Reading Order List — Book Series Reading Order Guide
Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow Reading Order

12 series · 184 books · Born 1971-07-17

Cory Doctorow is a prolific science fiction author known for blending speculative storytelling with advocacy around digital rights and technology policy. His young adult novel Little Brother established him as a major voice in contemporary SF, while his broader catalog spans graphic novels, short fiction collections, and standalone works that explore themes of surveillance, freedom, and resistance in digital societies. A co-editor of Boing Boing and former European director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Doctorow brings journalistic rigor and activist perspective to fiction that feels urgently relevant to contemporary readers.

Are you Cory Doctorow? Add a note for your readers →

Anthologies Series

Ongoing

36 books (1998–2025)

This anthology series brings together Cory Doctorow's short fiction and speculative work across 36 collections published from 1998 to 2025, spanning science fiction, non-fiction, and fantastic storytelling from various editors and publishers. The series remains ongoing and should be read in publication order, beginning with Tesseracts 7 in 1998 and continuing through recent additions. Collections include appearances in major anthologies like Asimov's Science Fiction, the Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction, and Year's Best SF compilations, as well as specialized volumes such as Witpunk and Open Space: New Canadian Fantastic Fiction. Each volume represents Doctorow's contributions to different speculative fiction projects over more than two decades.

Start with Tesseracts 7, the first of 36 books in the Anthologies series.

#Title
1
2
Asimov's Science Fiction, June 1999
3
4
5
Cover of New Voices In Science Fiction
New Voices In Science Fiction
6
Cover of Open Space: New Canadian Fantastic Fiction
Open Space: New Canadian Fantastic Fiction
7
8
9
10
The Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction
11
12
13
Tesseracts Eleven: Amazing Canadian Speculative Fiction
14
Cover of The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Fourth Annual Collection
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Fourth Annual Collection
15
16
17
18
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume 5
19
Cover of The Chronicles of Harris Burdick
The Chronicles of Harris Burdick
20
21
Robots: The Recent A.I.
22
23
24
25
Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2013 Edition
26
Cover of Super Stories of Heroes and Villains
Super Stories of Heroes and Villains
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
The Year's Best Science Fiction on Earth 3

Graphic Standalone Novels Series

Complete

2 books (2008–2014)

Cory Doctorow's complete collection of graphic standalone novels comprises two visionary works published between 2008 and 2014. The series begins with Futuristic Tales Of The Here And Now, illustrated by Dara Naraghi, followed by In Real Life, illustrated by Jen Wang. Each novel stands independently and can be read in any order, though reading them in publication sequence provides the best experience of Doctorow's evolving approach to blending science fiction concepts with contemporary themes.

Start with Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales Of The Here And Now(With: Dara Naraghi) and read in order.

Start this series with Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales Of The Here And Now(With: Dara Naraghi)

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales Of The Here And Now(With: Dara Naraghi)
Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales Of The Here And Now(With: Dara Naraghi)
2
Cover of In Real Life(With: Jen Wang)
In Real Life(With: Jen Wang)

Jen Wang Graphic Novels Series

Complete

4 books (2010–2019)

Jen Wang's graphic novel series consists of four complete books published between 2010 and 2019, best read in publication order starting with Koko Be Good. The series includes In Real Life, The Prince and the Dressmaker, and Stargazing, with each entry standing as its own story. These works blend science fiction and non-fiction elements through Wang's distinctive illustrated narratives.

Start with Koko Be Good(By: Jen Wang), the first of 4 books in the Jen Wang Graphic Novels series.

Start this series with Koko Be Good(By: Jen Wang)

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Koko Be Good(By: Jen Wang)
Koko Be Good(By: Jen Wang)
2
3
The Prince and the Dressmaker(By: Jen Wang)
4
Stargazing(By: Jen Wang)

Little Brother Series

Ongoing

7 books (2008–2024)

Cory Doctorow's Little Brother series spans seven books published between 2008 and 2024, with the series still ongoing. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Little Brother and continuing through Homeland, Lawful Interception, Attack Surface, Force Multiplier, Spill, and Vigilant. Doctorow blends science fiction with non-fiction themes throughout the series, exploring contemporary technological and social issues.

Start with Little Brother, the first of 7 books in the Little Brother series.

Martin Hench Series

Ongoing

3 books (2023–2025)

Martin Hench is a three-book science fiction series by Cory Doctorow, with the first two entries published in 2023 and 2024 and the series still ongoing. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Red Team Blues, followed by The Bezzle, and then Picks and Shovels. This series combines elements of science fiction with the author's signature exploration of technology and its implications.

Start with Red Team Blues and read in order.

Non-Fiction Series

Ongoing

11 books (2000–2026)

Cory Doctorow's non-fiction series comprises ten books published between 2000 and 2025, exploring themes of technology, publishing, digital culture, and internet economics. The series is ongoing and should be read in publication order, beginning with The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction. Doctorow draws on his background as both a science fiction author and technology commentator to examine how digital systems and business models shape contemporary life, covering subjects from blogging and content creation to digital rights, corporate practices, and artificial intelligence.

Start with The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction, the first of 10 books in the Non-Fiction series.

Start this series with The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction
2
3
4
5
6
All Complex Ecosystems Have Parasites
7
Cover of Information Doesn't Want to Be Free
Information Doesn't Want to Be Free
8
Chokepoint Capitalism(With: Rebecca Giblin)
9
10
Cover of Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It
Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It
11
The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI

Outspoken Authors Series

Ongoing

33 books (1984–2026)

Outspoken Authors is an ongoing anthology series edited by Cory Doctorow featuring 32 books of science fiction and non-fiction published from 1984 to 2026. The series showcases works by prominent speculative fiction authors and should be read in publication order, beginning with The Presidential Papers by John H. Kessel. Each volume presents diverse voices and perspectives within the genre, making it ideal for readers seeking varied storytelling from established and acclaimed writers.

Start with The Presidential Papers(By: John H. Kessel), the first of 32 books in the Outspoken Authors series.

Start this series with The Presidential Papers(By: John H. Kessel)

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
The Presidential Papers(By: John H. Kessel)
2
Cover of The Human Front(By: Ken MacLeod)
The Human Front(By: Ken MacLeod)
3
Lucky Strike(By: Kim Stanley Robinson)
4
The Left Left Behind(By: Terry Bisson,Eleanor Arnason)
5
Mammoths of the Great Plains(By: Eleanor Arnason)
6
The Underbelly(By: Gary Phillips,Eleanor Arnason)
7
Modem Times 2.0(By: Michael Moorcock,Eleanor Arnason)
8
The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow(With: Eleanor Arnason)
9
The Wild Girls(By: Ursula K. Le Guin,Eleanor Arnason)
10
Report from Planet Midnight(By: Nalo Hopkinson,Eleanor Arnason)
11
Cover of Surfing the Gnarl(By: Rudy Rucker)
Surfing the Gnarl(By: Rudy Rucker)
12
New Taboos(By: John Shirley)
13
Patty Hearst & The Twinkie Murders: A Tale of Two Trials(By: Eleanor Arnason,Paul Krassner)
14
The Science of Herself(By: Karen Joy Fowler,Eleanor Arnason)
15
Raising Hell(By: Norman Spinrad,Eleanor Arnason)
16
Gypsy(By: Carter Scholz,Eleanor Arnason)
17
My Life, My Body(By: Marge Piercy)
18
Miracles Ain't What They Used to Be(By: Joe R. Lansdale)
19
Miracles Ain't What They Used to Be(By: Joe R. Lansdale,Eleanor Arnason)
20
Fire.(By: Elizabeth Hand,Eleanor Arnason)
21
Totalitopia(By: John Crowley)
22
The Atheist in the Attic(By: Samuel R. Delany,Eleanor Arnason)
23
Thoreau's Microscope(By: Michael Blumlein,Eleanor Arnason)
24
A City Made of Words(By: Paul Park)
25
Talk Like a Man(By: Nisi Shawl)
26
The Beatrix Gates(By: Rachel Pollack)
27
Cover of Big Girl(By: Meg Elison)
Big Girl(By: Meg Elison)
28
Planetbreaker’s Son(By: Nick Mamatas)
29
Utopias of the Third Kind(By: Vandana Singh)
30
Night Shift(By: Eileen Gunn)
31
The Collapsing Frontier(By: Jonathan Lethem)
32
Not What I Intended(By: Nancy Kress)
33
She is Here(By: Nicola Griffith)

Short Stories/Novellas Series

Likely Complete

14 books (2002–2023)

Cory Doctorow's Short Stories/Novellas series consists of twelve science fiction entries published between 2005 and 2023, likely concluding with The Canadian Miracle. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with I, Robot and progressing through standalone stories and collaborative works with Charles Stross and Benjamin Rosenbaum. Several entries explore technological and societal themes characteristic of Doctorow's broader body of work, including When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth, Anda's Game, and Unauthorized Bread.

Start with I, Robot, the first of 12 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#Title
1
Jury Service(With: Charles Stross)
2002
2
Appeals Court(With: Charles Stross)
3
4
Cover of When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth
When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth
5
Cover of The Things That Make Me Weak and Strange Get Engineered Away
The Things That Make Me Weak and Strange Get Engineered Away
6
Cover of True Names(With: Benjamin Rosenbaum)
True Names(With: Benjamin Rosenbaum)
7
8
9
10
11
12
Unauthorized Bread / Wie man einen Toaster überlistet: Novelle
13
Cover of Poesy the Monster Slayer
Poesy the Monster Slayer
14

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

5 books (2000–2019)

Cory Doctorow's Short Story Collections series contains five volumes of science fiction short stories published between 2000 and 2019. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with A Place So Foreign and Eight More. The five books are A Place So Foreign and Eight More, Overclocked, With a Little Help, The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (co-authored with Eleanor Arnason), and Radicalized.

Start with A Place So Foreign and Eight More, the first of 5 books in the Short Story Collections series.

Start this series with A Place So Foreign and Eight More

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of A Place So Foreign and Eight More
A Place So Foreign and Eight More
2
3
4
The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow(With: Eleanor Arnason)
5

Smart Pop Series

Complete

42 books (2003–2015)

The Smart Pop series is a collection of 38 essay anthologies published between 2003 and 2015, exploring popular television shows, films, and literary works through critical and cultural analysis. The series is now complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Seven Seasons of Buffy. Each volume focuses on a different entertainment property, featuring contributions from various authors, critics, and scholars who examine themes, characters, and cultural impact. This series appeals to fans seeking deeper intellectual engagement with beloved franchises and popular culture phenomena.

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.

Start this series 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)

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#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)
2
Cover of Taking the Red Pill(By: Glenn Yeffeth)
Taking the Red Pill(By: Glenn Yeffeth)
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)
4
Stepping through the Stargate(By: P.N. Elrod,Roxanne Conrad)
5
What Would Sipowicz Do? Race, Rights and Redemption in NYPD Blue(By: Glenn Yeffeth,Shanna Caughey)
6
Cover of Alias Assumed(By: Tracy S. Morris)
Alias Assumed(By: Tracy S. Morris)
7
Farscape Forever! Sex, Drugs and Killer Muppets(By: Glenn Yeffeth)
8
Cover of Finding Serenity(By: Robert Brian Taylor)
Finding Serenity(By: Robert Brian Taylor)
9
Flirting With Pride And Prejudice(By: Glenn Yeffeth,Jennifer Crusie)
10
Cover of King Kong Is Back! An Unauthorized Look at One Humongous Ape!(By: David Brin)
King Kong Is Back! An Unauthorized Look at One Humongous Ape!(By: David Brin)
11
Cover of Navigating the Golden Compass(By: Glenn Yeffeth)
Navigating the Golden Compass(By: Glenn Yeffeth)
12
Revisiting Narnia(By: Shanna Caughey)
13
Cover of The Anthology at the End of the Universe
The Anthology at the End of the Universe
14
Cover of The War of the Worlds(By: Connie Willis,Mercedes Lackey,H.G. Wells,Mike Resnick,Stephen Baxter,Lawrence Watt-Evans)
The War of the Worlds(By: Connie Willis,Mercedes Lackey,H.G. Wells,Mike Resnick,Stephen Baxter,Lawrence Watt-Evans)
15
Cover of Totally Charmed(By: Maggie Shayne,Rebecca York,Jody Lynn Nye,Evelyn Vaughn,Tanya Huff,Vera Nazarian,Jennifer Crusie)
Totally Charmed(By: Maggie Shayne,Rebecca York,Jody Lynn Nye,Evelyn Vaughn,Tanya Huff,Vera Nazarian,Jennifer Crusie)
16
Beauty(By: Glenn Yeffeth)
17
Cover of Boarding the Enterprise(By: Robert J. Sawyer,David Gerrold)
Boarding the Enterprise(By: Robert J. Sawyer,David Gerrold)
18
Cover of Getting Lost(By: Orson Scott Card)
Getting Lost(By: Orson Scott Card)
19
Investigating CSI(By: Leah Wilson,Donn Cortez)
20
Cover of So Say We All(By: Peter B. Lloyd,Richard Hatch)
So Say We All(By: Peter B. Lloyd,Richard Hatch)
21
Cover of 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)
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)
22
The Man from Krypton(By: Glenn Yeffeth)
23
The Unauthorized X-Men(By: Leah Wilson,Len Wein)
24
Cover of This Is Chick-Lit(By: Lauren Baratz-Logsted)
This Is Chick-Lit(By: Lauren Baratz-Logsted)
25
Cover of Welcome to Wisteria Lane(By: Leah Wilson)
Welcome to Wisteria Lane(By: Leah Wilson)
26
Cover of Coffee at Luke's(By: Leah Wilson,Jennifer Crusie)
Coffee at Luke's(By: Leah Wilson,Jennifer Crusie)
27
Grey's Anatomy 101(By: Leah Wilson)
28
Halo Effect(By: Glenn Yeffeth,Jennifer Thomason)
29
House Unauthorized(By: Leah Wilson)
30
Jack Bauer for President(By: Leah Wilson,Richard Miniter)
31
Cover of Neptune Noir(By: Rob Thomas)
Neptune Noir(By: Rob Thomas)
32
Perfectly Plum(By: Leah Wilson)
33
Serenity Found(By: Orson Scott Card,Jacob Clifton,Michael Marano,Jane Espenson,Natalie Haynes,Nathan Fillion)
34
Webslinger(By: Leah Wilson,Gerry Conway)
35
Batman Unauthorized(By: Leah Wilson)
36
Batman Unauthorized(By: Leah Wilson,Alan J. Porter)
37
Secrets of the Dragon Riders(By: James A. Owen)
38
In the Hunt(By: Leah Wilson)
39
James Bond in the 21st Century(By: Leah Wilson,Glenn Yeffeth)
40
A Taste of True Blood(By: Leah Wilson)
41
Ardeur(By: Laurell K. Hamilton)
42
You Do Not Talk About Fight Club(By: Chuck Palahniuk,Read Mercer Schuchardt)

Standalone Novels Series

Likely Complete

9 books (2003–2023)

Cory Doctorow's standalone novels span from 2003 to 2023, comprising nine science fiction works that explore themes of technology, economics, and social systems. Though published across two decades, these books function as independent stories rather than a connected series, allowing readers to start anywhere, though publication order is recommended for following the author's evolving ideas. The collection includes Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Eastern Standard Tribe, Someone Comes to Town Someone Leaves Town, Makers, For the Win, Pirate Cinema, The Rapture of the Nerds (co-written with Charles Stross), Walkaway, and The Lost Cause. The series appears to be complete as of 2023.

Start with Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, the first of 9 books in the Standalone Novels series.

Start this series with Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
2
Cover of Eastern Standard Tribe
Eastern Standard Tribe
3
Cover of Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town
4
5
6
7
Cover of The Rapture of the Nerds(With: Charles Stross)
The Rapture of the Nerds(With: Charles Stross)
8
9

Year's Best SF Anthology Series

Complete

18 books (1996–2013)

The Year's Best SF Anthology series is a complete collection of eighteen science fiction anthologies spanning from 1996 to 2013, each curated by Cory Doctorow to showcase outstanding short fiction from the year prior. These volumes should be read in publication order, beginning with Year's Best SF and continuing sequentially through Year's Best SF 15 and three additional titles. As an annual anthology series, each book stands alone as a snapshot of the year's best short science fiction, making them suitable for both sequential reading and selective exploration.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Cory Doctorow written?
Cory Doctorow has written 184 books across 12 series. Their published works span from 1984 to 2026.
What is the first book in each Cory Doctorow series?
Here are the first books in Cory Doctorow's series: Anthologies: Tesseracts 7; Graphic Standalone Novels: Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales Of The Here And Now(With: Dara Naraghi); Jen Wang Graphic Novels: Koko Be Good(By: Jen Wang); Little Brother: Little Brother; Martin Hench: Red Team Blues.
What order should I read Cory Doctorow's books?
We recommend reading Cory Doctorow's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Is Cory Doctorow still writing new books?
Yes, Cory Doctorow has 5 ongoing series: Anthologies, Little Brother, Martin Hench, Non-Fiction, Outspoken Authors.

You might also like