In 1985, DC decided to combine all the infinite worlds of its multiverse into a single universe.
This Reading Order lays out this combined universe, book by book, guided by the amazing work at The Unauthorized Chronology of the DC Universe. It also includes those books published under the Vertigo banner that nonetheless take place in the DC Universe – such books are marked Vertigo in the Reading Order.
It also, since it didn’t take long for the universe to splinter back into a multiverse again, includes some of those worlds too.
The Main Universe
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- -– Before the Twentieth Century
- -– The Twentieth Century
- -– Year One
- -– Year Two
- -– Year Three
- -– Year Four
- -– Year Five
- -– Year Six
- -– Year Seven
- -– Year Eight
- -– Year Nine
- -– Year Ten
- -– Year Eleven
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Other Universes
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The iconic Western character, of whose assorted appearances it’s remarkable for any two to appear in the actual order they occur.
Obviously, it’s a big assumption that the Man With No Name is in fact the same man in all three films – but they work as a thematic trilogy. On that level, consider this a thematic timeline.
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- The film on Blu-ray. He’s called ‘Blondie’ in this one, but that’s obviously just a nickname.
- Man With No Name, vol. 1: Sinners and Saints
- Reprints The Man With No Name #1-6
- The Man With No Name, vol. 2: Holiday in the Sun
- Reprints The Man With No Name #7-11
- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, vol. 1
- Reprints The Good, The Bad and The Ugly #1-6
- For a Few Dollars More
- The film on Blu-ray. In this one, his nickname is ‘Manco’ (Spanish for ‘one-armed’, because he rarely uses his right hand other than to shoot).
- A Fistful of Dollars
- The film on Blu-ray. He’s called ‘Joe’ in this one.
- A Coffin Full of Dollars
- Novel by Joe Millard.
- A Dollar to Die For
- Novel by Brian Fox.
- The Devil’s Dollar Sign
- Novel by Joe Millard.
- The Million-Dollar Bloodhunt
- Novel by Joe Millard.
- Blood For a Dirty Dollar
- Novel by Joe Millard.
If you have not yet read the adventures of Slippery Jim DiGriz, you’re in for a treat.
If you have, here’s how they all fit together:
- A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born
- Originally published in 1985.
- The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted
- Originally published in 1987.
- The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the Blues>
- Originally published in 1994.
- The Stainless Steel Rat
- Originally published in 1961.
- The Stainless Steel Rat’s Revenge
- Originally published in 1970.
- The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World
- Originally published in 1972.
- The Fourth Law of Robotics
- Originally published in 1989.
This story crosses over with The Asimov Universe Timeline. It is placed here because it clearly takes place much earlier than the main action of the series, making the time travel of the previous story the best fit for it.
- The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You!
- Originally published in 1978.
- The Stainless Steel Rat for President
- Originally published in 1982.
- The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell
- Originally published in 1996.
- The Stainless Steel Rat Joins The Circus
- Originally published in 1999.
- You Can Be The Stainless Steel Rat
- Originally published in 1988.
Clearly occurs late in his career, but placed here by fiat.
- The Stainless Steel Rat Returns
- Originally published in 2010.
- The Golden Years of the Stainless Steel Rat
- Originally published in 1993.
This list includes only the actual books – much of the content is actually short stories (the volumes this is the case for are noted below). If you want a thorough accounting of which stories occur in what order, down to a listing of what years they occur in, I recommend Johnny Pez’s Insanely Complete Fiction List for a more detailed reading order.
The Robots Era:
- I, Robot: To Protect
- Novel set in 2035 featuring Susan Calvin and early robots, written by Mickey Zucker Reichert.
- I Robot: To Obey
- Novel set in 2036 featuring Susan Calvin and early robots, written by Mickey Zucker Reichert.
- I, Robot: To Preserve
- Novel set in 2037 featuring Susan Calvin and early robots, written by Mickey Zucker Reichert.
- The Complete Robot
- Contains all of Asimov’s Robot Stories up to the date of its publication.
- Robot Dreams
- Contains additional Robot short stories by Asimov.
- Robot Visions
- Contains additional Robot short stories by Asimov.
- Gold
- Contains additional Robot short stories by Asimov.
- Predator
- Volume 1 of the Robots in Time series by William F. Wu.
- Marauder
- Volume 2 of the Robots in Time series by William F. Wu.
- Warrior
- Volume 3 of the Robots in Time series by William F. Wu.
- Dictator
- Volume 4 of the Robots in Time series by William F. Wu.
- Emperor
- Volume 5 of the Robots in Time series by William F. Wu.
- Invader
- Volume 6 of the Robots in Time series by William F. Wu.
- The Positronic Man
- Novel length expansion of Asimov’s short story The Bicentennial Man, co-written with Robert Silverberg.
- Nemesis
- Novel by Asimov.
- The Caves of Steel
- First novel in the Elijah Baley series.
- The Naked Sun
- Second novel in the Elijah Baley series.
- The Robots of Dawn
- Third novel in the Elijah Baley series.
- Odyssey
- Volume 1 of the Robot City series written by Michael P. Kube-McDowell.
- Suspicion
- Volume 2 of the Robot City series written by Mike McQuay.
- Cyborg
- Volume 3 of the Robot City series written by William F. Wu.
- Prodigy
- Volume 4 of the Robot City series written by Arthur Byron Cover.
- Refuge
- Volume 5 of the Robot City series written by Robert Chilson.
- Perihelion
- Volume 6 of the Robot City series written by William F. Wu.
- Changeling
- Volume 1 of the Robot City: Robots and Aliens series written by Stephen Leigh.
- Renegade
- Volume 2 of the Robot City: Robots and Aliens series written by Cordell Scotten.
- Intruder
- Volume 3 of the Robot City: Robots and Aliens series written by Robert Thurston.
- Alliance
- Volume 4 of the Robot City: Robots and Aliens series written by Jerry Oltion.
- Maverick
- Volume 5 of the Robot City: Robots and Aliens series written by Bruce Bethke.
- Humanity
- Volume 6 of the Robot City: Robots and Aliens series written by Jerry Oltion.
- Mirage
- Novel written by Mark W. Tiedemann.
- Chimera
- Novel written by Mark W. Tiedemann.
- Aurora
- Novel written by Mark W. Tiedemann.
- Have Robot, Will Travel
- Novel written by Alexander C. Irvine.
The Empire Era:
- Robots and Empire
- Novel by Asimov.
- Caliban
- Novel written by Roger MacBride Allan.
- Inferno
- Novel written by Roger MacBride Allan.
- Utopia
- Novel written by Roger MacBride Allan.
- The Stars, Like Dust
- Novel by Asimov.
- The Currents of Space
- Novel by Asimov.
- Pebble in the Sky
- Novel by Asimov.
The Foundation Era:
- Prelude to Foundation
- Novel by Asimov.
- Foundation’s Fear
- Written by Gregory Benford. First novel in the Second Foundation trilogy.
- Forward the Foundation
- Novel by Asimov.
- Foundation and Chaos
- Written by Greg Bear. Second novel in the Second Foundation trilogy.
- Foundation’s Triumph
- Written by David Brin. Third novel in the Second Foundation trilogy.
- Foundation
- Novel by Asimov.
- Foundation and Empire
- Novel by Asimov.
- Second Foundation
- Novel by Asimov.
- Foundation’s Edge
- Novel by Asimov.
- Foundation and Earth
- Novel by Asimov.
- Nightfall
- Novel length expansion of the Asimov short story of the same name, co-written with Robert Silverberg. Although originally separate from the rest of the Asimov Universe, it was brought in by Kingsbury’s Psychohistorical Crisis, and placed here as it cannot fit anywhere before the fall of the Empire.
- Foundation’s Friends: Stories in Honor of Isaac Asimov
- Anothology of stories in the Asimov Universe written by other authors. Although the stories take place all across this timeline, they are mostly expansions of Asimov stories rather than integral parts of the series, and can thus best be read here. One story in this volume crosses over with The Stainless Steel Rat Timeline.
- Psychohistorical Crisis
- Novel by Donald Kingsbury. Although not an official sequel, it is clearly derived from the Foundation series. As noted above, it also brings in the story of Nightfall.
- The End of Eternity
- Novel by Asimov.
In Victorian London, a small group of people will face the most unspeakable horrors, and risk becoming them…
- Penny Dreadful, Volume 1
- Reprints Penny Dreadful #1-5 (May 2016 – November 2016).
Penny Dreadful, Season One- All eight episodes of the first season on Blu-ray.
- Penny Dreadful, Season Two
- All ten episodes of the second season on Blu-ray.
- Penny Dreadful, Season Three
- All nine episodes of the third season on Blu-ray.
- Penny Dreadful – The Ongoing Series, Volume 1: The Awaking
- Reprints Penny Dreadful #2.1-2.4 (May 2017 – August 2017).
- Penny Dreadful – The Ongoing Series, Volume 2: The Beauteous Evil
- Reprints Penny Dreadful #2.5-2.8 (September 2017 – January 2018).
- Penny Dreadful – The Ongoing Series, Volume 3: The Victory of Death
- Reprints Penny Dreadful #2.9-2.12 (April 2018 – December 2018).
- Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, Season One
- All ten episodes of the first season on Blu-ray.
The Viking Prince
Showcase Presents: Bat Lash, vol.1
