Best American Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Best American books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: January 2026
Publication Order
The Best American Short Stories 2002
Buy on Amazon2002
Go the Way Your Blood Beats
Buy on Amazon1996
The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction
Buy on Amazon1999
Prize Stories 2000: The O. Henry Awards
Buy on Amazon2000
My Soul Has Grown Deep
Buy on Amazon2001
Making Callaloo: 25 Years of Black Literature
Buy on Amazon2002
The O. Henry Prize Stories 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
After working as a director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Afro-American studies program for two years, John Edgar Wideman published his first novel that focused on interracial issues in 1973 which he titled “The Lynchers.”
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Frequently Asked Questions
The recommended reading order for the Best American series is publication order: 1. The Best American Short Stories 2002 (2002), 2. Go the Way Your Blood Beats (1996), 3. The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction (1999), 4. Prize Stories 2000: The O. Henry Awards (2000), 5. My Soul Has Grown Deep (2001), and 3 more. This is generally the best way to experience the story as the author intended.
The Best American series by John Edgar Wideman contains 8 books. The series began in 2002 and continues to be a popular choice for readers.
The Best American series is written by John Edgar Wideman. You can find more books and series by this author on our website.
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