Order of Book Series
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Urth/Solar Cycle Books in Order

Urth/Solar Cycle by Gene Wolfe contains 12 books, published between 1980 and 2001. The first book is The Shadow of the Torturer (1980) and the newest is Return to the Whorl (2001). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
12
Published
1980–2001
Pages on record
3,673 in 10 of 12 books
Reading time
61–92 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 3,673 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 10 of 12 titles with a page count on record.

See all 12 books in order Printable Urth/Solar Cycle checklist

Urth/Solar Cycle is the catalogue entry grouping Gene Wolfe's Urth books: 12 titles published between 1980 and 2001. The entry links three Wolfe series, Urth: Book of the New Sun, Urth: Book of the Long Sun and Urth: Book of the Short Sun. The Shadow of the Torturer (1980) is the earliest title and Return to the Whorl (2001) the newest. Subject headings include science fiction, fantasy, interplanetary voyages and clergy, and Severian is named as a fictitious character. The run is listed as likely complete.

How many Urth/Solar Cycle books are there?

Urth/Solar Cycle has 12 books, released between 1980 and 2001.

Urth/Solar Cycle Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 12 Urth/Solar Cycle 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 Claw of the Conciliator by Gene Wolfe, book 2 of the Urth: Book of the New Sun series (1981)
  2. Cover of The Citadel of the Autarch by Gene Wolfe, book 4 of the Urth: Book of the New Sun series (1983)
  3. Cover of The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, book 5 of the Urth: Book of the New Sun series (1987)
  4. Cover of Nightside the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe, book 1 of the Urth: Book of the Long Sun series (1993)
  5. Cover of Caldé of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe, book 3 of the Urth: Book of the Long Sun series (1994)
  6. Cover of Exodus from the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe, book 4 of the Urth: Book of the Long Sun series (1996)
  7. Cover of On Blue's Waters by Gene Wolfe, book 1 of the Urth: Book of the Short Sun series (1999)
  8. Cover of In Green's Jungles by Gene Wolfe, book 2 of the Urth: Book of the Short Sun series (2000)
  9. Cover of Return to the Whorl by Gene Wolfe, book 3 of the Urth: Book of the Short Sun series (2001)
  1. 1
    The Shadow of the TorturerUrth: Book of the New Sun #11980 · confirmed 2/4
    1980–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The Claw of the ConciliatorUrth: Book of the New Sun #21981 · 255 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1981255
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    The Sword of the LictorUrth: Book of the New Sun #31982 · confirmed 2/4
    1982–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The Citadel of the AutarchUrth: Book of the New Sun #41983 · 330 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1983330
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    The Urth of the New SunUrth: Book of the New Sun #51987 · 372 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1987372
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Nightside the Long SunUrth: Book of the Long Sun #11993 · 352 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1993352
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Lake of the Long SunUrth: Book of the Long Sun #21994 · 352 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1994352
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Caldé of the Long SunUrth: Book of the Long Sun #31994 · 384 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1994384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Exodus from the Long SunUrth: Book of the Long Sun #41996 · 448 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1996448
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    On Blue's WatersUrth: Book of the Short Sun #11999 · 384 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1999384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    In Green's JunglesUrth: Book of the Short Sun #22000 · 384 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2000384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Return to the WhorlUrth: Book of the Short Sun #32001 · 412 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2001412
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Do you have to read Urth/Solar Cycle books in order?

You should read the Urth/Solar Cycle books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each Urth/Solar Cycle book also stands alone.

Where to start with Urth/Solar Cycle

Start with The Shadow of the Torturer (1980), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Urth/Solar Cycle book?

Return to the Whorl (2001) is the newest Urth/Solar Cycle book released so far.

Is there a new Urth/Solar Cycle book coming?

No next Urth/Solar Cycle 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 Urth/Solar Cycle has won

Wikidata records 9 awards and 3 nominations for Urth/Solar Cycle. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.

Urth/Solar Cycle at a glance

No recent titles
The newest Urth/Solar Cycle title on record dates from 2001, 25 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
Release pace
Urth/Solar Cycle books have appeared about one every 2 years on average.
Length
3,673 pages across the 10 of 12 books with a recorded length, a median of 378 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Urth/Solar Cycle books, 5 of 12, were published in the 1990s.

What the Urth/Solar Cycle books are about

All 12 Urth/Solar Cycle 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 10 of 12. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

More books by Gene Wolfe

The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.