Mary Robinette Kowal Reading Order
8 series · 74 books · Born 1969-02-08
Mary Robinette Kowal is a versatile American author known for her captivating works in science fiction and fantasy. With an impressive portfolio of 74 books across eight series—including the acclaimed Glamourist Histories and Lady Astronaut—she has crafted stories that resonate with readers of all ages. Active from 2007 to 2025, Kowal's contributions to the genre have earned her multiple prestigious awards, solidifying her status as a significant voice in contemporary speculative fiction.
Anthologies Series
Ongoing39 books (2007–2025)
Start with Prime Codex, the first of 39 books in the Anthologies series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Prime Codex 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Evil Robot Monkey 2008Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 | Science Fiction: The Best of the Year, 2008 Edition 2008Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 22 2008Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 | The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2009 2008Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 | 2020 Visions 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 | Asimov's Science Fiction, September 2010 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Realms 2 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 | The Best of Talebones 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  The Book of Apex: Volume 2 of Apex Magazine 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 | The Hugo Award Showcase: 2010 Volume 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 | Apex Magazine - October 2012 2012Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 | Robots: The Recent A.I. 2012Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 | The Mammoth Book of Steampunk 2012Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 | The Year's Top Short SF Novels 2 2012Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 |  The Book of Apex: Volume 4 2013Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination 2013Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 |  Athena's Daughters, Vol. 1 2014Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 19 | Coming Soon Enough Six Tales of Technology's Future 2014Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 20 | Shadows Beneath 2014Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 21 | The Many Tortures of Anthony Cardno 2014Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 22 |  Time Travel: Recent Trips 2014Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 23 |  You're Not Alone 2014Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 24 |  Unbound 2016Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 25 | Whitehall - Season One Volume One 2016Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 26 | Whitehall - Season One Volume Two 2016Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 27 | Shimmer 2017: The Collected Stories 2017Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 28 | Robots vs. Fairies 2018Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 29 | The Long List Anthology Volume 4 2018Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 30 | The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction July/August 2018 2018Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 31 |  Worlds Seen in Passing 2018Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 32 | The Best of Uncanny 2019Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 33 |  Escape Pod 2020Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 34 | Relics, Wrecks and Ruins 2021Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 35 | The Long List Anthology Volume 8 2022Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 36 | Life Beyond Us 2023Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 37 | Some Of The Best From Reactor: 2024 Edition 2024Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 38 | Lesbians In Space: Where No Man Has Gone Before 2025Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 39 | The Long List Anthology Volume 9 2025Buy 🇺🇸 |
Children's Series
Complete1 book (2022–2022)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Molly on the Moon 2022Buy 🇺🇸 |
Clockwork Phoenix Series
Complete5 books (2008–2016)
Start with Clockwork Phoenix(By: Tanith Lee,John C. Wright,Deborah Biancotti,Laird Barron,Mike Allen,Vandana Singh,Catherynne M. Valente,Cat Rambo,Cat Sparks,John Grant,Ekaterina Sedia,Leah Bobet,Erin Hoffman,Michael J. DeLuca,Jennifer Crow,C.S. MacCath,David Sandner,Marie Brennan,Joanna Galbraith), the first of 5 books in the Clockwork Phoenix series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Clockwork Phoenix(By: Tanith Lee,John C. Wright,Deborah Biancotti,Laird Barron,Mike Allen,Vandana Singh,Catherynne M. Valente,Cat Rambo,Cat Sparks,John Grant,Ekaterina Sedia,Leah Bobet,Erin Hoffman,Michael J. DeLuca,Jennifer Crow,C.S. MacCath,David Sandner,Marie Brennan,Joanna Galbraith) 2008Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 | Clockwork Phoenix 2 2009Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Clockwork Phoenix 3: New Tales of Beauty and Strangeness(By: Tanith Lee,John C. Wright,Gregory Frost,Michael M. Jones,Mike Allen,Cat Rambo,John Grant,Kenneth Schneyer,Shweta Narayan,C.S.E. Cooney,Gemma Files,Georgina Bruce,Marie Brennan,Nicole Kornher-Stace,Tori Truslow,S.J. Hirons) 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Clockwork Phoenix 4(By: Tanith Lee,Richard Parks,A.C. Wise,Mike Allen,Yves Meynard,Cat Rambo,Kenneth Schneyer,Gemma Files,Alisa Alering,Ian McHugh,Benjanun Sriduangkaew,Shira Lipkin,Barbara Krasnoff,Patricia Russo,Camille Alexa,Marie Brennan,Nicole Kornher-Stace,Yukimi Ogawa,Corinne Duyvis) 2013Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Clockwork Phoenix 5(By: Alex Dally MacFarlane,A.C. Wise,Mike Allen,Keffy R.M. Kehrli,Rich Larson,Cassandra Khaw,C.S.E. Cooney,Carlos Hernandez,Benjanun Sriduangkaew,Sonya Taaffe,Beth Cato,Barbara Krasnoff,Patricia Russo,Gray Rinehart,Marie Brennan,Sam Fleming,Shveta Thakrar,Holly Heisey,Jason Kimble,Rachael L. Jones,Rob Cameron,Sunil Patel) 2016Buy 🇺🇸 |
Glamourist Histories Series
Complete5 books (2010–2015)
Start with Shades of Milk and Honey, the first of 5 books in the Glamourist Histories series.
Lady Astronaut Series
Ongoing11 books (2012–2025)
Start with The Lady Astronaut of Mars, the first of 11 books in the Lady Astronaut series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Lady Astronaut of Mars 2012Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 | We Interrupt This Broadcast 2013Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 | Rocket's Red 2015Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 | The Phobos Experience 2015Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 | Amara's Giraffe 2018Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  The Calculating Stars 2018Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 | The Fated Sky 2018Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 | Articulated Restraint 2019Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 | The Relentless Moon 2020Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 | In the Moon's House 2024Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 | The Martian Contingency 2025Buy 🇺🇸 |
Short Stories/Novellas Series
Ongoing8 books (2008–2024)
Start with Evil Robot Monkey, the first of 8 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.
Short Story Collections Series
Complete2 books (2009–2015)
Start with Scenting the Dark and Other Stories and read in order.
Standalone Novels Series
Likely Complete3 books (2016–2022)
Start with Ghost Talkers and read in order.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Mary Robinette Kowal written?
- Mary Robinette Kowal has written 74 books across 8 series. Their published works span from 2007 to 2025.
- What is the first book in each Mary Robinette Kowal series?
- Here are the first books in Mary Robinette Kowal's series: Anthologies: Prime Codex; Clockwork Phoenix: Clockwork Phoenix(By: Tanith Lee,John C. Wright,Deborah Biancotti,Laird Barron,Mike Allen,Vandana Singh,Catherynne M. Valente,Cat Rambo,Cat Sparks,John Grant,Ekaterina Sedia,Leah Bobet,Erin Hoffman,Michael J. DeLuca,Jennifer Crow,C.S. MacCath,David Sandner,Marie Brennan,Joanna Galbraith); Glamourist Histories: Shades of Milk and Honey; Lady Astronaut: The Lady Astronaut of Mars; Short Stories/Novellas: Evil Robot Monkey.
- What order should I read Mary Robinette Kowal's books?
- We recommend reading Mary Robinette Kowal's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is Mary Robinette Kowal still writing new books?
- Yes, Mary Robinette Kowal has 3 ongoing series: Anthologies, Lady Astronaut, Short Stories/Novellas.