📖 About Hainish

Hainish is a series universe written by Ursula K. Le Guin. The complete collection runs to 8 books across 1 series, published between 1966 and 2000.

The main series is Publication Order of Hainish Cycle Books with 8 books. It opens with Rocannon's World (1966) and currently runs to The Telling (2000).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Hainish

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: Rocannon's World (1966), book 1 of Publication Order of Hainish Cycle Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 1 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Hainish Books in Order

Publication Order of Hainish Cycle Books
8 books
1
Rocannon's World book cover1Rocannon's World1966Buy on Amazon
Planet of Exile book cover2Planet of Exile1966Buy on Amazon
City of Illusions book cover3City of Illusions1967Buy on Amazon
The Left Hand of Darkness book cover4The Left Hand of Darkness1969Buy on Amazon
The Word for World is Forest book cover5The Word for World is Forest1972Buy on Amazon
The Dispossessed book cover6The Dispossessed1974Buy on Amazon
Four Ways to Forgiveness book cover7Four Ways to Forgiveness1994Buy on Amazon
The Telling book cover8The Telling2000Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Hainish books are there?
There are 8 books in the Hainish collection, organised into 1 series and published between 1966 and 2000.
What is the first Hainish book?
The first book is Rocannon's World, published in 1966.
What order should I read the Hainish books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Hainish books?
The Hainish books were written by Ursula K. Le Guin.
Is the Hainish series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Hainish Cycle Books, has 8 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Hainish series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1966, and the most recent in 2000.