Book Series Guide

John Joseph Adams

Author guide

John Joseph Adams Books in Order

John Joseph Adams is an American editor, anthologist, publisher, critic, and essayist. He edited more than fifty anthologies, including Wastelands, The Living Dead, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, A People's Future of the United States, and Out There Screaming. He founded and publishes Lightspeed and Nightmare magazines, co-created The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast, and edited the Apocalypse Triptych and Dystopia Triptych series.

science fictionfantasyhorrorspeculative fictionanthologyliterary criticism

John Joseph Adams's Newest Book

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse

Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse

Best entry point to Adams's career as an anthology editor and a landmark apocalyptic-fiction collection.

Cover of The Living Dead

The Living Dead

Representative early anthology showcasing Adams's horror and genre-editing work.

Cover of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015

Beginning of Adams's long-running annual Best American anthology series.

Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror

Major recent anthology and a strong entry point to Adams's contemporary horror editing.

Read in order

Books by series

anthology-series · ongoing

Wastelands

Anthology series about apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic futures.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse
    Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse

    Book 1 · anthology · 2008

    Amazon ↗
  2. 3 Cover of Wastelands: The New Apocalypse
    Wastelands: The New Apocalypse

    Book 3 · anthology · 2019

    Amazon ↗

anthology-series · complete

The Living Dead

Anthology series of zombie fiction.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of The Living Dead
    The Living Dead

    Book 1 · anthology · 2008

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2 Cover of The Living Dead 2
    The Living Dead 2

    Book 2 · anthology · 2010

    Amazon ↗

anthology-series · complete

The Apocalypse Triptych

Three-volume original anthology series edited with Hugh Howey, charting humanity's collapse and aftermath.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of The End Is Nigh
    The End Is Nigh

    Book 1 · anthology · 2014

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2 Cover of The End Is Now
    The End Is Now

    Book 2 · anthology · 2014

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3 Cover of The End Has Come
    The End Has Come

    Book 3 · anthology · 2015

    Amazon ↗

annual-anthology-series · ongoing

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy

Annual anthology series selecting notable American science fiction and fantasy short fiction.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015

    Book 1 · anthology · 2015

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2 Cover of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016

    Book 2 · anthology · 2016

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3 Cover of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017

    Book 3 · anthology · 2017

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018

    Book 4 · anthology · 2018

    Amazon ↗
  5. 5 Cover of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2019
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2019

    Book 5 · anthology · 2019

    Amazon ↗
  6. 6 Cover of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2020
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2020

    Book 6 · anthology · 2020

    Amazon ↗
  7. 7 Cover of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2021
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2021

    Book 7 · anthology · 2021

    Amazon ↗
  8. 8 Cover of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022

    Book 8 · anthology · 2022

    Amazon ↗
  9. 9
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023

    Book 9 · anthology · 2023

    Amazon ↗
  10. 10 Cover of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024

    Book 10 · anthology · 2024

    Amazon ↗
  11. 11 Cover of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2025
    The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2025

    Book 11 · anthology · 2025

    Amazon ↗

novella-series · complete

The Dystopia Triptych

Three-volume original dystopian novella series edited with Hugh Howey and Christie Yant.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of Ignorance Is Strength
    Ignorance Is Strength

    Book 1 · novella · 2020

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2 Cover of Burn the Ashes
    Burn the Ashes

    Book 2 · novella · 2020

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3 Cover of Or Else the Light
    Or Else the Light

    Book 3 · novella · 2020

    Amazon ↗

anthology-series · ongoing

Robot Wizard Zombie Crit! Stories

Series of roleplaying-game-inspired speculative fiction stories.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    Robot Wizard Zombie Crit! Stories: Volume One

    Book 1 · anthology · 2025

    Amazon ↗

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Edited works (24)
  1. Seeds of Change

    anthology · 2008

    Amazon ↗
  2. Federations

    anthology · 2009

    Amazon ↗
  3. Cover of By Blood We Live
    By Blood We Live

    anthology · 2009

    Amazon ↗
  4. Cover of The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
    The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

    anthology · 2009

    Amazon ↗
  5. Cover of The Way of the Wizard
    The Way of the Wizard

    anthology · 2010

    Amazon ↗
  6. Cover of Lightspeed: Year One
    Lightspeed: Year One

    anthology · 2011

    Amazon ↗
  7. Cover of Brave New Worlds
    Brave New Worlds

    anthology · 2011

    Amazon ↗
  8. Cover of Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom
    Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom

    anthology · 2012

    Amazon ↗
  9. Cover of Armored
    Armored

    anthology · 2012

    Amazon ↗
  10. Cover of Other Worlds Than These
    Other Worlds Than These

    anthology · 2012

    Amazon ↗
  11. Cover of Epic: Legends of Fantasy
    Epic: Legends of Fantasy

    anthology · 2012

    Amazon ↗
  12. Cover of Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond
    Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond

    anthology · 2013

    Amazon ↗
  13. Cover of The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination
    The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination

    anthology · 2013

    Amazon ↗
  14. Cover of Robot Uprisings
    Robot Uprisings

    anthology · 2014

    Amazon ↗
  15. Cover of Dead Man's Hand: An Anthology of the Weird West
    Dead Man's Hand: An Anthology of the Weird West

    anthology · 2014

    Amazon ↗
  16. Help Fund My Robot Army!!! and Other Improbable Crowdfunding Projects

    anthology · 2014

    Amazon ↗
  17. Cover of Operation Arcana
    Operation Arcana

    anthology · 2015

    Amazon ↗
  18. Cover of Loosed Upon the World: The Saga Anthology of Climate Fiction
    Loosed Upon the World: The Saga Anthology of Climate Fiction

    anthology · 2015

    Amazon ↗
  19. Cover of Press Start to Play
    Press Start to Play

    anthology · 2015

    Amazon ↗
  20. Cover of Cosmic Powers
    Cosmic Powers

    anthology · 2017

    Amazon ↗
  21. Cover of A People's Future of the United States
    A People's Future of the United States

    anthology · 2019

    Amazon ↗
  22. Cover of Lost Worlds & Mythological Kingdoms
    Lost Worlds & Mythological Kingdoms

    anthology · 2022

    Amazon ↗
  23. Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror

    anthology · 2023

    Amazon ↗
  24. The Time Traveler's Passport

    anthology · 2025

    Amazon ↗