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.
This page is not going to attempt to give you “the order” to read all the books. Each sub-grouping is chronological but unrelated books are ignored. Instead, it has smaller chunks of books to read, starting with the first one and another three you (arguably) need to read to understand the basis of the universe, then groupings of several related books. For example, the books set in North America are one grouping and Barbie Consortium books are one grouping.
There are quite a few more books that were originally published by Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire Press that are going to be released by Baen books in the coming months. As those come available, they will be added here or it will be noted that they are now available. Two sub-sets of these books are noted at the end because we know they are contracted and will be released. It’s not a complete list, and it’s just to make sure you – our readers and authors – are clear that some of those books will be released again. Not all of them at this time, but a pretty good chunk.
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)
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. (These include three of the four books in Eric’s really should read list.)
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 mainline 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 of these 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 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 mainline series, but the events in England/Britain are their own sub-plot. Another novel in this area is forthcoming from Baen.
Before reading A Parcel of Rogues, set in England, Eric recommends reading 1634: The Ram Rebellion, 1634: The Galileo Affair, and 1634: The Bavarian Crisis. Eric viewed A Parcel of Rogues and 1635: The Eastern Front as sequels to 1634: The Baltic War. The Baltic War 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)
France
This depicts the opening of the French Civil War and follows events.
1636: The Cardinal Virtues by Eric Flint and Walter Hunt (Baen)
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 and 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 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 edited by Eric Flint (Baen Publishing)
1636: The Vatican Sanction by Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon (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)
1637: No Peace Beyond the Line by Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon (Baen Publishing)
North America
1636: The Atlantic Encounter by Eric Flint and Walter H. Hunt (Baen Publishing) — best 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
The Chrysanthemum, the Cross, and the Dragon by Iver P. Cooper (limited availability)
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)
India
Eric Flint and Griffin Barber
1636: Mission to the Mughals (Baen Publishing)
1637: The Peacock Throne (Baen Publishing)
Russia
Eric Flint, Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett
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 (Baen Publishing)
1637: The Volga Rules (Baen Publishing)
1638: The Sovereign States (Baen Publishing)
Miroslava Holmes Books by Gorg Huff, Paula Goodlett
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.
Two Cases for the Czar (Book 2)
A Mission for the Czar (Book 3)
A Diogenes Club for the Czar (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).
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 (Baen Publishing)
1636: The Viennese Waltz (Baen Publishing) (also part of the mainline novels)
Dr. Gribbleflotz
Kerryn Offord and Rick Boatright
1636: The Chronicles of Dr. Gribbleflotz (Baen Publishing)
1637: Dr. Gribbleflotz and the Soul of Stoner (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. This is not going to be a fast process because of the large number of novels involved.
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)
Bjorn Hasseler
A Matter of Security is also available as an audio book.
A Matter of Security (January 2024
Missions of Security (February 2024)
Security Threats (March 2024)
Security Solutions (April 2024)