Hannibal Lecter Books in Order
Hannibal Lecter by Thomas Harris contains 4 books, published between 1981 and 2006. The first book is Red Dragon (1981) and the newest is Hannibal Rising (2006). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 4
- Published
- 1981–2006
- Total pages
- 1,761 across 4 books
- Reading time
- 29–44 hours
Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 1,761 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute.
Hannibal Lecter is a crime series by Thomas Harris running to four books: Red Dragon (1981), The Silence of the Lambs (1988), Hannibal (1999) and Hannibal Rising (2006). Serial murder, forensic psychiatry and offender profiling are the recurring subjects, and the median book runs 424 pages. No new Hannibal Lecter title has appeared since 2006.
How many Hannibal Lecter books are there?
Hannibal Lecter has 4 books, released between 1981 and 2006.
Hannibal Lecter Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 4 Hannibal Lecter 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.
- 1Red Dragon1981 · 464 pages · confirmed 2/419814642/4
- 2The Silence of the Lambs1988 · 367 pages · confirmed 2/419883672/4
- 3Hannibal1999 · 546 pages · confirmed 2/419995462/4
- 4Hannibal Rising2006 · 384 pages · confirmed 2/420063842/4
Hannibal Lecter Books in Chronological Order
In story order, Hannibal Rising comes first and Hannibal comes last. Chronological order follows the events inside the story rather than the release dates. The 4 books below run in that in-universe sequence.
- 4Hannibal Rising2006 · 384 pages · confirmed 2/420063842/4
- 1Red Dragon1981 · 464 pages · confirmed 2/419814642/4
- 2The Silence of the Lambs1988 · 367 pages · confirmed 2/419883672/4
- 3Hannibal1999 · 546 pages · confirmed 2/419995462/4
Do you have to read Hannibal Lecter books in order?
You should read the Hannibal Lecter books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each Hannibal Lecter book also stands alone.
Where to start with Hannibal Lecter
Start with Red Dragon (1981), the earliest published title. In the chronological order, Hannibal Rising comes first.
What is the newest Hannibal Lecter book?
Hannibal Rising (2006) is the newest Hannibal Lecter book released so far.
Is there a new Hannibal Lecter book coming?
No next Hannibal Lecter 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 Hannibal Lecter has won
Wikidata records 3 awards and 3 nominations for Hannibal Lecter. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.
- Grand Prix de Littérature Policière1991Wonfor The Silence of the Lambs
- Anthony Award for Best Novel1989Wonfor The Silence of the Lambs
- Bram Stoker Award for Novel1988Wonfor The Silence of the Lambs
- Bram Stoker Award for Novel1999Shortlistedfor Hannibal
- Locus Award for Best Horror Novel1989Shortlistedfor The Silence of the Lambs
- World Fantasy Award for Best Novel1989Shortlistedfor The Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal Lecter at a glance
- No recent titles
- The newest Hannibal Lecter title on record dates from 2006, 20 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
- Release pace
- Hannibal Lecter books have appeared about one every 8 years on average.
- Length
- 1,761 pages across all 4 books with a recorded length, a median of 424 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Hannibal Lecter books, 2 of 4, were published in the 1980s.
What the Hannibal Lecter books are about
All 4 Hannibal Lecter books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. No subject is tagged on more than one of them, so each one below describes a single book. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Autopsy 1 of 4 books
- Black witch moth 1 of 4 books
- Federal Bureau of Investigation 1 of 4 books
- Forensic psychiatry 1 of 4 books
- Fugitives from justice 1 of 4 books
- Government investigators 1 of 4 books
- Hiwi 1 of 4 books
- Horror 1 of 4 books
- Inheritance tax 1 of 4 books
- Lambs 1 of 4 books
- Lecter, hannibal (fictitious character) 1 of 4 books
- Mystery & detective 1 of 4 books
More books by Thomas Harris
The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.
- Thomas Harris books in order 6 books