Book Series Guide

Ken Liu

Author guide

Ken Liu Books in Order

Ken Liu is an American author of speculative fiction whose work spans silkpunk epic fantasy, science fiction, techno-thrillers, and literary short fiction. He is the author of the Dandelion Dynasty, the Julia Z series, The Legends of Luke Skywalker, and several award-winning collections. His fiction has won the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.

science fictionfantasyspeculative fictionsilkpunktechno-thriller

Catalog record updated .

Ken Liu's Newest Book

Cover of The Passing of the Dragon and Other Stories

The Passing of the Dragon and Other Stories

short-story collection · First published 2026

The long-awaited next collection by the master of short stories and author of the award-winning Paper Menagerie and Other Stories. Thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and wonderous are some of the many ways the thirteen stories in this collection will engage readers. Ken Liu continues to delight and challenge your perceptions as one of the most accomplished and lauded American short story writers of our time.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of The Grace of Kings

The Grace of Kings

Start here for Ken Liu's major epic-fantasy series.

Cover of The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

A representative introduction to his award-winning short fiction.

Cover of All That We See or Seem

All That We See or Seem

The entry point to the Julia Z techno-thriller series.

Read in order

Books by series

novel series · ongoing

Julia Z

A near-future techno-thriller series following Julia Z, a former child hacker navigating artificial intelligence, virtual reality, art, and selfhood.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    All That We See or Seem

    Book 1 · novel · 2025

    Award­-winning author Ken Liu returns with his first scifi thriller in a brand-new series following former “orphan hacker” Julia Z as she is thrust into a high-stakes adventure where she must use her AI-whispering skills to unravel a…

novel series · complete

The Dandelion Dynasty

A four-volume silkpunk epic fantasy series set in the archipelago kingdoms of Dara, where engineers and innovators shape the fate of nations.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The Grace of Kings

    Book 1 · novel · 2015

    Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures…

  2. 2
    The Wall of Storms

    Book 2 · novel · 2016

    The second book in The Dandelion Dynasty, the epic fantasy trilogy by Ken Liu. Dara is united under the Emperor Ragin, once known as Kuni Garu, the bandit king. There has been peace for six years, but the Dandelion Throne rests on bloody…

  3. 3
    The Veiled Throne

    Book 3 · novel · 2021

    <b>From the winner of the Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Awards, the epic third volume of the Dandelion Dynasties series, named by <i>Time</i> as one of the Greatest Fantasy Books of All Time, continues. </b><br><br>Princess Théra, once…

  4. 4
    Speaking Bones

    Book 4 · novel · 2022

    "The concluding book of the Dandelion Dynasty begins in the middle of two wars on two landsamong three peoples separated by an ocean yet held together by invisible strnds of love and ideals. Harried by Lyucu pursuers, Princess Thâera and…

short-story collection series · ongoing

Ken Liu Short Fiction Collections

Ken Liu's author-selected collections of short stories and novellas.

Series guide →

franchise tie-in series · complete

Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi

A Star Wars publishing initiative connected with the film The Last Jedi.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The Legends of Luke Skywalker

    Book 1 · franchise fiction collection · 2017

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (1)
  1. The Armies of Those I Love

    novella · 2021

Short fiction (1)
  1. The Cleaners

    short story · 2020

    Touch the past or wash it away? Two sisters have a choice in this unforgettable short story of everyday magic and the power of memory by the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Ken Liu. Gui is a professional cleaner at A Fresh Start,…

Frequently asked questions about Ken Liu

Who is Ken Liu and what kind of writer is he?

Ken Liu is an American author and translator of speculative fiction. His work spans science fiction, fantasy, literary short fiction, and the silkpunk mode he developed for his epic fantasy.

Sources: kenliu.com (opens in a new tab)nebulas.sfwa.org (opens in a new tab)

Is Ken Liu Chinese or American, and where was he born?

He is an American author of Chinese ancestry, born in Lanzhou, China, who immigrated to the United States at age 11. Liu has described himself as an American writer working in the Western literary tradition.

Sources: chinadaily.com.cn (opens in a new tab)scmp.com (opens in a new tab)

What did Ken Liu do before becoming a full-time writer?

Liu studied English and computer science at Harvard College, then worked as a software engineer, attended Harvard Law School, and became a corporate lawyer and high-tech litigation consultant before turning to writing full time.

Sources: hls.harvard.edu (opens in a new tab)kenliu.com (opens in a new tab)

What does “silkpunk” mean in Ken Liu’s work?

Liu coined “silkpunk” to describe a science-fictional technology aesthetic based on engineering traditions from classical East Asia. His version also blends Chinese historical romances and wuxia with Western epic traditions, making invention and technology central to fantasy.

Sources: kenliu.com (opens in a new tab)publishersweekly.com (opens in a new tab)hivemind.modlangs.gatech.edu (opens in a new tab)

What awards has Ken Liu won, and why is he important to science fiction?

His story “The Paper Menagerie” won the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards, becoming the first piece of fiction to win all three. His English translation of Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem also won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the first translated novel to receive that honor.

Sources: kenliu.com (opens in a new tab)nebulas.sfwa.org (opens in a new tab)thehugoawards.org (opens in a new tab)worldfantasy.org (opens in a new tab)