The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 28 books · 1981 to 2021

C. J. Cherryh

Thriller and suspenseScience fictionPolitical thrillerSpace operaHard science fiction

C. J. Cherryh writes deep, politically intricate science fiction. Her long Foreigner series follows Bren Cameron, the only human allowed to live among the atevi, whose minds do not work like ours; the Chanur novels are told by a lion-like alien ship captain.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip.

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Who appears in which book

Click a name to follow that character from book to book, or a book title to see its cast.

LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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C. J. Cherryh books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Foreigner

21 books · Set in spaceSpace operaPolitical thriller
  1. 1Foreigner1994With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Invader1995With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Inheritor1996With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Precursor1999With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Defender2001With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Explorer2002With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  7. 7Destroyer2005With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Pretender2006With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  9. 9Deliverer2007With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  10. 10Conspirator2009With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  11. 11Deceiver2010With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  12. 12Betrayer2011With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  13. 13Intruder2012With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  14. 14Protector2013With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  15. 15Peacemaker2014With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  16. 16Tracker2015With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  17. 17Visitor2016With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  18. 18Convergence2017With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  19. 19Emergence2018With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  20. 20Resurgence2020With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon
  21. 21Divergence2021With Bren CameronBuy on Amazon

Chanur

5 books · Set in spaceSpace opera
  1. 1The Pride of Chanur1981With Pyanfar ChanurBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Chanur's Venture1984With Pyanfar ChanurBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The Kif Strike Back1985With Pyanfar ChanurBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Chanur's Homecoming1986With Pyanfar ChanurBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Chanur's Legacy1992With Hilfy ChanurBuy on Amazon

Alliance-Union

2 books · Set in spaceSpace operaHard science fiction
  1. 1Downbelow Station1981Buy on Amazon
  2. 2Cyteen1988With Ariane EmoryBuy on Amazon

Characters

11 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

The atevi

The Compact

Alliance-Union