Photo of Samuel R. Delany
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Samuel R. Delany

3 series 17 books in order 8 standalone books

Samuel R. Delany (born 1942) is an African American writer and literary critic whose work includes fiction, memoir, criticism, and essays on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society. On our catalog he is credited with books in The Fall of the Towers and Return to Neveryon series, as well as Quark/3 and Quark/4.

Born
1942
Known for
Return to Nevèrÿon, The Fall of the Towers, Quark/

Series by Samuel R. Delany

Return to Nevèrÿon

4 books in order · 1979–1987

  1. Cover of Tales of Nevèrÿon

    Tales of Nevèrÿon

    1979 · Samuel R. Delany

    A 1979 collection by Samuel R. Delany, this work consists of interrelated stories set in an ambiguous distant past that resembles sword-and-sorcery.…

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  2. Cover of Neveryóna

    Neveryóna

    1983 · Samuel R. Delany

    Pryn, a writer from a pre-literate mountain village, flees on the back of a dragon in search of Neveryona, a legendary lost civilization. Along her…

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  3. Cover of Flight from Nevèrÿon

    Flight from Nevèrÿon

    1985 · Samuel R. Delany

    "Return to Nevèrÿon" is a series of eleven sword and sorcery stories set in an empire beyond history, blending adventure, intrigue, and desire. The…

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  4. Cover of The Bridge of Lost Desire

    The Bridge of Lost Desire

    1987 · Samuel R. Delany

    The Bridge of Lost Desire is the fourth volume in the Return to Neveryon series by Samuel R. Delany. The book contains three long tales that explore…

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The Fall of the Towers

3 books in order · 1963–1965

  1. Captives of the flame

    1963 · Samuel R. Delany

    Captives of the Flame is a 1963 science fantasy novel by Samuel R. Delany, serving as the first book in the Fall of the Towers trilogy. It was…

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  2. Cover of The towers of Toron

    The towers of Toron

    1964 · Samuel R. Delany

    The Towers of Toron is a 1964 science fantasy novel by Samuel R. Delany, part of the "Fall of the Towers" trilogy. It was published as part of an Ace…

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  3. City of a Thousand Suns

    1965 · Samuel R. Delany

    City of a Thousand Suns is a 1965 science fantasy novel by American writer Samuel R. Delany, serving as the final novel in the Fall of the Towers…

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Quark/

4 books in order · 1970–1971

  1. Quark/1

    1970

    The strange quark, also known as the s quark, is the third lightest of all quarks and belongs to the category of elementary particles. It is found in…

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  3. Quark/3

    1971 · Samuel R. Delany and Marilyn Hacker

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  4. Quark/4

    1971 · Samuel R. Delany and Marilyn Hacker

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Standalone books

  1. Cover of Babel-17
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  2. Cover of Dhalgren
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  3. Cover of The Einstein intersection
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  4. Cover of Nova
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  5. Cover of Triton
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  6. Cover of Hogg
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  7. Cover of The motion of light in water
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  8. Cover of The jewels of Aptor
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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Samuel R. Delany written?

We list 17 books by Samuel R. Delany across 3 series, published between 1962–2014 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Samuel R. Delany's books?

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

Where can I buy Samuel R. Delany's books?

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

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.

Some summaries adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.