The Mickey7 series by Edward Ashton has become one of the most recognizable modern science-fiction series in recent years. Its clever premise, dark humor, dangerous alien world, and questions about identity helped the first novel stand out in a crowded genre.
The success of Mickey7 also led to a major movie adaptation. Directed by Bong Joon Ho and starring Robert Pattinson, Mickey 17 introduced an even larger audience to Mickey Barnes and his unusual occupation. The movie was released in 2025 and was inspired by Ashton’s first novel, although it made several changes to the story and characters.
But the movie is not our main focus today. Instead, we will be looking at the Mickey7 books in order, what each novel is about, whether the series needs to be read chronologically, and what readers should know about a possible third book.
At the moment, the series contains two published novels. That makes this a relatively easy science-fiction series to start, especially for readers who do not want to commit to a collection containing ten or more books.
Keep reading for the complete Mickey7 series book order and guide.
Mickey7 Series Book Order
The Mickey7 books should be read in the following order:
The two novels follow the same main character and take place on the same dangerous colony world. While both books contain their own central conflicts, Antimatter Blues continues the story established in Mickey7.
Because of that, readers should not begin with the sequel.
The first novel explains Mickey Barnes’ history, the expendable program, the colony’s journey to Niflheim, and Mickey’s complicated relationship with Commander Marshall. It also establishes the political and ethical conflicts that continue to influence the second book.
Do You Need to Read the Mickey7 Books in Order?
Yes, you should read the Mickey7 books in publication order.
Antimatter Blues takes place after the events of Mickey7 and assumes that readers already understand what happened during the colony’s arrival on Niflheim. The sequel also reveals important information about the ending of the first novel.
Starting with Antimatter Blues would spoil several major developments from Mickey7. It would also make Mickey’s relationships with the other colonists more difficult to understand.
Fortunately, the reading order is straightforward. Begin with Mickey7 and continue with Antimatter Blues.
Mickey7 by Edward Ashton
Published in 2022, Mickey7 introduces readers to Mickey Barnes, a man who has agreed to become an expendable.
An expendable is a crew member assigned to jobs that are considered too dangerous for anyone else. Whenever Mickey dies, the colony can produce another version of his body using a bio-printer. His memories and personality are preserved through regular backups, allowing the replacement Mickey to remember most of his previous life.
In theory, this means Mickey can continue working even after being killed.
In reality, repeatedly dying is painful, frightening, and much more complicated than the people controlling the program would like to admit.
Edward Ashton has described Mickey as a character whose job is to die for the other colonists over and over again. The novel uses Mickey’s gallows humor to explore otherwise disturbing questions about death, labor, personal identity, and the value of human life.
Mickey7 Summary
Mickey Barnes joins a mission to colonize Niflheim, a frozen and hostile planet that appears determined to kill the humans trying to settle there.
Mickey does not have the skills, money, or social standing needed to secure a comfortable position on the mission. To gain passage, he signs up to become the colony’s expendable.
His role requires him to enter dangerous environments, test potentially deadly conditions, and take risks that no ordinary colonist would be expected to accept. Whenever he dies, a new body is printed and loaded with his backed-up memories.
By the beginning of the novel, Mickey has already died several times. He is now Mickey7, the seventh version of Mickey Barnes to exist during the mission.
During a routine expedition, Mickey7 falls into a deep opening in the ice and is assumed to be dead. The other colonists do not expect him to return, so the colony creates his replacement, Mickey8.
There is only one problem: Mickey7 survives.
After making his way back to the settlement, Mickey7 discovers that Mickey8 is already living in his quarters. Both versions believe that they are Mickey Barnes, and neither one is eager to die so the other can continue living.
The existence of two copies creates an extremely dangerous situation. Multiple versions of the same person are forbidden, and Commander Marshall is unlikely to respond with patience or compassion if he discovers the truth.
Mickey7 and Mickey8 reluctantly agree to hide their situation from the rest of the colony. That is much easier said than done.
They must share a cramped living space, divide their limited food, avoid being seen together, and determine which version gets to interact with Mickey’s friends and girlfriend. Their situation becomes even more difficult as the struggling colony deals with hunger, environmental dangers, and the mysterious native creatures known as creepers.
As the colony moves closer to disaster, Mickey must determine whether the creepers are truly the monsters Commander Marshall believes them to be. He also has to decide what makes him an individual when another person possesses his face, memories, personality, and history.
What Makes Mickey7 Worth Reading?
The cloning premise is the first thing that will attract many readers, but the novel offers much more than a story about two versions of the same man.
At its center, Mickey7 asks what makes a person unique. Is Mickey7 still Mickey Barnes if his body was created by a machine? Is Mickey8 equally entitled to Mickey’s identity? Does one have a greater right to live because he was printed first?
The novel also explores how organizations treat workers whose lives are considered replaceable. The colony depends on Mickey’s willingness to die, yet many colonists do not treat him like a complete human being.
That conflict gives the novel a darker edge beneath its humor and adventure.
Mickey is not a fearless action hero. He is frequently frightened, hungry, uncertain, and frustrated. That makes him feel much more relatable than the nearly unstoppable protagonists who appear in many space adventures.
The result is an entertaining science-fiction novel that can be enjoyed as a survival story while still giving readers plenty of larger ideas to consider.
Antimatter Blues by Edward Ashton
Antimatter Blues is the second book in the Mickey7 series and continues Mickey Barnes’ story on Niflheim.
The sequel takes place after Mickey has retired from his former position as an expendable. He is no longer expected to enter reactors, test fatal environments, or die whenever the colony needs someone to perform a dangerous assignment.
At least, that is what Mickey believes.
The peaceful life he has created does not last long.
The colony is running out of antimatter, the energy source it needs to survive. Without enough fuel, the settlement may not make it through Niflheim’s next brutal winter.
The official publisher describes the novel as a continuation in which Mickey must confront the colony’s fuel crisis while navigating the competing needs of the humans and the native creepers.
Antimatter Blues Summary
Two years have passed since the major events of Mickey7.
Mickey Barnes has retired from expendable work and is attempting to live like an ordinary colonist. Instead of being sent into deadly environments, he spends much of his time caring for the colony’s animals.
It may not be glamorous, but it is much better than repeatedly dying.
Mickey’s retirement becomes uncertain when evidence suggests that another version of him may exist. If someone has printed another Mickey, then powerful people within the colony may be attempting to restart the expendable program without his permission.
That is only the beginning of his problems.
Niflheim’s warmer season will not last forever, and the colony’s supply of antimatter is dangerously low. Without enough energy, the humans will not be able to survive the coming winter.
Commander Marshall believes the creepers have possession of an antimatter bomb that could solve the colony’s energy crisis. Mickey previously used the weapon as leverage to prevent Marshall from killing him, but the situation has changed.
Now Marshall wants Mickey to retrieve it.
If Mickey succeeds, he may lose the one advantage that has protected him from Marshall. If he refuses, the entire colony could collapse.
Making the situation even worse, the bomb is no longer where Mickey expected it to be. He must travel across the dangerous planet, negotiate with the creepers, uncover what has happened to the antimatter, and prevent another conflict between the two species.
This time, Mickey no longer has the expendable program waiting to produce another body. If he dies, he may actually stay dead.
How Antimatter Blues Expands the Series
The second book builds upon the ideas introduced in Mickey7 without simply repeating the original plot.
The first novel focuses heavily on duplication and the question of whether two versions of Mickey can both claim the same identity. Antimatter Blues examines what happens after Mickey is no longer officially expendable.
Can he truly return to a normal life after being treated as disposable? Will the colony respect his retirement when it once again needs someone to complete a deadly mission?
The sequel also spends more time exploring Niflheim and its native inhabitants. The creepers are not simply obstacles standing in humanity’s way. They have their own needs, fears, social structures, and concerns about the colonists.
That makes the struggle over the antimatter much more complicated than a basic mission to retrieve a missing object.
The conflict is not just about survival. It is also about communication, trust, colonialism, and whether two intelligent species can share the same world.
Is Mickey7 a Duology?
The Mickey7 series currently has two published books, so it can be read as a duology.
However, that does not necessarily mean Edward Ashton has permanently finished Mickey Barnes’ story.
Both novels leave enough room for Mickey to return in another adventure, but neither book ends with a massive unresolved cliffhanger. Readers can finish the two available novels without feeling as though the central story stops halfway through.
That makes the series a great option for anyone who is hesitant to begin an unfinished science-fiction saga.
As of July 2026, a third Mickey7 novel has not been officially announced by the publisher. Until Ashton or his publisher confirms another installment, readers should treat Mickey7 and Antimatter Blues as the complete available reading order.
Will There Be a Third Mickey7 Book?
Edward Ashton has previously discussed his approach to sequels and the realities of publishing. Rather than designing every book around an unresolved trilogy-long story, he prefers to leave possibilities for future adventures while still giving each novel a satisfying conclusion.
That approach makes sense because publishers do not always order sequels, even when an author has ideas for additional books.
A third Mickey7 novel is certainly possible. Mickey Barnes, Niflheim, the creepers, and the expendable technology provide Ashton with many potential directions for another story.
The release of the movie has also brought new attention to the original books. A larger audience may increase interest in seeing Mickey return.
Still, readers should be careful about treating speculation as confirmation. There is currently no officially announced title, publication date, cover, or synopsis for a third book.
For now, the complete Mickey7 book order remains:
- Mickey7
- Antimatter Blues
Mickey7 and the Mickey 17 Movie
The movie adaptation is titled Mickey 17 instead of Mickey7.
Bong Joon Ho directed the film, and Robert Pattinson stars as Mickey Barnes. The cast also includes Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. The movie premiered in 2025 and was released theatrically in the United States on March 7, 2025.
The title immediately reveals one major difference between the novel and the adaptation. The book follows the seventh version of Mickey, while the movie increases that number.
The film also changes parts of Mickey’s personality, background, relationships, and experiences. It should be viewed as an adaptation of Ashton’s central premise rather than a scene-by-scene recreation of the novel.
Readers who watched the movie first can still enjoy Mickey7. Knowing the basic concept does not remove the novel’s surprises because the book develops its characters and conflicts differently.
Likewise, people who loved the novel should expect the movie to offer Bong Joon Ho’s interpretation of the story.
Who Should Read the Mickey7 Series?
The Mickey7 books are a strong choice for readers who enjoy science fiction that combines large ideas with humor and fast-moving adventure.
You may enjoy this series if you like:
- Stories about cloning and artificial reproduction
- Space colonization novels
- Hostile alien planets
- Dark comedy
- First-contact stories
- Morally complicated leaders
- Questions about identity and consciousness
- Ordinary protagonists placed in extraordinary situations
- Science fiction that is thoughtful without becoming overly technical
The books should also appeal to readers who enjoyed novels such as The Martian, Dark Matter, Project Hail Mary, or Old Man’s War. The exact tone and subject matter differ, but all of these books combine speculative concepts with personal stakes and accessible storytelling.
How Many Mickey7 Books Are There?
There are currently two published books in Edward Ashton’s Mickey7 series:
- Mickey7
- Antimatter Blues
There is also a movie adaptation titled Mickey 17, but the film is not a third entry in the book series.
Final Thoughts on the Mickey7 Book Order
With two entertaining novels already available and a major movie adaptation introducing Mickey Barnes to a wider audience, the Mickey7 series has become an exciting part of modern science fiction.
The best place to start is Mickey7. It introduces Mickey Barnes, the expendable program, the colony on Niflheim, and the strange circumstances that lead to two versions of Mickey existing at the same time.
After finishing the first novel, readers can move directly to Antimatter Blues. The sequel expands the world, gives the creepers a larger role, and forces Mickey to risk his life without the security of knowing another version will replace him.
I would gladly read another book set in this universe. Ashton has created a premise that could support additional stories about cloning, space exploration, alien life, and the meaning of personal identity.
Until a third novel is officially announced, readers still have two complete adventures to enjoy.
Whether you discovered the series through the books or watched Mickey 17 first, Edward Ashton’s novels are worth checking out. Begin with Mickey7, continue with Antimatter Blues, and prepare for one of the strangest jobs in science fiction. Until next time, happy reading!
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