Piers Anthony
8 series 86 books in order 4 standalone books
1 award & honors · incl. YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
Piers Anthony was an English-American writer known for his work in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He was born in Oxford, England, and at the age of four, his family moved to the United States. He graduated from Goddard College in Vermont in 1956, the same year he married his wife, Carol Marble. After working various jobs, he joined the U.S. Army in 1957 for financial stability and medical benefits. He became a U.S. citizen in 1958 and worked as an editor and cartoonist for the Battalion newspaper. He left the army in 1959 and briefly taught public school before dedicating himself to writing. Anthony lived with his wife on a tree farm in Florida.
- Born
- 1934
- Known for
- Xanth, Incarnations of Immortality, Apprentice Adept, Cluster
Series by Piers Anthony
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Buy on Amazon1977 · Piers Anthony
This 1977 novel by Piers Anthony is set in Xanth, an enchanted land where every citizen has a unique spell only they can cast, populated by centaurs,…
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Buy on Amazon1979 · Piers Anthony
Bink and his companions were sent by King Trent to uncover the source of Xanth's magic. They faced an unseen enemy that tried to stop them. Even…
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Buy on Amazon1979 · Piers Anthony
A 1979 novel by Piers Anthony. Millie, a ghost for 800 years, wants only one man, Jonathan, who is a zombie. Magician Dor volunteers to travel back…
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Buy on Amazon1982 · Piers Anthony
When King Trent and Queen Iris vanish during a visit to Mundania, young Dor is left in charge of Xanth and must mount a rescue. Accompanied by the…
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Buy on Amazon1982 · Piers Anthony
A 1982 novel by Piers Anthony set in Xanth. Smash, an ogre with a human mother, knows ogres are huge, ugly, and so stupid they can barely speak,…
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Buy on Amazon1983 · Piers Anthony
This 1983 novel by Piers Anthony centers on Mare Imbrium, the night mare, who discovers that ever since she gained the half soul, she has begun to…
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Buy on Amazon1983 · Piers Anthony
Dragon on a Pedestal (1983), a novel by Piers Anthony, finds trouble once again in Xanth: the Gap Dragon has escaped and is ravaging across the land,…
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Buy on Amazon1984 · Piers Anthony
A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows is a 1985 novel by Piers Anthony. The story follows Jordan, a ghost who resides in Castle Roogna. He spends his time…
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Buy on Amazon1986 · Piers Anthony
Grundy Golem seeks respect and volunteers for a quest to find the long-lost dragon, Stanley Steamer. Along the way, he rescues a damsel in distress,…
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1987 · Piers Anthony
Vale of the Vole is a 1987 fantasy novel by American writer Piers Anthony, the tenth book of the Xanth series. It begins a trilogy that also includes…
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Buy on Amazon1983 · Piers Anthony · 🏆 1 award & honors
Zane shoots Death, but learns too late that he must take Death's place, riding a pale horse and ending lives. He is soon drawn into Satan's plan,…
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Buy on Amazon1984 · Piers Anthony
When life seems pointless to Norton, he accepts the position of Incarnation of Time. With the other incarnations—Death, Fate, War, and Nature—already…
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Buy on Amazon1985 · Piers Anthony
Niobe's life changed when the man she loved was shot, revealing she had been the target of a devilish plot. Seeking revenge, she discovered the Devil…
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Buy on Amazon1986 · Piers Anthony
In this 1986 novel by Piers Anthony, Mym, a dutiful son, takes up the Red Sword, symbol of office of the Incarnation of War, rather than wed without…
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Buy on Amazon1987 · Piers Anthony
Being a Green Mother is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony, published in 1987. It is the fifth book in the Incarnations of Immortality series, which…
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Buy on Amazon1988 · Piers Anthony
For Love of Evil is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony and the sixth in the eight-book Incarnations of Immortality series. The story explores themes of…
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Buy on Amazon1990 · Piers Anthony
And Eternity is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony, published in 1990. It is the seventh of eight books in the Incarnations of Immortality series.…
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Buy on Amazon2007 · Piers Anthony
Under a Velvet Cloak is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony and the final book in the Incarnations of Immortality series. The story centers on the…
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Buy on Amazon1980 · Piers Anthony
On the technological, decadent world of Proton, someone is trying to destroy Stile, serf and master Gamesmen. His only escape lies through a…
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Buy on Amazon1981 · Piers Anthony
In Blue Adept, the second book in the Apprentice Adept series, Stile faces challenges on two worlds. On Proton, he is a serf competing in the Great…
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Buy on AmazonJuxtaposition (Apprentice Adept
1982 · Piers Anthony
Juxtaposition is the third book in the Split Infinity series by Piers Anthony, published in 1982. The story follows Stile as he spends most of the…
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Buy on Amazon1987 · Piers Anthony
Two worlds exist side by side: the scientific Proton and the magical Phaze. In this 1987 novel by Piers Anthony, Mach travels from Proton to Phaze,…
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Buy on Amazon1988 · Piers Anthony
A 1988 novel by Piers Anthony set in the parallel worlds of Proton and Phaze, one governed by science and the other by magic. Mach, a robot from…
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Buy on Amazon1990 · Piers Anthony
This 1990 novel by Piers Anthony is the seventh and final book in the Apprentice Adept series, bringing the history of the two planets Phaze and…
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Buy on Amazon1978 · Piers Anthony
A 1978 novel by Piers Anthony. Ten centuries after the War of Energy, Melody of Mintaka, daughter of Flint the Caveman, assumes the forms of alien…
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Buy on Amazon1978 · Piers Anthony
A 1978 novel by Piers Anthony. Word comes from the distant planet of Amoeba of an awesome invasion, and Herald the Healer, descendant of Flint of…
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Buy on Amazon1980 · Piers Anthony
At the edge of the Milky Way, a dangerous space race begins, driven by the legacy of the Ancients. Outlawed pilot Heem of Highfalls and pilot Jessica…
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Buy on Amazon1982 · Piers Anthony
In the far future, the bloodthirsty Solarians rage to find the mysterious Ancient Site and are determined to wipe out the Bands, a peaceful anarchic…
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Year unknown · Piers Anthony
Refugee (1983) is the first book in the Bio of a Space Tyrant series by Piers Anthony, following the journey of Hope Hubris and his family as they…
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Year unknown · Piers Anthony
Mercenary (1984) chronicles Hope's years as a migrant laborer and his 15-year career in the Navy, largely under the guidance of his sister Spirit.…
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Year unknown · Piers Anthony
Politician (1985) is the second book in the Bio of a Space Tyrant series by Piers Anthony, presented as the first-person autobiography of the…
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1985 · Piers Anthony
Executive is a 1985 book by Piers Anthony. It is book 4 of the series Bio of a Space Tyrant.
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Year unknown · Piers Anthony
The Iron Maiden (2001) is a novel by Piers Anthony that recounts the same period as the first five books of the Bio of a Space Tyrant series, but…
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Buy on Amazon1968 · Piers Anthony and Robert E. Vardeman
Wandering tribes of primitive humans meet, fight, love, and die. When tribes encounter each other, individuals fight in a Battle Circle. The loser…
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Buy on Amazon1969 · Piers Anthony
Var the Stick is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony featuring a half-animal, half-human protagonist named Var, who is rescued from the badlands and…
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Buy on Amazon1975 · Piers Anthony
An age of darkness was descending upon the Empire, as food, weapons, and honour vanished, and the laws of the nomads were forgotten in the struggle…
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Buy on Amazon1992 · Piers Anthony
Fractal Mode is a novel in the Mode series by Piers Anthony, set primarily in Julia Mode, a fractal universe. The story centers on the exploration of…
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Buy on Amazon1993 · Piers Anthony
Chaos Mode is a fragmented novel in the Mode series by Piers Anthony, featuring multiple sections set in various anchor modes and extensive time…
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Buy on Amazon2001 · Piers Anthony
DoOon Mode is a novel in the Mode series by Piers Anthony, set primarily in the DoOon universe, which serves as the location for approximately half…
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Buy on Amazon1979 · Piers Anthony
A 1979 novel by Piers Anthony. Paul is a monk, which is better than being a warrior on the planet Tarot, where religions are wielded like swords.
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Buy on Amazon1980 · Piers Anthony
Vision of Tarot is a 1980 book by Piers Anthony. It is book 2 of the series Tarot series. Catalog genres: Science Fiction. The listed edition runs…
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Buy on Amazon1980 · Piers Anthony
Faith Of Tarot is a 1980 book by Piers Anthony. It is book 3 of the series Tarot series. Catalog genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction. The listed edition…
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Standalone books
Frequently asked questions
How many books has Piers Anthony written?
We list 86 books by Piers Anthony across 8 series, published between 1968–2023 — each shown in full reading order.
What order should I read Piers Anthony's books?
Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “A Spell for Chameleon.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.
Where can I buy Piers Anthony's books?
Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.
Awards & honors
On a pale horse
- YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
Honors as recorded by the publisher for Piers Anthony’s books. Wording is the awarding body’s own — a nomination is listed as a nomination, never as a win.
Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.