Outlander Reading Order
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Outlander | 1991 | Buy |
| Dragonfly in Amber | 1992 | Buy |
| Voyager | 1993 | Buy |
| Drums of Autumn | 1996 | Buy |
| The Fiery Cross | 2001 | Buy |
| A Breath of Snow and Ashes | 2005 | Buy |
| An Echo in the Bone | 2009 | Buy |
| Written in My Own Heart’s Blood | 2014 | Buy |
| Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone | 2021 | Buy |
Diana Gabaldon was a university professor with a PhD in ecology when she decided to write a novel for practice. She had no intention of publishing it. She picked the 18th century because she liked the clothes and Scotland because she’d seen a Doctor Who episode set there. The “practice novel” became Outlander, published in 1991.
The book defies easy categorization. It’s a romance, but also historical fiction, adventure, and science fiction. Claire Randall, a World War II nurse, touches a standing stone in Scotland and finds herself in 1743. She meets Jamie Fraser, a Scottish warrior, and gets caught up in the Jacobite rising. Gabaldon researched the period obsessively, filling her books with accurate historical detail.
Each novel runs long. A Breath of Snow and Ashes tops 1,400 pages. Gabaldon writes slowly and thoroughly, refusing to rush. Fans wait years between installments. The series has sold over 25 million copies worldwide, and Gabaldon maintains the main story will conclude with a tenth book.
Starz adapted the novels starting in 2014. The show ran for seven seasons, becoming one of the network’s biggest hits. It attracted viewers who’d never read the books while satisfying most fans of the source material.
Gabaldon also writes a companion series featuring Lord John Grey, a secondary character from the main novels. These shorter books fill gaps in the Outlander timeline.