How to Read the Area 51 Universe
Bob Mayer's (originally writing as Robert Doherty) massive sci-fi franchise spans the original Area 51 series, the Nightstalkers follow-up, and the Time Patrol spin-off. Because the plotlines, character growth, and cosmic conspiracies build sequentially, the best way to read these books is in order of publication.
The Core Area 51 Series
The main series consists of thirteen books. The initial nine books were released between 1997 and 2004, establishing the battle of Mike Turcotte and scientists against the ancient alien Airlia. Years later, Mayer returned to the series to publish four additional books between 2018 and 2020.
- Area 51 (1997)
- The Reply (1998)
- The Mission (1999)
- The Sphinx (2000)
- The Grail (2001)
- Excalibur (2002)
- The Truth (2003)
- Nosferatu (2003)
- Legend (2004)
- Redemption (2018)
- Invasion (2018)
- Interstellar (2019)
- Earth Abides (2020)
Area 51: The Nightstalkers Spin-Off
Following the main saga, the Nightstalkers spin-off series focuses on an elite special operations team dealing with paranormal and extraterrestrial threats. It bridges the gap between the main series and the time-traveling adventures that follow.
- Nightstalkers (2012)
- The Book of Truths (2013)
- The Rift (2014)
- Time Patrol (2015)
Area 51: Time Patrol
The Time Patrol series is a direct continuation of the Nightstalkers storyline. The fourth Nightstalkers book, titled Time Patrol, serves as the direct prelude to this series, which begins with Black Tuesday.
- Black Tuesday (2015)
- Ides of March (2016)
- D-Day (2016)
- Independence Day (2016)
- Nine Eleven (2016)
- Valentines Day (2017)
- Hallows Eve (2017)
Connections to the Atlantis Series
Mayer's Atlantis series shares the same underlying mythology, focusing on ancient mysteries and global conspiracies. While they are separate, readers who enjoy the secret history aspects of Area 51 will find a shared thematic universe in Atlantis.