In 1985, DC decided to combine all the infinite worlds of its multiverse into a single universe.
This Reading Order lays out this combined universe, book by book, guided by the amazing work at The Unauthorized Chronology of the DC Universe. It also includes those books published under the Vertigo banner that nonetheless take place in the DC Universe – such books are marked Vertigo in the Reading Order.
It also, since it didn’t take long for the universe to splinter back into a multiverse again, includes some of those worlds too.
The Main Universe
[notmobile]
[/notmobile]
[mobileonly]
- -– Before the Twentieth Century
- -– The Twentieth Century
- -– Year One
- -– Year Two
- -– Year Three
- -– Year Four
- -– Year Five
- -– Year Six
- -– Year Seven
- -– Year Eight
- -– Year Nine
- -– Year Ten
- -– Year Eleven
[/mobileonly]
Other Universes
[notmobile]
[/notmobile]
[mobileonly]
The complete Aliens Versus Predator franchise Continue reading
The canonical films of the Alien franchise.
2089-93
- Prometheus
- The 2012 film on Blu-ray.
Prometheus is possibly also canonical in the Blade Runner universe.
2100
- Alien: Covenant – Origins
- Tie-in novel by Alan Dean Foster, published in 2017.
Must take place shortly after the merger of Weylend and Yutani in 2099.
2104
- Alien: Covenant
- The 2017 film on Blu-ray.
2122
- Alien
- The 1979 film on Blu-ray.
- Jonesy: Nine Lives on the Nostromo
- Tie-in comic by Rory Lucey, published in 2018.
Parallels the events of the movie from the point of view of the cat.
2137
- Alien: Isolation
- The 2014 game for Xbox 360. (Also available for PS4, PS3 & Xbox One.)
- Alien: Blackout
- Mobile phone game released in 2019, follows the events of Isolation.
- Aliens: Defiance, vol.1
- Reprints Aliens: Defiance #1-6 (April 2016 – October 2016).
- Aliens: Defiance, vol.2
- Reprints Aliens: Defiance #7-12 (December 2016 – June 2017).
2139
- Alien: Prototype
- Tie-in novel by Tim Waggoner, published in 2019.
2140
- Alien: Resistance
- Reprints Aliens: Resistance #1-4 (January 2019 – April 2019).
2159
- Alien: Out of the Shadows
- Tie-in novel by Tim Lebbon, published in 2014.
2166
- Aliens: Vasquez
- Tie-in novel by V. Castro, published in 2022.
Concludes in this year
2172
- Alien: Echo
- Tie-in young adult novel by Mira Grant, published in 2019.
2178
- Reclamation
- Tie-in short story by Yvonne Navarro, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story must occur before the film Aliens.
- Blowback
- Tie-in short story by Christopher Golden, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story must occur before the film Aliens.
- Broken
- Tie-in short story by Rachel Caine, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story must occur before the film Aliens.
- Exterminators
- Tie-in short story by Matt Forbeck, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story must occur before the film Aliens.
2179
- Alien: River of Pain
- Tie-in novel by Christopher Golden, published in 2014.
Occurs shortly before Aliens.
- No Good Deed
- Tie-in short story by Ray Garton, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Occurs during River of Pain but is best read after.
- Aliens
- The 1986 film on Blu-ray.
- Dark Mother
- Tie-in short story by David Farland, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Occurs during Aliens but is best read after.
- Alien 3
- The 1992 film on Blu-ray.
2180
- Zero to Hero
- Tie-in short story by Weston Ochse, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story must occur after the film Aliens.
- Deep Background
- Tie-in short story by Keith R.A. Candido, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story must occur after the film Aliens.
- Empty Nest
- Tie-in short story by Brian Keene, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story must occur after the film Aliens.
- Darkness Falls
- Tie-in short story by Heather Graham, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story must occur after the film Aliens.
- The Cold Forge
- Tie-in novel by Alex White, published in 2018.
Has a first chapter that takes place in 2179, but the majority of the book takes place the following year.
2181
- Chance Encounter
- Tie-in short story by Paul Kupperberg, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story appears to occur after the other Bug Hunt stories.
- Hugs to Die For
- Tie-in short story by Mike Resnick and Marina J. Lostetter, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story appears to occur after the other Bug Hunt stories.
- Dangerous Prey
- Tie-in short story by Scott Sigler, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date is approximate, but this story appears to occur after the other Bug Hunt stories.
2184
- Into Charybdis
- Tie-in novel by Alex White, published in 2021.
Date specified in story.
2185
- Aliens: Dust to Dust
- Comic by Gabriel Hardman & Rain Beredo, published in 2019.
Date is approximate, but this story appears to occur a few years after Alien 3.
2186
- Colony War
- Tie-in novel by Alex White, published in 2021.
Date specified in story.
2187
- Alien: Inferno’s Fall
- Tie-in novel by Philippa Ballantyne, published in 2022.
Date specified in story.
- Alien: Enemy of my Enemy
- Tie-in novel by Mary Sangiovanni, published in 2023.
Date specified in story.
2189
- Deep Black
- Short story by Jonathan Maberry, published in 2017 in Aliens: Bug Hunt.
Date specified in the story as ten years after Alien 3.
2202
- Aliens: Infiltrator
- Novel by Weston Ochse, published in 2021.
A prequel to Fireteam Elite, date specified in story.
- Aliens: Fireteam Elite
- Console game released in 2021, date specified in game.
2295
- Aliens: Dead Orbit
- Date given in story.
2379
- Alien: Resurrection
- The 1997 film on Blu-ray.
2496-97
- Alien: Sea of Sorrows
- Tie-in novel by James A. Moore, published in 2014.
date unknown
- Aliens: Phalanx
- Tie-in novel by Scott Sigler, published in 2020.
-
- Note: the Aliens Vs Predator films are not considered canonical in the Aliens universe due to conflicting details between them and Prometheus. A Chronology for the AVP universe can be found here.
The canonical stories of the Predator franchise.
Continue reading
Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck’s epic space opera series.
Unless otherwise mentioned, all stories are written by Abraham and Franck under their pseudonym James S.A. Corey.
- The Martian
- Novel written by Andy Weir, published 2011.
There is a reference to a ship from Mars named after the main character of this novel, Mark Watney, in Babylon’s Ashes, suggesting that its events may have taken place in this universe. It’s a reasonable fit chronologically and tonally, so why not?
- Drive
- Short story published November 27, 2012.
- The Churn
- Short story published April 29, 2014.
- The Butcher of Anderson Station
- Short story published October 17, 2011.
- Leviathan Wakes
- Novel published June 15, 2011.
- The Last Flight of the Cassandra
- Short story published May 14, 2019.
- Caliban’s War
- Novel published June 26, 2012.
- Gods of Risk
- Short story published September 15, 2012.
- Abaddon’s Gate
- Novel published June 4, 2013.
- The Vital Abyss
- Short story published October 15, 2015.
- Cibola Burn
- Novel published June 17, 2014.
- Nemesis Games
- Novel published June 2, 2015.
- Babylon’s Ashes
- Novel published December 6, 2016.
- Strange Dogs
- Short story published July 18, 2017.
- Persepolis Rising
- Novel published December 5, 2017.
- Auberon
- Short story published November 12, 2019.
- Tiamat’s Wrath
- Novel published March 26, 2019.
- Leviathan Falls
- Novel published November 30, 2021.
- The Sins of Our Fathers
- Short story published March 15, 2022.
