The Lunar Chronicles

The Lunar Chronicles is a young adult science fiction series by American author Marissa Meyer, published by Feiwel & Friends. It consists of four novels, one novella, and a short story collection. Each book reimagines a classic fairy tale—"Cinderella," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Rapunzel," and "Snow White"—with a science fiction twist. The story takes place in a futuristic world where Earth and its former colony, Luna, are in conflict, while both societies struggle with a widespread pandemic. An animated film adaptation, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Locksmith Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, was announced in 2019 and is scheduled for release on November 3, 2028.

**Books**

**Cinder** (published January 3, 2012) is the first book and second chronologically. Linh Cinder, a cyborg based on Cinderella, lives with her stepmother and stepsisters in New Beijing, Eastern Commonwealth. She works as a mechanic and meets Crown Prince Kaito, who asks her to fix his former tutor android. After her younger stepsister, Peony, catches the plague Letumosis, Cinder is volunteered for testing. This reveals hidden details about her origins. Meanwhile, tensions between Earth and Luna—a lunar colony where most citizens have special abilities—grow, with Prince Kaito caught between his people and the villainous Lunar Queen.

**Scarlet** (published February 5, 2013) is the second book and third chronologically. Scarlet Benoit, based on Little Red Riding Hood, is a farmer's granddaughter whose grandmother, Michelle Benoit, a former military pilot, has vanished. Searching for her, Scarlet reluctantly teams up with a street fighter named Wolf, a genetically altered Lunar warrior. As Scarlet grows fond of Wolf, his old Lunar pack creates dangerous situations that test his loyalty. Deeper connections emerge as the pack's true intentions are revealed. Meanwhile, Cinder joins forces with convict Carswell Thorne. Scarlet eventually meets Cinder and becomes an ally in her plan to stop Queen Levana and her thaumaturge, Sybil Mira.

**Cress** (published February 4, 2014) is the third book and fourth chronologically. Crescent Moon "Cress" Darnel, based on Rapunzel, is a shell—a Lunar without special abilities who cannot be affected by mind manipulation. She works for Sybil, helping Lunar ships avoid detection by Earth.