Reading Order List — Book Series Reading Order Guide
Liu Cixin

Liu Cixin Reading Order

6 series · 40 books · Born 1963-06-23

Non-FictionScience Fiction

Liu Cixin is a Chinese science fiction author who has shaped contemporary speculative fiction through his exploration of cosmic-scale conflicts and humanity's place in the universe. His work spans multiple formats including standalone novels, short story collections, and graphic novel adaptations, with a prolific career spanning from 1998 to the present. Best known for his ambitious hard science fiction that grapples with philosophical questions about survival, civilization, and technological advancement, Liu has established himself as a major voice in global science fiction with over forty published works.

Anthologies Series

Complete

3 books (2014–2019)

Start with Carbide Tipped Pens and read in order.

Start this series with Carbide Tipped Pens

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Carbide Tipped Pens
Carbide Tipped Pens
2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2016 Edition
2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Clarkesworld Year Ten: Volume One
2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Collections Series

Ongoing

3 books (2005–2024)

Start with The Wandering Earth and read in order.

Start this series with The Wandering Earth

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of The Wandering Earth
The Wandering Earth
2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of To Hold Up the Sky
To Hold Up the Sky
2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
A View from the Stars
2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Graphic Novels Series

Ongoing

10 books (2021–2024)

Start with Cixin Liu's Yuanyuan's Bubbles, the first of 10 books in the Graphic Novels series.

Start this series with Cixin Liu's Yuanyuan's Bubbles

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cixin Liu's Yuanyuan's Bubbles
2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Sea of Dreams
Sea of Dreams
2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of The Village Teacher
The Village Teacher
2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
The Wandering Earth
2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
Cover of Yuanyuan's Bubbles
Yuanyuan's Bubbles
2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
Cover of Butterfly
7
Cover of For the Benefit of Mankind(With: Sylvain Runberg)
For the Benefit of Mankind(With: Sylvain Runberg)
2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8
Cover of The Circle
9
The Three Body Problem, Part One(With: Cai Jin,Ge Wendi,Bo Mu)
2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10
Taking Care of God Vol. 1(With: Jun Yokoyama)
2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Short Stories/Novellas Series

Likely Complete

17 books (1999–2021)

Start with Liulang Diqiu / The Wandering Earth, the first of 17 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

Start this series with Liulang Diqiu / The Wandering Earth

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Liulang Diqiu / The Wandering Earth
1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Quan Pingdai Zuse Sai Ganrao / The Complete Frequency Blocking Fortress
2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Zhongguo Taiyang / Sun of China
2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
5
Diqiu Dapao / Earth's Cannon / Cannonball
2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
Jingzi / Mirror
2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Shanyang Renlei / To Support Mankind / For The Benefit of Mankind
2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8
Cover of The Cretaceous Past
The Cretaceous Past
2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9
The Micro-Age / Micro-Era
2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10
With Her Eyes / Through Her Eyes
2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11
The Weight of Memories
2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12
13
Taking Care of God
2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14
The Longest Fall
2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15
16
Cover of The Circle
17
Cover of Of Ants and Dinosaurs
Of Ants and Dinosaurs
2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

3 books (1998–2019)

Start with Daishang Tade Yanjing / Her Eyes on the Belt and read in order.

Start this series with Daishang Tade Yanjing / Her Eyes on the Belt

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Daishang Tade Yanjing / Her Eyes on the Belt
1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Ball Lightning
Ball Lightning
2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of Supernova Era
Supernova Era
2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

The Three-Body Problem Series

Complete

4 books (2006–2019)

Start with The Three-Body Problem, the first of 4 books in the The Three-Body Problem series.

Start this series with The Three-Body Problem

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of The Three-Body Problem
The Three-Body Problem
2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of Death's End
4
The Redemption of Time(By: Baoshu)
2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Liu Cixin written?
Liu Cixin has written 40 books across 6 series. Their published works span from 1998 to 2024.
What is the first book in each Liu Cixin series?
Here are the first books in Liu Cixin's series: Anthologies: Carbide Tipped Pens; Collections: The Wandering Earth; Graphic Novels: Cixin Liu's Yuanyuan's Bubbles; Short Stories/Novellas: Liulang Diqiu / The Wandering Earth; The Three-Body Problem: The Three-Body Problem.
What order should I read Liu Cixin's books?
We recommend reading Liu Cixin's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Is Liu Cixin still writing new books?
Yes, Liu Cixin has 2 ongoing series: Collections, Graphic Novels.

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