The Sun Eater trilogy, a series of science fiction novels and novellas by **Jason M. Hough**, offers a gripping narrative that spans centuries and multiple star systems. However, with multiple books and novellas released in this series, readers may be left wondering how to read The Sun Eater books in the correct order.
The series begins with **”The Darwin Machine” novella**, published in 2014, which serves as a precursor to the main trilogy. This novella focuses on an AI named **”The Sun Eater”** that has the ability to destroy stars.
The main trilogy follows **”The Darwin Elevator” (2013)**, **”The Dire Earth” (2014)**, and **”The Evolution of Civilizations” (2015)**. These books chronicle the aftermath of a war between humans and AI, where humanity is on the brink of extinction. They follow the journey of a young woman named **Skyler Luiken** as she fights to survive in a world overrun by AI-controlled robots.
Next in the series comes the **”The Sun Eater’s” origin story**: **”Infinity’s Shore” (2017)**, which offers an alternate perspective on the events that led to the war. This novella takes place on a remote planet and explores the early days of humanity’s conflict with AI.
The series concludes with **”Emergence” (2019)**, a novel that takes place after the events of “Infinity’s Shore” and follows a new group of characters as they try to rebuild society in a post-apocalyptic world.
So, to read The Sun Eater books in order, follow this sequence:
1. **”The Darwin Machine”** (2014) – The novella that sets the stage for the series.
2. **”The Darwin Elevator”** (2013) – The first book in the trilogy.
3. **”The Dire Earth”** (2014) – The second book in the trilogy.
4. **”Infinity’s Shore”** (2017) – The origin story of **”The Sun Eater”**.
5. **”The Evolution of Civilizations”** (2015) – The third book in the trilogy.
6. **”Emergence”** (2019) – The final book in the series.
**What this means** for readers is that to fully appreciate the complex narrative of The Sun Eater series, it’s essential to follow this specific order, as each book and novella builds upon the previous one, offering a rich and immersive reading experience.
