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James Blish

4 series 87 books in order 1 standalone book

James Blish (1921–1975) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, best known for his Cities in Flight novels and his series of Star Trek novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel A Case of Conscience won the Hugo Award, and he is credited with coining the term "gas giant". On our catalog he is credited with A Life for the Stars from Cities in Flight and numerous Star Trek adaptations. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)

Born
1921
Known for
After Such Knowledge, Star Trek, Cities in Flight, Star Trek: The Classic Episodes

Series by James Blish

After Such Knowledge

4 books in order · 1958–1971

  1. Cover of A Case of Conscience

    A Case of Conscience

    1958 · James Blish

    A Case of Conscience is a 1958 novel by James Blish that won a Hugo Award. The story follows Father Ramon Ruiz-Sanchez, who visits the planet Lithia,…

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  2. Cover of Doctor Mirabilis

    Doctor Mirabilis

    1964 · James Blish

    Roger Bacon: heretic, occultist, genius. In a Europe dominated by the narrow doctrines of Catholicism, Bacon was a man whose vision reached far…

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  3. Cover of Black Easter

    Black Easter

    1968 · James Blish

    This 1968 novel by James Blish follows Baines, a filthy rich arms dealer and connoisseur of destruction, and Ware, the greatest living black…

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  4. Cover of The Day After Judgement

    The Day After Judgement

    1971 · James Blish

    The Day After Judgment is a 1970 fantasy novel by American writer James Blish. It serves as a sequel to his 1968 novel Black Easter. The two books…

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Star Trek

81 books in order · 1967–1978

  1. Cover of Star Trek 1

    Star Trek 1

    1967 · James Blish

    This is a collection of short story adaptations of Star Trek episodes, containing 'Charlie's Law' (also known as 'Charlie X'), 'Dagger of the Mind,'…

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  2. Dagger of the Mind

    1967 · James Blish

    Dagger of the Mind is a 1967 book by James Blish. It is book 2 of the series Star Trek. Catalog genres: Science Fiction.

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  3. Cover of Star Trek 4

    Star Trek 4

    1971 · James Blish

    A 1971 short story collection by James Blish includes six assignments featuring Spock and the Enterprise crew. The stories involve a silicon-based…

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  4. Cover of Star Trek 6

    Star Trek 6

    1972 · James Blish

    A 1972 short story collection by James Blish. Kirk, Spock, Bones, and the Enterprise crew find a deadly Eden, discover elemental life forces and…

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  5. Cover of Star Trek 7

    Star Trek 7

    1972 · James Blish

    This short story collection invites readers to board the Enterprise and journey with her crew to far-off worlds featuring Greek gods and American…

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Cities in Flight

3 books in order · 1955–1962

  1. They Shall Have Stars

    1956 · James Blish

    They Shall Have Stars is a 1956 book by James Blish. It is book 1 of the series Cities in Flight. Catalog genres: Science Fiction.

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  2. A Life for the Stars

    1962 · James Blish

    A Life for the Stars is a 1962 book by James Blish. It is book 2 of the series Cities in Flight.

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  3. Cover of Earthman, come home

    Earthman, come home

    1955 · James Blish

    When the cities left Earth, they moved from a simple environment to one of constant and often extreme change. The universe contained many cultures at…

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Standalone books

Frequently asked questions

How many books has James Blish written?

We list 87 books by James Blish across 4 series, published between 1955–1978 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read James Blish's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “A Case of Conscience.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy James Blish's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Bibliography and reading orders compiled from verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.