🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Alfred Bester
Alfred Bester was a comic and graphic novel, mystery and thriller, science fiction, and fantasy novelist from New York City. He was born in 1913 to a middle-class and very hardworking shoe salesman that provided a modest living for his family. He remembers that his family has a very liberal attitude towards society and religion when he was growing up. After he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 1935, he enrolled at Columbia University as a postgraduate student of law. He then studied protozoology at the University of New York but quit both colleges without graduating. It was during this time that he met Rolly Goulko, who would, later on, become his wife for many years.
All Book Series by Alfred Bester
Psychoshop
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 1998 Co-authored · Roger Zelazny
The World Treasury of Science Fiction
Book 5 of 7 · published 1958 Co-authored · David G. Hartwell,C.M. Kornbluth
The Unseen Blushers & The Push Of A Finger
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 2025
The Science Fiction Novel
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1959 Co-authored · Robert Bloch,Robert A. Heinlein,C.M. Kornbluth,Basil Davenport
The Life and Death of a Satellite
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 1966
Famous Science-Fiction Stories: Adventures in Time and Space
Series opener · book 1 of 26 · published 1946
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: Ninth Series
Book 3 of 26 · published 1958
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One: 1929-1964
Book 7 of 26 · published 1970
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: 20th Series
Book 10 of 26 · published 1973
The John W. Campbell Memorial Anthology / Astounding
Book 12 of 26 · published 1973
Cosmic Laughter; Science Fiction for the Fun of It
Book 14 of 26 · published 1974
The Arbor House Treasury of Modern Science Fiction / Great Science Fiction of the 20th Century
Book 18 of 26 · published 1980
Laughing Space: An Anthology of Science Fiction Humor
Book 19 of 26 · published 1982
Nature's Warnings: Classic Stories of Eco-Science Fiction
Latest in the series · book 26 of 26 · published 2020
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Alfred Bester?
Alfred Bester was a comic and graphic novel, mystery and thriller, science fiction, and fantasy novelist from New York City. He was born in 1913 to a middle-class and very hardworking shoe salesman that provided a modest living for his family. He remembers that his family has a very liberal attitude towards society and religion when he was growing up.
Which Alfred Bester series should I start with?
Alfred Bester's books stand alone rather than forming a numbered series, so there is no reading order to follow. The natural first pick is The Demolished Man (1952).
How many books has Alfred Bester written?
Alfred Bester has 52 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1942 and 2025. They are filed under 6 categories rather than in numbered series — chiefly Anthologies, Standalone Novels and Collections.
In what order should Alfred Bester's series be read?
No reading order is needed: none of the 52 books catalogued here do not form a numbered series, so any title can be picked up first. Within each category they are listed by publication year.
How are Alfred Bester's books organised into series?
This guide splits Alfred Bester's 52 books into categories rather than numbered series: Anthologies (26 books); Standalone Novels (8 books); Collections (8 books); Short Stories/Novellas (7 books); Non-Fiction (2 books), plus 1 more.