Reading order
The Interdependency reading order
1
2
3- 3 volumes
- Volumes
- 2017–2020
- Published
- about 18 h
- Reading time
- Completed
- Status
- Science fiction#32
- Genre
Quick answer
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Publication order
3 volumes2017–2020Completed
- A complete trilogy about an interstellar empire whose faster-than-light routes are collapsing.
- Read The Collapsing Empire, The Consuming Fire and The Last Emperox in order — it is one story in three short books.
- The middle book scores highest here.
A plan for the whole series
3 volumes, 1,008 pages, about 18 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 4 weeks.
Share of volume 1’s readers who reach the last volume. Chance of reaching the last volume: high
Stages
This series fits in one stage. You finish around November 23, 2026.
- Stage 118 habout 4 weeksby November 23, 2026
- The end of the series
We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.
Does the series hold up
Shape of the series: even. Volume scores differ by at most 0.2 points. You get the same level from the first page to the last.
Best volume: The Consuming Fire (8.3, 567 ratings). Weakest: The Collapsing Empire (8.1). The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (8.1) scores close to the series average or above it.
How this plan is calculated
The plan comes from the pages and ratings of each volume: we split the series into stages of about three weeks’ reading, size each break to the stage before it, and read the chance of finishing from how many readers rate the last volume compared with the first. How we work out the plan →
Every volume in order
Order checked by hand · Order and years: Wikidata (CC0). Spotted an error? Tell us. · Data updated October 29, 2026
The Interdependency books ranked, best to worst
- 1.The Consuming FireBook 2 · 20188.3
- 2.The Last EmperoxBook 3 · 20208.1
- 2.The Collapsing EmpireBook 1 · 20178.1
Frequently asked questions
Which Interdependency book is the best?
By reader score, The Consuming Fire (8.3/10). The lowest-rated is The Collapsing Empire (8.1/10).
What should I read after The Interdependency?
Other series by John Scalzi: Old Man's War.
