Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Jewel-Hinged Jaw | 1977 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 2 | The American Shore | 1978 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 3 | Heavenly Breakfast | 1979 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 4 | Starboard Wine | 1984 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 5 | The Motion of Light in Water | 1988 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 6 | Wagner Artaud | 1988 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 7 | The Straits of Messina | 1989 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 8 | Silent Interviews | 1994 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 9 | Longer Views | 1996 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 10 | Times Square Red, Times Square Blue | 1999 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 11 | 1984 | 2000 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 12 | Shorter Views | 2000 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 13 | Black Gay Man | 2001 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 14 | About Writing | 2006 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 15 | Conversations with Samuel R. Delany | 2009 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 16 | The Atheist in the Attic | 2018 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 17 | Letters from Amherst | 2019 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 18 | Frederick Weston & Samuel R. Delany in Conversation | 2021 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 19 | Occasional Views, Volume 1 | 2021 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 20 | Of Solids and Surds | 2021 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 21 | Occasional Views, Volume 2 | 2021 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
| 22 | The Tragedy of Ophelia: Two Essays | 2021 | Samuel R. Delany | Buy |
Samuel R. Delany is one of the most respected figures in science fiction, and his non-fiction output is nearly as substantial as his fiction. These 22 volumes span over four decades, from The Jewel-Hinged Jaw in 1977 to the Occasional Views volumes in 2021.
His literary criticism, particularly The Jewel-Hinged Jaw, Starboard Wine, and The American Shore, helped shape how readers and scholars think about science fiction as a genre. The Motion of Light in Water is a memoir covering his early years as a young Black gay writer in 1960s New York. About Writing offers practical advice for aspiring authors. His later works, including Letters from Amherst and the two volumes of Occasional Views, gather a lifetime of essays, lectures, and critical thinking. For readers interested in the intellectual side of science fiction, Delany’s non-fiction is essential reading.