Elizabeth McCracken Reading Order

3 books (1996–2013)

Elizabeth McCracken edited three complete anthologies between 1996 and 2013, which should be read in publication order beginning with Granta 54. The series includes The Secret Society of Demolition Writers and xo Orpheus. These nonfiction collections are now closed to new additions.

Start with Granta 54 and read in order.

#	Title
1	Granta 54 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Secret Society of Demolition Writers 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	xo Orpheus 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

19 books (1852–2022)

The Art of the Story is a 19-book anthology series spanning from 1852 to 2022 that features curated short story collections from classic and contemporary authors. Rather than a traditional narrative series, each volume presents a different author's work, from Ivan Turgenev and Anton Chekhov to Joyce Carol Oates and Alissa Nutting, making it an ideal resource for readers exploring the breadth of short fiction. The series should be read in publication order to experience a thoughtfully sequenced progression through literary voices across different eras and styles. Though the series appears to be complete, it represents an ongoing anthology project designed to celebrate and preserve exceptional short story writing.

Start with A Sportsman's Notebook(By: Ivan Turgenev), the first of 19 books in the Art of the Story series.

#	Title
1	A Sportsman's Notebook(By: Ivan Turgenev) 1852Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The General Zapped an Angel(By: Howard Fast) 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	In the Garden of the North American Martyrs(By: Tobias Wolff) 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Essential Tales of Chekhov(By: Anton Chekhov) 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Garden Party and Other Stories(By: Katherine Mansfield) 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Continent(By: Jim Crace) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Wild Nights!(By: Joyce Carol Oates) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Tunneling to the Center of the Earth(By: Kevin Wilson) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Monstress(By: Lysley Tenorio) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Mr. and Mrs. Baby(By: Mark Strand) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Essential Tales Of Chekhov Deluxe Edition(By: Anton Chekhov) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Vanishing Princess(By: Jenny Diski) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Catastrophe and Other Stories(By: Dino Buzzati) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls(By: Alissa Nutting) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	We Are Taking Only What We Need(By: Stephanie Powell Watts) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Here's Your Hat What's Your Hurry 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Hue and Cry(By: Edward P. Jones,James McPherson) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Hurly Burly and Other Stories(By: Russell Banks,A.E. Coppard) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Loss of Memory Is Only Temporary(By: Francine Prose,Johanna Kaplan) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2014–2021)

Elizabeth McCracken's Collections series consists of three essay collections published between 2014 and 2021, with the series appearing to be complete. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with Thunderstruck & Other Stories, followed by Robinson Crusoe at the Waterpark, and concluding with The Souvenir Museum. McCracken's accessible and thoughtful prose makes each collection a worthwhile addition to her nonfiction body of work.

Start with Thunderstruck & Other Stories and read in order.

#	Title
1	Thunderstruck & Other Stories 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Robinson Crusoe at the Waterpark 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Souvenir Museum 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2008–2025)

Elizabeth McCracken's nonfiction series comprises two books published between 2008 and 2025, with the series still ongoing. Read the books in publication order, beginning with An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination before moving to A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction.

Start with An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination and read in order.

#	Title
1	An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1996–2022)

Elizabeth McCracken has written four standalone novels published between 1996 and 2022, each of which can be read independently. Begin with The Giant's House, her debut, and continue through Niagara Falls All Over Again, Bowlaway, and The Hero of This Book in publication order. Though each novel stands alone, reading them in the order they were released provides a natural progression through McCracken's evolving voice and storytelling. The series appears to be complete as of 2022.

Start with The Giant's House, the first of 4 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	The Giant's House 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Niagara Falls All Over Again 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Bowlaway 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Hero of This Book 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible