Universe books in order

Reading order

Terry Carr edited the Universe anthology series from its first volume in 1971 through to volume 17 in 1987, making it one of the longer-running original anthology series in American science fiction. Unlike reprint anthologies that collected already-published work, Universe featured original stories written for each volume, giving it a role similar to a magazine in providing a regular market for short science fiction. Carr was an influential editor whose taste shaped the series throughout its run.

The series published work from a wide range of writers over its seventeen volumes, and the progression of the table of contents across the run reflects changes in science fiction during the 1970s and 1980s, from the tail end of the New Wave through the emergence of cyberpunk and other new directions. Robinson’s short fiction appeared in the series during the early to mid-1980s, when he was establishing himself as a short story writer alongside his early novel work.

For readers interested in the history of science fiction short fiction, the Universe anthologies offer a useful record of what original short SF looked like across nearly two decades. The complete run of seventeen volumes is a substantial archive of the period.