Tom McCarthy Standalone Novels books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Tom McCarthy Standalone Novels series?"

"There are five books in the Tom McCarthy Standalone Novels series, published between 2005 and 2021."

Q: "What is the first book in the Tom McCarthy Standalone Novels series?"

"The first book in the Tom McCarthy Standalone Novels series is Remainder, published in 2005."

Q: "Which Tom McCarthy novel should I start with?"

"Remainder (2005) is the most accessible entry point, a gripping exploration of obsession and authenticity. C (2010) and Satin Island (2015) are more formally ambitious and were both shortlisted for the Booker Prize."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Remainder	2005	Tom McCarthy	Buy
2	Men in Space	2007	Tom McCarthy	Buy
3	C	2010	Tom McCarthy	Buy
4	Satin Island	2015	Tom McCarthy	Buy
5	The Making of Incarnation	2021	Tom McCarthy	Buy

Tom McCarthy’s five standalone novels push at the boundaries of what fiction can do. Remainder (2005) is a study of obsessive reenactment, Men in Space (2007) follows the theft of an icon across Cold War-era Central Europe, and C (2010) traces a character through the birth of radio, the trenches of World War I, and the tombs of Egypt.

Satin Island (2015) condenses its ideas into a corporate anthropologist’s failed attempt at a grand theory of the present, while The Making of Incarnation (2021) explores motion capture technology and the relationship between bodies and data. Each novel treats narrative itself as a subject worth questioning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Tom McCarthy Standalone Novels series?

There are five books in the Tom McCarthy Standalone Novels series, published between 2005 and 2021.

What is the first book in the Tom McCarthy Standalone Novels series?

The first book in the Tom McCarthy Standalone Novels series is Remainder, published in 2005.

Which Tom McCarthy novel should I start with?

Remainder (2005) is the most accessible entry point, a gripping exploration of obsession and authenticity. C (2010) and Satin Island (2015) are more formally ambitious and were both shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order