
Neal Asher Reading Order
16 series Β· 81 books Β· Born 4 February 1961
Neal Asher is a prolific English science fiction author known for his imaginative storytelling and intricate world-building. With an impressive catalog of 81 books spanning 16 series, including the Agent Cormac and Polity Universe collections, he has captivated readers since 1994. His notable works also include the Dark Diamond and Owner Trilogy series, showcasing his unique blend of adventure and futuristic concepts.
Agent Cormac Series
Complete5 books (2001β2008)
Start with Gridlinked, the first of 5 books in the Agent Cormac series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Gridlinked 2001Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | The Line Of Polity 2003Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | Brass Man 2005Buy πΊπΈ |
| 4 | Polity Agent 2006Buy πΊπΈ |
| 5 | Line War 2008Buy πΊπΈ |
Anthologies Series
Likely Complete19 books (2003β2022)
Start with Year's Best SF 8, the first of 19 books in the Anthologies series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Year's Best SF 8 2003Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Third Annual Collection 2006Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | Year's Best SF 11 2006Buy πΊπΈ |
| 4 | Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2007 2007Buy πΊπΈ |
| 5 | The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction 2007Buy πΊπΈ |
| 6 | Space Pirates 2008Buy πΊπΈ |
| 7 | Subterfuge 2008Buy πΊπΈ |
| 8 | The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 21 2008Buy πΊπΈ |
| 9 | Conflicts 2010Buy πΊπΈ |
| 10 | The Mammoth Book of SF Wars 2012Buy πΊπΈ |
| 11 | In Space No One Can Hear You Scream 2013Buy πΊπΈ |
| 12 | The Sixth Science Fiction Megapack 2013Buy πΊπΈ |
| 13 | Story Behind the Book 2014Buy πΊπΈ |
| 14 | The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-First Annual Collection 2014Buy πΊπΈ |
| 15 | Total Conflict 2015Buy πΊπΈ |
| 16 | Galactic Empires 2017Buy πΊπΈ |
| 17 | Infinite Stars 2019Buy πΊπΈ |
| 18 | London Centric 2020Buy πΊπΈ |
| 19 | Love, Death + Robots: The Official Anthology: Volumes 2 & 3 2022Buy πΊπΈ |
Collections Series
Likely Complete7 books (1998β2023)
Start with The Engineer, the first of 7 books in the Collections series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Engineer 1998Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | Mason's Rats 1999Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | Conflicts(With: Eric Brown,Keith Brooke) 2010Buy πΊπΈ |
| 4 | Owning the Future 2018Buy πΊπΈ |
| 5 | Lockdown Tales 2020Buy πΊπΈ |
| 6 | Fantastical 2023Buy πΊπΈ |
| 7 | Lockdown Tales 2 2023Buy πΊπΈ |
Dark Diamond Series
Complete1 book (2025β2025)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Dark Diamond 2025Buy πΊπΈ |
Far Future Polity Series
Complete1 book (2020β2020)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Bosch 2020Buy πΊπΈ |
Jack Four Series
Likely Complete2 books (2021β2022)
Start with Jack Four and read in order.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Four 2021Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | Weaponized 2022Buy πΊπΈ |
Non-Fiction Series
Complete1 book (2014β2014)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Story Behind the Book(With: Ken Scholes,Jay Posey) 2014Buy πΊπΈ |
Owner Trilogy Series
Complete3 books (2011β2013)
Start with The Departure and read in order.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Departure 2011Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | Zero Point 2012Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | Jupiter War 2013Buy πΊπΈ |
Polity Collections Series
Complete3 books (1998β2008)
Start with The Engineer Reconditioned and read in order.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Engineer Reconditioned 1998Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | Runcible Tales 1999Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | The Gabble And Other Stories 2008Buy πΊπΈ |
Polity Universe Series
Likely Complete5 books (2006β2023)
Start with Prador Moon, the first of 5 books in the Polity Universe series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Prador Moon 2006Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | Hilldiggers 2007Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | Shadow of the Scorpion 2008Buy πΊπΈ |
| 4 | The Technician 2010Buy πΊπΈ |
| 5 | War Bodies 2023Buy πΊπΈ |
Rise of the Jain Series
Complete3 books (2018β2020)
Start with The Soldier and read in order.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Soldier 2018Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | The Warship 2019Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | The Human 2020Buy πΊπΈ |
Short Stories/Novellas Series
Complete4 books (1994β2013)
Start with Africa Zero, the first of 4 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Africa Zero 1994Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | Snow in the Desert 2002Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | The Parasite 2011Buy πΊπΈ |
| 4 | Mindgames: Fool's Mate 2013Buy πΊπΈ |
Spatterjay Series
Complete3 books (2002β2009)
Start with The Skinner and read in order.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Skinner 2002Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | The Voyage of the Sable Keech 2006Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | Orbus 2009Buy πΊπΈ |
Standalone Novels Series
Ongoing3 books (2004β2024)
Start with Cowl and read in order.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cowl 2004Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | Jenny Trapdoor 2023Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | World Walkers 2024Buy πΊπΈ |
Transformation Series
Complete3 books (2015β2017)
Start with Dark Intelligence and read in order.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Dark Intelligence 2015Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | War Factory 2016Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | Infinity Engine 2017Buy πΊπΈ |
Year's Best SF Anthology Series
Complete18 books (1996β2013)
Start with Year's Best SF, the first of 18 books in the Year's Best SF Anthology series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Year's Best SF 1996Buy πΊπΈ |
| 2 | Year's Best SF 2 1997Buy πΊπΈ |
| 3 | Year's Best SF 3 1998Buy πΊπΈ |
| 4 | Year's Best SF 4 1999Buy πΊπΈ |
| 5 | Year's Best SF 5 2000Buy πΊπΈ |
| 6 | Year's Best SF 6 2001Buy πΊπΈ |
| 7 | Year's Best SF 7 2002Buy πΊπΈ |
| 8 | Year's Best SF 8 2003Buy πΊπΈ |
| 9 | Year's Best SF 9 2004Buy πΊπΈ |
| 10 | Year's Best SF 10 2005Buy πΊπΈ |
| 11 | Year's Best SF 11 2006Buy πΊπΈ |
| 12 | Year's Best SF 12 2007Buy πΊπΈ |
| 13 | Year's Best SF 13 2008Buy πΊπΈ |
| 14 | Year's Best SF 14 2009Buy πΊπΈ |
| 15 | Year's Best SF 15 2010Buy πΊπΈ |
| 16 | Year's Best SF 16 2011Buy πΊπΈ |
| 17 | Year's Best SF 17 2012Buy πΊπΈ |
| 18 | Year's Best SF 18 2013Buy πΊπΈ |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Neal Asher written?
- Neal Asher has written 81 books across 16 series. Their published works span from 1994 to 2025.
- What is the first book in each Neal Asher series?
- Here are the first books in Neal Asher's series: Agent Cormac: Gridlinked; Anthologies: Year's Best SF 8; Collections: The Engineer; Jack Four: Jack Four; Owner Trilogy: The Departure.
- What order should I read Neal Asher's books?
- We recommend reading Neal Asher's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is Neal Asher still writing new books?
- Yes, Neal Asher has 1 ongoing series: Standalone Novels.

