James P. Blaylock Reading Order

7 books (1989–2014)

James P. Blaylock edited six fantasy and horror anthologies between 1989 and 2014, concluding with a complete series that should be read in publication order. Begin with The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Third Annual Collection and continue through the remaining volumes, which include Cthulhu 2000, Modern Classics of Fantasy, Hauntings, Queen Victoria's Book of Spells, and Time Travel: Recent Trips. This collection of anthologies represents the editor's curated selections spanning multiple decades of the fantasy and horror genres.

Start with Third Annual Collection, the first of 6 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	Cthulhu 2000 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Modern Classics of Fantasy 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Hauntings 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Queen Victoria's Book of Spell 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Time Travel: Recent Trips 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2000–2009)

James P. Blaylock's Collections series consists of three fantasy books published between 2000 and 2009. The complete series includes 13 Phantasms, In for a Penny, and Metamorphosis, which should be read in publication order. This finished series offers three standalone-style entries that form a cohesive whole when experienced sequentially.

Start with 13 Phantasms and read in order.

#	Title
1	13 Phantasms 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	In for a Penny 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Metamorphosis 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

13 books (1984–2020)

James P. Blaylock's Narbondo series comprises thirteen fantasy novels published between 1984 and 2020, beginning with The Digging Leviathan and concluding with The Gobblin' Society. The series is complete and should be read in publication order to follow the interconnected narrative threads across all entries. This sprawling collection represents Blaylock's full exploration of the Narbondo universe and its cast of recurring characters across more than three decades of storytelling.

Start with The Digging Leviathan, the first of 13 books in the Narbondo series.

#	Title
1	The Digging Leviathan 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Homunculus 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Lord Kelvin's Machine 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Ebb Tide 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Affair of the Chalk Cliffs 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Zeuglodon 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Aylesford Skull 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Adventure of the Ring of Stones 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Beneath London 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Further Adventures of Langdon St. Ives 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	River's Edge 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The Gobblin' Society 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2012–2012)

#	Title
1	Steampunk: The Beginning 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (1985–2009)

James P. Blaylock's Short Stories/Novellas series comprises four complete collections published between 1985 and 2001. Read in publication order beginning with Paper Dragons, followed by The Better Boy, Old Curiosity Shop, and His Own Back Yard. These fantasy-tinged short works showcase Blaylock's imaginative storytelling across diverse narrative formats.

Start with Paper Dragons, the first of 4 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.

#	Title
1	Paper Dragons 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Better Boy 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Old Curiosity Shop 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	His Own Back Yard 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Stone Eggs(With: Adriana Campoy) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

7 books (1986–2009)

James P. Blaylock's seven fantasy novels were published between 1986 and 2009 and should be read in publication order, beginning with Axolotl Double A-1. The series is now complete and consists entirely of standalone entries, meaning each book tells its own story without requiring knowledge of the others. These works span from his early career through the 2000s, offering readers a retrospective of his fantasy writing across more than two decades.

Start with Axolotl Double A-1, the first of 7 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Axolotl Double A-1 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Land of Dreams 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Magic Spectacles 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Home Before Dark 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Man in the Moon 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Knights of the Cornerstone 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Shadow on the Doorstep 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1982–1989)

James P. Blaylock's Balumnia Trilogy consists of three fantasy novels published between 1982 and 1989. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Elfin Ship, followed by The Disappearing Dwarf, and concluding with The Stone Giant. This finished trilogy blends fantastical worldbuilding with imaginative storytelling across its three volumes.

Start with The Elfin Ship and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Elfin Ship 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Disappearing Dwarf 1983Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Stone Giant 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1988–1995)

James P. Blaylock's Christian Trilogy comprises three fantasy novels published between 1988 and 1995 in the order they should be read. The complete series consists of The Last Coin, The Paper Grail, and All the Bells on Earth, with each book building on the previous installment. These interconnected works blend fantastical elements with thematic depth across their publication span.

Start with The Last Coin and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Last Coin 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Paper Grail 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	All the Bells on Earth 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1994–1999)

James P. Blaylock's completed Ghosts Trilogy spans from 1994 to 1999 and should be read in publication order beginning with Night Relics, followed by Winter Tides and The Rainy Season. This three-book fantasy series offers a self-contained narrative arc across its installments.

Start with Night Relics and read in order.

#	Title
1	Night Relics 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Winter Tides 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Rainy Season 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible