Wordcount of popular (and hefty) epics

Will now move HERE.

If you are curious, here some samples. The numbers are approximate and should omit indexes, appendices and stuff not directly belonging to the text itself.

Discrepancies are often due to the fact that Microsoft Word consider “it’s” like one word, instead my data is measured considering it as “it is”, so two words. This can usually add a plus 5-10k compared to Microsoft Word wordcount.

Lord of the Rings – J. R. R. Tolkien (revised to be in line with the rest)

The Fellowship of the Ring: 187k
The Two Towers: 155k
The Return of the King: 131k

Total: 473k

Wheel of Time – Robert Jordan

The Eye of the World: 305k
The Great Hunt: 267k
The Dragon Reborn: 251k
The Shadow Rising: 393k
The Fires of Heaven: 354k
Lord of Chaos: 389k
A Crown of Swords: 295k
The Path of Daggers: 226k
Winter’s Heart: 238k
Crossroads of Twilight: 271k
Knife of Dreams: 315k

Total: 3M 304k (official count)

Stormlight Archives – Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings: 387k (official count)

A Song of Ice And Fire – George R. R. Martin

A Game of Thrones: 298k
A Clash of kings: 326k
A Storm of Swords: 424k
A Feast for Crows: 300k
A Dance with Dragons: 422k

Total: 1M 770k

Malazan Book of the Fallen – Steven Erikson

Gardens of the Moon: 209k
Deadhouse Gates: 272k
Memories of Ice: 358k
House of Chains: 306k
Midnight Tides: 270k
The Bonehunters: 365k
Reaper’s Gale: 386k
Toll the Hounds: 392k
Dust of Dreams: 382k
The Crippled God: 385k

Total: 3M 325k

Forge of Darkness series/Trilogy:

Volume 1: 292k (very tentative)

Esslemont:

Night of Knives: 88k
Return of the Crimson Guard: 278k
Stonewielder: 237k

Prince of Nothing (and rest) – R. Scott Bakker

The Darkness that Comes Before: 175k
The Warrior-Prophet: 205k
The Thousandfold Thought: 139k

Total: 519k

The Judging Eye: 151k
The White-Luck Warrior: 200k~

A Land Fit for Heroes(?) – Richard Morgan

The Steel Remains: 146k
The Cool Commands: 171k

The Wars of Light and Shadow – Janny Wurts

Curse of the Mistwraith: 233k
Ships of Merior: 206k
Warhost of Vastmark: 156k
Fugitive Prince: 220k
Grand Conspiracy: 235k
Peril’s Gate: 300k
Traitor’s Knot: 220k
Stormed Fortress: 248k

Total: 1M 818k

The Night’s Dawn Trilogy – Peter F. Hamilton

The Reality Dysfunction: 385k
The Neutronium Alchemist: 393k
The Naked God: 469k (!)

Total: 1M 247k

Baroque+Crypto – Neal Stephenson

Cryptonomicon: 415k

Quicksilver: 390k
The Confusion: 348k
The System of the World: 387k

Total: 1M 540k

The Dark Tower – Stephen King

The Gunslinger: 55k
The Drawing of the Three: 128k
The Waste Lands: 178k
Wizard and Glass: 264k
Wolves of the Calla: 251k
Song of Susannah: 131k
The Dark Tower: 288k

Total: 1M 295k

Infinite Jest – David Foster Wallace

– 575k

Updated: 27 Oct 2011

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