John Varley

John Varley

John Varley was born in Austin, Texas, USA on August 9th, 1947 and passed away at the age of 78 on December 10th, 2025.

Book Notification is an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner. If you click on a book title it will take you to Amazon or your default book store where you can read more about the book or purchase it. We earn money from qualifying purchases.
Click to get new book alerts by John Varley sent straight to your email.

John Varley Stats: The highest rated book by John Varley on Book Notification is Titan, the first novel in the Gaea Trilogy series.

The most read book by John Varley on Book Notification is Wizard, the 2nd novel in the Gaea Trilogy series. The second most read book is Titan (Gaea Trilogy #1).

Below is a complete list of John Varley books in publication and chronological order, broken down by series. The most popular series by John Varley is the Gaea Trilogy Series.

List of Eight Worlds Books in Publication Order

Humanity, exiled by aliens, rebuilds scattered cultures across the solar system.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
The Ophiuchi Hotline
1977
Go
2
Lollipop and the Tar Baby
1977
Go
3
6
The Persistence of Vision
1978
Go
4
10
Blue Champagne
1986
Go
5
8.7
Irontown Blues
2018
Go

List of Gaea Trilogy Books in Publication Order

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
8
Titan
1979
Go
2
8
Wizard
1979
Go
3
9
Demon
1984
Go

List of Metal Books in Publication Order

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
8
Steel Beach
1992
Go
2
6
The Golden Globe
1998
Go

List of Thunder and Lightning Books in Publication Order

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
6
Red Thunder
2003
Go
2
6
Red Lightning
2006
Go
3
7
Rolling Thunder
2008
Go
4
8
Dark Lightning
2014
Go

List of Standalone Novels in Publication Order

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
6
Millennium
1983
Go
2
7
Mammoth
2005
Go
3
6
Slow Apocalypse
2012
Go

List of Short Stories/Novellas in Publication Order

Ranked by popularity, the top short stories and novellas are Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo, The Pusher, and Air Raid.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
In the Bowl
1975
Go
2
The Black Hole Passes
1975
Go
3
Good-Bye, Robinson Crusoe
1977
Go
4
8
Air Raid
1977
Go
5
8.3
The Pusher
1981
Go
6
The Manhattan Phone Book (Abridged)
1984
Go
7
8.7
Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo
1986
Go
8
Just Another Perfect Day
1989
Go
9
Truth, Justice and the Politically Correct Socialist Path
1995
Go
10
The Bellman
2003
Go
11
In Fading Suns and Dying Moons
2003
Go

List of Chapbooks in Publication Order

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
6.3
In The Hall of the Martian Kings
1977
Go
2
8
Press Enter
1984
Go

List of Short Story Collections in Publication Order

Ranked by popularity, the top short story collections are The Barbie Murders, Picnic On Nearside, and The John Varley Reader.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
7.3
The Barbie Murders
1980
Go
2
Picnic On Nearside
1980
Go
3
8
The John Varley Reader
2004
Go
4
Good-Bye, Robinson Crusoe and Other Stories
2013
Go

List of Mondo Books in Publication Order

Anthologies with stories and poems about cultural icons.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
Mondo Barbie (With: Lynne Barrett, Julia Alvarez, Philip Levine, A.M. Homes, David Trinidad, Sandra Cisneros, Marge Piercy, Gary Soto, Roberta Allen, Alice McDermott, Hilary Tham, Lyn Lifshin, Rebecca Brown, Denise Duhamel, Lucinda Ebersole, Richard Peabody, Jeanne Beaumont, Lynne McMahon, Kathryn Harrison, Patricia Storace, Richard Grayson, Leslie Shiel, Laura Costas, Sharon Henry, Cookie Lupton, Lisa B. Herskovits, Belinda Subraman, Ellie Schoenfeld, Sparrow ., Gregg Shapiro, Cathryn Hankla, Wayne E. Kline, Jose Padua, Jeff Weddle)
1993
Go
2
Mondo Elvis (By: Howard Waldrop, Cornelius Eady, Mark Childress, Susie Mee, Nick Cave, Mark Winegardner, Rafael Alvarez, Greil Marcus, Pagan Kennedy, Lucinda Ebersole, Richard Peabody, Lynne McMahon, Cathryn Hankla, Samuel Charters, Rachel Salazar, Eleanor Earle Crockett, Diane Wakoski, Judy Vernon, David Wojahn, William McCranor Henderson, Janice Eidus, Elizabeth Ash Vélez, Laura Kalpakian, Eri Makino, Ai, Michael Wilkerson, Brian Gilmore)
1994
Go
3
Mondo Marilyn (By: J.G. Ballard, Michael Hemmingson, Clive Barker, Doris Grumbach, Beth Meacham, Lynne Tillman, Charles Bukowski, David Trinidad, Tom Whalen, Sharon Olds, Leslie Pietrzyk, Lyn Lifshin, Nanci Griffith, Robert Peters, Lucinda Ebersole, Richard Peabody, Jeanne Beaumont, Gregg Shapiro, Judy Grahn, Sam Toperoff, Julia P. Dubner, Bill Morris, John Rechy, L.A. Lantz, Phyllis Burke, Hillary Johnson, Rita Valencia, Michael Lally, Eleanor E. Crocket, Taylor Mead, Susan Compo, Rosanne Daryl Thomas)
1995
Go
4
Mondo James Dean (By: Lewis Shiner, Jack C. Haldeman II, Bentley Little, Michael Hemmingson, Chuck Taylor, Michael Martone, Louisa Ermelino, Terence Winch, Lucinda Ebersole, Richard Peabody, Sparrow ., Janice Eidus, Ai, Tino Villanueva, Edwin Corley, Robert Ready, Reuben Jackson, Stephanie Hart, D.E. Steward, David Plumb, Ed Graczyk, Hilary Howard, James Finney Boylan, Miranda Schwartz)
1996
Go
Show All Books in this Series

List of John Varley Anthologies in Publication Order

#ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction 22nd Series
1976
Go
2
Ascents of Wonder
1977
Go
3
Nebula Awards 13
1980
Go
4
The Arbor House Treasury of Modern Science Fiction / Great Science Fiction of the 20th Century
1980
Go
5
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction 24
1982
Go
6
Fourth Planet from the Sun
1984
Go
7
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Second Annual Collection
1985
Go
8
Worlds Apart
1986
Go
9
The Dark Void
1987
Go
10
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Seventh Annual Collection
1990
Go
11
Mondo Barbie
1993
Go
12
Mondo Elvis
1994
Go
13
6
Superheroes
1995
Go
14
Mondo Marilyn
1995
Go
15
Mondo James Dean
1996
Go
16
The Good New Stuff
1999
Go
17
Bangs & Whimpers
1999
Go
18
Explorers
2000
Go
19
Stars: Original Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian
2003
Go
20
The Year's Best Science Fiction: 21 Annual Edition
2004
Go
21
Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine: 30th Anniversary Anthology
2007
Go
22
The Mammoth Book of Mindblowing SF
2009
Go
23
The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction
2010
Go
24
6
The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF
2013
Go
25
Humanity 2.0
2016
Go
26
6.9
Flight or Fright
2018
Go
Show All Anthologies
Click to get new book alerts by John Varley sent straight to your email.

John Varley

John Varley (John Herbert Varley) was born on August 9th, 1947. John passed away December 10th, 2025 at 78 years old. John Varley was born in Austin, Texas, USA.

John Varley is known for writing in the Science Fiction genre.

John Varley was the author of the John Varley Short Stories/Novellas series which consists of 11 novels. The John Varley Short Stories/Novellas series started in 1975 with the novel In the Bowl. The most recently released novel in the John Varley Short Stories/Novellas series was In Fading Suns and Dying Moons which was released in 2003. There are no upcoming novels for the John Varley Short Stories/Novellas series.

John Varley also wrote the Eight Worlds series which has 5 books including The Ophiuchi Hotline and Lollipop and the Tar Baby.

John Varley: Awards & Accolades

John Varley won the Robert A. Heinlein Award, Outstanding SF or Technical Writing Promoting Space Exploration, in 2009.

Many of John Varley's books have won awards, including:

  • In The Hall of the Martian Kings won the Jupiter Awards, Best Novella, in 1978.
  • The Barbie Murders won the Locus Award, Best Novelette, in 1979 as well as the Locus Award - Best Single Author Collection in 1981.
  • The Persistence of Vision won the Nebula Award, Best Novella, in 1979 as well as the Locus Award - Best Novella in 1979, Locus Award - Best Single Author Collection in 1979, Prix Tour-Apollo Award - Best Science Fiction Novel Published in France in 1980.
  • Titan won the Locus Award, Best Science Fiction Novel, in 1980.
  • The Pusher won the Locus Award, Best Short Story, in 1982.
  • Blue Champagne won the Locus Award, Best Novella, in 1982 as well as the Locus Award - Best Collection in 1987.
  • Press Enter won the Hugo Award, Best Novella, in 1985 as well as the Nebula Award - Best Novella in 1985, Locus Award - Best Novella in 1985, Seiun Award - Best Translated Short Story in 1987.
  • Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo won the Seiun Award, Best Translated Short Story, in 1992.
  • Red Thunder won the Endeavour Award, Best Book by a Pacific Northwest Writer, in 2004.

The following novels by John Varley were also nominated for these awards:

  • Titan: Hugo Award, Best Novel (1980).
  • The Persistence of Vision: National Book Awards, Best Science Fiction - Paperback (1980).
  • Wizard: Hugo Award, Best Novel (1981).
  • Millennium: Philip K. Dick Award, Best Science Fiction Book (1983). Hugo Award, Best Novel (1984).
  • Steel Beach: Hugo Award, Best Novel (1993).
  • The Barbie Murders: Otherwise Award, Retrospective Award (1995).
  • The Golden Globe: Endeavour Award, Best Book by a Pacific Northwest Writer (1999).
  • Flight or Fright: Goodreads Awards, Best Horror (2018).
  • Irontown Blues: Endeavour Award, Best Book by a Pacific Northwest Writer (2019).

Related Authors

Fans of John Varley also enjoy these authors:

  1. Arthur C. Clarke, author of the Space Odyssey Series.
  2. Alastair Reynolds, author of the Revelation Space Series.
  3. Stephen Baxter, author of the A Time Odyssey Series.
  4. David Brin, author of the Uplift Saga Series.
  5. Ben Bova, author of The Grand Tour Series.
  6. Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the Children of Time Series.
  7. Isaac Asimov, author of the Foundation Series.
  8. Dennis E. Taylor, author of the Bobiverse Series.
  9. Liu Cixin, author of The Three-Body Problem Series.
  10. Andrew Mayne, author of The Naturalist Series.

John Varley: F.A.Q

When was John Varley Born?

John Varley was born on August 9th, 1947.

When did John Varley die?

John Varley died on December 10th, 2025 at 78 years old.

Where was John Varley Born?

John Varley was born in Austin, Texas, USA.

What awards has John Varley won?

John Varley has won the following awards: Outstanding SF or Technical Writing Promoting Space Exploration at the Robert A. Heinlein Award (2009).

What book awards has John Varley won?

In The Hall of the Martian Kings: Jupiter Awards Best Novella (1978).
The Barbie Murders: Locus Award Best Novelette (1979), Locus Award Best Single Author Collection (1981).
The Persistence of Vision: Nebula Award Best Novella (1979), Locus Award Best Novella (1979), Locus Award Best Single Author Collection (1979), Prix Tour-Apollo Award Best Science Fiction Novel Published in France (1980).
Titan: Locus Award Best Science Fiction Novel (1980).
The Pusher: Locus Award Best Short Story (1982).
Blue Champagne: Locus Award Best Novella (1982), Locus Award Best Collection (1987).
Press Enter: Hugo Award Best Novella (1985), Nebula Award Best Novella (1985), Locus Award Best Novella (1985), Seiun Award Best Translated Short Story (1987).
Tango Charlie and Foxtrot Romeo: Seiun Award Best Translated Short Story (1992).
Red Thunder: Endeavour Award Best Book by a Pacific Northwest Writer (2004).

What was the first book John Varley wrote?

The first book written by John Varley was In the Bowl, published in 1975.

What was the most recent book John Varley wrote?

His most recently released work was Irontown Blues on August 28th, 2018.

What is the most popular book by John Varley?

Based on the number of readers on Book Notification, the most popular John Varley book is Wizard. Here are his most popular books:
  1. Wizard (8)
  2. Titan (8)
  3. Demon (9)
  4. Millennium (6)
  5. Red Thunder (6)

What genres does John Varley Write?

John Varley primarily writes in the Science Fiction genre. His work includes sub-genres such as Space Opera, Apocalyptic / Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction, and Time Travel Sci-Fi.

How many books has John Varley written?

John Varley has written 34 books excluding contributions to anthologies. 5 books in the Eight Worlds Series, 3 books in the Gaea Trilogy Series, 2 books in the Metal Series, 4 books in the Thunder and Lightning Series, 3 Standalone Novels, 11 Short Stories/Novellas, 2 books in the Chapbooks, 4 Short Story Collections.

Recently Featured In

John Varley, Science Fiction Visionary, Has Passed Away

John Varley, Science Fiction Visionary, Has Passed Away

Have a Question?

Author Discussion

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Book Notification is an Amazon Associate. Book links to Amazon, eBay and other book stores are affiliate links, and we earn money from any qualifying purchases.

Welcome to Book Notification!

Are we missing any books or looking for an author that isn't on the site? Have any feedback or ideas that will enhance your experience? Contact us below.

To see what we are currently working on as well as some of our future plans, see our roadmap.
Quick Follow

Quickly follow any authors by searching their name in this box then clicking the +Follow button.

Monthly Contest
affiliate disclaimer

We are giving away 10 $25 USD gift cards. Every time you comment on an author page in the Author Discussion section at the bottom, you are entered into the sweepstakes. So get commenting! Winners announced in the next newsletter. Note: you must be a registered user of Book Notification. Click here to login or register.


Upcoming Books
Apr 22
Come Forget

Written by Rylie Dark

Apr 22
A Troubling Truffle

Written by Fiona Grace

Apr 22
Tangled in Trouble

Written by Harloe Rae

Apr 22
Perfectly Pretend

Written by Grace Worthington

Apr 22
Bought by the Jotunn

Written by Ava York

Popular Authors:
Todays Most Followed Authors:
Navigation
All Authors
Awards
Book Clubs
Book News
Book Release Calendar
Reader’s Roulette
User Guide
About Us / Staff
Blog & Lists
Weekly Picks
Playlists
Quotes
Podcast
Care's Book Loot
Site Roadmap
Contact Us
Book Notification
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses a cookie so that you don't have to login on every visit. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs the function ofrecognising you when you return to our website and keeping you logged in.