Order of Robert A. Heinlein Books
Robert A. Heinlein was an American author of science fiction, considered to be part of the “Big Three” in the genre along with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Some of his work is also considered part of the fantasy genre as well. Heinlein wrote about space exploration as if it were a very real possibility. Other common themes in his work included individualism, non-conformity and free love. Because much of his work was written during the Civil Rights Movement, he would often imply a major character was not white or he would use an alien as a metaphor for another human race (in a positive manner).
Heinlein’s first short story was Life Line, which he had written for a contest but instead sold it to Astounding Science-Fiction in 1939 for more than the contest would have paid for first prize. Below is a list of Robert A. Heinlein’s books in order of when they were originally published:
Publication Order of Future History/Heinlein Timeline Books
Misfit | (1939) | |
Methuselah’s Children | (1941) | |
The Man Who Sold the Moon | (1950) | |
The Green Hills of Earth | (1951) | |
Revolt in 2100 | (1953) | |
Orphans of the Sky | (1963) | |
The Past Through Tomorrow | (1967) |
Publication Order of Heinlein’s Juveniles Books
Rocket Ship Galileo | (1947) | |
Space Cadet | (1948) | |
Red Planet | (1949) | |
Farmer in the Sky / Satellite Scout | (1950) | |
Between Planets / Planets in Combat | (1951) | |
The Rolling Stones / Tramp Space Ship / Space Family Stone | (1952) | |
Starman Jones | (1953) | |
The Star Beast / Star Lummox | (1954) | |
Tunnel in the Sky | (1955) | |
Time for the Stars | (1956) | |
Citizen of the Galaxy | (1957) | |
Have Space Suit—Will Travel | (1958) |
Publication Order of The Road to Science Fiction Books
(by James Edwin Gunn)
The Road to Science Fiction 4: From Here to Forever | (1982) | |
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Publication Order of World As Myth Books
Time Enough for Love | (1973) | |
The Number of the Beast | (1980) | |
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls | (1985) | |
To Sail Beyond the Sunset | (1987) |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
Sixth Column / The Day After Tomorrow | (1941) | |
Beyond This Horizon | (1948) | |
The Puppet Masters | (1951) | |
Double Star | (1956) | |
The Door into Summer | (1957) | |
Starship Troopers / Starship Soldier | (1959) | |
Stranger in a Strange Land | (1961) | |
Podkayne of Mars | (1963) | |
Glory Road | (1963) | |
Farnham’s Freehold | (1964) | |
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress | (1966) | |
I Will Fear No Evil | (1970) | |
Friday | (1982) | |
Job | (1984) | |
For Us, the Living | (2003) | |
Variable Star | (2006) | |
The Pursuit of the Pankera | (2020) |
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas
Universe | (1941) | |
Destination Moon | (1950) | |
The Year of the Jackpot | (1952) | |
‘All You Zombies–‘ | (1959) |
Publication Order of Chapbooks
The Notebooks of Lazarus Long | (1975) |
Publication Order of Short Story Collections
Life Line | (1939) | |
Ordeal in Space | (1948) | |
Waldo & Magic, Inc. | (1950) | |
Assignment in Eternity | (1953) | |
The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag | (1959) | |
The Menace from Earth | (1959) | |
Lost Legacy | (1960) | |
Three by Heinlein / Heinlein Triad | (1965) | |
The Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein | (1972) | |
The Best of Robert Heinlein, 1947-1959 | (1973) | |
The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein | (1986) | |
Off the Main Sequence | (2005) | |
Outward Bound | (2006) | |
Project Moonbase and Others | (2008) |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
The Science Fiction Novel | (1959) | |
Cliffsnotes Heinlein’s Works | (1969) | |
Expanded Universe | (1980) | |
Grumbles from the Grave | (1989) | |
Tramp Royale | (1992) | |
Take Back Your Government | (1992) |
Publication Order of Collections
The Virginia Edition (46 Volume Collectors Set) | (2010) |
Publication Order of Anthologies
Street & Smith’s Unknown, Vol 4. No. 6 | (1941) | |
Famous Science-Fiction Stories: Adventures in Time and Space | (1946) | |
Tomorrow, the Stars | (1952) | |
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction – May 1954 – Vol. 6, No. 5 | (1954) | |
6 Great Short Novels of Science Fiction | (1954) | |
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: Ninth Series | (1958) | |
50 Short Science Fiction Tales | (1963) | |
Worlds to Come: New Science Fiction Adventures | (1967) | |
Galaxy Science Fiction, October-November 1970 | (1970) | |
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume II A | (1973) | |
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow… | (1974) | |
Other Dimensions | (1974) | |
Rod Serling’s Other Worlds | (1978) | |
The Arbor House Treasury of Modern Science Fiction | (1980) | |
The Best of All Possible Worlds | (1980) | |
Analog: Writers’ Choice Volume II | (1984) | |
Battlefields Beyond Tomorrow | (1987) | |
New Destinies Vol. 6: Winter 1988 | (1988) | |
A Separate Star: A Tribute to Rudyard Kipling | (1989) | |
Requiem: Collected Works and Tributes to the Grand Master | (1991) | |
Cats in Space… and Other Places | (1992) | |
Bangs & Whimpers | (1999) | |
The SFWA Grand Masters 1 | (1999) | |
The World Turned Upside Down | (2005) | |
The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction | (2010) | |
Science Fiction Super Pack #1 | (2013) | |
Red Sky | (2014) | |
Space Pioneers | (2018) | |
Infinite Stars | (2019) |
Notes: The Sixth Column was originally published using the pen name Anson MacDonald and was also published as The Day After Tomorrow. Beyond This Horizon was originally published under the pseudonym Anson MacDonald. Farmer in the Sky was also published as Satellite Scout. Between Planets was also titled Planets in Combat. The Rolling Stone was also published with the alternate titles Tramp Space Ship and Space Family Stone. The Star Beast was alternately titled Star Lummox. Starship Troopers was also published as Starship Soldier. The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag was also published as 6xH. Three by Heinlein was also released as A Heinlein Triad. Tramp Royale was written with Virginia Heinlein. Take Back Your Government! was also published under the title How To Be a Politician.