The Carls books in order

The Carls series by Hank Green follows the discovery of mysterious alien sculptures and the global chaos that follows in a two-book science fiction duology.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 An Absolutely Remarkable Thing 2018 Hank Green Buy
2 Naprosto pozoruhodná věc 2019 Hank Green N/A
3 Bonker Doesn’t Die 2021 Hank Green N/A
4 A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor 2020 Hank Green Buy
5 Um esforço lindo e fútil 2022 Hank Green N/A
6 A Supplementally Useful Publication 2020 Hank Green N/A

The Carls series consists primarily of two novels: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (2018) and A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (2020). The story begins when April May, a twenty-something New Yorker, stumbles across a mysterious giant sculpture and films a video about it that goes massively viral. The sculptures turn out to be worldwide, and April’s fame becomes as complicated as the alien mystery itself.

The second book expands the story from April’s personal experience to a broader examination of how humanity handles the unknown. Green uses the science fiction premise to write about very real questions: what does instant celebrity do to a person, and what happens when powerful technology falls into the hands of people with competing agendas. Additional companion publications like Bonker Doesn’t Die (2021) and A Supplementally Useful Publication (2020) offer extra material for fans.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the The Carls series?

There are six books in the The Carls series, published between 2018 and 2022.

What is the first book in the The Carls series?

The first book in the The Carls series is An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, published in 2018.

What are the Carls?

The Carls are identical ten-foot-tall sculptures that appear simultaneously in cities around the world. Nobody knows where they came from or what they want. The name ‘Carl’ was given to the first one by the protagonist, April May, and it stuck.

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