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The Alienist adaptations: books & series
Every version of The Alienist — the books & series, compared across media.
In 1890s New York, criminal psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler pursues killers through the shadows of Gilded Age Manhattan — a premise at the heart of both a television series and its companion novel. The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness follow the same characters through two distinct investigations, one on screen and one on the page, each rooted in the period atmosphere and moral complexity of Caleb Carr's world.
The Alienist series
The Alienist books
Frequently asked
Is The Alienist based on a book?
Yes — The Alienist TV series draws on the world created by Caleb Carr. Carr also wrote The Angel of Darkness, a critically acclaimed sequel novel continuing Dr. Kreizler's investigations.
How many versions of The Alienist are there?
This page covers two: the 2018 television series The Alienist and the 1997 novel The Angel of Darkness, a sequel set in the same world with the same central characters.
Which version of The Alienist should I start with?
The 2018 TV series The Alienist introduces Dr. Kreizler and the core cast in a single investigation. Viewers who want more can then turn to The Angel of Darkness, the sequel novel.