Reading Order List โ€” Book Series Reading Order Guide
Jack Ketchum

Jack Ketchum Reading Order

7 series ยท 88 books ยท Born 10 Nov 1946

Jack Ketchum, the pen name of Dallas William Mayr, was a prolific American author known for his compelling and often unsettling horror fiction. With a remarkable catalog of 88 works spanning seven seriesโ€”including *Off Season*โ€”as well as standalone novels, novellas, and non-fiction, Ketchum made a significant mark on the genre during his active years from 1974 to 2019. His contributions earned him multiple Bram Stoker Awards, establishing him as a vital figure in the horror literary community.

Anthologies Series

Complete

42 books (1990โ€“2019)

Start with Triage, the first of 42 books in the Anthologies series.

#Title
1
2
Deadly After Dark
3
Cover of Vampire Detectives
Vampire Detectives
4
Fear the Fever
5
Cover of October Dreams
October Dreams
6
Cover of Skull Full of Spurs
Skull Full of Spurs
7
Cover of Fourteenth Annual Collection
Fourteenth Annual Collection
8
Tails of Wonder and Imagination
9
10
Cover of Stranger: Dark Tales of Eerie Encounters
Stranger: Dark Tales of Eerie Encounters
11
Cover of Tales from a Darker State
Tales from a Darker State
12
Cover of Fear of the Unknown
Fear of the Unknown
13
14
Cover of Mondo Zombie
Mondo Zombie
15
Cover of In Laymon's Terms
In Laymon's Terms
16
Cover of Jack Haringa Must Die!
Jack Haringa Must Die!
17
Cover of The Best of Cemetery Dance II
The Best of Cemetery Dance II
18
Cover of The World Is Dead
The World Is Dead
19
Cover of Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead
Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead
20
Cover of A Hacked-Up Holiday Massacre
A Hacked-Up Holiday Massacre
21
22
Cover of Fear the Abyss
Fear the Abyss
23
Cover of Horror for Good
Horror for Good
24
25
Cover of Beware the Dark #1
Beware the Dark #1
26
Cover of Chiral Mad 2
Chiral Mad 2
27
Cover of Mister October, Volume II
Mister October, Volume II
28
Cover of Shock Totem 6: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted
Shock Totem 6: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted
29
Cover of Sixty-Five Stirrup Iron Road
Sixty-Five Stirrup Iron Road
30
Cover of Turn Down the Lights
Turn Down the Lights
31
Cemetery Dance: Issue 71
32
Horror 101: The Way Forward
33
Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror
34
Cover of Piercing the Darkness
Piercing the Darkness
35
Cover of Suspended In Dusk
Suspended In Dusk
36
Insidious Assassins
37
Cover of Beast:Revelations - A Dark Ethology - Volume 2
Beast:Revelations - A Dark Ethology - Volume 2
38
Cover of Cemetery Riots
Cemetery Riots
39
Chiral Mad 3
40
Cover of Dark Places, Evil Faces
Dark Places, Evil Faces
41
Chiral Mad 4
42
Cover of Freedom of Screech
Freedom of Screech

D.O.A.: Extreme Horror Anthology Series

Complete

3 books (2011โ€“2017)

Start with D.O.A. and read in order.

Non-Fiction Series

Complete

2 books (2013โ€“2015)

Start with Turning Japanese and read in order.

#Title
1
Turning Japanese
2
Writers On Writing

Off Season Series

Complete

3 books (1980โ€“2010)

Start with Off Season and read in order.

#Title
1
2
3
Cover of The Woman(With: Lucky McKee)
The Woman(With: Lucky McKee)

Short Stories/Novellas Series

Complete

9 books (1994โ€“2019)

Start with The Box, the first of 9 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#Title
1
2
3
4
Cover of The Crossings
The Crossings
5
Cover of Weed Species
Weed Species
6
Book of Souls
7
Cover of I'm Not Sam(With: Lucky McKee)
I'm Not Sam(With: Lucky McKee)
8
Cover of Notes from the Cat House
Notes from the Cat House
9
Gorilla In My Room

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

9 books (1998โ€“2015)

Start with Right to Life, the first of 9 books in the Short Story Collections series.

#Title
1
Cover of Right to Life
Right to Life
2
Cover of The Exit at Toledo Blade Boulevard
The Exit at Toledo Blade Boulevard
3
Cover of Broken on the Wheel of Sex
Broken on the Wheel of Sex
4
Cover of Peaceable Kingdom
Peaceable Kingdom
5
Sleep Disorder(With: Edward Lee)
6
Cover of Closing Time and Other Stories
Closing Time and Other Stories
7
8
Cover of Night Terrors III
Night Terrors III
9
Cover of What They Wrote
What They Wrote

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

20 books (1974โ€“2016)

Start with Laramie Plains, the first of 20 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#Title
1
Cover of Laramie Plains
Laramie Plains
2
3
Cover of Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek
4
Cover of Dead or alive
Dead or alive
5
Cover of The Guns of Amarillo
The Guns of Amarillo
6
Cover of Winchester pass
Winchester pass
7
8
9
Cover of The Girl Next Door
The Girl Next Door
10
Cover of Trail to Nowhere
Trail to Nowhere
11
Cover of Joyride / Road Kill
Joyride / Road Kill
12
13
Cover of Stranglehold
Stranglehold
14
15
The Passenger
16
Cover of Ladies' Night
Ladies' Night
17
18
19
20
Cover of The Secret Life of Souls(With: Lucky McKee)
The Secret Life of Souls(With: Lucky McKee)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Jack Ketchum written?
Jack Ketchum has written 88 books across 7 series. Their published works span from 1974 to 2019.
What is the first book in each Jack Ketchum series?
Here are the first books in Jack Ketchum's series: Anthologies: Triage; D.O.A.: Extreme Horror Anthology: D.O.A.; Non-Fiction: Turning Japanese; Off Season: Off Season; Short Stories/Novellas: The Box.
What order should I read Jack Ketchum's books?
We recommend reading Jack Ketchum's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Are Jack Ketchum's series complete?
Jack Ketchum has 7 completed series.

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