Chaos Chronicles books in order

All 8 books in Jeffrey A. Carver's Chaos Chronicles series in reading order, a first-contact saga beginning on Neptune's moon Triton.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Neptune Crossing 1994 Jeffrey A. Carver Buy
2 Atractores Estranhos 1995 Jeffrey A. Carver N/A
3 Strange Attractors 1995 Jeffrey A. Carver Buy
4 O Mar Infinito 1996 Jeffrey A. Carver N/A
5 The Infinite Sea 1996 Jeffrey A. Carver Buy
6 Sunborn 2008 Jeffrey A. Carver Buy
7 The Reefs of Time 2019 Jeffrey A. Carver Buy
8 Crucible of Time 2019 Jeffrey A. Carver Buy

The Chaos Chronicles is Jeffrey A. Carver’s most expansive series, running from 1994’s Neptune Crossing through to Crucible of Time in 2019. The story begins when John Bandicut, a human surveyor on Triton, is contacted by an alien entity called a quarx that takes up residence in his mind. Together they must prevent a comet from striking Earth, an act that catapults Bandicut far from the solar system and into contact with civilizations he never imagined.

As the series progresses through Strange Attractors, The Infinite Sea, and Sunborn, Bandicut and his growing circle of alien companions face increasingly large-scale threats. The books deal with sentient oceans, living stars, and deep-time mysteries left behind by vanished civilizations. After a long gap following Sunborn in 2008, Carver returned to the series with The Reefs of Time and Crucible of Time in 2019, picking up the story threads fans had been waiting over a decade to see resolved. Note that some entries in the list are Portuguese-language editions of the same books (Atractores Estranhos is Strange Attractors; O Mar Infinito is The Infinite Sea).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Chaos Chronicles series?

There are eight books in the Chaos Chronicles series, published between 1994 and 2019.

What is the first book in the Chaos Chronicles series?

The first book in the Chaos Chronicles series is Neptune Crossing, published in 1994.

What is the Chaos Chronicles series about?

The series follows John Bandicut, a surveyor working on Neptune’s moon Triton who makes contact with an alien intelligence called a quarx. This encounter pulls him into a journey across the galaxy, where he faces ancient technologies, hostile aliens, and cosmic-scale dangers. The story blends hard science fiction concepts with a sense of personal discovery.

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