Michael Marshall Smith Reading Order
13 series · 221 books
Michael Marshall Smith is an English writer of speculative fiction and thrillers who works across multiple genres including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery. Publishing prolifically since 1990 under several pen names including Michael Marshall and Michael Rutger, he has built an extensive catalog spanning thirteen series and over two hundred books. His work ranges from tightly plotted standalone thrillers to interconnected series like the Anomaly Files, while also establishing himself as a respected curator and contributor to horror anthologies and short fiction collections.
Are you Michael Marshall Smith? Add a note for your readers →
Anomaly Files Series
Complete2 books (2018–2019)
The Anomaly Files is a complete two-book series by Michael Marshall Smith published between 2018 and 2019. Both books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Anomaly followed by The Possession. The series blends elements of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and horror into an interconnected narrative.
Start with The Anomaly and read in order.
Start this series with The Anomaly
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Anthologies Series
Ongoing93 books (1991–2026)
This ongoing anthology series, edited by Michael Marshall Smith, spans 92 volumes of horror, science fiction, fantasy, and supernatural fiction published between 1991 and 2026. The collections should be read in publication order, beginning with Best New Horror 2 and continuing through the series as new volumes were released. Featuring work across multiple genres including mystery, thriller, and non-fiction, these anthologies showcase diverse voices in speculative and dark fiction.
Start with Best New Horror 2, the first of 92 books in the Anthologies series.
Start this series with Best New Horror 2
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| 11 | |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 | |
| 16 | |
| 17 | |
| 18 | |
| 19 | |
| 20 | |
| 21 | |
| 22 | |
| 23 | |
| 24 | |
| 25 | |
| 26 | |
| 27 | |
| 28 | |
| 29 | |
| 30 | |
| 31 | |
| 32 | |
| 33 | |
| 34 | |
| 35 | |
| 36 | |
| 37 | |
| 38 | |
| 39 | |
| 40 | |
| 41 | |
| 42 | |
| 43 | |
| 44 | |
| 45 | |
| 46 | |
| 47 | |
| 48 | |
| 49 | |
| 50 | |
| 51 | |
| 52 | |
| 53 | |
| 54 | |
| 55 | |
| 56 | |
| 57 | |
| 58 | |
| 59 | |
| 60 | |
| 61 | |
| 62 | |
| 63 | |
| 64 | |
| 65 | |
| 66 | |
| 67 | |
| 68 | |
| 69 | |
| 70 | |
| 71 | |
| 72 | |
| 73 | |
| 74 | |
| 75 | |
| 76 | |
| 77 | |
| 78 | |
| 79 | |
| 80 | |
| 81 | |
| 82 | |
| 83 | |
| 84 | |
| 85 | |
| 86 | |
| 87 | |
| 88 | |
| 89 | |
| 90 | |
| 91 | |
| 92 | |
| 93 |
Best Horror of the Year Series
Ongoing19 books (2009–2026)
The Best Horror of the Year is an ongoing anthology series edited by Michael Marshall Smith that began in 2009 and continues through 2025. With 18 volumes published to date, the series collects the year's most notable short horror fiction, offering readers curated selections from the genre's finest contemporary writers. Each volume should be read in publication order, beginning with Volume One, though individual entries function as standalone collections. A retrospective volume, The Best of the Best Horror of the Year, was released after ten years to highlight the most essential stories from the series' first decade.
Start with The Best Horror of the Year: Volume One, the first of 18 books in the Best Horror of the Year series.
Start this series with The Best Horror of the Year: Volume One
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| 11 | |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 | |
| 16 | |
| 17 | |
| 18 | |
| 19 |
Cemetery Dance Select Series
Complete20 books (2015–2020)
Cemetery Dance Select is a 20-book series curated by Michael Marshall Smith and published between 2015 and 2020, now complete. Each installment features a different author and serves as a retrospective collection of their work, making them ideal entry points into various horror, fantasy, science fiction, and thriller writers. The series should be read in publication order to experience the full breadth of authors and perspectives included. This collection spans notable voices in speculative and dark fiction, offering readers a structured way to explore diverse contemporary authors within the genre landscape.
Start with Cemetery Dance Select: Bev Vincent(By: Bev Vincent), the first of 20 books in the Cemetery Dance Select series.
Start this series with Cemetery Dance Select: Bev Vincent(By: Bev Vincent)
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| 11 | |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 | |
| 16 | |
| 17 | |
| 18 | |
| 19 | |
| 20 |
Ememess Collections Series
Complete9 books (2012–2012)
The Ememess Collections is a nine-book series by Michael Marshall Smith published in 2012 and now complete. The series consists of nine individual issues that should be read in publication order, starting with Issue 1 and progressing sequentially through Issue 9. This collection spans Smith's versatile range across fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, horror, and non-fiction genres.
Start with Ememess, Issue 1, the first of 9 books in the Ememess Collections series.
Start this series with Ememess, Issue 1
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 |
Kim Newman Short Story Collections Series
Complete8 books (1994–2010)
This eight-book series of short story collections by Kim Newman spans from 1994 to 2010 and is now complete. The collections should be read in publication order, beginning with The Original Dr. Shade and Other Stories and concluding with Mysteries of the Diogenes Club. Newman's short fiction encompasses fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, and horror genres, offering readers a diverse range of speculative and suspenseful tales across the series.
Start with The Original Dr. Shade and Other Stories(By: Kim Newman), the first of 8 books in the Kim Newman Short Story Collections series.
Start this series with The Original Dr. Shade and Other Stories(By: Kim Newman)
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 |
Shadows Over Innsmouth Series
Complete3 books (1994–2013)
The Shadows Over Innsmouth series comprises three complete horror and fantasy anthologies published between 1994 and 2013, featuring contributions from multiple authors including Stephen Jones and Hugh B. Cave. These collections should be read in publication order, beginning with Shadows Over Innsmouth, followed by Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth, and concluding with Weirder Shadows Over Innsmouth. The series blends elements of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and horror across its interconnected stories.
Start with Shadows Over Innsmouth(By: Stephen Jones) and read in order.
Start this series with Shadows Over Innsmouth(By: Stephen Jones)
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Short Stories/Novellas Series
Complete30 books (1990–2013)
Michael Marshall Smith's short stories and novellas collection spans thirty works published between 1990 and 2013, drawing from his diverse range of genres including fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, and horror. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Man Who Drew Cats and continuing through works like The Dark Land, Foreign Bodies, Hell Hath Enlarged Herself, and concluding with the final entries in the sequence. Each standalone story or novella explores different narrative territories while showcasing Smith's versatility across multiple genres throughout the series' two-decade span.
Start with The Man Who Drew Cats, the first of 30 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.
Start this series with The Man Who Drew Cats
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| 11 | |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 | |
| 16 | |
| 17 | |
| 18 | |
| 19 | |
| 20 | |
| 21 | |
| 22 | |
| 23 | |
| 24 | |
| 25 | |
| 26 | |
| 27 | |
| 28 | |
| 29 | |
| 30 |
Short Story Collections Series
Complete5 books (1999–2020)
Michael Marshall Smith's Short Story Collections series spans five volumes published between 1999 and 2020, presenting a complete body of work across fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, horror, and non-fiction genres. These collections should be read in publication order, beginning with What You Make It and progressing through Cat Stories, More Tomorrow and Other Stories, Everything You Need, and concluding with The Best of Michael Marshall Smith. The series showcases the author's versatility across multiple genres and styles through carefully curated short fiction.
Start with What You Make It, the first of 5 books in the Short Story Collections series.
Start this series with What You Make It
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Standalone Novels Series
Ongoing10 books (1994–2024)
Michael Marshall Smith has written ten standalone novels spanning fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, and horror genres, published between 1994 and 2024. The series remains ongoing and should be read in publication order, beginning with Only Forward. Each novel stands alone as an independent story, allowing readers to start anywhere in the series while discovering the author's evolving range across multiple genres throughout the collection.
Start with Only Forward(As: Michael Marshall), the first of 10 books in the Standalone Novels series.
Start this series with Only Forward(As: Michael Marshall)
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 |
Straw Men Series
Complete3 books (2002–2005)
Michael Marshall Smith's Straw Men trilogy spans from 2002 to 2005 and should be read in publication order beginning with The Straw Men. The series is complete and consists of three books: The Straw Men, The Upright Man (also published as The Lonely Dead), and Blood of Angels. Blending mystery, thriller, and horror elements, this trilogy offers a standalone narrative arc that concludes with the final installment.
Start with The Straw Men and read in order.
Start this series with The Straw Men
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on AudibleThe Lovecraft Squad Series
Complete4 books (2017–2020)
The Lovecraft Squad is a complete four-book horror series by Michael Marshall Smith, published between 2017 and 2020. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with All Hallows Horror and continuing through Waiting, Dreaming, and Rising. This finished series blends horror, fantasy, and mystery elements across its standalone installments.
Start with All Hallows Horror(By: Stephen Jones,John Llewellyn Probert), the first of 4 books in the The Lovecraft Squad series.
Start this series with All Hallows Horror(By: Stephen Jones,John Llewellyn Probert)
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror Series
Ongoing15 books (2010–2024)
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror is an ongoing annual anthology series edited by Michael Marshall Smith, comprising 15 books published between 2010 and 2024. The series began with yearly editions from 2010 through 2019, then transitioned to a volume-based numbering system starting with Volume 1. Read the books in publication order to follow the chronological progression of selected dark fantasy and horror stories across the years.
Start with The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2010 Edition, the first of 15 books in the The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror series.
Start this series with The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2010 Edition
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| 11 | |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Michael Marshall Smith written?
- Michael Marshall Smith has written 221 books across 13 series. Their published works span from 1990 to 2026.
- What is the first book in each Michael Marshall Smith series?
- Here are the first books in Michael Marshall Smith's series: Anomaly Files: The Anomaly; Anthologies: Best New Horror 2; Best Horror of the Year: The Best Horror of the Year: Volume One; Cemetery Dance Select: Cemetery Dance Select: Bev Vincent(By: Bev Vincent); Ememess Collections: Ememess, Issue 1.
- What order should I read Michael Marshall Smith's books?
- We recommend reading Michael Marshall Smith's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is Michael Marshall Smith still writing new books?
- Yes, Michael Marshall Smith has 4 ongoing series: Anthologies, Best Horror of the Year, Standalone Novels, The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror.