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Neal Stephenson

b. 1959

3 series 14 books in order 5 standalone books

Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer and game designer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, postcyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work explores subjects such as mathematics, cryptography, linguistics, philosophy, currency, and the history of science. He also writes non-fiction articles about technology in publications such as Wired. He has written novels with his uncle, George Jewsbury ("J. Frederick George"), under the collective pseudonym Stephen Bury. Stephenson has worked part-time as an advisor for Blue Origin, a company funded by Jeff Bezos, and is a cofounder of Subutai Corporation, whose first offering is the interactive fiction project The Mongoliad. He is currently Magic Leap's Chief Futurist.

Born
1959
Known for
Dodge, The Baroque Cycle, Bomb Light

Series by Neal Stephenson

Dodge

2 books in order · 2011–2019

  1. Cover of Reamde

    Reamde

    2011 · Neal Stephenson

    Reamde is a speculative fiction novel by Neal Stephenson, first published in 2011. The story takes place in the present day and follows a hostage…

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  2. Cover of Fall; or, Dodge in Hell

    Fall; or, Dodge in Hell

    2019 · Neal Stephenson

    In his youth, Richard "Dodge" Forthrast founded Corporation 9592, a gaming company that made him a multibillionaire; now in his middle years he is…

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The Baroque Cycle

5 books in order · 2003–2004

  1. Cover of Quicksilver

    Quicksilver

    2003 · Neal Stephenson

    Quicksilver is the first volume of Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, a historical novel set in the late 17th century. It follows Daniel Waterhouse, a…

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  2. Cover of The Confusion. Volume II of the Baroque Cycle

    The Confusion. Volume II of the Baroque Cycle

    2004 · Neal Stephenson

    In 1689, a group of Barbary galley slaves, including Jack Shaftoe—a former vagabond and now cured of the pox—plots to gain freedom and fortune. Their…

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  3. Cover of King of the Vagabonds

    King of the Vagabonds

    Year unknown · Neal Stephenson

    The book chronicles the exploits of "Half-Cocked Jack" Shaftoe, a London street urchin turned swashbuckling adventurer risking life and limb for…

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  4. Cover of System of the World

    System of the World

    2004 · Neal Stephenson

    In 1714, Daniel Waterhouse returns to England after a dangerous journey, including an encounter with the pirate Blackbeard. He is drawn into a secret…

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  5. Cover of Odalisque

    Odalisque

    Year unknown · Neal Stephenson

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Bomb Light

2 books in order · 2024–2026

  1. Cover of Polostan

    Polostan

    2024 · Neal Stephenson

    Polostan is a 2024 book by Neal Stephenson. It is book 1 of the series Bomb Light.

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  2. D: Heavy Water

    2026 · Neal Stephenson

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Standalone books

Frequently asked questions

How many books has Neal Stephenson written?

We list 14 books by Neal Stephenson across 3 series, published between 2003–2026 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Neal Stephenson's books?

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

Where can I buy Neal Stephenson'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.