What order should I read Karl Edward Wagner's books in?

Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Death Angel's Shadow.

What is Karl Edward Wagner's last book?

The Year's Best Horror 20 (Year's Best Horror) (1992).

What is Karl Edward Wagner's most famous book?

Death Angel's Shadow (1980) is Karl Edward Wagner's most widely read book.

Karl Edward Wagner books in order

American writer

Lived: 1945–1994
Country: United States
Books: 24

Literary fiction

Karl Edward Wagner published 18 novels, 5 short story collections and 1 other book, beginning with Death Angel's Shadow (1980).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with Karl Edward Wagner

Start here
Death Angel's Shadow
Karl Edward Wagner's most-read book.

Standalone novels in order

Dark Crusade (1976)
223 pages
Buy
Night Winds (1978)
286 pages
Buy
Night Winds Hpb (1979)
288 pages
Buy
The Road of Kings (Oct 1979)
209 pages
Buy
Death Angel's Shadow (1980)
215 pages
Buy
The Year's Best Horror 08 (Year's Best Horror) (1980)
Buy
Conan (1982)
224 pages
Buy
Bloodstone (1983)
Buy
Darkness Weaves (1983)
Buy
In a Lonely Place (1983)
288 pages
Buy
The Year's Best Horror 11 (Year's Best Horror) (1983)
Buy
Killer (1985)
288 pages
Buy
The Year's Best Horror 14 (Year's Best Horror) (1986)
Buy
Why Not You and I? (1987)
306 pages
Buy
Legion From the Shadows (1988)
247 pages
Buy
Intensive Scare (1990)
Buy
Gods in Darkness (2002)
528 pages
Buy
Where the Summer Ends: The Best Horror Stories of Karl Edward Wagner, Volume 1 (2012)
400 pages
Buy

Short story collections in order

The Year's Best Horror Stories: Ix (1981)
366 pages
Buy
The Year's Best Horror Stories, Series X (1982)
240 pages
Buy
The Year's Best Horror 20 (Year's Best Horror) (1992)
368 pages
Buy
Exorcisms and Ecstasies (1997)
458 pages
Buy
The Midnight Sun (2003)
450 pages
Buy

Other books in order

The Year's Best Horror 18 (Year's Best Horror) (1990)
Buy

About Karl Edward Wagner

Karl Edward Wagner was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of horror, science fiction, and heroic fantasy, who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and originally trained as a psychiatrist.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Karl Edward Wagner FAQ

How many books has Karl Edward Wagner written?: Karl Edward Wagner published 18 novels, 5 short story collections and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Karl Edward Wagner's books in?: Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Death Angel's Shadow.
What is Karl Edward Wagner's last book?: The Year's Best Horror 20 (Year's Best Horror) (1992).
What is Karl Edward Wagner's most famous book?: Death Angel's Shadow (1980) is Karl Edward Wagner's most widely read book.