BookRank

Reading order

Thousand Worlds reading order

George R. R. Martin

  1. The Hero1971
  2. With Morning Comes Mistfall1973
  3. Override1973
  4. A Song for Lya1974
  5. And Seven Times Never Kill Man1975
  6. The Runners1975
  7. Meathouse Man1976
  8. In the House of the Worm1976
  9. Men of Greywater Station1976
  10. Starlady1976
  11. Dying of the Light1977
  12. The Stone City1977
  13. Every volume in order (18) ↓
7.77.7 / 10
194 ratings
Score
18 volumes
Volumes
1971–1986
Published
Completed
Status
Science fiction
Genre

Quick answer

The Hero
Start withThe Hero1971
Buy the first volumeListen to the audiobook

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Publication order

18 volumes1971–1986Completed

  • Not a series in the usual sense: much of George R. R. Martin’s early science fiction shares one loose future, the scattered human worlds left after the fall of an interstellar empire, and the stories can be read in any order.
  • A Song for Lya won the Hugo for best novella, Sandkings won both the Hugo and the Nebula, and Nightflyers became a 1987 film and a 2018 TV series.
  • Dying of the Light (1977), his first novel, is the longest piece; Tuf Voyaging gathers the stories of the trader Haviland Tuf.

Every volume in order

Read: 0 of 18
7.58.08.5
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7.57.5 / 10
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19711973197319741975197519761976197619761977197719771979197919801986
7.58.08.5
19711973197319741975197519761976197619761977197719771979197919801986
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Score per volume18 volumes on a timeline, 1971 to 1986 · Best-rated volume: Sandkings
  1. The Hero
    The Hero1971 · 2 ratings · Not ranked yetStart hereBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  2. With Morning Comes Mistfall
    With Morning Comes Mistfall1973 · 1 rating · Not ranked yet
    –Not ranked yet
  3. Override
    Override1973 · 2 ratings · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  4. A Song for Lya
    A Song for Lya1974 · 31 ratings · Not ranked yet
    –Not ranked yet
  5. And Seven Times Never Kill Man
    And Seven Times Never Kill Man1975 · 4 ratings · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  6. The Runners
    The Runners1975 · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  7. Meathouse Man
    Meathouse Man1976 · 4 ratings · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  8. In the House of the Worm
    In the House of the Worm1976 · 7 ratings · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  9. Men of Greywater Station
    Men of Greywater Station1976 · 2 ratings · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  10. Starlady
    Starlady1976 · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  11. Dying of the Light
    Dying of the Light1977 · 55 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  12. The Stone City
    The Stone City1977 · Not ranked yetBuy
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  13. Bitterblooms
    Bitterblooms1977 · 1 rating · Not ranked yetBuy
    –Not ranked yet
  14. Sandkings
    Sandkings1979 · 57 ratings
    7.97.9 / 10
  15. The Way of Cross and Dragon
    The Way of Cross and Dragon1979 · 1 rating · Not ranked yet
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  16. Nightflyers
    Nightflyers1980 · 82 ratings
    7.57.5 / 10
  17. The Glass Flower
    The Glass Flower1986 · 2 ratings · Not ranked yetBuy
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  18. The Corpse Handler
    The Corpse Handler · Not ranked yetBuy
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Order checked by hand · Order and years: Wikidata (CC0). Spotted an error? Tell us. · Data updated October 29, 2026

Thousand Worlds books ranked, best to worst

  1. 1.SandkingsBook 14 · 19797.9
  2. 2.NightflyersBook 16 · 19807.5
  3. 2.Dying of the LightBook 11 · 19777.5
Top Science fiction series →

Frequently asked questions

Which Thousand Worlds book is the best?

By reader score, Sandkings (7.9/10). The lowest-rated is Dying of the Light (7.5/10).

Which Thousand Worlds book is the longest?

“Dying of the Light” is the longest at 344 pages; the shortest is “In the House of the Worm” with 115 pages.

What should I read after Thousand Worlds?

Other series by George R. R. Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire, Wild Cards, Tales of Dunk and Egg.

More series by George R. R. Martin

All books by George R. R. Martin in order →

A Song of Ice and Fire
8.68.6 / 10
A Song of Ice and FireGeorge R. R. Martin18.4K ratings
Wild Cards
7.57.5 / 10
Wild CardsGeorge R. R. Martin128 ratings
Tales of Dunk and Egg
8.08.0 / 10
Tales of Dunk and EggGeorge R. R. Martin549 ratings