Author guide
Timothy Zahn Books in Order
Timothy Zahn is an American science-fiction and fantasy author whose career began with magazine short fiction in the late 1970s. He won the 1984 Hugo Award for Best Novella for Cascade Point and has written novels, novellas, short-fiction collections, graphic works, and media tie-ins, including the Star Wars Thrawn novels, the Cobra, Blackcollar, Conquerors, Dragonback, Quadrail, Icarus, and Sibyl's War series, and collaborations in the Manticore Ascendant and Basil and Moebius settings.
science fictionfantasyspace operamilitary science fictionthrillerhorroryoung adult
Timothy Zahn's Newest Book
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
The Blackcollar
Start of the Blackcollar trilogy.
Cobra
Start of the original Cobra trilogy.
Conquerors' Pride
Start of The Conquerors Saga.
The Icarus Plot
Start of the modern Icarus sequence; The Icarus Hunt is an optional earlier prequel.
A Call to Duty
Start of Manticore Ascendant.
Dragon and Thief
Start of the Dragonback young-adult series.
Night Train to Rigel
Start of the Quadrail series.
Pawn
Start of Sibyl's War.
Heir to the Empire
Best starting point for Zahn's Star Wars novels and the original Thrawn continuity.
Thrawn
Starting point for Zahn's current canon Thrawn trilogy.
A Coming of Age
A representative standalone original novel.
Read in order
Books by series
novel-series · complete
Blackcollar
A trilogy about genetically and technologically enhanced soldiers resisting an interstellar authoritarian regime.
novel-series · complete
Cobra
The original Cobra trilogy about augmented human soldiers defending colony worlds from the Dominion of Man and the Troft.
novel-series · complete
Cobra War
The second Cobra trilogy, following a new interstellar conflict involving the Cobras, the Dominion, and the Troft.
novel-series · complete
Cobra Rebellion
The third Cobra trilogy, continuing the military space-opera conflict surrounding the Cobras and the Troft.
novel-series · complete
The Conquerors Saga
A trilogy about a disastrous first contact that develops into an interstellar war.
novel-series · ongoing
Icarus Saga
A space-adventure series centered on con artist and troubleshooter Frank Compton and the Icarus missions.
- 0
The Icarus HuntAmazon ↗Book 0 · novel · 1999 Optional
- 1 The Icarus PlotAmazon ↗
Book 1 · novel · 2022
- 2
The Icarus TwinAmazon ↗Book 2 · novel · 2023
- 3
The Icarus JobAmazon ↗Book 3 · novel · 2024
- 4
The Icarus ChangelingAmazon ↗Book 4 · novel · 2024
- 5
The Icarus NeedleAmazon ↗Book 5 · novel · 2024
- 6
The Icarus CodaAmazon ↗Book 6 · novel · 2025
novel-series · ongoing
Manticore Ascendant
A Honorverse military-space-opera series co-written with David Weber and Thomas Pope about the early Royal Manticoran Navy.
young-adult-novel-series · complete
Dragonback
A young-adult space-adventure series about orphan Jack Morgan and the alien dragon-like symbiont Draycos.
- 1 Dragon and ThiefAmazon ↗
Book 1 · young-adult-novel · 2003
- 2
Dragon and SoldierAmazon ↗Book 2 · young-adult-novel · 2004
- 3
Dragon and SlaveAmazon ↗Book 3 · young-adult-novel · 2005
- 4
Dragon and HerdsmanAmazon ↗Book 4 · young-adult-novel · 2006
- 5
Dragon and JudgeAmazon ↗Book 5 · young-adult-novel · 2007
- 6
Dragon and LiberatorAmazon ↗Book 6 · young-adult-novel · 2008
media-tie-in-novel-series · complete
Terminator Salvation
A pair of novels set in the Terminator Salvation future war setting.
novel-series · complete
Quadrail
The Frank Compton space-mystery series, named for the faster-than-light transportation network linking the human worlds.
novel-series · complete
Sibyl's War
A trilogy about a woman whose enhanced predictive abilities make her a valuable and contested military asset.
media-tie-in-novel-series · complete
StarCraft
A science-fiction media-tie-in novel set in the StarCraft universe.
- 1
StarCraft: EvolutionAmazon ↗Book 1 · media-tie-in-novel · 2016
media-tie-in-novel-series · complete
Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy
The original Thrawn trilogy chronicling the New Republic's confrontation with Grand Admiral Thrawn.
media-tie-in-novel-series · complete
Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn Duology
A duology concerning the apparent return of Thrawn and the political crisis facing the New Republic.
media-tie-in-novel-series · complete
Star Wars: Thrawn
The canon Thrawn trilogy following Thrawn's rise through the Imperial hierarchy and his relationship with Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader.
media-tie-in-novel-series · complete
Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy
A prequel trilogy set in the Chiss Ascendancy and focused on Thrawn's early career.
short-fiction-series · ongoing
Basil and Moebius Mission File
Standalone paranormal-adventure stories about the thieves Basil Fox and Alaric Moebius.
comic-series · complete
Star-Lord
A three-issue Marvel comic series written by Zahn with artist Dan Lawlis.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (17)
-
Survivor's QuestAmazon ↗media-tie-in-novel · 2004
-
Outbound FlightAmazon ↗media-tie-in-novel · 2006
-
AllegianceAmazon ↗media-tie-in-novel · 2007
- Choices of OneAmazon ↗
media-tie-in-novel · 2011
- ScoundrelsAmazon ↗
media-tie-in-novel · 2012
- A Coming of AgeAmazon ↗
novel · 1984
-
SpinneretAmazon ↗novel · 1985
-
TripletAmazon ↗novel · 1987
-
Deadman SwitchAmazon ↗novel · 1988
-
WarhorseAmazon ↗novel · 1990
-
AngelmassAmazon ↗novel · 2001
-
Manta's GiftAmazon ↗novel · 2002
-
The Green and the GrayAmazon ↗novel · 2004
-
SoulminderAmazon ↗novel · 2014
- CloakAmazon ↗
novel · 2015
-
Ghost Riders in the SkyAmazon ↗novella · 2020
- Mara Jade: By the Emperor's HandAmazon ↗
graphic-novel · 1999
Collaborations (1)
-
Battle LunaAmazon ↗co-authored-novel · 2020
Other (8)
-
Cascade Point and Other StoriesAmazon ↗collection · 1986
- Time Bomb and Zahndry OthersAmazon ↗
collection · 1988
-
Distant Friends and OthersAmazon ↗collection · 1992
- Star Song and Other StoriesAmazon ↗
collection · 2002
-
Pawn's Gambit: And Other StratagemsAmazon ↗collection · 2016
-
The Battle of Space Fort Jefferson and Other StoriesAmazon ↗collection · 2024
-
The Art of War and Other StoriesAmazon ↗collection · 2025
- Distant TelepathsAmazon ↗
collection · 2025