The Maze Runner Books in Order: How Many Are There?
There are five core Maze Runner novels by James Dashner: the trilogy of The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure, plus two prequels, The Kill Order and The Fever Code. A novella, a companion book and a newer sequel series add more.
Most readers should start with the trilogy and read the prequels afterwards, in publication order.
| Book | Year |
|---|---|
| The Maze Runner | 2009 |
| The Scorch Trials | 2010 |
| The Death Cure | 2011 |
| The Kill Order (prequel) | 2012 |
| The Fever Code (prequel) | 2016 |
| Crank Palace (novella) | 2020 |
In what order were the books published?
1. The Maze Runner (October 2009). 2. The Scorch Trials (2010). 3. The Death Cure (October 2011). 4. The Kill Order (2012). 5. The Fever Code (September 2016).
Beyond the five novels there is a short story, Thomas's First Memory of the Flare (2011), a companion book called The Maze Runner Files (2013), and the novella Crank Palace (2020).
↑ Back to the topWhat is the chronological order?
Told by the in-story timeline, the order is The Kill Order, The Fever Code, The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure. The Kill Order is set about 13 years before The Maze Runner, and The Fever Code falls between the two.
Chronological order works best as a re-read. The prequels explain secrets that the trilogy keeps for later, so reading them first spoils the mystery.
↑ Back to the topHow many Maze Runner books are there?
Counting only novels in the original series, five. With the novella and the companion book, seven titles carry the Maze Runner name.
Dashner has also written a continuation, the Maze Cutter series, which begins with The Maze Cutter, set 73 years after the events of The Death Cure. Its second book is The Godhead Complex, and the third is The Infinite Glade. Dashner's own site lists it separately from the original series.
↑ Back to the topWhich book should I read first?
Start with The Maze Runner. It is a complete first story and the book the 2014 film is based on. The first three books were the ones adapted for the film series, while the prequels and the later books were not.
↑ Back to the topMore about The Maze Runner
This guide covers James Dashner's books. The film series differs from the books in places.