Scott Westerfeld has several separate series, and the main reading-order problem is not deciding which book he wrote first. It is knowing which books belong to the same future.
The Uglies universe now stretches across eight main novels, two graphic novels, a guidebook, and additional short fiction. The later Impostors quartet belongs to that same continuity and should not be treated as an unrelated series.
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Everything else branches away cleanly. Midnighters, Leviathan, Peeps, Succession, Zeroes, Spill Zone, and Horizon each occupy their own settings.
For a first Westerfeld series, Uglies remains the simplest starting point.
Quick Answer
Best Scott Westerfeld book to start with: Uglies
Complete main Uglies novel order:
- Uglies
- Pretties
- Specials
- Extras
- Impostors
- Shatter City
- Mirror’s Edge
- Youngbloods
Midnighters order: The Secret Hour, Touching Darkness, Blue Noon
Leviathan order: Leviathan, Behemoth, Goliath
Peeps order: Peeps, then The Last Days
Zeroes order: Zeroes, Swarm, Nexus
Spill Zone order: Spill Zone, then The Broken Vow
Latest Scott Westerfeld book: The Mortons, co-written with Justine Larbalestier and published July 21, 2026.
Start Here: The Complete Uglies Universe
The Uglies books are the part of Westerfeld’s bibliography most likely to be divided incorrectly.
The original four books and the later Impostors quartet occupy the same future. There is a substantial time gap, a new central character, and a changed political landscape, but the later books develop consequences of the original series.
For a first read, use publication sequence rather than trying to insert graphic novels or short fiction into every possible chronological gap.
Uglies Original Series in Order
Included
- Uglies (2005)
- Pretties (2005)
- Specials (2006)
- Extras (2007)
The first three books form Tally Youngblood’s central arc.
Extras moves to a new protagonist, Aya Fuse, and takes place after the events of Specials. Tally is no longer the principal viewpoint character, but the book remains part of the same world and reflects what happened after the previous trilogy.
For that reason, Extras should not be skipped simply because some editions and descriptions emphasize the first three books as a trilogy.
Is Extras Really Book 4?
Yes.
The original story was initially structured around the Tally trilogy, but Extras is a fourth novel in the same continuity.
Read it after Specials.
It provides useful context for how the world changes after Tally’s actions and makes the eventual transition to the Impostors era feel less abrupt.
Impostors Series in Order
Included, later Uglies continuity
- Impostors (2018)
- Shatter City (2019)
- Mirror’s Edge (2021)
- Youngbloods (2022)
This quartet takes place years after the original Uglies books.
The central character is Frey rather than Tally Youngblood, and the political structure of the world has changed considerably.
That does not make it a separate continuity.
Westerfeld returned specifically to the future established in Uglies, exploring what happened after the Pretty regime collapsed. Characters and consequences from the original sequence become increasingly important as the quartet progresses.
Can You Start With Impostors?
Technically, yes, but it is not the recommended order.
Impostors introduces Frey’s situation clearly enough for a new reader to understand the immediate plot. However, the series assumes a world shaped by events from the original books.
The connection becomes especially important by Youngbloods.
Read Uglies through Extras first if you want the political history and returning characters to carry their full meaning.
Recommended Complete Uglies Reading Order
For a new reader, keep the main novels simple:
- Uglies
- Pretties
- Specials
- Extras
- Impostors
- Shatter City
- Mirror’s Edge
- Youngbloods
This is the safest order because it follows both publication history and the broad progression of the world.
The graphic novels and guidebook can be added separately.
Uglies Graphic Novels in Order
Optional, same continuity
- Uglies: Shay’s Story (2012)
- Uglies: Cutters (2012)
These graphic novels retell and expand parts of the original Uglies story from Shay’s perspective.
Shay’s Story begins before the events of Uglies. It explores Shay’s earlier relationship with Zane, David, and the Smoke before Tally becomes central to the story.
Cutters continues Shay’s side of events connected to the original novels.
Should Shay’s Story Be Read Before Uglies?
No.
Although Shay’s Story begins earlier chronologically, it was written for readers who already know the original novels.
It revisits familiar events while revealing information that Tally does not initially possess.
For a first read, use:
- Uglies
- Pretties
- Specials
- Extras
- Uglies: Shay’s Story
- Uglies: Cutters
Then continue to the Impostors quartet.
Chronological placement is less useful here than preserving the original discoveries.
Bogus to Bubbly
Optional Uglies companion book
Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider’s Guide to the World of Uglies was published in 2008.
It is not a novel.
The book expands the setting with material on technology, history, terminology, locations, and other aspects of the Uglies world.
Read it after the original four novels rather than treating it as Book 5.
How David Got His Scar
Optional short fiction
Westerfeld has also published “How David Got His Scar,” a story set before David meets Tally.
Because it draws on an established character from the original series, it works better as bonus material after you already know David and the Smoke.
It is not required before Impostors.
Midnighters Books in Order
Separate continuity, completed trilogy
- The Secret Hour (2004)
- Touching Darkness (2005)
- Blue Noon (2006)
Midnighters follows teenagers in Bixby, Oklahoma, who can experience a hidden twenty-fifth hour at midnight.
The books tell one continuous story.
There is no useful alternate chronology, so publication order is also the required narrative order.
Is Midnighters Finished?
Yes.
Blue Noon is the third and concluding book of the published trilogy.
Read all three in sequence. Later books do not branch from Midnighters into another Westerfeld series.
Peeps Books in Order
Separate continuity
- Peeps (2005)
- The Last Days (2006)
Peeps and The Last Days share the same setting and biological approach to vampire mythology.
The relationship between them is slightly unusual.
The Last Days follows a different primary group of characters during the same broader crisis. Characters from Peeps appear, but the second novel is not simply another adventure narrated by the same protagonist.
Still, read Peeps first.
Westerfeld has described The Last Days as a companion novel, and it expands a situation the first book already establishes.
Leviathan Books in Order
Separate continuity, completed trilogy
- Leviathan (2009)
- Behemoth (2010)
- Goliath (2011)
Leviathan is an alternate-history trilogy set around World War I.
The setting divides major powers between mechanical Clanker technology and genetically engineered Darwinist creatures. Alek and Deryn remain central across all three novels.
This is one of Westerfeld’s most straightforward reading orders.
Do not rearrange it.
The Manual of Aeronautics
Optional Leviathan companion
- The Manual of Aeronautics: An Illustrated Guide to the Leviathan Series (2012)
The manual is a full-color companion book featuring the machines, creatures, technology, and visual design of the trilogy.
It is not a fourth novel.
Read it after Goliath if you want to avoid encountering designs and information before the main trilogy introduces them.
Complete Leviathan Reading Order
- Leviathan
- Behemoth
- Goliath
- The Manual of Aeronautics
The first three are required story books. The fourth is optional reference material.
Succession Books in Order
Separate adult science fiction continuity
- The Risen Empire
- The Killing of Worlds
The Succession books require one important publishing note.
They were originally written as one long manuscript called Succession. The work was divided into two volumes for publication.
That makes the correct order especially firm.
Read The Risen Empire immediately before The Killing of Worlds.
The second book is not a distant sequel or optional follow-up. Together, the two volumes form the complete larger work.
The Succession Omnibus
Some editions combine both volumes as Succession.
If you have that edition, you already have the complete sequence in one book.
There is no additional third Succession novel required afterward.
Zeroes Books in Order
Separate continuity, collaborative trilogy
- Zeroes (2015)
- Swarm (2016)
- Nexus (2018)
The Zeroes trilogy was written by Scott Westerfeld with Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti.
It follows a group of teenagers whose unusual abilities become more powerful and complicated around crowds.
All three books belong to one continuing story.
Read them in publication order.
Is Zeroes a Scott Westerfeld Solo Series?
No.
It belongs in Westerfeld’s bibliography, but all three novels are collaborative works with Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti.
That authorship distinction is worth preserving in a complete bibliography.
Spill Zone Graphic Novels in Order
Separate continuity, completed graphic novel duology
- Spill Zone
- Spill Zone: The Broken Vow
Scott Westerfeld wrote the series, with art by Alex Puvilland.
The two books form one continuous story about Addison and the transformed zone surrounding Poughkeepsie.
Read The Broken Vow second. It directly follows the first volume.
The series is complete at two graphic novels.
Horizon Books in Order
Horizon requires a different kind of note because Westerfeld created and launched the series but did not write every volume.
He developed the concept, wrote the opening book, and outlined the larger story. Later installments were written by other authors.
Published Horizon Series Order
- Horizon by Scott Westerfeld
- Deadzone by Jennifer A. Nielsen
- A Warp in Time by Jude Watson
- Apex Predator by M. T. Anderson
- Liferaft by Aditi Khorana
The series was originally announced with a longer planned structure, but the published sequence consists of these five volumes.
Do You Need to Read the Other Authors?
Yes, if you want to continue the Horizon story.
The books form one narrative sequence despite changes in author.
Reading Westerfeld’s Horizon alone gives you the opening installment, not a complete standalone story.
Status: Multi-author series created and launched by Westerfeld.
Scott Westerfeld Standalone Novels
Westerfeld’s standalone fiction spans adult science fiction and young adult novels.
These books do not need to be fitted between Uglies, Midnighters, Leviathan, or his other series.
Polymorph
- Polymorph (1997)
Westerfeld’s first published novel is adult science fiction involving a shapeshifter in New York.
It is independent of his later books.
Fine Prey
- Fine Prey (1998)
Another early adult science fiction novel.
It is not connected to Polymorph despite appearing soon afterward in Westerfeld’s career.
Evolution’s Darling
- Evolution’s Darling (2000)
This adult science fiction novel focuses on artificial intelligence and identity.
It stands alone.
So Yesterday
- So Yesterday (2004)
So Yesterday is a standalone young adult novel involving trends, marketing, and consumer culture.
It does not belong to Uglies even though both books examine social conformity and manufactured desire.
Afterworlds
- Afterworlds (2014)
Afterworlds combines the story of a young novelist with the supernatural novel she is writing.
The two narratives are contained within one book.
There is no required sequel.
The Mortons
- The Mortons (2026), with Justine Larbalestier
The Mortons is an adult novel co-written by Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier.
It centers on an old-money criminal dynasty and Helshire College.
The book is separate from Westerfeld’s science fiction and young adult series.
As of August 8, 2026, it is his newest published book.
Before You Were Here
Separate picture book
Before You Were Here was published in 2024, with illustrations by Jessica Lanan.
It is Westerfeld’s picture book for younger children and explains the physical ingredients and processes that eventually become a person.
It has no connection to his fictional series.
Keep it outside the novel reading orders.
Scott Westerfeld Books in Broad Publication Order
Readers interested in Westerfeld’s career rather than one fictional universe can use this broad publication sequence for his major novels and series books:
- Polymorph (1997)
- Fine Prey (1998)
- Evolution’s Darling (2000)
- The Risen Empire (2003)
- The Killing of Worlds (2003)
- The Secret Hour (2004)
- So Yesterday (2004)
- Touching Darkness (2005)
- Uglies (2005)
- Pretties (2005)
- Peeps (2005)
- Blue Noon (2006)
- Specials (2006)
- The Last Days (2006)
- Extras (2007)
- Leviathan (2009)
- Behemoth (2010)
- Goliath (2011)
- Afterworlds (2014)
- Zeroes (2015), with Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti
- Swarm (2016), with Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti
- Horizon (2017)
- Nexus (2018), with Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti
- Impostors (2018)
- Shatter City (2019)
- Mirror’s Edge (2021)
- Youngbloods (2022)
- The Mortons (2026), with Justine Larbalestier
This is a bibliography order, not the best reading order.
Graphic novels, companion guides, picture books, and multi-author Horizon volumes are better separated by format and continuity.
Which Scott Westerfeld Series Should You Read First?
Westerfeld’s bibliography offers several good entry points, but they lead to very different kinds of books.
For Dystopian Science Fiction
Start with:
- Uglies
- Pretties
- Specials
- Extras
If you want more afterward, continue into Impostors.
For Alternate History
Start with:
- Leviathan
- Behemoth
- Goliath
This gives you a completed trilogy without the larger commitment of the Uglies universe.
For Supernatural YA
Start with:
- The Secret Hour
- Touching Darkness
- Blue Noon
Midnighters is another closed trilogy with no spin-off reading required.
For Vampire Science Fiction
Read:
- Peeps
- The Last Days
This is one of Westerfeld’s shortest connected sequences.
For Adult Space Opera
Read:
- The Risen Empire
- The Killing of Worlds
The two books were conceived as one larger work, so reading them consecutively is especially important.
For Superhero Fiction
Read:
- Zeroes
- Swarm
- Nexus
Remember that this trilogy is co-written with Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti.
For Graphic Novels
Read:
- Spill Zone
- Spill Zone: The Broken Vow
The duology is separate from Westerfeld’s prose series.
The Most Important Uglies Reading-Order Question
The crucial decision is whether to treat Impostors as a fresh beginning or as Book 5 of a larger Uglies-world reading project.
For cataloging, calling Impostors the first book of its own quartet is reasonable.
For reading, the larger sequence is better:
- Uglies
- Pretties
- Specials
- Extras
- Impostors
- Shatter City
- Mirror’s Edge
- Youngbloods
The later quartet exists because of what happened in the earlier books.
Youngbloods makes that relationship particularly clear by drawing the two generations together.
Is Impostors a Sequel to Uglies?
Yes, at the universe level.
It starts a new four-book arc with Frey, but it takes place in the same world after the Pretty regime and after the social upheaval caused by the earlier novels.
Do not classify it as a separate continuity.
Does Tally Youngblood Appear in Impostors?
Tally remains part of the world of the later quartet.
Her importance increases as the series moves forward, culminating in the connections made explicit in Youngbloods.
Knowing her original story first makes those developments more meaningful.
Should Extras Be Skipped Before Impostors?
No.
Extras changes protagonist, which can make it feel less central than Uglies, Pretties, and Specials.
It still shows what the post-Pretty world looks like after the original trilogy.
Read it before moving decades forward into the Impostors era.
Is Shay’s Story a Prequel?
Partly.
Uglies: Shay’s Story begins before Uglies and tells events through Shay’s perspective.
That makes it chronologically earlier in places, but not the best first book.
It was created after the novels and assumes that readers recognize characters, conflicts, and outcomes from the original story.
Status: Optional companion, not recommended as Book 1.
Are Uglies: Shay’s Story and Cutters Required?
No.
Both are supplemental graphic novels.
They expand Shay’s experience and provide another angle on familiar events, but the eight main prose novels can be understood without them.
Is Bogus to Bubbly a Novel?
No.
It is an illustrated guide to the Uglies setting.
Do not number it between Extras and Impostors.
Are Peeps and The Last Days Connected?
Yes.
They take place in the same continuity and deal with the same broader crisis.
The Last Days shifts attention to different characters, but Peeps should still come first.
Are The Risen Empire and The Killing of Worlds One Story?
Essentially, yes.
Westerfeld originally wrote the material as one manuscript called Succession. It was divided for publication.
Readers with a combined Succession edition have both halves together.
Is Horizon Entirely Written by Scott Westerfeld?
No.
Westerfeld created the series concept, outlined the larger story, and wrote Horizon, the first book.
Other authors wrote the following installments.
Anyone continuing after the first book must therefore switch authors while staying in the same continuity.
Is Spill Zone a Novel Series?
It is a graphic novel series.
There are two volumes:
- Spill Zone
- Spill Zone: The Broken Vow
The story is complete as a duology.
Are Zeroes and Uglies Connected?
No.
Both involve groups of young people navigating unusual power structures, but they are separate fictional worlds.
Zeroes is also a collaboration with Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti.
Are Leviathan and Uglies Connected?
No.
Leviathan is an alternate version of the World War I era.
Uglies takes place in a distant future shaped by radically different technology and social systems.
There is no shared continuity.
What Is Scott Westerfeld’s First Book?
Westerfeld’s first published novel is Polymorph, from 1997.
Readers who know him mainly through young adult fiction may be surprised that his earliest novels were adult science fiction.
His later YA bibliography became much more extensive.
What Is Scott Westerfeld’s Latest Book?
As of August 8, 2026, Westerfeld’s latest published book is The Mortons.
It was published July 21, 2026 and was co-written with Justine Larbalestier.
It is an adult novel and does not belong to Uglies or another existing Westerfeld series.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Uglies novels are there?
There are eight main prose novels in the larger Uglies continuity:
- Uglies
- Pretties
- Specials
- Extras
- Impostors
- Shatter City
- Mirror’s Edge
- Youngbloods
The first four form the original sequence. The final four form the later Impostors arc.
What order should I read Uglies and Impostors?
Read all four original books before the Impostors quartet:
- Uglies
- Pretties
- Specials
- Extras
- Impostors
- Shatter City
- Mirror’s Edge
- Youngbloods
Can I read Impostors without Uglies?
You can follow the immediate plot, but it is not the preferred approach.
The political history, references, and returning characters have greater meaning if you already know the original series.
How many Midnighters books are there?
Three:
- The Secret Hour
- Touching Darkness
- Blue Noon
The trilogy is complete.
How many Leviathan novels are there?
Three:
- Leviathan
- Behemoth
- Goliath
The Manual of Aeronautics is an optional illustrated companion, not a fourth novel.
How many Peeps books are there?
Two connected novels:
- Peeps
- The Last Days
How many Zeroes books are there?
Three:
- Zeroes
- Swarm
- Nexus
All three were co-written by Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti.
How many Spill Zone books are there?
Two graphic novels:
- Spill Zone
- Spill Zone: The Broken Vow
What is the easiest completed Scott Westerfeld series to start?
Leviathan and Midnighters are both clean three-book choices.
For the series most closely associated with Westerfeld, begin with Uglies.
Do all Scott Westerfeld books take place in the same universe?
No.
Uglies and Impostors share a continuity, but Midnighters, Peeps, Leviathan, Succession, Zeroes, Spill Zone, Horizon, and his standalone novels are separate.
Conclusion
Scott Westerfeld’s bibliography becomes manageable once the Uglies books are handled correctly.
The original sequence is Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras. The story of that world then continues years later through Impostors, Shatter City, Mirror’s Edge, and Youngbloods. The Shay graphic novels and Bogus to Bubbly are optional companions rather than required steps between them.
His other series have much firmer boundaries. Midnighters and Leviathan are completed trilogies. Peeps and The Last Days form a two-book continuity. Succession is one large story divided into two volumes. Zeroes is a collaborative trilogy, and Spill Zone is a two-volume graphic novel series.
For a first Scott Westerfeld book, start with Uglies. For a shorter completed commitment, Leviathan is the cleanest alternative.
As of August 8, 2026, the newest addition to Westerfeld’s bibliography is The Mortons, his adult collaboration with Justine Larbalestier.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.