Alfred Bester Books in Order
22 books are credited to Alfred Bester, published between 1942 and 2014; 4 of them appeared after Alfred Bester's death in 1987. The first book is The Push of a Finger (1942) and the newest is The Roller Coaster (2014). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 22
- Published
- 1942–2014
- Pages on record
- 3,733 in 11 of 22 books
- Reading time
- 62–93 hours
Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 3,733 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 11 of 22 titles with a page count on record.
Alfred Bester (18 December 1913 to 30 September 1987) was an American science fiction author who also wrote for television, radio and comics and edited a magazine. The Demolished Man (1952) won the first Hugo Award, presented in 1953. The Science Fiction Writers of America named Bester its ninth Grand Master, an honour presented posthumously in 1988, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted Bester in 2001. The Stars My Destination (1956), also listed as Tiger! Tiger!, and Fondly Fahrenheit are among the catalogued titles.
How many Alfred Bester books are there?
Alfred Bester has 22 books, released between 1942 and 2014. 4 of them were published after Alfred Bester's death in 1987.
Alfred Bester Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 22 Alfred Bester books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 1The Push of a Finger1942 · confirmed 1/41942–1/4
- 2The Demolished Man1952 · confirmed 1/41952–1/4
- 3'Who He?'1953 · confirmed 1/41953–1/4
- 4The Starcomber1954 · 42 pages · confirmed 1/41954421/4
- 5Fondly Fahrenheit1954 · confirmed 1/41954–1/4
- 6The Stars My Destination / Tiger! Tiger!1956 · 236 pages · confirmed 1/419562361/4
- 7Starburst1958 · confirmed 1/41958–1/4
- 8The World Treasury of Science Fiction1958 · 1083 pages · confirmed 1/4195810831/4
- 9The Dark Side of the Earth1964 · confirmed 1/41964–1/4
- 10The Flowered Thundermug1964 · 48 pages · confirmed 1/41964481/4
- 11The Life and Death of a Satellite1966 · confirmed 1/41966–1/4
- 12The Computer Connection / Extro1975 · 272 pages · confirmed 1/419752721/4
- 13The Light Fantastic, Volume 11976 · 224 pages · confirmed 1/419762241/4
- 14Star Light, Star Bright1976 · 248 pages · confirmed 1/419762481/4
- 15Starlight1976 · confirmed 1/41976–1/4
- 16The Stars My Destination, Volume 11979 · confirmed 1/41979–1/4
- 17Golem 1001980 · 382 pages · confirmed 1/419803821/4
- 18The Deceivers1981 · 272 pages · confirmed 1/419812721/4
- 19Tender Loving Rage1991 · confirmed 1/41991–1/4
- 20Virtual Unrealities1997 · 366 pages · confirmed 1/419973661/4
- 21Redemolished2000 · 560 pages · confirmed 1/420005601/4
- 22The Roller Coaster2014 · confirmed 1/42014–1/4
Alfred Bester books grouped by series
Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.
Standalone books
22 books22 Alfred Bester titles here are not listed as part of any series.
Do you have to read Alfred Bester books in order?
No. No source lists any of the 22 Alfred Bester books here as part of a series. The numbered table above gives them by publication date.
Where to start with Alfred Bester
Start with The Push of a Finger (1942), the earliest published title.
What is the newest Alfred Bester book?
The Roller Coaster (2014) is the newest Alfred Bester book released so far.
Is there a new Alfred Bester book coming?
No next Alfred Bester book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
Awards Alfred Bester has won
Wikidata records 4 awards and 13 nominations for Alfred Bester. The most recent 12 are listed here. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame2001Won
- Prometheus Award - Hall of Fame1988Wonfor The Stars My Destination
- Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award1988Won
- Hugo Award for Best Novel1953Wonfor The Demolished Man
- Locus Award for Best Collection1998Shortlistedfor Virtual Unrealities
- Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel1981Shortlistedfor Golem100
- Locus Award for Best Novelette1980Shortlistedfor Galatea Galante, the Perfect Popsy
- Locus Award for Best Collection1977Shortlistedfor Star Light, Star Bright
- Hugo Award for Best Novel1976Shortlistedfor The Computer Connection
- Locus Award for Best Novel1976Shortlistedfor The Computer Connection
- Nebula Award for Best Novel1976Shortlistedfor The Computer Connection
- Hugo Award for Best Short Story1975Shortlistedfor The Four-Hour Fugue
Alfred Bester at a glance
- Died
- Alfred Bester died in 1987, according to Wikidata.
- After death
- Books credited to Alfred Bester are still being published after Alfred Bester's death in 1987; the newest appeared in 2014.
- Release pace
- Alfred Bester books have appeared about one every 3 years on average.
- Length
- 3,733 pages across the 11 of 22 books with a recorded length, a median of 272 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Alfred Bester books, 7 of 22, were published in the 1950s.
What the Alfred Bester books are about
14 of the 22 Alfred Bester books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: science fiction is tagged on 9 of 14. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Science fiction 9 of 14 books
- Science fiction, collections & anthologies 2 of 14 books













