Reading Order List โ€” Book Series Reading Order Guide
Alastair Reynolds

Alastair Reynolds Reading Order

13 series ยท 118 books ยท Born 13 March 1966

Alastair Reynolds is a renowned British writer known for his captivating science fiction narratives. With a distinctive style that blends hard sci-fi with intricate storytelling, he has published an impressive 118 works across 13 different series, including notable titles like Revelation Space and the Doctor Who: Third Doctor series. Active from 1975 until 2026, Reynolds continues to influence the genre with his imaginative concepts and compelling characters.

Anthologies Series

Ongoing

44 books (1999โ€“2024)

Start with The Ant-Men of Tibet and Other Stories, the first of 44 books in the Anthologies series.

#Title
1
Cover of The Ant-Men of Tibet and Other Stories
The Ant-Men of Tibet and Other Stories
2
Cover of Space Soldiers
Space Soldiers
3
4
Cover of The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 15
The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 15
5
The Hard SF Renaissance
6
Cover of The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 16
The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 16
7
Cover of Constellations
Constellations
8
One Million A.D.
9
Cover of Science Fiction: The Best of the Year, 2006
Science Fiction: The Best of the Year, 2006
10
The Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction
11
Cover of The Space Opera Renaissance
The Space Opera Renaissance
12
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Third Annual Collection
13
Cover of Year's Best SF 11
Year's Best SF 11
14
The Best of the Best, Vol 2
15
Cover of The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Fourth Annual Collection
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Fourth Annual Collection
16
Cover of The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 21
The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 21
17
Cover of The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 22
The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 22
18
19
The Mammoth Book of Mindblowing SF
20
Shine: An Anthology of Near-Future Optimistic Science Fiction
21
Cover of Lightspeed: Year One
Lightspeed: Year One
22
Cover of The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Eighth Annual Collection
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Eighth Annual Collection
23
Rock On: The Greatest Hits of Science Fiction & Fantasy
24
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Ninth Annual Collection
25
Aliens: Recent Encounters
26
Cover of Best New SF 26
Best New SF 26
27
Cover of Memoryville Blues: A Postscripts Anthology 30/31
Memoryville Blues: A Postscripts Anthology 30/31
28
Dead Man's Hand
29
Robot Uprisings
30
Cover of The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-First Annual Collection
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-First Annual Collection
31
The Year's Top Ten Tales of Science Fiction 6
32
The Year's Top Ten Tales of Science Fiction 7
33
Bridging Infinity
34
The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume One
35
Cover of Infinite Stars
Infinite Stars
36
Cover of The Best Science Fiction of the Year Volume Three
The Best Science Fiction of the Year Volume Three
37
The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Two
38
Cover of The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fourth Annual Collection
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fourth Annual Collection
39
2001: An Odyssey in Words
40
The Year's Top Ten Tales of Science Fiction 10
41
The Year's Top Robot and AI Stories
42
The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Five
43
Cover of Love, Death and Robots: The Official Anthology: Volume One
Love, Death and Robots: The Official Anthology: Volume One
44
Best of British Science Fiction 2023

Doctor Who: Third Doctor Series

Complete

9 books (1975โ€“2016)

Start with The Curse of Peladon(By: Brian Hayles), the first of 9 books in the Doctor Who: Third Doctor series.

#Title
1
Cover of The Curse of Peladon(By: Brian Hayles)
The Curse of Peladon(By: Brian Hayles)
2
Cover of The Paradise of Death(By: Barry Letts)
The Paradise of Death(By: Barry Letts)
3
Cover of Dancing the Code(By: Paul Leonard)
Dancing the Code(By: Paul Leonard)
4
Cover of The Ghosts of N-Space(By: Barry Letts)
The Ghosts of N-Space(By: Barry Letts)
5
The Scales of Injustice(By: Gary Russell)
6
Cover of Doctor Who: The Magician's Oath(By: Scott Handcock)
Doctor Who: The Magician's Oath(By: Scott Handcock)
7
Cover of Council of War(By: Simon Barnard)
Council of War(By: Simon Barnard)
8
Cover of Harvest of Time
Harvest of Time
9
Damascus(By: Jonathan Barnes)

Inspector Dreyfus / Prefect Dreyfus Emergency Series

Ongoing

4 books (2007โ€“2024)

Start with Aurora Rising / The Prefect, the first of 4 books in the Inspector Dreyfus / Prefect Dreyfus Emergency series.

#Title
1
Cover of Aurora Rising / The Prefect
Aurora Rising / The Prefect
2
Cover of Elysium Fire
Elysium Fire
3
Open and Shut
4
Machine Vendetta

Merlin Series

Complete

2 books (2000โ€“2016)

Start with Merlin's Gun and read in order.

#Title
1
Merlin's Gun
2
Cover of The Iron Tactician
The Iron Tactician

Poseidon's Children Series

Complete

3 books (2012โ€“2015)

Start with Blue Remembered Earth and read in order.

#Title
1
Cover of Blue Remembered Earth
Blue Remembered Earth
2
Cover of On the Steel Breeze
On the Steel Breeze
3
Cover of Poseidon's Wake
Poseidon's Wake

Revelation Space Series

Likely Complete

8 books (2000โ€“2021)

Start with Revelation Space, the first of 8 books in the Revelation Space series.

#Title
1
Cover of Revelation Space
Revelation Space
2
3
Cover of Diamond Dogs
Diamond Dogs
4
Cover of Redemption Ark
Redemption Ark
5
Cover of Absolution Gap
Absolution Gap
6
Cover of Turquoise Days
Turquoise Days
7
Galactic North
8
Cover of Inhibitor Phase
Inhibitor Phase

Revenger Series

Complete

3 books (2016โ€“2020)

Start with Revenger and read in order.

#Title
1
2
Cover of Shadow Captain
Shadow Captain
3
Cover of Bone Silence
Bone Silence

Short Stories/Novellas Series

Ongoing

11 books (1997โ€“2025)

Start with A Spy in Europa, the first of 11 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#Title
1
A Spy in Europa
2
Great Wall of Mars
3
4
Cover of The Six Directions of Space
The Six Directions of Space
5
6
7
8
Thousandth Night
9
Cover of Slow Bullets
Slow Bullets
10
Detonation Boulevard
11
The Dagger in Vichy

Short Story Collections Series

Ongoing

5 books (2006โ€“2025)

Start with Zima Blue and Other Stories, the first of 5 books in the Short Story Collections series.

#Title
1
Cover of Zima Blue and Other Stories
Zima Blue and Other Stories
2
Cover of Deep Navigation
Deep Navigation
3
Beyond the Aquila Rift
4
Cover of Belladonna Nights and Other Stories
Belladonna Nights and Other Stories
5
Cover of The Revelation Space Collection Volume 1
The Revelation Space Collection Volume 1

Solaris Rising Anthology Series

Complete

3 books (2011โ€“2013)

Start with Solaris Rising and read in order.

#Title
1
Solaris Rising
2
Solaris Rising 1.5(By: Paul Cornell,Tanith Lee,Mike Resnick,Aliette de Bodard,Adam Roberts,Paul Di Filippo,Ian Whates,Gareth L. Powell,Sarah Lotz,Philip Vine)
3
Cover of 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)
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)

Standalone Novels Series

Ongoing

7 books (2004โ€“2026)

Start with Century Rain, the first of 7 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#Title
1
Cover of Century Rain
Century Rain
2
3
Cover of House of Suns
House of Suns
4
Cover of Terminal World
Terminal World
5
6
7
Halcyon Years

The Medusa Chronicles Series

Complete

1 book (2016โ€“2016)

#Title
1
Cover of The Medusa Chronicles(With: Stephen Baxter)
The Medusa Chronicles(With: Stephen Baxter)

Year's Best SF Anthology Series

Complete

18 books (1996โ€“2013)

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
2
Year's Best SF 2
3
Cover of Year's Best SF 3
Year's Best SF 3
4
Year's Best SF 4
5
Cover of Year's Best SF 5
Year's Best SF 5
6
Year's Best SF 6
7
Cover of Year's Best SF 7
Year's Best SF 7
8
Year's Best SF 8
9
Year's Best SF 9
10
Cover of Year's Best SF 10
Year's Best SF 10
11
Cover of Year's Best SF 11
Year's Best SF 11
12
Cover of Year's Best SF 12
Year's Best SF 12
13
Year's Best SF 13
14
Year's Best SF 14
15
Cover of Year's Best SF 15
Year's Best SF 15
16
Year's Best SF 16
17
Cover of Year's Best SF 17
Year's Best SF 17
18
Cover of Year's Best SF 18
Year's Best SF 18

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Alastair Reynolds written?
Alastair Reynolds has written 118 books across 13 series. Their published works span from 1975 to 2026.
What is the first book in each Alastair Reynolds series?
Here are the first books in Alastair Reynolds's series: Anthologies: The Ant-Men of Tibet and Other Stories; Doctor Who: Third Doctor: The Curse of Peladon(By: Brian Hayles); Inspector Dreyfus / Prefect Dreyfus Emergency: Aurora Rising / The Prefect; Merlin: Merlin's Gun; Poseidon's Children: Blue Remembered Earth.
What order should I read Alastair Reynolds's books?
We recommend reading Alastair Reynolds's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Is Alastair Reynolds still writing new books?
Yes, Alastair Reynolds has 5 ongoing series: Anthologies, Inspector Dreyfus / Prefect Dreyfus Emergency, Short Stories/Novellas, Short Story Collections, Standalone Novels.

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