Affiliate Disclosure: Links on this page may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate policy
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 18 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,Jon McGoran,Hank Phillippi Ryan)
2016

Perihelion (By: Claudia Gray)
2024

Foretold: 14 Tales of Prophecy and Prediction
2012

Shards and Ashes
2013

Beyond the Pale
2014

The Truth Is Out There
2016

Life Inside My Mind
2018

Don’t Turn Out the Lights
2020

World of Warcraft: Folk & Fairy Tales of Azeroth
2021
Affiliate Disclosure
As an Amazon Associate, Reading Order Books earns from qualifying purchases. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. This helps us maintain the site and continue providing reading order guides. Read our full disclosure