Order of Book Series
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Paul J. McAuley Books in Order

Paul J. McAuley has written 44 books, published between 1988 and 2026. The first book is Four Hundred Billion Stars (1988) and the newest is Loss Protocol (2026). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
44
Published
1988–2026
Pages on record
11,465 in 29 of 44 books
Reading time
191–287 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 11,465 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 29 of 44 titles with a page count on record.

See all 44 books in order Printable Paul J. McAuley checklist
Photo of Paul J. McAuley, author

Paul J. McAuley, born 23 April 1955, is a British botanist and science fiction author who writes mostly hard science fiction. Biotechnology, alternative history and space travel are recurring themes in McAuley's novels. The first was the far-future space opera Four Hundred Billion Stars (1988), followed by Eternal Light and the planetary-colony adventure Of the Fall. Red Dust (1993) is set on a far-future Mars colonised by the Chinese. The catalogue holds 44 McAuley books running to Loss Protocol (2026), and the series include Quiet War and Confluence.

How many Paul J. McAuley books are there?

Paul J. McAuley has 44 books, released between 1988 and 2026. They include 4 series and 21 titles listed outside any series.

Paul J. McAuley Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 44 Paul J. McAuley 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 King of the Hill by Paul J. McAuley (1991)
  2. Cover of Pasquale's Angel by Paul J. McAuley (1994)
  3. Cover of Fairyland by Paul J. McAuley (1995)
  4. Cover of The Invisible Country by Paul J. McAuley (1996)
  5. Cover of Child of the River by Paul J. McAuley, book 1 of the Confluence series (1997)
  6. Cover of Ancients of Days by Paul J. McAuley, book 2 of the Confluence series (1999)
  7. Cover of Shrine of Stars by Paul J. McAuley, book 3 of the Confluence series (1999)
  8. Cover of Confluence by Paul J. McAuley, book 1 of the Confluence series (2000)
  9. Cover of Confluence - The Trilogy by Paul J. McAuley, book 2 of the Confluence series (2000)
  10. Cover of Making History by Paul J. McAuley (2000)
  11. Cover of The Secret of Life by Paul J. McAuley (2001)
  12. Cover of Whole Wide World by Paul J. McAuley (2002)
  13. Cover of Eye of the Tyger by Paul J. McAuley, book 4 of the Doctor Who Short Stories/Novellas series (2003)
  14. Cover of White Devils by Paul J. McAuley (2004)
  15. Cover of Mind's Eye by Paul J. McAuley (2005)
  16. Cover of Cowboy Angels by Paul J. McAuley (2007)
  17. Cover of Players by Paul J. McAuley (2007)
  18. Cover of The Quiet War by Paul J. McAuley, book 1 of the Quiet War series (2008)
  19. Cover of The Quiet War by Paul J. McAuley, book 2 of the Quiet War series (2008)
  20. Cover of Gardens of the Sun by Paul J. McAuley, book 3 of the Quiet War series (2009)
  21. Cover of Gardens of the Sun by Paul J. McAuley, book 4 of the Quiet War series (2009)
  22. Cover of In the Mouth of the Whale by Paul J. McAuley, book 6 of the Quiet War series (2012)
  23. Cover of In the Mouth of the Whale by Paul J. McAuley, book 7 of the Quiet War series (2012)
  24. Cover of Evening's Empires by Paul J. McAuley, book 8 of the Quiet War series (2013)
  1. 1
    Four Hundred Billion StarsFour Hundred Billion Stars #11988 · 282 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1988282
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Secret Harmonies / Of the FallFour Hundred Billion Stars #21989 · confirmed 1/4
    1989–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    The King of the Hill1991 · 224 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1991224
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    Eternal LightFour Hundred Billion Stars #31991 · 432 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1991432
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Red Dust1993 · confirmed 1/4
    1993–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Pasquale's Angel1994 · 278 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1994278
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Mammoth Book of FrankensteinMammoth Book Of… #271994 · 577 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1994577
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Fairyland1995 · 416 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1995416
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    The Invisible Country1996 · 310 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1996310
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Child of the RiverConfluence #11997 · 321 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1997321
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    Ancients of DaysConfluence #21999 · 404 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1999404
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Naming the Dead1999 · confirmed 1/4
    1999–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Shrine of StarsConfluence #31999 · 384 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1999384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    ConfluenceConfluence #12000 · 878 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2000878
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Confluence - The TrilogyConfluence #22000 · 944 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2000944
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    Making History2000 · 78 pages · confirmed 1/4
    200078
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    The Secret of Life2001 · 416 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2001416
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Whole Wide World2002 · 376 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2002376
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Eye of the TygerDoctor Who Short Stories/Novellas #42003 · 120 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2003120
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    White Devils2004 · 537 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2004537
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    Mind's Eye2005 · confirmed 1/4
    2005–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Cowboy Angels2007 · 365 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2007365
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    Players2007 · confirmed 1/4
    2007–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    The Quiet WarQuiet War #12008 · 439 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2008439
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    The Quiet WarQuiet War #22008 · 405 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2008405
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Gardens of the SunQuiet War #32009 · 439 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2009439
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Gardens of the SunQuiet War #42009 · 448 pages · confirmed 1/4
    2009448
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    City of the Dead2011 · confirmed 1/4
    2011–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    Little Machines2011 · confirmed 1/4
    2011–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Stories from the Quiet WarQuiet War #52011 · confirmed 1/4
    2011–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Paul J. McAuley series in order

The series linked below has its own reading-order page.

Paul J. McAuley 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.

Confluence in order

5 books
  1. 1. Child of the River
  2. 1. Confluence
  3. 2. Ancients of Days
  4. 2. Confluence - The Trilogy
  5. 3. Shrine of Stars

Four Hundred Billion Stars in order

3 books
  1. 1. Four Hundred Billion Stars
  2. 2. Secret Harmonies / Of the Fall
  3. 3. Eternal Light

Something Coming in order

3 books
  1. 1. Something Coming Through
  2. 2. Into Everywhere
  3. 3. Something Happened Here, But We’re Not Quite Sure What It Was

Doctor Who Short Stories/Novellas

1 book

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

Mammoth Book Of… in order

1 book
  1. 27. The Mammoth Book of Frankenstein

BFI Film Classics in order

1 book
  1. 34. Brazil

Standalone books

21 books

21 Paul J. McAuley titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Paul J. McAuley books in order?

You only need to read Paul J. McAuley books in order within each series: the books listed here span 4 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Paul J. McAuley

Start with The Quiet War (2008), the first Quiet War book. The earliest catalogued title overall is Four Hundred Billion Stars (1988).

What is the newest Paul J. McAuley book?

Loss Protocol (2026) is the newest Paul J. McAuley book released so far.

Is there a new Paul J. McAuley book coming?

No next Paul J. McAuley 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 Paul J. McAuley has won

Wikidata records 6 awards and 64 nominations for Paul J. McAuley. The most recent 12 are listed here. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.

  • Theodore Sturgeon Award2012Wonfor The Choice
  • John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel1997Won
  • Arthur C. Clarke Award1996Wonfor Fairyland
  • Sidewise Award for Alternate History1995Won
  • British Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction1995Wonfor The Temptation of Dr Stein
  • Philip K. Dick Award1989Wonfor Four Hundred Billion Stars
  • Locus Award for Best Novella2024Shortlistedfor Blade and Bone
  • Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel2021Shortlistedfor War of the Maps
  • Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel2018Shortlistedfor Austral
  • Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel2017Shortlistedfor Into Everywhere
  • Locus Award for Best Short Story2017Shortlistedfor Something Happened Here, But We're Not Quite Sure What It Was
  • Locus Award for Best Novelette2016Shortlistedfor Planet of Fear

Paul J. McAuley at a glance

Still publishing
Paul J. McAuley published a book as recently as 2026.
Release pace
Paul J. McAuley books have appeared about one a year on average.
Length
11,465 pages across the 29 of 44 books with a recorded length, a median of 384 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Paul J. McAuley books, 14 of 44, were published in the 2010s.

What the Paul J. McAuley books are about

28 of the 44 Paul J. McAuley 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 12 of 28. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.