Chuck Wendig Books in Order

Where to Start with Chuck Wendig

Chuck Wendig's writing spans a wild array of genres, from visceral horror and post-apocalyptic survival to high-stakes space opera. Because his catalog is so diverse, your ideal starting point depends on your personal taste:

• For Apocalyptic and Speculative Fiction Fans: Start with Wanderers (2019). This Bram Stoker Award-nominated epic is widely considered Wendig's masterpiece, capturing a hauntingly prescient vision of societal collapse. It is followed by the sequel Wayward.
• For Gritty Urban Fantasy Lovers: Start with Blackbirds (2012), the opening novel of the Miriam Black series. It features a fierce, tragic psychic who can see how anyone she touches will die.
• For Star Wars Enthusiasts: Jump straight into Star Wars: Aftermath (2015), which bridges the narrative gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.
• For Standalone Horror Lovers: Pick up The Book of Accidents (2021) or Black River Orchard (2023) for haunting, self-contained tales of supernatural dread.

The Miriam Black Series Reading Order

The Miriam Black series is a dark, profane, and deeply emotional urban fantasy saga. To follow Miriam’s character growth and the overarching mystery of her curse, you should read these books strictly in publication order:

1. Blackbirds (2012)
2. Mockingbird (2012)
3. The Cormorant (2013)
4. Thunderbird (2017)
5. The Raptor & the Wren (2018)
6. Interlude: Tanager (2019) — A companion novella focused on the character Wren Martin, published in the collaborative anthology Death & Honey.
7. Vultures (2019) — The final book in the Miriam Black saga.

Star Wars: Aftermath Trilogy

Commissioned as part of the official canon expansion leading up to the sequel trilogy, the Aftermath books are a crucial read for Star Wars fans. They focus on a ragtag group of characters trying to clean up the remnants of the Empire. Read them in chronological/publication order:

1. Aftermath (2015)
2. Life Debt (2016)
3. Empire's End (2017)

The Wanderers Duology

A sprawling, epic tale of a mysterious sleeping sickness that causes everyday citizens to walk across America in a sleepwalk herd, and the scientists, politicians, and ordinary people caught in the aftermath. It consists of two massive novels:

1. Wanderers (2019)
2. Wayward (2022)

Clearing Up the Iron Druid Chronicles Confusion

If you search for Chuck Wendig's bibliography online, you might notice listings for Kevin Hearne's popular Iron Druid Chronicles or the spin-off series Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries. It is important to know that Chuck Wendig did not write these series.

The association comes from the 2019 anthology Death & Honey, which was a three-way collaboration between Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson, and Chuck Wendig. Hearne contributed an Iron Druid story, Dawson contributed a story in her Lila Bowen universe, and Wendig contributed the Miriam Black novella Interlude: Tanager. Because of this combined publication, automated book databases frequently group the authors' works together, mistakenly suggesting Wendig co-authored the rest of the Iron Druid library.

Other Major Book Series and Trilogies

Gods & Monsters Series

A fast-paced urban fantasy series following Cael McAvoy as he navigates a gritty underworld of magic, gods, and monsters. Read them in this order:

1. Unclean Spirits (2013)
2. Mythbreaker (2014)
3. Snake Eyes (2016)
4. Food of the Gods (2017)
5. The Last Supper Before Ragnarok (2019)

The Heartland Trilogy

A young adult dystopian sci-fi trilogy set in a world dominated by genetically modified corn. Read them in order:

1. Under the Empyrean Sky (2013)
2. Blightborn (2014)
3. The Harvest (2015)

Mookie Pearl Series

A dark urban fantasy series set in the supernatural criminal underworld of New York City:

1. The Blue Blazes (2013)
2. The Hellsblood Bride (2014)
3. Red Devils Rise (2015)

Atlanta Burns

A gritty, rural-noir thriller series about a teenage girl dishing out vigilante justice in her small town. Originally published as two novellas (Shotgun Gravy and Bait Dog), they were compiled and revised in 2015 as:

1. Atlanta Burns (2015)
2. The Hunt (2016)

Dinocalypse Trilogy

A pulp-inspired sci-fi trilogy featuring jetpack dinosaurs and psychic gorillas:

1. Dinocalypse Now (2012)
2. Beyond Dinocalypse (2013)
3. Dinocalypse Forever (2015)

Zer0es Duology

A techno-thriller series dealing with cyberwarfare and biological threats:

1. Zeroes (2015)
2. Invasive (2016)

Double Dead Duology

A unique horror series featuring a vampire who wakes up in the middle of a zombie apocalypse:

1. Double Dead (2011)
2. Bad Blood (2016)

Standalones and Non-Fiction

For readers who prefer one-off novels, Wendig has written several acclaimed standalones:

• Dust & Grim (2021) — A fun, middle-grade fantasy novel about estranged siblings inheriting a supernatural mortuary.
• The Book of Accidents (2021) — A dark, multi-dimensional family horror story set in rural Pennsylvania.
• Black River Orchard (2023) — A creepy horror tale about a town obsessed with a strange, dark apple harvest.
• The Staircase in the Woods (2025) — A nostalgic horror-thriller about childhood friends reuniting to face a supernatural forest staircase.

Aspiring authors should also check out his popular writing advice guides, including Damn Fine Story (2017) and Gentle Writing Advice (2023), which expand on the ideas shared on his blog, terribleminds.com.