The Books of Babel
#1124.20 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 4 books Status Complete 2013–2021 Reading commitment Medium Josiah Bancroft Last reviewed 2026-08-25
Overview
A surreal, richly imagined tower-as-world fantasy following Thomas Senlin, a village headmaster searching for his missing wife through the endless bureaucratic and criminal layers of the Tower of Babel.
New Weird · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (4 works) counts toward ranking
The Books of Babel Josiah Bancroft
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Senlin Ascends | 2013 | core | 4.10 (35,078 ratings) |
 | Arm of the Sphinx | 2014 | core | 4.31 (18,165 ratings) |
 | The Hod King | 2019 | core | 4.43 (14,108 ratings) |
 | The Fall of Babel | 2021 | core | 3.99 (9,271 ratings) |
A complete four-novel sequence; Senlin Ascends and Arm of the Sphinx were originally self-published (2013/2014) before a 2018 trade re-release by the same author under an established publisher, per the print-edition-first convention.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Books of Babel? The Books of Babel's Core Canon is 4 books.
- What is the reading order for The Books of Babel? Publication order, starting with Senlin Ascends. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Books of Babel finished? Complete (2013–2021).
- How much reading does The Books of Babel take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 4 Core Canon books · ~1,692 pages).
- How is The Books of Babel ranked? #112 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 76,622 reader ratings across 4 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #112?
Ranked #112 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.20 across 4 core books.
- A smaller readership (76,622 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.99 to 4.43.
- Less than 0.01 behind #111, Kushiel's Legacy (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 4 books · Complete · 77k ratings · Ranks #112 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length New Weird universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (4 Core Canon books)
- Senlin Ascends (2013)
- Arm of the Sphinx (2014)
- The Hod King (2019)
- The Fall of Babel (2021)
Awards (verified)
- No confirmed major juried award win found after a genuine search.
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- Bas-Lag / New Crobuzon New Weird · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.00
- The Well-Built City Dark fantasy / New Weird · Complete · Medium commitment · 3.79
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.20 across 76,622 ratings on 4 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: The Books of Babel admitted (Josiah Bancroft) accepted 2026-08-25
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-25
Rule: Core Canon = the complete four-novel sequence: Senlin Ascends, Arm of the Sphinx, The Hod King, and The Fall of Babel. The first two volumes were originally self-published (2013, 2014) before a 2018 trade re-release by an established publisher; the original self-published year is recorded as first publication, per this project's print-edition convention.