🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Mary Roach
Mary Roach is a bestselling author. She resides in New Hampshire and has appeared on television many times. What Mary chooses to write about is unique and frequently engrossing. Her books are fascinating examinations of subjects that range from the science of human cadavers, supernatural connections to the afterlife, or even people and war as a topic. Mary Roach has had her work featured in a number of publications in addition to book form. She has written pieces that have been printed in publications such as Outside, Wired, National Geographic, Discover, the Journal of Clinical Anatomy, and New Scientist. She has also been a member of the Advisory Board at the Mars Institute. Mary has also served on the Usage Panel for the American Heritage Dictionary.
All Book Series by Mary Roach
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 2008
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Book 2 of 5 · published 2010
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife / Six Feet Over
Single-title series · published 2005
My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2013
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law / Animal Vegetable Criminal
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2021
Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy
Single-title series · published 2025
Best Sex Writing 2005
Series opener · book 1 of 7 · published 2005 Anthology · Violet Blue
Best Sex Writing 2008
Book 2 of 7 · published 2007 Anthology · Rachel Kramer Bussel
Best Sex Writing 2012
Book 5 of 7 · published 2012 Anthology · Adrian Colesberry
Best Sex Writing of the Year
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 2015 Anthology · Jon Pressick,Belle Knox,Laura María Agustín
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2010
Series opener · book 1 of 12 · published 2010 Anthology · Tim Folger,Freeman Dyson
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2012
Book 3 of 12 · published 2012 Anthology · Tim Folger,Dan Ariely
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2013
Book 4 of 12 · published 2013 Anthology · Tim Folger,Siddhartha Mukherjee
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2014
Book 5 of 12 · published 2014 Anthology · Tim Folger,Deborah Blum
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015
Book 6 of 12 · published 2015 Anthology · Rebecca Skloot
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2016
Book 7 of 12 · published 2016 Anthology · Tim Folger,Amy Stewart
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2017
Book 8 of 12 · published 2017 Anthology · Tim Folger,Hope Jahren
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2018
Book 9 of 12 · published 2018 Anthology · Tim Folger,Sam Kean
The Best American Science And Nature Writing 2019
Book 10 of 12 · published 2019 Anthology · Sy Montgomery,Jaime Green
The Best American Science And Nature Writing 2020
Book 11 of 12 · published 2020 Anthology · Michio Kaku,Jaime Green
The Best American Science And Nature Writing 2021
Latest in the series · book 12 of 12 · published 2021 Anthology · Ed Yong,Jaime Green
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mary Roach?
Mary Roach is a bestselling author. She resides in New Hampshire and has appeared on television many times. What Mary chooses to write about is unique and frequently engrossing.
Which Mary Roach series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Best Sex Writing series, the earliest of Mary Roach's multi-book series: it opens with Best Sex Writing 2005 (2005) and runs to 7 books across 2005–2015, ending with Best Sex Writing of the Year (2015). Mary Roach's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Mary Roach written?
Mary Roach has 30 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2003 and 2025. 28 of them belong to 6 named series — the largest being the Best American Science and Nature Writing series with 12 books — and 2 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Mary Roach's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Mary Roach's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Mary Roach Medical (2003, 1 book), Best Sex Writing (2005–2015, 7 books) and Mary Roach Supernatural Research (2005, 1 book), plus 3 more.
How are Mary Roach's books organised into series?
This guide splits Mary Roach's 30 books into 6 named series and 2 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Best American Science and Nature Writing (12 books, 2010–2021); Best Sex Writing (7 books, 2005–2015); Mary Roach Scientific Research (5 books, 2008–2022); Mary Roach Humor (2 books, 2013–2021); Mary Roach Medical (1 book, 2003), plus 1 further series.