Arthur C. Clarke Reading Order

3 books (2003–2007)

Arthur C. Clarke's A Time Odyssey trilogy comprises three science fiction novels published between 2003 and 2007. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Time's Eye, followed by Sunstorm, and concluding with Firstborn. This standalone series explores grand-scale speculative scenarios across its three installments.

Start with Time's Eye and read in order.

#	Title
1	Time's Eye 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Sunstorm 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Firstborn 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

53 books (1955–2019)

Arthur C. Clarke's Anthologies series comprises 50 books of short science fiction stories published between 1955 and 2019. These anthologies should be read in publication order, beginning with Star Science Fiction Stories 3 and progressing through such notable collections as 50 Short Science Fiction Tales, Tales of Time and Space, and Aliens: 3 Novellas. The series is complete and showcases Clarke's selections from across the science fiction and adventure genres.

Start with Star Science Fiction Stories 3, the first of 50 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Star Science Fiction Stories 3 1955Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Galaxy Science Fiction, September 1958 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Great Tales of Action and Adventure 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	50 Short Science Fiction Tales 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Novelets of Science Fiction 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Bedside Playboy 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Worlds to Come: New Science Fiction Adventures 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Futures Unlimited 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Science Fiction Greats #15 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Tales of Time and Space 1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Alpha 3 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Futurists 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Galaxy Science Fiction - October 1973 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Other Dimensions 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow... 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Aliens: 3 Novellas 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	The Best of British SF 1 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Best of British SF 2 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	They Came from Outer Space: 12 Classic Science Fiction Tales That Became Major Motion Pictures 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	The Arbor House Treasury of Great Science Fiction Short Novels 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	The Arbor House Treasury of Modern Science Fiction / Great Science Fiction of the 20th Century 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Three: Nebula Winners 1965-1969 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Science Fiction A to Z 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Space Odyssey 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Fourth Planet from the Sun 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Great Science Fiction Stories by the World's Greatest Scientists 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Battlefields Beyond Tomorrow 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Science Fiction Stories 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Drabble II: Double Century 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Christmas Stars 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	The Year's Best Science Fiction: Tenth Annual Collection 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	The Ultimate Alien 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Bangs & Whimpers 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	The Young Oxford Book of Aliens 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Explorers 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	The Hard SF Renaissance 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	The Colours of Infinity: The Beauty, The Power and the Sense of Fractals 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	Galileo's Children 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	The World Turned Upside Down 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	Elemental: The Tsunami Relief Anthology 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	Liftport - The Space Elevator: Opening Space to Everyone 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	From the Pen of Paul: The Fantastic Images of Frank R. Paul 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43	The Mammoth Book of Mindblowing SF 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44	The End of the World: Stories of the Apocalypse 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45	The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46	Bug-Eyed Monsters & Bimbos 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47	In Space No One Can Hear You Scream 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
48	The Sixth Science Fiction Megapack 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
49	The Baen Big Book of Monsters 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
50	The Madness of Cthulhu 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
51	The Ninth Science Fiction Megapack 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
52	Grave Predictions 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
53	Infinite Stars 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1956–1964)

Arthur C. Clarke's Blue Planet series consists of three complete science fiction and non-fiction works published between 1956 and 1964. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Coast of the Coral, followed by The Reefs of Taprobane, and concluding with The Treasure of the Great Reef. This trilogy explores underwater exploration and marine environments through Clarke's characteristic blend of scientific insight and narrative exploration.

Start with The Coast of the Coral and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Coast of the Coral 1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Reefs of Taprobane 1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Treasure of the Great Reef 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

19 books (1980–2001)

Isaac Asimov's Anthology is a complete anthology series consisting of 19 books published between 1980 and 2001, featuring short science fiction and fantasy stories by numerous acclaimed authors. Each volume in the series explores different thematic elements, from space exploration and robots to cyberpunk, ghosts, and detective fiction, with topics like aliens, war, and holiday tales interspersed throughout. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Isaac Asimov's Worlds of Science Fiction and concluding with the final four volumes.

Start with Isaac Asimov's Worlds of Science Fiction(By: Isaac Asimov,Tanith Lee,Phyllis Eisenstein,Gene Wolfe,Barry B. Longyear,John M. Ford,Arnie Bateman,Alan Dean Foster,Martin Gardner,Randall Garrett,Rob Chilson,Ted Reynolds,George Scithers,Richard S. McEnroe,Jeff Duntemann,R.N. Bracewell,K.W. MacAnn,G. Richard Bozarth), the first of 19 books in the Isaac Asimov's Anthology series.

#	Title
1	Isaac Asimov's Worlds of Science Fiction(By: Isaac Asimov,Tanith Lee,Phyllis Eisenstein,Gene Wolfe,Barry B. Longyear,John M. Ford,Arnie Bateman,Alan Dean Foster,Martin Gardner,Randall Garrett,Rob Chilson,Ted Reynolds,George Scithers,Richard S. McEnroe,Jeff Duntemann,R.N. Bracewell,K.W. MacAnn,G. Richard Bozarth) 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Isaac Asimov's Near Futures and Far(By: Isaac Asimov,Frederik Pohl,Carter Scholz,Barry B. Longyear,John M. Ford,Jack Williamson,Darrell Schweitzer,John Brunner,Juleen Brantingham,Martin Gardner,Richard Wilson,Milton A. Rothman,Elizabeth Anne Hull,Sharon Webb,Somtow Sucharitkul,Lee Weinstein,Ted Reynolds,George Scithers,F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre,William Tuning,Francis E. Izzo,Paul David Novitski,Lee Russell,Seth S. Horowitz,Tol E. Rant,S. Dale,Julie Flores,Tony Sarowitz) 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Isaac Asimov's Space of Her Own(By: Connie Willis,Ursula K. Le Guin,Pat Cadigan,Joan D. Vinge,Tanith Lee,Pamela Sargent,Lee Killough,Mary Gentle,Mildred Downey Broxon,Shawna McCarthy,Sharon Webb,Leigh Kennedy,Stephanie A. Smith,Cherie Wilkerson,Julie Stevens,Sydney J. Van Scyoc,Cyn Mason,P.A. Kagan,P.J. MacQuarrie,Janet O. Jeppson,Beverly Grant,Hope Athearn) 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Isaac Asimov's Fantasy!(By: Connie Willis,George R.R. Martin,Ron Goulart,John Kessel,George Alec Effinger,Robert Thurston,Tanith Lee,Lucius Shepard,Scott Baker,Lillian Carl,Juleen Brantingham,Lee Killough,Ian McDowell,Daphne Castell,Sharon N. Farber,Richard Kearns,Shawna McCarthy,Leigh Kennedy,Gregg Keizer,Kristi Olesen) 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Isaac Asimov's Aliens(By: Isaac Asimov,Gardner Dozois) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Isaac Asimov's Robots(By: Isaac Asimov,Rob Chilson) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Isaac Asimov's SF-Lite(By: Isaac Asimov,John M. Ford) 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Isaac Asimov's War(By: Isaac Asimov,Gardner Dozois) 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Isaac Asimov's Cyberdreams(By: Isaac Asimov,Gardner Dozois) 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Isaac Asimov's Ghosts(By: Isaac Asimov,Terry Bisson) 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Isaac Asimov's Skin Deep(By: Isaac Asimov,Gardner Dozois) 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Isaac Asimov's Christmas(By: Isaac Asimov,Gardner Dozois) 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Isaac Asimov's Camelot(By: Isaac Asimov,Gardner Dozois,Eleanor Arnason) 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Isaac Asimov's Detectives(By: Isaac Asimov,Gardner Dozois) 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Isaac Asimov's Solar System(By: Gardner Dozois) 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Isaac Asimov's Werewolves(By: Isaac Asimov,Suzy McKee Charnas,Gardner Dozois) 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Isaac Asimov's Utopias(By: Isaac Asimov,Gardner Dozois) 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Isaac Asimov's Father Day(By: Isaac Asimov,Gardner Dozois) 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Isaac Asimov's Halloween(By: Isaac Asimov) 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (1964–1981)

The Life Science Library is a six-book nonfiction series published between 1964 and 1981, exploring scientific and technological subjects through accessible prose and illustrations. Written by various authors including Robert O'Brien, Alan E. Nourse, and others under the editorial direction of Arthur C. Clarke, the series covers topics ranging from machines and spacecraft to human biology and meteorology. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Machines and concluding with The Engineer.

Start with Machines(By: Robert O'Brien), the first of 6 books in the Life Science Library series.

#	Title
1	Machines(By: Robert O'Brien) 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Man And Space 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Body(By: Alan E. Nourse) 1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Ships(By: Robert O'Brien) 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Weather(By: Robert O'Brien,Philip D. Thompson) 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Engineer(By: Time-Life Books,C.C. Furnas,Joe McCarthy) 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

16 books (1950–2020)

Arthur C. Clarke's non-fiction series consists of 16 books published between 1950 and 2020, exploring space exploration, technology, and the future from the perspective of one of science fiction's most celebrated authors. These works span from early treatises on interplanetary travel through reflections on humanity's relationship with space and technology in the modern era. The series should be read in publication order to follow Clarke's evolving perspectives on space exploration and technological progress across seven decades. Begin with Interplanetary Flight and proceed through the complete sequence to experience Clarke's transformative insights on humanity's potential in the cosmos.

Start with Interplanetary Flight, the first of 16 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	Interplanetary Flight 1950Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Exploration of Space 1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Boy Beneath the Sea 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Voice Across The Sea 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Profiles of the Future 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Voices from the Sky 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Promise of Space 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Into Space(With: Robert Silverberg) 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Beyond Jupiter: The Worlds of Tomorrow 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The View from Serendip 1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	1984: Spring - A Choice of Futures 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Astounding Days 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	How the World Was One 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds! 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	From Narnia To Space Odyssey(With: C.S. Lewis) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The Exploration of the Moon 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

7 books (1973–2000)

The Rama series spans seven science fiction novels published between 1973 and 2000, beginning with Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama and concluding with Gentry Lee's The Tranquility Wars. The first four books follow the original Rama narrative with Clarke collaborating with Lee on the sequels starting with Rama II, while the final three books are Lee solo efforts set within the same universe. This complete series should be read in publication order to experience the full story arc from beginning to end.

Start with Rendezvous with Rama, the first of 7 books in the Rama series.

#	Title
1	Rendezvous with Rama 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Rama II(With: Gentry Lee) 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Garden of Rama(With: Gentry Lee) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Rama Revealed(With: Gentry Lee) 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Bright Messengers(By: Gentry Lee) 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Double Full Moon Night(By: Gentry Lee) 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Tranquility Wars(By: Gentry Lee) 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1946–1955)

This complete collection of science fiction short stories and novellas by Arthur C. Clarke spans from 1946 to 1955 and contains two works that should be read in publication order. Rescue Party, published first, is followed by The Star, also known as Star of Bethlehem, which closes out this pair of Clarke's shorter fiction from the mid-twentieth century. Both stories showcase Clarke's characteristic blend of scientific imagination and philosophical inquiry within the compact format of novellas.

Start with Rescue Party and read in order.

#	Title
1	Rescue Party 1946Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Star / Star of Bethlehem 1955Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

14 books (1938–2004)

Arthur C. Clarke's short story collections span from 1938 to 2004 across 14 complete volumes. These science fiction stories are best read in publication order, beginning with The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke and progressing through landmark collections like Expedition to Earth, The Nine Billion Names of God, Tales of Ten Worlds, and The Wind From The Sun. Each collection showcases Clarke's influential approach to speculative fiction and imaginative concepts that defined the genre for decades.

Start with The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke, the first of 14 books in the Short Story Collections series.

#	Title
1	The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke 1938Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Sentinel 1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Across the Sea of Stars 1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Reach for Tomorrow 1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Tales From The White Hart 1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Tales of Ten Worlds 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Nine Billion Names of God 1967Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Expedition to Earth 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Lion Of Comarre 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Of Time and Stars 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Wind From The Sun 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	A Meeting With Medusa 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Tales from Planet Earth 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The Shining Ones 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1968–1997)

Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series comprises four science fiction novels published across three decades, from 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968 through 3001: The Final Odyssey in 1997. The complete series should be read in publication order: 2001: A Space Odyssey, 2010: Odyssey Two, 2061: Odyssey Three, and 3001: The Final Odyssey. Each book builds on the discoveries and mysteries introduced in previous installments, following humanity's encounters with alien intelligence across centuries of exploration.

Start with 2001: A Space Odyssey, the first of 4 books in the Space Odyssey series.

#	Title
1	2001: A Space Odyssey 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	2010: Odyssey Two 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	2061: Odyssey Three 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	3001: The Final Odyssey 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

26 books (1948–2008)

Arthur C. Clarke's 26 standalone novels span from 1948 to 2008, offering a collection of science fiction works that can be enjoyed independently or read in publication order for a comprehensive survey of the author's evolving vision of the future. The series includes classics such as Childhood's End, The City and the Stars, and A Fall of Moondust alongside lesser-known entries and works blending fiction with Clarke's nonfiction reflections on space exploration and technology. While each novel stands alone with its own distinct story and setting, reading them in chronological order of publication provides insight into how Clarke's themes and scientific interests developed across six decades. The complete series concludes with Clarke's final standalone novel in 2008, representing the full arc of his career in long-form science fiction.

Start with Against the Fall of Night, the first of 26 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Against the Fall of Night 1948Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Prelude to Space 1950Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Sands of Mars 1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Islands in the Sky 1952Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Childhood's End 1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Earthlight 1955Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	City and the Stars 1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Deep Range 1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Other Side of the Sky 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	A Fall of Moondust 1961Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Dolphin Island 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Glide Path 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The Lost Worlds Of 2001 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Report on Planet Three 1972Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Imperial Earth 1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	The Fountains of Paradise 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	July 20, 2019 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Songs of Distant Earth 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Cradle(With: Gentry Lee) 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Beyond the Fall of Night(With: Gregory Benford) 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	The Ghost from the Grand Banks 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	The Hammer of God 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Richter 10(With: Mike McQuay) 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	The Trigger 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	The Light of Other Days(With: Stephen Baxter) 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	The Last Theorem(With: Frederik Pohl) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2014–2015)

The Madness of Cthulhu is a two-volume anthology series featuring contributions from multiple science fiction and horror authors. Published in 2014 and 2015, the series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with the first volume and continuing to Volume Two. Each installment collects original stories exploring themes within the Cthulhu Mythos framework through the work of renowned authors including Robert Silverberg, Harry Turtledove, Jonathan Maberry, and Alan Dean Foster.

Start with The Madness of Cthulhu(With: Robert Silverberg,Harry Turtledove,John Shirley,S.T. Joshi,Caitlín R. Kiernan) and read in order.