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Stephen R. Donaldson

3 series 19 books in order 1 standalone book

Stephen Reeder Donaldson is an American fantasy, science fiction, and mystery novelist, most famous for The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, his ten-novel fantasy series. His work is characterized by psychological complexity, conceptual abstractness, moral bleakness, and the use of an arcane vocabulary. He earned a bachelor's degree from the College of Wooster and a master's degree from Kent State University, and resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Born
1947
Known for
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, The Gap Cycle, The Great God's War

Series by Stephen R. Donaldson

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

11 books in order · 1977–2013

  1. Cover of Lord Foul's Bane

    Lord Foul's Bane

    1977 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    Lord Foul's Bane is a 1977 fantasy novel by American writer Stephen R. Donaldson, the first book of the first trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas…

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  2. Cover of The Illearth war

    The Illearth war

    1977 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    In 1979, the Del Rey paperback edition of a 1978 novel by Stephen R. Donaldson was published. The story follows Thomas Covenant, who is summoned back…

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  3. Cover of The Power that Preserves

    The Power that Preserves

    1977 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    Thomas Covenant was summoned twice to the Land, a magical otherworld where he fought alongside the Lords of Revelstone against Lord Foul, the Land's…

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  4. Cover of The Wounded Land

    The Wounded Land

    1980 · Stephen R. Donaldson

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  5. Cover of The One Tree

    The One Tree

    1982 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    The One Tree is a 1982 fantasy novel by Stephen R. Donaldson, the second book of the second trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series. It…

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  6. Cover of White Gold Wielder

    White Gold Wielder

    1983 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    White Gold Wielder is a 1983 novel by Stephen R. Donaldson, the conclusion to The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. A despairing Thomas Covenant…

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  7. The atlas of the land

    1985 · Karen Wynn Fonstad

    The Atlas of the Land is a 1985 illustrated book by Karen Wynn Fonstad. It offers a cartographer's perspective on the fictional world called "the…

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  8. Cover of The Runes of the Earth

    The Runes of the Earth

    2004 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    The Runes of the Earth is a fantasy novel by American writer Stephen R. Donaldson, first published in 2004. It is the first book of The Last…

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  9. Cover of Fatal Revenant

    Fatal Revenant

    2007 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    Fatal Revenant is a fantasy novel by American writer Stephen R. Donaldson, published as the second book in The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant…

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  10. Cover of Against All Things Ending

    Against All Things Ending

    2010 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    Linden's act of resurrecting Thomas Covenant awakens the Worm of the World's End. To save the Land, help must come from unexpected places. Among…

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Show all 11 The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant books in order →

The Gap Cycle

5 books in order · 1991–1996

  1. Cover of Forbidden knowledge

    Forbidden knowledge

    1991 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    Morn Hyland is an ex-police officer for the United Mining Companies and the target of two powerful men, Nick Succorso and Angus Thermopyle. Both see…

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  2. Cover of The real story

    The real story

    1991 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    Angus Thermopyle, an ore pirate and murderer feared even by disreputable asteroid pilots, arrives at Mallorys Bar & Sleep with Morn Hyland, a former…

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  3. Cover of A dark and hungry god arises

    A dark and hungry god arises

    1992 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    The galactic epic continues as humanity struggles against the forces of ultimate evil and its own dark nature. The stage is set for confrontation at…

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  4. Cover of Chaos and order

    Chaos and order

    1994 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    A 1994 novel by Stephen R. Donaldson about fugitives trapped aboard the renegade spaceship Trumpet, including former UMCP cop Morn Hyland, her…

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  5. Cover of This Day All Gods Die (Gap)

    This Day All Gods Die (Gap)

    1996 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    This Day All Gods Die is a 1996 science fiction novel by Stephen R. Donaldson. It is the final book in The Gap Cycle, a series of science fiction…

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The Great God's War

3 books in order · 2017–2022

  1. Cover of Seventh Decimate

    Seventh Decimate

    2017 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    The acclaimed author of the Thomas Covenant Chronicles launches a powerful new trilogy about a prince’s desperate quest for a sorcerous library to…

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  2. Cover of The War Within

    The War Within

    2019 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    Stephen R. Donaldson, the New York Times bestselling author of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, returns to the world of his Great God’s War fantasy…

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  3. Cover of The Killing God

    The Killing God

    2022 · Stephen R. Donaldson

    Two kingdoms, ancient enemies, must stand alone against an implacable invader in the masterful conclusion of the Great God’s War epic from the New…

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Standalone books

  1. Cover of Lord Foul's Bane
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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Stephen R. Donaldson written?

We list 19 books by Stephen R. Donaldson across 3 series, published between 1977–2022 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Stephen R. Donaldson's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Lord Foul's Bane.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Stephen R. Donaldson'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.