Author guide

N. K. Jemisin Books in Order

N. K. Jemisin is an American author of speculative fiction whose novels and short fiction explore resistance, oppression, belonging, and transformation. Her work includes the Inheritance Trilogy, Dreamblood Duology, Broken Earth trilogy, Great Cities series, short-story collections, nonfiction, and graphic fiction. She was the first author to win three consecutive Hugo Awards for Best Novel and is a MacArthur Fellow.

fantasyscience fictionspeculative fictionhorrorurban fantasynonfictiongraphic fiction

Catalog record updated August 25, 2026.

N. K. Jemisin's Newest Book

The World We Make

novel · First published 2022

Every great city has a soul. A human avatar that embodies their city’s heart and wields its magic. New York? She’s got six. But all is not well in the city that never sleeps. Though Brooklyn, Manny, Bronca, Venezia, Padmini, and Neek have temporarily managed to stop the Woman in White from invading–and destroying the entire universe in the process–the mysterious capital “E” Enemy has more subtle powers at her disposal. A new candidate for mayor wielding the populist rhetoric of gentrification, xenophobia, and “law and order” may have what it takes to change the very nature of New York itself and take it down from the inside. In order to defeat him, and the Enemy who holds his purse strings, the avatars will have to join together with the other Great Cities of the world in order to bring her down for good and protect their world from complete destruction.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

The Fifth Season

The strongest entry point for Jemisin's science-fantasy and the complete Broken Earth trilogy.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

The opening of her debut Inheritance fantasy series.

The City We Became

An accessible entry point to her contemporary urban fantasy.

How Long 'Til Black Future Month?

The best starting point for her short fiction.

Read in order

Books by series

trilogy · complete

The Inheritance Trilogy

A fantasy series centered on gods, godlings, demons, and mortal kingdoms, including a sequel novella and companion story collection.

Series guide →

1
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Book 1 · novel · 2010

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the…
2
The Broken Kingdoms
Book 2 · novel · 2010

A man with no memory of his past and a struggling, blind street artist will face off against the will of the gods as the secrets of this stranger's past are revealed in the sequel to The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, the debut novel of NYT…
3
The Kingdom of Gods
Book 3 · novel · 2011

Shahar and the godling Sieh must face off against the terrible magic threatening to consume their world in the incredible conclusion to the Inheritance Trilogy, from Hugo award-winning and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin. For two…
4
The Awakened Kingdom
Book 4 · novella · 2014 Optional
5
Shades in Shadow
Book 5 · short_story_collection · 2015 Optional

From the shadows of the greater stories, away from the bright light of Sky and wending 'round the sagas of the Arameri, come three quieter tales. A newborn god with an old, old soul struggles to find a reason to live. A powerful demon…

duology · complete

The Dreamblood Duology

A fantasy duology set in the ancient city-state of Gujaareh and the realm of dream magic.

Series guide →

1
The Killing Moon
Book 1 · novel · 2012

**FOLLOWING HER SERIES, HUGO, NEBULA, AND WORLD FANTASY-NOMINATED DEBUT SERIES, N. K. JEMISIN RETURNS WITH A CAPTIVATING NEW TALE.** In the ancient city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law. Upon its rooftops and among the shadows of…
2
The Shadowed Sun
Book 2 · novel · 2012

Gujaareh, the city of dreams, suffers under the imperial rule of the Kisuati Protectorate. A city where the only law was peace now knows violence and oppression. And nightmares: a mysterious and deadly plague haunts the citizens of…

trilogy · complete

The Broken Earth Trilogy

A science-fantasy trilogy about a world repeatedly devastated by catastrophic geological seasons and the people who seek to change it.

Series guide →

1
The Fifth Season
Book 1 · novel · 2015

It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds…
2
The Obelisk Gate
Book 2 · novel · 2016

Essun's missing daughter grows more powerful every day, and her choices may destroy the world in this "magnificent" Hugo Award winner and NYT Notable Book. (NPR) The season of endings grows darker, as civilization fades into the long cold…
3
The Stone Sky
Book 3 · novel · 2017

The Moon will soon return. Whether this heralds the destruction of humankind or something worse will depend on two women. Essun has inherited the power of Alabaster Tenring. With it, she hopes to find her daughter Nassun and forge a world…

series · ongoing

The Great Cities

An ongoing urban-fantasy series in which cities possess avatars and defend themselves against ancient forces.

Series guide →

1
The City We Became
Book 1 · novel · 2020

Three-time Hugo Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N.K. Jemisin crafts her most incredible novel yet, a "glorious" story of culture, identity, magic, and myths in contemporary New York City. In Manhattan, a young grad…
2
The World We Make
Book 2 · novel · 2022

Every great city has a soul. A human avatar that embodies their city’s heart and wields its magic. New York? She’s got six. But all is not well in the city that never sleeps. Though Brooklyn, Manny, Bronca, Venezia, Padmini, and Neek have…

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Sort works

Novels (4)

Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture
nonfiction · 2011

Computer nerds are our titans of industry; comic-book superheroes are our Hollywood idols; the Internet is our night on the town. Clearly, geeks know something about life in the 21st century that other folks don't something we all can…
Mass Effect: Andromeda—Initiation
novel · 2017

La préquelle officielle du jeu vidéo à succès Mass Effect : Andromeda L’Initiative Andromeda a pour objectif d’expédier une flotte d’arches coloniale vers la galaxie d’Andromède, chacune transportant une race du Conseil. Lorsque des…
Emergency Skin
novella · 2019

An explorer returns to gather information from a climate-ravaged Earth that his ancestors, and others among the planet’s finest, fled centuries ago. The mission comes with a warning: a graveyard world awaits him. But so do those left…
Far Sector
graphic_novel · 2019

Acclaimed, award-winning author N.K. Jemisin (The Fifth Season, The City We Became) makes her comic book debut with bestselling artist Jamal Campbell (Naomi) as they thrust you into a stunning sci-fi murder mystery on the other side of…

Short fiction (1)

How Long 'Til Black Future Month?
short_story_collection · 2018

Three-time Hugo Award winner and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin challenges and delights readers with thought-provoking narratives of destruction, rebirth, and redemption that sharply examine modern society in her first collection of…

Edited works (1)

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018
edited_anthology · 2018

Today’s readers of science fiction and fantasy have an appetite for stories that address a wide variety of voices, perspectives, and styles. There is an openness to experiment and pushing boundaries, combined with the classic desire to…

Frequently asked questions about N. K. Jemisin

What does the “N” in N. K. Jemisin stand for?

The “N” stands for Nora; Jemisin’s official author biography styles her name as N(ora). K. Jemisin.

Source: nkjemisin.com (opens in a new tab)

What did N. K. Jemisin do before becoming a full-time writer?

She worked for about 20 years in higher education as an applied counseling psychologist. In 2016, she left that career to write full time.

Source: nkjemisin.com (opens in a new tab)

What influenced N. K. Jemisin’s writing?

Jemisin has cited mythology and epic fantasy rooted in created myth as major influences, including works by Louise Cooper, Michael Moorcock, C. S. Friedman, Tanith Lee, and Storm Constantine. She also draws on mythic histories and subjects such as the Haitian Revolution.

Sources: sfwa.org (opens in a new tab)theparisreview.org (opens in a new tab)

Which major awards has N. K. Jemisin won?

She became the first author to win three consecutive Hugo Awards for Best Novel, winning in 2016, 2017, and 2018. She has also won a Nebula Award and two Locus Awards and received a MacArthur Fellowship.

Sources: nkjemisin.com (opens in a new tab)thehugoawards.org (opens in a new tab)thehugoawards.org (opens in a new tab)thehugoawards.org (opens in a new tab)macfound.org (opens in a new tab)

Why is N. K. Jemisin considered influential in speculative fiction?

Her fiction broadens representation in speculative fiction while examining structural racism, environmental crises, family, and social inequality. The MacArthur Foundation also credits her published work, world-building workshops, interviews, and public engagement with broadening participation in the field.

Source: macfound.org (opens in a new tab)