Summary
- The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon has gained a massive fanbase, especially after the TV show adaptation premiered in 2014.
- The TV show has closely followed the order of the books, with some minor changes to enhance certain characters and storylines.
- The Outlander series includes spinoff novels, short stories, comics, and even a collection of essential short stories set in the Outlander universe called Seven Stones to Stand or Fall.
Serving as inspiration for the wildly popular TV series of the same name, the Outlander series of books by Diana Gabaldon has spanned decades and sold millions of copies. Beginning in 1991 with the release of the eponymous novel, Gabaldon's masterwork chronicles the epic love affair between 20th-century nurse Claire Randall and dashing 18th-century Highlander Jamie Fraser. Besides Gabaldon's sweeping prose and gripping story, Outlander gained attention for its deft blending of genres, as the engrossing romance is accentuated by action, fantasy, and historical fiction. Outside the Outlander series, which spans nine books, Gabaldon further fleshed out the world through short stories, comics, and spinoff novels.
Though the Outlander series had a cult following long before, the arrival of the TV show in 2014 contributed to a massive explosion in the fanbase. It may have taken over two decades for the show to become a reality, but Gabaldon's stunning storytelling, and Outlander's epic timeline, immediately lent itself to the small screen and the series was a smash hit. Fortunately for the creators behind the television show, the Outlander book series has provided more than enough material and even offers an endgame as Gabaldon has stated that the forthcoming tenth book will be the last (via Town & Country).
How To Read The Outlander Book Series In Order
- Outlander (1991)
- Dragonfly in Amber (1992)
- Voyager (1993)
- Drums of Autumn (1996)
- The Fiery Cross (2001)
- A Breath of Snow and Ashes (2005)
- An Echo in the Bone (2009)
- Written in My Own Heart's Blood (2014)
- Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (2021)
Outlander (1991)
1991's Outlander begins in 1946 with former WWII nurse Claire Randall being inadvertently transported back to the 18th century while visiting Scotland. Claire encounters her husband's ancestors and falls in with a clan of Highlanders. To protect her from Black Jack Randall, Claire is wed to Jamie Fraser, and the two eventually begin a romance as she attempts to understand her time-traveling situation. The Outlander TV series has followed the Outlander book series order exactly, and though Outlander season 1 made book changes, it was largely faithful. If anything, the show actually fleshed out characters like Laoghaire who were less developed in the book.
Dragonfly In Amber (1992)
Dragonfly in Amber begins in 1968 as Claire and her daughter Brianna mourn the death of Claire's 20th-century husband, Frank. She visits Scotland in hopes of discovering Jamie Fraser's fate in the 18th century and recounts their time together in Paris trying to stop the Jacobite rising. Claire re Jamie sending her back to the 20th century on the eve of the Battle of Culloden where he will surely die. As with the first, season 2 of Outlander copied the framework of the second novel, but tweaked details for greater effect. Gabaldon's plotting already has a cinematic approach, and it made Dragonfly in Amber's adaptation even more authentic.
Voyager (1993)
In Voyager, Jamie is revealed to have survived the Battle of Culloden but is on the lam as a traitor to the English crown. In 1968, Claire learns that Jamie is still alive and travels back to his time to reunite with him. The pair eventually sail for Jamaica and crash-land in the pre-Revoluntionary War colony of Georgia in the New World. As the book's storylines began diverging, Outlander season 3 did an excellent job of balancing its threads while still being faithful to Voyager. Outlander changed for season 3, but only because it reflected Gabaldon's increasingly expanding universe within the Outlander series of books.
Drums Of Autumn (1996)
Freshly landed in the New World, Drums of Autumn follows Claire and Jamie, along with Jamie's nephew Ian, as they attempt to make a fresh start in the colony of North Carolina. The duo must walk a fine political line between their own pasts and the brewing American Revolution. Meanwhile, in the 1960s, Claire's daughter Brianna learns of the dark fate of her mother. The books provided a framework, and Outlander season 4 took Gabaldon's ideas and ran with them. The fourth season finally paid off the decision to keep Murtagh alive though he died in the books, and he became a central figure in the season.
The Fiery Cross (2001)
Further ingraining themselves in the fabric of history throughout the Outlander book series, The Fiery Cross sees Jamie, Claire, and their ever-expanding time-traveling family get involved in the late-18th century American colony upheaval. Jamie must decide where his loyalties lie as he is pressed into North Carolina's War of Regulation. Up until Outlander season 5, the show had followed the continuity of the books. However, in order to truncate Gabaldon's massive novels, season 5 witnessed several moments that didn't occur in The Fiery Cross, but actually in the Outlander series' subsequent books. The most notable deviation was Roger and Brianna's return to the 20th century, which hadn't happened yet.
A Breath Of Snow And Ashes (2005)
Building tensions in the American colonies come to a head in A Breath of Snow and Ashes, as Jamie finally declares himself a rebel and s the American revolutionary cause. The Fraser clan is forced to deal with constant threats on their kin and property as the American colonies devolve into lawlessness and chaos. With several of the book's plot threads out of the way already in season 5, Outlander season 6 was only eight episodes and a much more streamlined adaptation of A Breath of Snow and Ashes. Also, the decision to carry over key moments from the sixth book into season 7 was a first for the show.
An Echo In The Bone (2009)
Though the Outlander book series was always complex, the interweaving storylines exploded in An Echo in the Bone with the American Revolution as a backdrop. Jamie and Claire are embroiled in the war on the opposite side of Lord John Grey and Jamie's illegitimate son William. Meanwhile, Brianna and Roger attempt to readjust to life in the 1970s after their experience in the past. Unlike previous seasons which were literal translations of the books, An Echo in the Bone s A Breath of Snow and Ashes and the eighth book as inspiration for season 7, as the series begins to wrap up with so much more content left to cover.
Written In My Own Heart's Blood (2014)
Written in My Own Heart's Blood takes place in the hottest days of the Revolutionary War as fighting rages up north. Returning from abroad with Claire believing he died, Jamie shockingly discovers that she has married Lord John Grey to avoid being arrested. Meanwhile, in the 20th century, Brianna is stalked by a mysterious murderer. With Outlander season 7 split into two parts, it is likely that portions of Written in My Own Heart's Blood will be covered in the second half. Season 8 has been announced as the show's last, which leaves a lot from the Outlander book series to fit into two and a half seasons.
Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone (2021)
30 years after the publication of the first installment in the Outlander book series, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone sees the Fraser family in a state of equilibrium as they are finally united on their North Carolina homestead. However, the Revolutionary War is quickly coming to their doorstep and threatens to shatter the fleeting happiness the family has gained. As yet, no information has come regarding how the ninth book in Gabaldon's epic series will factor into the Outlander show. It will likely be partially adapted for season 8, or it could be the framework for the final season despite the impending tenth book from the author.
Outlander Series Spin-Off: How To Read The Lord John Grey Mysteries In Order
- Lord John and the Private Matter (2003)
- Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (2007)
- Lord John and the Hand of Devils (2007)
- The Scottish Prisoner (2011)
Seeing the potential in the fan-favorite ing Outlander character of Lord John Grey from the book series, Gabaldon penned a slew of novellas and short stories involving the character which eventually grew into novels. Eschewing the sweeping romance of the Outlander series, the Lord John series casts him as a sleuth of sorts who investigates mysteries. What's more, Lord John often encounters the supernatural which is something that wasn't covered in Outlander. Though somewhat tonally disparate, the Lord John series is written with the same cinematic flare of Gabaldon's other major works and even features crossovers with Jamie Fraser.
How To Read Seven Stones To Stand Or Fall: A Collection Of Outlander Fiction
- "The Custom of the Army" (2010)
- "Lord John and the Plague of Zombies" (2011)
- "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows" (2012)
- "The Space Between" (2013)
- "Virgins" (2013)
- "A Fugitive Green" (2017)
- "Besieged" (2017)
Unlike the bulk of the Outlander book series which was composed of full novels, Seven Stones to Stand or Fall compiles essential short stories set within the universe. Though several of the stories center on Lord John Grey, and are very much like his larger novels, others follow ing characters like Ian Murray in their own adventures. The novellas of Seven Stone to Stand or Fall represent the Outlander universe in a more easily-digested form, yet they lack none of the sweeping grandeur of the novels. Though they are separate from the Outlander series, they serve to make the lore of Diana Gabaldon's historical fiction universe all the more intriguing.