Author · updated September 2026
Cormac McCarthy Books in Order
Every Cormac McCarthy book in publication order — 17 in total, spanning 1965–2022.
Cormac McCarthy (1933–2023) is one of the towering figures of American literature — a writer of spare, biblical, almost hypnotic prose who stared unblinking at violence and grace and the pull of the American landscape. His career arcs from the dense Appalachian early novels (Child of God, Suttree) to the blood-soaked Southwestern masterpieces (Blood Meridian, the Border Trilogy), to the leaner, devastating late work that finally won him a mass audience — the Pulitzer-winning The Road and the propulsive No Country for Old Men. Famously reclusive and uninterested in literary fashion, he wrote exactly the books he wanted to, and they've been called some of the greatest of the last century. He closed his career in 2022 with a pair of linked novels, then died the following year.
Publication Order of The Border Trilogy Books
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  All the Pretty Horses | 1992 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 |  The Crossing | 1994 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 |  Cities of the Plain | 1998 | Amazon US UK |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Orchard Keeper | 1965 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 |  Outer Dark | 1968 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 |  Child of God | 1973 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 |  Suttree | 1979 | Amazon US UK |
| 5 |  Blood Meridian | 1985 | Amazon US UK |
| 6 |  No Country for Old Men | 2005 | Amazon US UK |
| 7 |  The Road | 2006 | Amazon US UK |
| 8 | The Passenger | 2022 | Amazon US |
| 9 | Stella Maris | 2022 | Amazon US |
Publication Order of Standalone Plays
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Stonemason | 1994 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 |  The Gardener's Son | 1996 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 |  The Sunset Limited | 2006 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 |  The Counselor | 2013 | Amazon US UK |
Publication Order of M. Georgia Hegarty Dunkerley Contemporary Art Books
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  James Drake | 2008 | Amazon US UK |
Every title by year All 17, oldest to newest
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Orchard Keeper | 1965 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 | Outer Dark | 1968 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 | Child of God | 1973 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 | Suttree | 1979 | Amazon US UK |
| 5 | Blood Meridian | 1985 | Amazon US UK |
| 6 | All the Pretty Horses | 1992 | Amazon US UK |
| 7 | The Crossing | 1994 | Amazon US UK |
| 8 | The Stonemason | 1994 | Amazon US UK |
| 9 | The Gardener's Son | 1996 | Amazon US UK |
| 10 | Cities of the Plain | 1998 | Amazon US UK |
| 11 | No Country for Old Men | 2005 | Amazon US UK |
| 12 | The Road | 2006 | Amazon US UK |
| 13 | The Sunset Limited | 2006 | Amazon US UK |
| 14 | James Drake | 2008 | Amazon US UK |
| 15 | The Counselor | 2013 | Amazon US UK |
| 16 | The Passenger | 2022 | Amazon US |
| 17 | Stella Maris | 2022 | Amazon US |
Cormac McCarthy on screen
Few literary novelists have translated to the screen as powerfully as McCarthy. His work has drawn A-list directors and actors, and the adaptations are a superb gateway back to the far richer novels.
- 2000All the Pretty HorsesFilm — Matt Damon, Penélope Cruz.
- 2007No Country for Old MenFilm — The Coen Brothers; won the Best Picture Oscar.
- 2009The RoadFilm — Viggo Mortensen.
- 2011The Sunset LimitedTV film — HBO; Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson.
- 2013The CounselorFilm — McCarthy's own original screenplay; directed by Ridley Scott.
His notoriously "unfilmable" epic Blood Meridian has long tempted filmmakers, with an adaptation in the works.
Frequently asked
What order should I read Cormac McCarthy books in?
Most are standalones you can read in any order. The exception is the Border Trilogy — All the Pretty Horses (1992), The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain — which is best read in order. His final two novels, The Passenger and Stella Maris (both 2022), are companion books.
What is the best Cormac McCarthy book to start with?
The Road (2006) is the most accessible and a great entry point. Blood Meridian (1985) is widely considered his masterpiece but is far more demanding; No Country for Old Men (2005) is his most propulsive, thriller-like novel.
Which Cormac McCarthy books were made into movies?
All the Pretty Horses (2000), No Country for Old Men (2007, which won Best Picture), The Road (2009), The Sunset Limited (2011), Child of God (2013), and The Counselor (2013), for which McCarthy wrote the screenplay directly.
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