Hainish Cycle Books in Order

This page lists the complete Hainish Cycle reading order by Ursula K. Le Guin, with book numbers, publication years, and a publication-order view for readers who want to start at the beginning.

Updated 2026-06-22 / 8 books / 1966-2000

Hainish Cycle Reading Order

01 Rocannon's World 1966 Buy

02 Planet of Exile 1966 Buy

03 City of Illusions 1967 Buy

04 The Left Hand of Darkness 1969 Buy

05 The Word for World is Forest 1972 Buy

06 The Dispossessed 1974 Buy

07 Four Ways to Forgiveness 1994 Buy

08 The Telling 2000 Buy

Hainish Cycle Books by Publication Order

1966 Rocannon's World #1

1966 Planet of Exile #2

1967 City of Illusions #3

1969 The Left Hand of Darkness #4

1972 The Word for World is Forest #5

1974 The Dispossessed #6

1994 Four Ways to Forgiveness #7

2000 The Telling #8

Questions readers ask

What is the correct Hainish Cycle reading order?

The Hainish Cycle reading order on this page follows the numbered series order where available, with publication years shown beside each book.

How many Hainish Cycle books are there?

This catalog currently lists 8 Hainish Cycle books published across 1966-2000.

Who writes the Hainish Cycle books?

Hainish Cycle is listed as a book series by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Should I read Hainish Cycle in publication order?

For most readers, publication order is the safest way to read Hainish Cycle. If a separate series order is available, this page shows that order first and publication years beside each title.

More by Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin books in order and complete bibliography ->

Source note: Sequencebooks organizes author, book, and series records from its catalog data. Publication years and series order are shown when available.