Eric created a reading order for the whole series in 2020, but the 1632verse is a sprawling thing that doesn’t lend itself to that sort of effort. In fact, it actively fights any attempt to be described linearly. Nonetheless, readers crave some sort of order to help them figure out what to read, and in which order. Eric’s list gives the books in roughly chronological order for events within the universe, with the proviso that there is a lot of overlap in the time frames. Books don’t all neatly start and end at the same time. There is also a list of books by publication date, to help our readers keep track of what has been released since the last time they were actively reading and what new releases to keep an eye out for.
This page does not attempt to give you “The Reading Order” for all the 1632verse books. Instead, it has smaller chunks of books to read, starting with the first one and another three you (arguably, by Eric) need to read to understand the basis of the universe, then groupings of geographically and storyline related books. For example, the books set in North America are one grouping and the Barbie Consortium books are one grouping. Each sub-grouping is chronological but unrelated books are ignored.
There is also a 1632 list challenge created by a fan and shared here because it’s pretty excellent. It lists the novels and you check off which ones you have read. It is roughly in chronological order, but the Ring of Fire Press novels are included at the end and are not chronological. They also include out of print novels and, in a few cases, multiple versions of the same novel when the novels were republished.
Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire Press published quite a few 1632verse books. Some of these are fully republished content from the Grantville Gazette. While we all enjoy reading the stories straight through from start to finish, any republication of those novels is currently being left with the individual authors.
Baen has been actively republishing some of these novels as ebooks. (We all understand people would like physical paper copies, but they simply aren’t available at this time.) They have been added to this list as they came available, with releases continuing into 2026. There are even two fully new books in the ebook only list! Security Solutions by Bjorn Hasseler and the upcoming Red Shield by Bethanne Kim are fully new novels.
All of these books should be available on Amazon and other retailers. The links given are for Baen because buying directly from the publisher means they earn more from each sale. But a simple search of the title on Amazon should pull up any of these books. The former Ring of Fire Press novels are not available in print, but the rest of the Baen novels are.
PLEASE NOTE: Some titles are included in more than one list, primarily because they are part of one story arc and also a pre-cursor to one or more other novels.
Gotta Read
It’s what started the whole series and while there are books, magazine issues, and sub-series you can mostly understand without reading more than the back cover of the main book, you will still miss a lot. Just read the book. Baen even has a free download of the digital version.
1632 by Eric Flint. (Baen Publishing)
Really Should Read
Per Eric, you can flip the order of Ring of Fire and 1633 but these three books, along with 1632, give you the basic framework for the whole series.
Eric and David wrote 1633 and 1634: The Baltic War, which Eric has described as so closely tied they are practically one book split into two, before the first issue of the Grantville Gazette was released. It’s foundational material. It’s by two master craftsmen working together. It’s not like we’re suggesting sitting through a concert of brand-new violinists.
Ring of Fire edited by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
1633 by Eric Flint and David Weber (Baen Publishing)
1634: The Baltic War by Eric Flint and David Weber (Baen Publishing)
And….Go!
After this point, you can skip around based on your interests. The mainline books tend to influence other ones, but if there is a new book coming out and you want to get caught up to read that, by all means – skip and just read that! Or if you have an interest in how things develop in Asia, dive in there!
The Italian books also have a bit of an outsize influence because they follow what’s happening with the papacy, and that tends to have a lot of ripple effects throughout Christendom.
With that said, when I re-read the series, I plan to skip around geographically. I read the books as they were released and tended to have forgotten details in the intervening years. It will be interesting to read them straight through and see how much more I retain, and quite possibly enjoy, them doing it this way.
The Mainline
Per Eric, these are the ones he considered the true “spine” of the series. Eric’s order was written in 2020 and did not include 1637: The Transylvanian Decision, published in 2023. This list does include three of the four books in Eric’s really should read list, above, so if you have already read the books recommended above, there are five additional mainline novels.
1632 by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
1633 by Eric Flint and David Weber (Baen Publishing)
1634: The Baltic War by Eric Flint and David Weber (Baen Publishing)
Eric strongly recommended reading The Eastern Front and The Saxon Uprising back to back. They were originally written as one book but it got too long and was split in twain.
1635: The Eastern Front by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
1636: The Saxon Uprising by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
The prequels to The Ottoman Onslaught include 1636: The Viennese Waltz, 1636: The Saxon Uprising, and “Four Days on the Danube” in Ring of Fire III (Baen Publishing). The Viennese Waltz is included in The Barbie Consortium list, below.
1636: The Ottoman Onslaught by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
1637: The Polish Maelstrom by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
1637: The Transylvanian Decision by Eric Flint and Robert E. Waters (Baen Publishing)
Germany/Close to the Ground
This list includes the Baen novels that not part of one of the sub-sets below and generally follow major political developments in the major European powers, outside of the Papal States which are listed separately, and other books that didn’t quite fit anywhere else. These books primarily take place in Germany or follow the USE military campaigns. Each is a stand-alone novel.
A bit of an oddball book, The Ram Rebellion is a hybrid between an anthology and a novel. It shows many of the events from the mainline novels from a point of view that’s closer to the ground.
1634: The Ram Rebellion by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Alternatively, you can read 1634: The Galileo Affair by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis (Baen Publishing) instead of The Ram Rebellion, but you should read one (or both) of these before Reading 1634: The Bavarian Crisis. For purposes of having shorter groupings of novels, The Galileo Affair has been included with other books set in Italy, which is to say the ones focused on the Papal States.
1634: The Bavarian Crisis by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
1635: The Wars for the Rhine by Annette Pederson (Baen Publishing)
Ring of Fire II edited by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
1635: The Tangled Web by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Eric recommended reading 1635: The Cannon Law (below, with Italian stories) before reading 1635: The Dreeson Incident.
1635: The Dreeson Incident by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
There is a sequel, “Scarface” by Eric Flint, in Ring of Fire IV. Ring of Fire IV is included in the Italian and Papal States book list below.
The Devil’s Opera has spoilers if you haven’t read Saxon Uprising.
1636: The Devil’s Opera by Eric Flint and David Carrico (Baen Publishing)
British Isles
These are definitely part of the main series, but the events in England/Britain are their own sub-plot.
Before reading A Parcel of Rogues, set in England, Eric recommends reading these books, included in the list immediately above this. These are essentially prequels for the tales set in the British Isles:
1634: The Ram Rebellion by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
1634: The Galileo Affair by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis (Baen Publishing)
1634: The Bavarian Crisis by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Eric viewed A Parcel of Rogues and 1635: The Eastern Front as sequels to 1634: The Baltic War, which is one of the three strongly recommended books at the top of this page.
1635: A Parcel of Rogues by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis (Baen Publishing)
1635: The Weaver’s Code by Jody Lynn Nye (Baen Publishing)
France
This depicts the opening of the French Civil War and follows events.
1636: The Cardinal Virtues by Eric Flint and Walter Hunt (Baen Publishing)
1637: The French Correction by Eric Flint and Walter H. Hunt (Baen Publishing)
These two novels by Virginia DeMarce were originally printed by Ring of Fire Press and have been re-released by Baen Publishing.
The Trouble with Huguenots by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Legions of Pestilence by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Italian and Papal States Stories
1634: The Galileo Affair by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis (Baen Publishing)
1635: The Cannon Law by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis (Baen Publishing)
The following short stories are not technically part of the Italian/Papal States thread; you might want to read them here because they introduce characters.
“The Company Men” by Christopher Weber in Grantville Gazette II / 2 (Baen Publishing)
“Birds of a Feather” by Charles E. Gannon in Ring of Fire III edited by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
“Kinderspiel” by Charles E. Gannon in Ring of Fire IV / 4 edited by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
1635: The Papal Stakes by Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon (Baen Publishing)
“Scarface” by Eric Flint in Ring of Fire IV / 4 edited by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
1636: The Vatican Sanction by Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon (Baen Publishing)
1637: The French Correction by Eric Flint and Walter H. Hunt (Baen Publishing)
The Americas
The Caribbean
It’s included in the strongly suggested list, but you really do need to read 1634: The Baltic War before continuing with any of the books set in the Caribbean.
Iver Cooper’s 1636: Seas of Fortune is partially set in the South America, and partially set in the Far East.
“Birds of a Feather” by Charles E. Gannon in Ring of Fire III edited by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing) also sets up this thread.
1636: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies by Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon (Baen Publishing)
1636: Calabar’s War by Charles E. Gannon and Robert E. Waters (Baen Publishing)
Important note: You should read 1636: The Atlantic Encounter (Baen Publishing) before continuing to read 1637: No Peace Beyond the Line .
1637: No Peace Beyond the Line by Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon (Baen Publishing)
North America (East Coast)
1636: The Atlantic Encounter by Eric Flint and Walter H. Hunt (Baen Publishing) — should be read before 1637: No Peace Beyond the Line.
1637: The Coast of Chaos by Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, and Paula Goodlett (Baen Publishing)
The Far East
China and Japan
Note: This includes the west coast of the USA.
The Chrysanthemum, the Cross, and the Dragon by Iver P. Cooper (Baen Publishing)
1636: The China Venture by Eric Flint and Iver P. Cooper (Baen Publishing)
1636: Seas of Fortune by Iver P. Cooper (stories set in South America and Japan) (Baen Publishing)
1637: The Pacific Initiative by Iver P. Cooper (Baen Publishing)
India
1636: Mission to the Mughals by Eric Flint and Griffin Barber (Baen Publishing)
1637: The Peacock Throne by Eric Flint and Griffin Barber (Baen Publishing)
1637: Pilgrim’s Passage by Griffin Barber (Baen Publishing, TBD)
Russia
There are three books in the “main” Russia story line and another three in a secondary story line about Miroslava Holmes, a private investigator.
1636: The Kremlin Games by Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, and Paula Goodlett (Baen Publishing)
1637: The Volga Rules by Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, and Paula Goodlett (Baen Publishing)
1638: The Sovereign States by Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, and Paula Goodlett (Baen Publishing)
Miroslava Holmes Books
These are also set in Russia after the Ring of Fire. You should read 1636: The Kremlin Games to understand what is going on in post-RoF (Ring of Fire) Russia, but reading the other two books set in Russia is optional. These are currently exclusively available through Amazon.com.
by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett
Two Cases for the Czar by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (Book 2)
A Mission for the Czar by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (Book 3)
A Diogenes Club for the Czar by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (Book 4)
The Barbie Consortium
Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett
This is one of my personal favorites. A group of middle school girls figures out their Barbies are worth a fortune, so that’s what they sell them for-a fortune. Thanks to dinner-table conversations about economics by one set of parents, they invest extremely wisely and become even wealthier. Because their wealth started with Barbies, they are known as the Barbie Consortium. Are they princesses? Read and find out.
Yes, there is a Ken.
Bartley’s Man is a separate-but-related novel. If you read this before the two Barbie novels, you’ll “get” more of what is happening. Also, Eric recommends reading The Saxon Uprising before The Viennese Waltz to avoid some minor spoilers (learning where Mike Stearns is).
Bartley’s Man by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (Amazon)
Much of the first book was originally in short stories in multiple issues of the Grantville Gazette magazine. Those were collected, refined, and combined into a novel. If you have read all of the early Gazettes, this may all sound very familiar, but it’s a good read and the process of weaving it into a single novel has polished the stories. Since Gorg and Paula’s stories start out top-shelf, that
1636: The Barbie Consortium by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (Baen Publishing)
1636: The Viennese Waltz by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett (Baen Publishing) (also part of the mainline novels)
Humorous
These are all generally set in the area fairly close to the Ring of Fire, but not within it. Gribbleflotz started out as a joke on the forums where the writers hang out. I think The Unexpected Sales Reps is one of the funniest novels set in the 1632verse, so I encourage you to read it! It’s a stand-alone novel that doesn’t require any kind of deep knowledge of the universe. In fact, you could probably read it after reading nothing else but 1632 and follow along pretty well.
Dr. Gribbleflotz
Kerryn Offord and Rick Boatright
1636: The Chronicles of Dr. Gribbleflotz by Kerryn Offord and Rick Boatright (Baen Publishing)
1637: Dr. Gribbleflotz and the Soul of Stoner by Kerryn Offord and Rick Boatright (Baen Publishing)
Other
The Unexpected Sales Reps by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Things Could be Worse by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Designed to Fail by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Former Ring of Fire Press Novels
Several dozen books were published by Ring of Fire Press and many will be released again as eBooks by Baen, with the release dates for most yet to be determined. Limited numbers of paperbacks may be available used, but new physical copies are not currently planned.
This is not going to be a fast process because of the large number of novels involved. So please, be patient.
Baen’s monthly bundles allow fans to get their hands on new books and start reading them at the earliest possible date, which is generally about three months before full publication with updated editions (more corrections made and more complete text) available at two and one months prior to publication. Keep an eye on the Baen monthly bundles to see what is being released next!
NESS (Neustatter’s European Security Service)
A Matter of Security is also available as an audio book.
A Matter of Security by Bjorn Hasseler (Baen Publishing)
Missions of Security by Bjorn Hasseler (Baen Publishing)
Security Threats by Bjorn Hasseler (Baen Publishing)
Security Solutions by Bjorn Hasseler (Baen Publishing)
Novels by Bethanne Kim
Mrs. Flannery’s Flowers by Bethanne Kim (Baen Publishing) – December 2025
Gourmets of Grantville by Bethanne Kim (Baen Publishing)
Red Shield by Bethanne Kim (Baen Publishing – previously unpublished)
Novels by Virginia DeMarce
The Trouble with Huguenots by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Legions of Pestilence by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Things Could be Worse by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
The Unexpected Sales Rep by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Designed to Fail by Virginia DeMarce (Baen Publishing)
Novels by David Carrico, Kim Mackey, and Enrico Toro
1635: Music and Murder by David Carrico (Baen Publishing)
1636: The Devil’s Opera by David Carrico (Baen Publishing)
The Muse of Music by Enrico Toro and David Carrico (Baen Publishing)
Letters from Gronow by David Carrico (Baen Publishing)
Magdeburg Noir by David Carrico (Baen Publishing)
The Private Casefiles of Archie Gottesfreund by David Carrico (Baen Publishing)
Eric recommended reading The Ram Rebellion before the following two novels.
Essen Steel by Kim Mackey (Baen Publishing)
Essen Defiant by Kim Mackey and David Carrico (Baen Publishing)
Forthcoming Novels (Not Yet Scheduled)
Saving the Dodo by Garrett W. Vance (Baen Publishing)
Time Spike: The Mysterious Mesa by Garrett W. Vance (Baen Publishing)
Time Spike: The First Cavalry of the Cretaceous by Garrett W. Vance (Baen Publishing)
Up-Time Pride and Down-Time Prejudice by Mark Huston (Baen Publishing)
The Marshalls by Mike Watson (Baen Publishing)
Deceased Authors (currently no expectation of republication)
Fire on the Rio Grande by Kevin Evans and Karen Evans
No Ship for Tranquebar by Kevin Evans and Karen Evans
Tales From the Mermaid & Tiger: Engines of Change by Kevin Evans and Karen Evans
The Horsewoman by Karen Bergstralh (note: all material was previously published in The Grantville Gazette)
Other (no expectation of republication)
The Legend of Jimmy Dick by Terry Howard: Parts not previously published in the Grantville Gazette are being published in Eric Flint’s 1632 & Beyond.
Second Chance Bird by Garrett W. Vance was replaced by Saving the Dodo, a revision of the same novel.
Baen eArcs
A final note for those of you who made it throuth this whole list. Baen sells advance copies of their novels, calle e-arcs (Advanced Reader Copies – but electronic versions) so readers don’t have to wait, and that includes books that are only being released in electonic format. These aren’t final editions. They may be partials (in the case of electronic only books in particular) or they may ore simply be unproofed.
Eric Flint on e-arcs (15 October 2016 11:06):
Mutter. How many times do people have to be told that e-ARCs are UNPROOFED manuscripts? Trust me, the wrong date of May 2000 is hardly the only goof in the e-ARCs. That’s why I will be spending days poring over the page proofs when they arrive, as will a professional proof-reader — and then it will be sent to another proof-reader to double-check everything. (And there will _still_ be typos getting through. The damn things are like cockroaches in a big old apartment buildings. A few always survive… for years… and years…)