Gary A. Braunbeck Reading Order

66 books (1989–2026)

Gary A. Braunbeck edited 61 anthologies between 1989 and 2022, spanning fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, horror, and non-fiction genres. The series includes collections like The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Once Upon a Crime, October Dreams, and numerous themed volumes featuring work from multiple authors. These anthologies should be read in publication order, beginning with the Third Annual Collection. The series appears to be complete as of 2022.

Start with Third Annual Collection, the first of 61 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Third Annual Collection 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Third Annual Collection 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Danger in D.C. 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Eleventh Annual Collection 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Once Upon a Crime 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Best American Mystery Stories 1999 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Civil War Fantastic 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	October Dreams 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Further Adventures of Xena: Warrior Princess 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Trick or Treat 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Lighthouse Hauntings 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Kittens, Cats, and Crime 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Shivers II 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Vivisections 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Corpse Blossoms 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Shadow Regions 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Dark Delicacies II: Fear 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Five Strokes to Midnight 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Horror Library, Volume 3 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Legends of the Mountain State 2 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	The Beast Within 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	The Best of Cemetery Dance II 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Hellbound Hearts 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Mighty Unclean 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	The World Is Dead 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Darkness on the Edge: Tales Inspired by the Songs of Bruce Springsteen 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Haunted Legends 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Hint Fiction 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Legends Of The Mountain State 4 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Return to Mariabronn 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	The Living Dead 2 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	The Shadow of the Unknown 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Appalachian Undead 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Chiral Mad 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Fear the Abyss 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	The Devil's Coattails 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	Barbers & Beauties 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	Chiral Mad 2 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	Dueling Minds 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	Enter at Your Own Risk: Dark Muses, Spoken Silences 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	Eulogies II 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43	Fear the Reaper 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44	Jamais Vu 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45	Mister October, Volume I: An Anthology in Memory of Rick Hautala 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46	Tales of Jack the Ripper 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47	Vampires Don't Sparkle! 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
48	Dark Discoveries - Issue #26 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
49	Far Voyager: A Postcripts Anthology 32/33 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
50	Limbus, Inc. - Book II 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
51	Out of Tune 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
52	Piercing the Darkness 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
53	Qualia Nous 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
54	Seize the Night 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
55	Shadows Over Main Street 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
56	The Library of the Dead 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
57	Weirdbook 31 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
58	Another Dimension: Anthology 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
59	Shadows Over Main Street Volume 2 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
60	Twice Upon an Apocalypse: Lovecraftian Fairy Tales 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
61	Carnival of Horror 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
62	Chiral Mad 4 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
63	You, Human 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
64	Don’t Turn Out the Lights 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
65	Chiral Mad 5 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
66	The Horror Collection Special Edition II 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (1989–1999)

The Catfantastic Anthologies series is a collection of six fantasy and science fiction anthologies featuring stories centered on cats, published between 1989 and 1999. Edited by Andre Norton and Martin H. Greenberg across multiple volumes, the series brings together various authors writing tales that blend feline characters with speculative fiction elements. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with the original Catfantastic and concluding with Catfantastic V. Each anthology stands as an independent collection while maintaining the thematic focus on cats throughout the series.

Start with Catfantastic(By: Andre Norton), the first of 6 books in the Catfantastic Anthologies series.

5 books (2004–2009)

The Ceder Hill series by Gary A. Braunbeck consists of five complete books published between 2004 and 2009, blending fantasy, science fiction, mystery, horror, and thriller elements. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with In Silent Graves and continuing through Keepers, Mr. Hands, Coffin County, and concluding with Far Dark Fields. This finished series offers a dark, interconnected narrative arc best experienced from the first book onward.

Start with In Silent Graves, the first of 5 books in the Ceder Hill series.

#	Title
1	In Silent Graves 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Keepers 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Mr. Hands 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Coffin County 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Far Dark Fields 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (2000–2001)

The Dark Matter series is a four-book fantasy and horror collection published between 2000 and 2001, now complete. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with If Whispers Call and concluding with Of Aged Angels. This series spans multiple authors including Gary A. Braunbeck, Don Bassingthwaite, and Monte Cook, blending elements of science fiction, mystery, and dark fantasy.

Start with If Whispers Call(By: Don Bassingthwaite), the first of 4 books in the Dark Matter series.

#	Title
1	If Whispers Call(By: Don Bassingthwaite) 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	In Hollow Houses 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	By Dust Consumed(By: Don Bassingthwaite) 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Of Aged Angels(By: Monte Cook) 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

17 books (2022–2025)

The Dark Tide Horror Novellas is an ongoing series of short horror works by Gary A. Braunbeck, with 17 books published between 2022 and 2025. The series blends elements of horror with fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and thriller genres across titles ranging from Halloween Beyond to The Devil's Backbone. These novellas should be read in publication order to experience the series as intended. The collection explores dark themes through standalone and interconnected stories designed for readers seeking bite-sized horror fiction.

Start with Halloween Beyond, the first of 17 books in the Dark Tide Horror Novellas series.

#	Title
1	Halloween Beyond 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Monsters 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	October's End 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	West of Hell 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Wounds to Wishes 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Against the Clock 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	An Unholy Triquetra 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Little Mutilations 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Sherlock Holmes and The Arcana of Madness 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Dead Shall Rise 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Vandal 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	A Graveyard of Stars 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	F.U.B.B. 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Hunted Highways 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Devil's Backbone 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	24 Frames Per Second: Three Hollywood Horror Novellas 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Urban Legends 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2004–2010)

Gary A. Braunbeck's two-book non-fiction series spans from 2004 to 2010 and should be read in publication order. The complete series consists of Fear in a Handful of Dust followed by To Each Their Darkness, offering insights across the author's characteristic blend of speculative and darker themes.

Start with Fear in a Handful of Dust and read in order.

#	Title
1	Fear in a Handful of Dust 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	To Each Their Darkness 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (2003–2015)

Gary A. Braunbeck's Short Stories/Novellas series comprises six collections published between 2003 and 2015, completing with The Great Pity. These works span fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, and horror genres, showcasing Braunbeck's versatility across multiple narrative forms. Read in publication order beginning with Duty, followed by Just out of Reach, We Now Pause for Station Identification, Afterward, There Will Be a Hallway, and concluding with The Great Pity, with Paper Cuts appearing as part of the final collection.

Start with Duty, the first of 6 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#	Title
1	Duty 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Just out of Reach 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	We Now Pause for Station Identification 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Afterward, There Will Be a Hallway 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Great Pity 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Paper Cuts 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

10 books (1997–2015)

Gary A. Braunbeck's Short Story Collections series comprises ten books published between 1997 and 2015, collecting the author's work across fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, horror, and non-fiction genres. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Things Left Behind and concluding with Halfway Down The Stairs. This collection spans nearly two decades of Braunbeck's short fiction, offering readers a comprehensive view of his varied storytelling across multiple genres.

Start with Things Left Behind, the first of 10 books in the Short Story Collections series.

#	Title
1	Things Left Behind 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Escaping Purgatory 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	From Beneath These Fields of Blood 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Graveyard People 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	X3 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Home Before Dark 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Destinations Unknown 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Cages and Those Who Hold the Keys 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Rose of Sharon and Other Stories 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Halfway Down The Stairs 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (1998–2006)

This collection comprises five standalone novels by Gary A. Braunbeck published between 1998 and 2006, spanning fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, and horror genres. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Time Was, co-written with Steve Perry, followed by The Indifference of Heaven, The Flesh Unknown, In the Midnight Museum, and concluding with Prodigal Blues. Each book functions as an independent story rather than part of an overarching narrative.

Start with Time Was(With: Steve Perry), the first of 5 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Time Was(With: Steve Perry) 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Indifference of Heaven 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Flesh Unknown 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	In the Midnight Museum 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Prodigal Blues 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

23 books (1990–2026)

The Valdemar Anthologies is an ongoing fantasy series set in the world of Valdemar, comprising 23 books published between 1990 and 2026. Featuring contributions from Mercedes Lackey and numerous other authors including Tanya Huff, Elisabeth Waters, and Anthea Sharp, these volumes collect short stories and novellas that expand the lore of the realm. The series should be read in publication order to experience the stories as they were intended to be released.

Start with Valdemar Companion(By: Mercedes Lackey), the first of 23 books in the Valdemar Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Valdemar Companion(By: Mercedes Lackey) 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Sword of Ice and Other Tales of Valdemar(With: Mercedes Lackey,John Helfers,Larry Dixon,Richard Lee Byers,Mickey Zucker Reichert,Tanya Huff,Elisabeth Waters,Janni Lee Simner,Lawrence Schimel,Kristin Schwengel,Stephanie D. Shaver,Ben Ohlander,Michelle Sagara,Mel White,John Yezeguielian,Philip M. Austin) 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Sun in Glory and Other Tales of Valdemar(By: Josepha Sherman) 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Crossroads and Other Tales of Valdemar(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Changing the World(By: Elisabeth Waters) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Finding the Way and Other Tales of Valdemar(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Under the Vale and Other Tales of Valdemar(By: Elisabeth Waters) 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	No True Way(By: Mercedes Lackey,Dayle A. Dermatis,Ron Collins,Jennifer Brozek,Elisabeth Waters) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The One Left Behind(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Crucible(By: Mercedes Lackey,Anthea Sharp) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Tempest(By: Anthea Sharp) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Pathways(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Choices(By: Anthea Sharp) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The Demon's Den and Other Tales of Valdemar(By: Tanya Huff) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Seasons(By: Anthea Sharp) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Passages(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Boundaries(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Shenanigans(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Anything With Nothing(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Feuds(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Smoke and Mirrors(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	A Many-Splintered Thing(By: Mercedes Lackey) 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible