Sword Art Online is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara with accompanying illustrations drawn by abec.
Originally self-published online under the pseudonym Fumio Kunori,[1] ASCII Media Works began publishing the novels on April 10, 2009 under their Dengeki Bunko imprint.
[3] Yen Press began publishing the novels in English in North America and the United Kingdom with the first volume on April 22, 2014.
With more than 30 million copies in print worldwide, the novels are also published in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Brazil, Russia, Germany, Poland, Austria, France, Switzerland, and Italy.
Several of the side stories that he has released are in a collection called the Sword Art Online Material Edition, sold at the Comitia dōjinshi-selling event, which range from novels to manga.