American writer C. J. Cherryh career began with publication of her first books in 1976, Gate of Ivrel and Brothers of Earth. She has been a prolific science fiction and fantasy author since then, publishing over 80 novels, short-story compilations, with continuing production as her blog attests. Cherryh has received the Hugo and Locus Awards for some of her novels.
Her novels are divided into various spheres, focusing mostly around the Alliance–Union universe, the Foreigner series and her fantasy novels.
The Alliance–Union universe
The Alliance–Union universe is a science fiction future history series, in which the development of political entities and cultures occurs over a long time period. Major characters in one work may be referenced or appear briefly in another.
The Hinder Stars
The novels take place before the beginning of the Company Wars
Alliance Rising (2019) (credited to C. J. Cherryh and Jane S. Fancher) – Prometheus Award winner 2020 Alliance Unbound (October 2024)
The Company Wars
According to the author, the novels in this universe, except Heavy Time and Hellburner (which were subsequently re-published in one volume as Devil to the Belt), can be read in any order. Those two books are chronologically the earliest in the series.
Heavy Time (1991) Hellburner (1992) Devil to the Belt (2000) – single-volume edition of the above two books Downbelow Station (1981) – Hugo Award winner, Locus Award nominee, 1982 Rimrunners (1989) – Locus Award nominee, 1990 Merchanter's Luck (1982) also published in the Alliance Space (2008) omnibus Tripoint (1994) Finity's End (1997) – Locus Award nominee, 1998
The Chanur novels
The Pride of Chanur (1981) – Hugo Award and Locus Award nominee, 1983
Chanur's Venture (1984) – Locus Award nominee, 1985
The Kif Strike Back (1985) The Chanur Saga (2000) – single-volume edition of the above three books Chanur's Homecoming (1986) Chanur's Legacy (1992) Chanur's Endgame (2007) – single-volume edition of the above two books
Unionside
Forty Thousand in Gehenna (1983) Also published in the Alliance Space (2008) omnibus Cyteen (1988) – Hugo Award and Locus Award winner, British Science Fiction Award nominee, 1989 Also published in a three-volume edition as The Betrayal, The Rebirth and The Vindication, about which Cherryh has written, "There was a paperbound publication that split the novel into three parts, but this has ended: the current and, by my wishes, all future publications, will have Cyteen as one unified book." Regenesis (2009)
The Age of Exploration
These novels share a common theme, but are unrelated to each other and can be read in any order. Port Eternity (1982) also published in the Alternate Realities (2000) omnibus Voyager in Night (1984) – Philip K. Dick Award nominee, 1984 also published in the Alternate Realities (2000) omnibus Cuckoo's Egg (1985) – Hugo Award nominee, 1986 also published in The Deep Beyond (2005) omnibus
The Mri Wars
These novels take place about 400 years after the Company wars
The Faded Sun: Kesrith (1978) – Hugo Award and Locus Award nominee, 1979; Nebula Award nominee, 1978 The Faded Sun: Shon'Jir (1978) The Faded Sun: Kutath (1979) The Faded Sun Trilogy (UK, 1987 and US, 2000) – single-volume edition of the above three books
The Era of Rapprochement
Serpent's Reach (1980) Also published in The Deep Beyond (2005) omnibus Wave Without a Shore (1981) also published in the Alternate realities (2000) omnibus The Scapegoat (1985) – novella
The Hanan Rebellion
Brothers of Earth (1976) Hunter of Worlds (1977) At the Edge of Space (2003) – single-volume edition of the above two books
Merovingen Nights
The Merovin stories take place about 1000 years after the Company Wars
Angel with the Sword (1985) Merovingen Nights – shared world series of anthologies (see "As Editor" below)
The Morgaine Cycle
Gate of Ivrel (1976) Well of Shiuan (1978) Fires of Azeroth (1979) Above three collected in the following editions: The Book of Morgaine (1979) The Chronicles of Morgaine (1985) The Morgaine Saga (2000) Exile's Gate (1988)
