Hermann Hesse Short Story Collections books in order

All of Hermann Hesse's short story collections and poetry volumes in publication order, including fairy tales, poems, and collected stories.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Strange News from Another Star 1918 Hermann Hesse Buy
2 Poems 1971 Hermann Hesse Buy
3 Stories of Five Decades 1972 Hermann Hesse Buy
4 Hours in the Garden and Other Poems 1979 Hermann Hesse Buy
5 Siddhartha, Demian, and Other Writings 1992 Hermann Hesse Buy
6 The Fairy Tales of Hermann Hesse 1995 Hermann Hesse Buy
7 Early Poems 2017 Hermann Hesse Buy
8 Trees 2022 Hermann Hesse Buy

Alongside his novels, Hesse produced a large body of short fiction and poetry. Strange News from Another Star (1918) collects fairy tales written during World War I that blend surrealist imagery with moral questioning. Stories of Five Decades (1972) is a posthumous collection offering a broad survey of his shorter prose, from early realist sketches to later, more dreamlike narratives.

Hesse was also a lifelong poet. Several volumes collect his verse, including Poems (1971) and Hours in the Garden and Other Poems (1979). His poetry tends to be lyrical and meditative, often reflecting on nature, solitude, and the passage of time. The Fairy Tales of Hermann Hesse (1995) and Trees (2022) are later compilations that have introduced new generations to his shorter work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Hermann Hesse Short Story Collections series?

There are eight books in the Hermann Hesse Short Story Collections series, published between 1918 and 2022.

What is the first book in the Hermann Hesse Short Story Collections series?

The first book in the Hermann Hesse Short Story Collections series is Strange News from Another Star, published in 1918.

What kind of short fiction did Hermann Hesse write?

Hesse wrote fairy tales, lyric poetry, and autobiographical short stories throughout his career. His fairy tales blend European folklore with Eastern mysticism, while his stories often deal with artists, outsiders, and seekers struggling against social conformity. Several posthumous collections gather work from across his five decades of writing.

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