Peter Carey Reading Order

5 books (2000–2018)

Peter Carey edited five anthology collections between 2000 and 2018, spanning literary fiction, short stories, science fiction, and essays on writing and language. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Swallowing Film Short Film Fiction and concluding with Writers: Their Lives and Works. These anthologies showcase diverse voices and perspectives across multiple genres and literary traditions.

Start with Swallowing Film Short Film Fiction, the first of 5 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Swallowing Film Short Film Fiction 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	110 Stories 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Best Australian Science Fiction 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Rotten English 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Writers: Their Lives and Works 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1974–1995)

Peter Carey's Collections is a three-book series of short story compilations published between 1974 and 1995. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with The Fat Man In History / Exotic Pleasures, followed by War Crimes, and concluding with Collected Stories. These works represent Carey's literary short fiction across two decades of his career.

Start with The Fat Man In History / Exotic Pleasures and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Fat Man In History / Exotic Pleasures 1974Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	War Crimes 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Collected Stories 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2001–2004)

Peter Carey's two-book nonfiction series explores the author's personal observations and reflections across two distinct settings. Published between 2001 and 2004, these works should be read in publication order beginning with 30 Days in Sydney followed by Wrong About Japan. The series is complete and offers literary nonfiction from the acclaimed author known for his fiction writing.

Start with 30 Days in Sydney and read in order.

#	Title
1	30 Days in Sydney 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Wrong About Japan 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

15 books (1981–2017)

Peter Carey's fifteen standalone novels span from 1981 to 2017 and should be read in publication order beginning with Bliss. Each work stands independently with its own characters and story, allowing readers to enter and exit the series at any point, though following the chronological publication sequence provides insight into the author's evolving literary style. The series is complete, containing diverse works of literary fiction that showcase Carey's distinctive narrative voice across varied settings and historical periods.

Start with Bliss, the first of 15 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Bliss 1981Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Illywhacker 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Oscar and Lucinda 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Tax Inspector 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Big Bazoohley 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Jack Maggs 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	True History of the Kelly Gang 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	My Life as a Fake 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Theft 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	His Illegal Self 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Parrot and Olivier in America 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The Chemistry of Tears 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Amnesia 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	A Long Way From Home 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible