Although there are many excellent series, very few present such outstanding quality that they forever change their genre and influence their medium for years to come.
Gravity Falls managed to do that in the field of animation.
Presenting an engaging cast of characters and a clever overarching arc that did not underestimate its viewers allowed Gravity Falls to earn a spot on the list of the best animated shows of all time for both kids and adults.
However, Alex Hirsch’s masterpiece was not confined to animation only. Gravity Falls has plenty of books that expand on what you see through the screen—here’s everything you need to know.
- What Is Gravity Falls?
- How Many Gravity Falls Books Are There?
- All Gravity Falls Books In Order
- Are the Gravity Falls Books Canon?
- Should You Read The Gravity Falls Books?
What Is Gravity Falls?
Gravity Falls is an animated mystery/comedy series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel. It ran for 40 episodes, divided into two seasons, and was released between 2012 and 2016.
The plot follows 12-year-old twin siblings Dipper and Mabel Pines as they spend the summer with their great-uncle Stan in the small town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. As they help their “Grunkle” in his paranormal-oriented tourist trap business, the twins soon begin to uncover the many mysteries that Gravity Falls seems to hide, aided by an enigmatic journal Dipper discovers in the forest.
While the series does follow episodic adventures, it builds an overarching plot surrounding a mystery that the characters—and the viewers—must solve, giving clues and glimpses that encourage fans to decode what may be hiding in each episode.
Thanks to its clever writing, endearing characters, and engaging plot, Gravity Falls earned many accolades and widespread critical acclaim, becoming a multigenerational success.
It is precisely due to this success that the series eventually expanded into the literary world.
How Many Gravity Falls Books Are There?
The exact number of Gravity Falls books depends on how wide a net you’d like to cast, as the cartoon’s popularity has translated into an abundance of mixed-media releases.
Generously speaking, it’s possible to say Gravity Falls has 46 books under its name. However, many are exclusive Spanish and Russian releases made for international markets and do not depict worthwhile information or content; thus, they might be better qualified as collectibles than books.
On the other hand, Disney officially lists nine (9) Gravity Falls books on its website. Still, fans often consider the Cinestory comic books a worthwhile inclusion, so those will be regarded as the main entries for this article.
All Gravity Falls Books In Order
The Gravity Falls books are best enjoyed after watching the animated show, as the content they depict is meant to supplement the series and may spoil its twists and turns.
As such, the following list is organized by publishing order while listing the point of the story that the book may spoil. This is meant to help readers determine where the books sit within the timeline, but concluding the main series first is still the safest approach.
1. Gravity Falls: Happy Summerween! (July 2014)
Spoilers: For Episodes 5 and 12 of Season 1.
This book is the first of a storybook series that provides illustrated adaptations of some episodes. This time, it covers The Inconveniencing (s01e05) and Summerween (s01e12).
2. Gravity Falls: Pining Away (July 2014)
Spoilers: For Episodes 4 and 7 of Season 1.
The second storybook title illustrates the animated episodes The Hand That Rocks the Mabel (s01e04) and Double Dipper (s01e07)
3. Gravity Falls: Once Upon a Swine (October 2014)
Spoilers: For Episodes 9 and 18 of Season 1.
The last storybook adaptations of the series cover episodes The Time Traveler’s Pig (s01e09) and Land Before Swine (s01e18).
4. Gravity Falls: Dipper and Mabel’s Guide to Mystery and Nonstop Fun! (October 2014)
Spoilers: For Season 1 and the first three episodes of Season 2.
This book is presented as written by Dipper and Mabel themselves. They team up to provide in-character journal entries, advice to decode secret messages, mystery games, quizzes, cryptograms, and plenty of references to past events of the show—and even a few hints of what’s to come.
5. Gravity Falls: Journal 3 (July 2016)
Spoilers: For the entire series.
Journal 3, written by Alex Hirsch, is the official adaptation of the famed Journal 3 from the series—the book Dipper finds in the series and kickstarts the show’s events. A treasure for fans of the series, it depicts every page shown and includes new cryptograms, mysteries, and trivia. It is best enjoyed by those who have finished the series.
6. Dipper and Mabel and the Curse of the Time Pirates’ Treasure! A Select Your Own Choose-Venture! (July 2016)
Spoilers: For the first season and the first eight episodes of Season 2.
Dipper and Mabel team up with a friend to jump through time to collect the Time Pirates’ Treasure—the world’s most valuable historical treasures. As the name depicts, this Gravity Falls book is a Choose Your Own Adventure story with multiple endings.
7. Gravity Falls: Lost Legends (July 2018)
Spoilers: For the entire series.
This comic book is the first to depict entirely new stories—four, to be precise. Authored by Alex Hirsch, these short stories take place in between the episodes of the main animated series and offer them new adventures even after the end.
8. Gravity Falls: Tales of the Strange and Unexplained—The Grunkle Stan Edition (2021)
Spoilers: For the entire series.
This Gravity Falls book depicts Dipper, Mabel, and Grunkle Stan remembering the events of some of the animated episodes—with vast differences between the twins and their Grunkle’s recollections.
Controversially enough, this book was written without permission or knowledge from Alex Hirsch.
9. The Book of Bill (2024)
Spoilers: For the entire series.
The first Gravity Falls Book for an adult audience, The Book of Bill is written entirely by Alex Hirsch in the voice of Bill Cipher, the series’ villain. Within its pages, Cipher shares information about himself, explains the show’s events from his point of view, and provides brand-new insight and information about what truly happened.
The Cinestory Comic Books (2015-2021)
Spoilers: For the entire series.
The Cinestory books are comic adaptations of the show, retelling the events through seven volumes and a collection of short stories.
Joe Books, the publisher in charge, filed for bankruptcy before the series could be finished. Nonetheless, the Latin American publisher continued to release the book, which is why some are exclusively available in Spanish.
Are the Gravity Falls Books Canon?
Once again, it’s hard to give a straight answer. Whether or not the Gravity Falls books are canon depends on your standards to define what counts as canon material.
Journal 3, Lost Legends, and The Book of Bill were directly conceptualized and written by Alex Hirsch as canon information to expand the show’s lore, making them essential Gravity Falls books for fans. On the other hand, other books depict events from the animated series; thus, they are canon by default.
Alex Hirsch does not author Dipper and Mabel’s Guide to Mystery and Nonstop Fun, but the information depicted does not seem to contradict any official sources. On the other hand, Hirsch explicitly labeled Dipper and Mabel and the Curse of the Time Pirates’ Treasure as purposefully non-canon and decried Tales of the Strange as non-canon since it was written without his participation or consent.
Should You Read The Gravity Falls Books?
All Gravity Falls books are, first and foremost, a gift for fans of the original show. Newcomers to this small town in Oregon might find themselves lost, so these books are better enjoyed once you’ve watched both seasons.
However, if you yearn for more mysteries to solve and don’t want the summer to end, the Gravity Falls books are a must-read—particularly the acclaimed Book of Bill and Journal 3.
If stories that appeal to the whole family are your calling, check out the Harry Potter book series and the Percy Jackson book series. However, if you prefer comics, sate your curiosity with the best comic books of all time, the rarest comic books in the world, the best manga of all time and FGTeeV books.
