Affiliate Disclosure: Links on this page may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate policy
Standalone Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Standalone books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: March 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Standalone series? Start with "High Priest of California" (1953) and follow publication order through all 21 books.
The complete Standalone reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order
High Priest of California
1953
Pick-Up
1955
Wild Wives
1956
The Black Mass of Brother Springer / Honey Gal
1958
Made in Miami / Lust Is A Woman
1958
The Woman Chaser
1960
Deliver Me from Dallas! / The Whip Hand
1961
Cockfighter
1962
No Experience Necessary
1962
The Burnt Orange Heresy
1971
The Difference / The Hombre from Sonora
1971
Kiss Your Ass Good-Bye
1987
The Shark-Infested Custard
1993
Understudy for Death
2018
The Machine in Ward Eleven
1963
Poontang and Other Poems
1967
The Second Half Of The Double Feature
2003
The Ordainment of Brother Springer
2009
The Old Man at the Bridge
2009
Strange
2011
Sentences
2013
Affiliate Disclosure
As an Amazon Associate, Reading Order Books earns from qualifying purchases. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. This helps us maintain the site and continue providing reading order guides. Read our full disclosure