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Parasitology

by Mira Grant

The Parasitology series by Mira Grant has 3 known books (3 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Parasite (2013). Chimera is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.

Books
3 known books (3 novels)
Published
3
First published
2013
Status
completed
Shelved under
Horror
Start here: Parasite (2013) — then read straight through in publication order.
Book one
Cover of Parasite
Parasite (2013)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Parasite

    Novel
    Parasite (October 2013) opens the trilogy at 512 pages, introducing Sally Mitchell, revived from a coma by her own SymboGen tapeworm implant in a way that shouldn't have been medically possible.
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  2. Symbiont

    Novel
    At 518 pages, Symbiont (November 2014) is the longest of the three books, arriving almost exactly a year after Parasite as the implants' strange behavior escalates.
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  3. Chimera

    Novel
    The shortest of the trilogy at 496 pages, Chimera (November 2015) closes out Mira Grant's complete Parasitology series a year after Symbiont, resolving the central mystery of what Sally Mitchell's SymboGen-engineered tapeworm implant has actually made her. It brings the trilogy's body-horror premise -- and the question of where engineered parasite ends and person begins -- to a definite conclusion.
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Key facts about the Parasitology series

Our list has 3 books in the Parasitology series. Since all 3 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with Parasite, since it opens the publication order in 2013. Symbiont is book 2, from 2014. Chimera is book 3, from 2015.

The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions.

Chimera is the latest book with a full release date, out on 24 November 2015. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.

The books came out between 2013 and 2015, while their length runs from 496 to 518 pages. That is a run of 2 years.

Mira Grant has 11 books on our list. Additionally, they write Newsflesh. We shelve the books under horror.

About the Parasitology series

In the near future, the SymboGen corporation's Intestinal Bodyguard -- a genetically engineered tapeworm implant that regulates its host's immune system and dispenses medication from inside their own gut -- has replaced most conventional medicine. Parasite opens the trilogy with Sally Mitchell, revived from a car-accident-induced coma by her own implant in a way that shouldn't have been medically possible, only to discover the implants across the country are starting to do far stranger, far more dangerous things than regulate immune systems. Mira Grant (a pen name of Seanan McGuire) builds a body-horror premise with the same rigorous, plausible-feeling science she brought to Newsflesh, turning a wellness-industry innovation into an escalating, species-level threat.

Across the trilogy, Sally and the people around her uncover just how far SymboGen's ambitions and cover-ups go, as the implanted tapeworms begin developing agency of their own -- and the line between engineered parasite and person starts to blur in ways that force Sally to question what she is, not just what's happening to her. The series is also known by the alternate label Forced Evolutions in some listings, reflecting its central premise of engineered biology outrunning its creators' control.

Complete at three books, Parasitology pairs corporate-conspiracy thriller plotting with unsettling, well-researched body horror -- a natural next read for Newsflesh fans who want more of Grant's clinical, precise take on biological catastrophe.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the Parasitology series?

Three: Parasite (2013), Symbiont (2014), and Chimera (2015). The trilogy is complete.

What order should I read Parasitology in?

Publication order: Parasite, Symbiont, Chimera. It's a single continuous story that must be read in sequence.

Is Mira Grant the same person as Seanan McGuire?

Yes -- Mira Grant is a pen name Seanan McGuire uses for her science fiction and horror novels, kept separate from her urban fantasy work published under her own name.

Is Parasitology connected to Mira Grant's Newsflesh series?

No, they're separate series with different premises -- Newsflesh is a zombie-outbreak political thriller, Parasitology is body horror about engineered tapeworm implants.

Is Parasitology finished?

Yes, the trilogy concluded with Chimera (2015) and no further book has been announced.

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