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The X-Files Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of The X-Files books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: March 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the The X-Files series? Start with "Goblins (By: Charles L. Grant)" (1994) and follow publication order through all 21 books.
The complete The X-Files reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order

Goblins (By: Charles L. Grant)
1994

Hunter (By: Charles L. Grant)
1995

Ground Zero (By: Kevin J. Anderson)
1995

Whirlwind (By: Charles L. Grant)
1995

Ruins (By: Kevin J. Anderson)
1995

Antibodies (By: Kevin J. Anderson)
1997

Skin (By: Ben Mezrich)
1998

Fight the Future (By: Elizabeth Hand)
1998

I Want to Believe (By: Max Allan Collins)
2008

The Truth Is Out There (With: Jonathan Maberry,Kelley Armstrong,David Farland,Rachel Caine,Hank Schwaeble,Kami Garcia,Jon McGoran)
2016

Perihelion (By: Claudia Gray)
2024

Quarry: Crime Stories by New England Writers
2009

Writes of Passage
2014

Dead in Good Company
2015

The Truth Is Out There
2016

Malice Domestic 11: Murder Most Conventional
2016

Down to the River
2019

Nothing Good Happens After Midnight
2020

This Time For Sure: Bouchercon Anthology 2021
2021

Birds of Prey: The Harlan Coben Challenge
2022

Promophobia: Taking the Mystery Out of Promoting Crime Fiction
2022
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