Order of Book Series
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Gregory Benford Books in Order

Gregory Benford has written 48 books, published between 1969 and 2021. The first book is The Stars in Shroud / Deeper than the Darkness (1969) and the newest is Shadows of Eternity (2021). Publication order is the reading order below.

Gregory Benford also publishes as Sterling Blake.

Books
48
Published
1969–2021
Pages on record
12,207 in 33 of 48 books
Reading time
203–305 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 12,207 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 33 of 48 titles with a page count on record.

See all 48 books in order Printable Gregory Benford checklist
Photo of Gregory Benford, author

Gregory Benford, born January 30, 1941, is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist, professor emeritus in physics and astronomy at the University of California, Irvine, and a contributing editor of Reason magazine. The Galactic Center sequence, which Benford opened with In the Ocean of Night (1977), sets sentient organic life against sentient electromechanical life across a galaxy at war. Benford wrote The Scarred Man in 1969, the first story about a computer virus, published in 1970. The catalogue holds 48 books from 1969 to 2021, including Timescape (1980) and Shadows of Eternity (2021), with Jupiter Project and Martian Race among the other groupings.

How many Gregory Benford books are there?

Gregory Benford has 48 books, released between 1969 and 2021. They include 5 series and 28 titles listed outside any series.

Gregory Benford Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 48 Gregory Benford 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.

  1. Cover of The Stars in Shroud / Deeper than the Darkness by Gregory Benford (1969)
  2. Cover of Jupiter Project by Gregory Benford, book 1 of the Jupiter Project series (1975)
  3. Cover of In the Ocean of Night by Gregory Benford, book 1 of the Galactic Center series (1977)
  4. Cover of Timescape by Gregory Benford, book 1 of the Timescape series (1980)
  5. Cover of Find the Changeling by Gregory Benford (1980)
  6. Cover of Against Infinity by Gregory Benford, book 2 of the Jupiter Project series (1983)
  7. Cover of Across the Sea of Suns by Gregory Benford, book 2 of the Galactic Center series (1984)
  8. Cover of Artifact by Gregory Benford (1985)
  9. Cover of In Alien Flesh by Gregory Benford (1986)
  10. Cover of Under the Wheel by Gregory Benford, book 1 of the John M. Ford Short Story series (1987)
  11. Cover of Alternate Heroes by Gregory Benford, book 2 of the What Might Have Been series (1989)
  12. Cover of Tides of Light by Gregory Benford, book 4 of the Galactic Center series (1989)
  13. Cover of Matter's End by Gregory Benford (1991)
  14. Cover of Alternate Wars by Gregory Benford, book 3 of the What Might Have Been series (1991)
  15. Cover of Alternate Americas by Gregory Benford, book 4 of the What Might Have Been series (1992)
  16. Cover of Cosm by Gregory Benford (1993)
  17. Cover of Chiller by Gregory Benford (1993)
  18. Cover of Sailing Bright Eternity by Gregory Benford, book 6 of the Galactic Center series (1995)
  19. Cover of Foundation's Fear by Gregory Benford, book 1 of the Second Foundation Trilogy (1997)
  20. Cover of The Martian Race by Gregory Benford, book 1 of the Martian Race series (1999)
  21. Cover of Deep Time by Gregory Benford (1999)
  22. Cover of Skylife by Gregory Benford (2000)
  23. Cover of Worlds Vast and Various by Gregory Benford (2000)
  24. Cover of Eater by Gregory Benford (2000)
  1. 1
    The Stars in Shroud / Deeper than the Darkness1969 · confirmed 2/4
    1969–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    If the Stars Are Gods1974 · confirmed 2/4
    1974–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Jupiter ProjectJupiter Project #11975 · 195 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1975195
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    In the Ocean of NightGalactic Center #11977 · 448 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1977448
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    TimescapeTimescape #11980 · 499 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1980499
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Shiva Descending1980 · 400 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1980400
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Find the Changeling1980 · confirmed 2/4
    1980–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Against InfinityJupiter Project #21983 · 310 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1983310
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Across the Sea of SunsGalactic Center #21984 · 512 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1984512
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Time's Rub1984 · confirmed 2/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    Artifact1985 · 416 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1985416
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    In Alien Flesh1986 · 280 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1986280
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Under the WheelJohn M. Ford Short Story #11987 · 288 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1987288
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Great Sky RiverGalactic Center #31987 · 326 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1987326
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Alternate EmpiresWhat Might Have Been #11989 · 291 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1989291
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    Alternate HeroesWhat Might Have Been #21989 · confirmed 2/4
    1989–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    Tides of LightGalactic Center #41989 · 528 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1989528
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Matter's End1991 · confirmed 2/4
    1991–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Alternate WarsWhat Might Have Been #31991 · 304 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1991304
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    Alternate AmericasWhat Might Have Been #41992 · confirmed 2/4
    1992–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    Cosm1993 · 374 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1993374
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Chiller1993 · 628 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1993628
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    Furious GulfGalactic Center #51994 · 436 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1994436
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Sailing Bright EternityGalactic Center #61995 · 445 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1995445
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Foundation's FearSecond Foundation Trilogy #11997 · 425 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1997425
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Habitats in Space1998 · confirmed 2/4
    1998–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    The Martian RaceMartian Race #11999 · 469 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1999469
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    Deep Time1999 · 225 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1999225
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    A Hunger for the InfiniteGalactic Center #71999 · confirmed 2/4
    1999–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Skylife2000 · 355 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2000355
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Gregory Benford 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.

Galactic Center in order

8 books
  1. 1. In the Ocean of Night
  2. 2. Across the Sea of Suns
  3. 3. Great Sky River
  4. 4. Tides of Light
  5. 5. Furious Gulf
  6. 6. Sailing Bright Eternity
  7. 7. A Hunger for the Infinite
  8. 8. The Galactic Center Companion

What Might Have Been in order

4 books
  1. 1. Alternate Empires
  2. 2. Alternate Heroes
  3. 3. Alternate Wars
  4. 4. Alternate Americas

Jupiter Project in order

2 books
  1. 1. Jupiter Project
  2. 2. Against Infinity

Timescape in order

2 books
  1. 1. Timescape
  2. 2. Rewrite

Martian Race in order

2 books
  1. 1. The Martian Race
  2. 2. The Sunborn

John M. Ford Short Story

1 book

1 title published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Second Foundation Trilogy in order

1 book
  1. 1. Foundation's Fear

Standalone books

28 books

28 Gregory Benford titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Gregory Benford books in order?

You only need to read Gregory Benford books in order within each series: the books listed here span 5 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Gregory Benford

Start with The Stars in Shroud / Deeper than the Darkness (1969), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Gregory Benford book?

Shadows of Eternity (2021) is the newest Gregory Benford book released so far.

Is there a new Gregory Benford book coming?

No next Gregory Benford 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 Gregory Benford has won

Wikidata records 5 awards and 80 nominations for Gregory Benford. The most recent 12 are listed here. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.

  • Premio Gigamesh1985Wonfor Timescape
  • Nebula Award for Best Novel1981Wonfor Timescape
  • John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel1981Won
  • BSFA Award for Best Novel1980Wonfor Timescape
  • Nebula Award for Best Novelette1975Wonfor If the Stars Are Gods
  • Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel2018Shortlistedfor The Berlin Project
  • Locus Award for Best Collection2016Shortlistedfor The Best of Gregory Benford
  • Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel2015Shortlistedfor Shipstar
  • Theodore Sturgeon Award2015Shortlistedfor Lady with Fox
  • Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel2013Shortlistedfor Bowl of Heaven
  • Nebula Award for Best Novella2009Shortlistedfor Dark Heaven
  • Locus Award for Best Novelette2007Shortlistedfor Bow Shock

Gregory Benford at a glance

Paused
No new Gregory Benford title has appeared for 5 years. The last was published in 2021.
Release pace
Gregory Benford books have appeared about one a year on average.
Length
12,207 pages across the 33 of 48 books with a recorded length, a median of 374 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Gregory Benford books, 13 of 48, were published in the 1980s.

What the Gregory Benford books are about

37 of the 48 Gregory Benford 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 22 of 37. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.