Reading Order List โ€” Book Series Reading Order Guide
Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal Reading Order

8 series ยท 74 books ยท 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 seriesโ€”including the acclaimed Glamourist Histories and Lady Astronautโ€”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

Ongoing

39 books (2007โ€“2025)

Start with Prime Codex, the first of 39 books in the Anthologies series.

#Title
1
2
Cover of Evil Robot Monkey
Evil Robot Monkey
3
Science Fiction: The Best of the Year, 2008 Edition
4
Cover of The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 22
The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 22
5
The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2009
6
2020 Visions
7
Asimov's Science Fiction, September 2010
8
9
The Best of Talebones
10
Cover of The Book of Apex: Volume 2 of Apex Magazine
The Book of Apex: Volume 2 of Apex Magazine
11
The Hugo Award Showcase: 2010 Volume
12
Apex Magazine - October 2012
13
Robots: The Recent A.I.
14
The Mammoth Book of Steampunk
15
The Year's Top Short SF Novels 2
16
Cover of The Book of Apex: Volume 4
The Book of Apex: Volume 4
17
Cover of The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination
The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination
18
Cover of Athena's Daughters, Vol. 1
Athena's Daughters, Vol. 1
19
Coming Soon Enough Six Tales of Technology's Future
20
Shadows Beneath
21
The Many Tortures of Anthony Cardno
22
Cover of Time Travel: Recent Trips
Time Travel: Recent Trips
23
Cover of You're Not Alone
You're Not Alone
24
25
Whitehall - Season One Volume One
26
Whitehall - Season One Volume Two
27
Shimmer 2017: The Collected Stories
28
Robots vs. Fairies
29
The Long List Anthology Volume 4
30
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction July/August 2018
31
Cover of Worlds Seen in Passing
Worlds Seen in Passing
32
The Best of Uncanny
33
34
Relics, Wrecks and Ruins
35
The Long List Anthology Volume 8
36
Life Beyond Us
37
Some Of The Best From Reactor: 2024 Edition
38
Lesbians In Space: Where No Man Has Gone Before
39
The Long List Anthology Volume 9

Children's Series

Complete

1 book (2022โ€“2022)

#Title
1
Cover of Molly on the Moon
Molly on the Moon

Clockwork Phoenix Series

Complete

5 books (2008โ€“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)
2
Clockwork Phoenix 2
3
Cover of 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)
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)
4
Cover of 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)
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)
5
Cover of 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)
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)

Glamourist Histories Series

Complete

5 books (2010โ€“2015)

Start with Shades of Milk and Honey, the first of 5 books in the Glamourist Histories series.

#Title
1
Cover of Shades of Milk and Honey
Shades of Milk and Honey
2
Cover of Glamour in Glass
Glamour in Glass
3
Cover of Without a Summer
Without a Summer
4
Cover of Valour and Vanity
Valour and Vanity
5
Of Noble Family

Lady Astronaut Series

Ongoing

11 books (2012โ€“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
2
We Interrupt This Broadcast
3
Rocket's Red
4
The Phobos Experience
5
Amara's Giraffe
6
Cover of The Calculating Stars
The Calculating Stars
7
The Fated Sky
8
Articulated Restraint
9
The Relentless Moon
10
In the Moon's House
11
The Martian Contingency

Short Stories/Novellas Series

Ongoing

8 books (2008โ€“2024)

Start with Evil Robot Monkey, the first of 8 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#Title
1
Cover of Evil Robot Monkey
Evil Robot Monkey
2
First Flight
3
For Want of a Nail
4
Kiss Me Twice
5
A Fire in the Heavens
6
Cover of Forest of Memory
Forest of Memory
7
The Escapement of Blackledge
8

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

2 books (2009โ€“2015)

Start with Scenting the Dark and Other Stories and read in order.

#Title
1
Cover of Scenting the Dark and Other Stories
Scenting the Dark and Other Stories
2
Cover of Word Puppets
Word Puppets

Standalone Novels Series

Likely Complete

3 books (2016โ€“2022)

Start with Ghost Talkers and read in order.

#Title
1
Cover of Ghost Talkers
Ghost Talkers
2
The Original(With: Brandon Sanderson)
3
Cover of The Spare Man
The Spare Man

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.

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