(By: Jody Lynn Nye,Justina Robson,Doranna Durgin,Bill Fawcett,Mel White,James John Bell,James M. Ward,Scott Cuthbertson,Nancy Berman,Jerry Jackson,Chris McCubbin,Maressa Hecht Orzack,Nancy Durgin) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	The Man from Krypton(By: Glenn Yeffeth) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	The Unauthorized X-Men(By: Leah Wilson,Len Wein) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	This Is Chick-Lit(By: Lauren Baratz-Logsted) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Welcome to Wisteria Lane(By: Leah Wilson) 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Coffee at Luke's(By: Leah Wilson,Jennifer Crusie) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Grey's Anatomy 101(By: Leah Wilson) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Halo Effect(By: Glenn Yeffeth,Jennifer Thomason) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	House Unauthorized(By: Leah Wilson) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Jack Bauer for President(By: Leah Wilson,Richard Miniter) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Neptune Noir(By: Rob Thomas) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Perfectly Plum(By: Leah Wilson) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Serenity Found(By: Orson Scott Card,Jacob Clifton,Michael Marano,Jane Espenson,Natalie Haynes,Nathan Fillion) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Webslinger(By: Leah Wilson,Gerry Conway) 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Batman Unauthorized(By: Leah Wilson) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Batman Unauthorized(By: Leah Wilson,Alan J. Porter) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	Secrets of the Dragon Riders(By: James A. Owen) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	In the Hunt(By: Leah Wilson) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	James Bond in the 21st Century(By: Leah Wilson,Glenn Yeffeth) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	A Taste of True Blood(By: Leah Wilson) 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	Ardeur(By: Laurell K. Hamilton) 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	You Do Not Talk About Fight Club(By: Chuck Palahniuk,Read Mercer Schuchardt) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2011–2013)

Solaris Rising is a three-book science fiction anthology series edited by Adam Roberts, published between 2011 and 2013. The complete collection features contributions from acclaimed authors including Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Paul Cornell, Liz Williams, James Lovegrove, Robert Reed, Nancy Kress, Nick Harkaway, Norman Spinrad, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and many others. Readers should begin with the first Solaris Rising and continue in publication order through Solaris Rising 1.5 and Solaris Rising 2 to experience the full collection as intended.

Start with Solaris Rising and read in order.

#	Title
1	Solaris Rising 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Solaris Rising 1.5 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Solaris Rising 2(By: Kristine Kathryn Rusch,Paul Cornell,Liz Williams,James Lovegrove,Robert Reed,Eugie Foster,Nancy Kress,Nick Harkaway,Norman Spinrad,Vandana Singh,Kim Lakin-Smith,Ian Whates,Paul Cornell, Jr.,Kay Kenyon,Adrian Tchaikovsky,Martin Sketchley,Allan Steele) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

32 books (2000–2024)

Adam Roberts has written 26 standalone novels spanning fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and thriller genres from 2000 to 2024, with the series remaining ongoing. Though each book functions as an independent story, they should be read in publication order beginning with Salt. The collection includes diverse works such as Polystom: Two Universes in One Reality, Yellow Blue Tibia, New Model Army, Jack Glass, and numerous others, offering readers varied narratives across multiple genres without requiring knowledge of previous entries.

Start with Salt, the first of 26 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Salt 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Science Fiction 2000
3	On 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Stone 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Polystom: Two Universes in One Reality 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Snow 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Star Warped(As: A. R. R. R. Roberts) 2005
8	The Va Dinci Cod(As: A. R. R. R. Roberts) 2005
9	Doctor Whom(As: A. R. R. R. Roberts) 2006
10	Gradisil 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Land of the Headless 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Splinter 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Swiftly 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	I Am Scrooge: A Zombie Story for Christmas(With: Zom Leech) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Yellow Blue Tibia 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	New Model Army 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	By Light Alone 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Jack Glass 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	I, Soddit(As: A. R. R. R. Roberts) 2013
21	Bête 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Twenty Trillion Leagues Under The Sea 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	The Thing Itself 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Bethany 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	The Black Prince 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	The Compelled 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Middlemarch: Epigraphs and Mirrors 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Purgatory Mount 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	The This 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	The Death of Sir Martin Malprelate 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	High 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Lake of Darkness 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2018–2023)

The Aftermath is a three-book science fiction series by Adam Roberts published between 2018 and 2023. The series appears to be complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Shelter. The trilogy comprises Shelter, Haven, and Sanctuary, offering readers a connected narrative across its installments.

Start with Shelter(By: Dave Hutchinson) and read in order.

#	Title
1	Shelter(By: Dave Hutchinson) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Haven 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Sanctuary(By: Dave Hutchinson) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2017–2018)

This two-book science fiction mystery series by Adam Roberts was completed between 2017 and 2018. The novels should be read in publication order, beginning with The Real-Town Murders followed by By the Pricking of Her Thumb. The series blends elements of fantasy, science fiction, and mystery into a complete narrative arc.

Start with The Real-Town Murders and read in order.

18 books (1996–2013)

The Year's Best SF Anthology is a complete 18-book series edited by Adam Roberts, spanning from 1996 to 2013. Each volume in the series should be read in publication order, beginning with Year's Best SF and continuing through Year's Best SF 15 and three additional volumes. This anthology series collects outstanding science fiction stories published during each respective year, offering readers a comprehensive showcase of the genre's finest work across nearly two decades.

Start with Year's Best SF, the first of 18 books in the Year's Best SF Anthology series.

#	Title
1	Year's Best SF 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Year's Best SF 2 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Year's Best SF 3 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Year's Best SF 4 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Year's Best SF 5 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Year's Best SF 6 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Year's Best SF 7 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Year's Best SF 8 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Year's Best SF 9 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Year's Best SF 10 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Year's Best SF 11 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Year's Best SF 12 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Year's Best SF 13 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Year's Best SF 14 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Year's Best SF 15 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Year's Best SF 16 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Year's Best SF 17 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Year's Best SF 18 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible