The Dark Descent Books in Order

Below you'll find the complete list of The Dark Descent books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.

Publication Order

1
Cover of Tales of Unknown Horror

Tales of Unknown Horror

1978

2
Cover of The Year's Finest Fantasy

The Year's Finest Fantasy

1978

3
Cover of The Year's Best Horror Stories: Series VI

The Year's Best Horror Stories: Series VI

1978

4
Cover of The Year's Best Horror Stories Series VII

The Year's Best Horror Stories Series VII

1979

5
Cover of More Tales of Unknown Horror

More Tales of Unknown Horror

1979

6
Cover of The Year's Finest Fantasy 2

The Year's Finest Fantasy 2

1979

7
Cover of New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos

New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos

1980

8
Cover of Dark Forces: New Stories of Suspense and Supernatural Horror

Dark Forces: New Stories of Suspense and Supernatural Horror

1980

9
Cover of New Terrors II

New Terrors II

1980

10
Cover of Shadows 4

Shadows 4

1981

11
Cover of The Seventeenth Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories

The Seventeenth Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories

1981

12
Cover of Fantasy Annual III

Fantasy Annual III

1981

13
Cover of The Giant Book Of Horror Stories

The Giant Book Of Horror Stories

1981

14
Cover of Fantasy Annual IV

Fantasy Annual IV

1981

15
Cover of Modern Masters of Horror

Modern Masters of Horror

1981

16
17
Cover of Fear Itself: The Horror Fiction of Stephen King

Fear Itself: The Horror Fiction of Stephen King

1982

18
Cover of 65 Great Spine Chillers

65 Great Spine Chillers

1982

19
Cover of The Science Fiction Weight Loss Book

The Science Fiction Weight Loss Book

1983

20

The Year's Best Horror Stories: Series XII

1984

21
Cover of Realms of Darkness

Realms of Darkness

1985

22
Cover of Great Tales of Fantasy and Science Fiction

Great Tales of Fantasy and Science Fiction

1985

23
Cover of The Year's Best Horror Stories

The Year's Best Horror Stories

1985

24
Cover of Kingdom of Fear: The World of Stephen King

Kingdom of Fear: The World of Stephen King

1986

25
Cover of Horrors

Horrors

1986

26
Cover of The Dark Descent

The Dark Descent

1987

27
Cover of Volume I: The Color of Evil

Volume I: The Color of Evil

1987

28
Cover of A Treasury of American Horror Stories

A Treasury of American Horror Stories

1988

29

Horror Factor 7

1988

30
Cover of The Best Horror Stories from the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

The Best Horror Stories from the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

1988

31
Cover of Prime Evil

Prime Evil

1988

32
Cover of Dark Visions

Dark Visions

1988

33
Cover of The Mammoth Book of Short Horror Novels

The Mammoth Book of Short Horror Novels

1988

34
Cover of Book of the Dead

Book of the Dead

1989

35
Cover of The Best of Modern Horror

The Best of Modern Horror

1989

36
Cover of Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos

Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos

1990

37
Cover of Dark Voices: No. 1

Dark Voices: No. 1

1990

38
Cover of Volume II: The Medusa In The Shield

Volume II: The Medusa In The Shield

1990

39
Cover of Volume III:A Fabulous, Formless Darkness

Volume III:A Fabulous, Formless Darkness

1991

40
Cover of Horrorstory

Horrorstory

1991

41
Cover of The Horror Hall of Fame

The Horror Hall of Fame

1991

42
Cover of I Shudder at Your Touch: Twenty Two Tales of Sex and Horror

I Shudder at Your Touch: Twenty Two Tales of Sex and Horror

1991

43
Cover of Midnight Graffiti

Midnight Graffiti

1992

44
Cover of Young Blood

Young Blood

1994

45
Cover of Mid-life Confidential

Mid-life Confidential

1994

46
Cover of The Puffin Book of Horror Stories

The Puffin Book of Horror Stories

1994

47
Cover of Space Movies

Space Movies

1995

48
Cover of Horror Stories

Horror Stories

1995

49

Pulp Frictions: Hardboiled Stories

1996

50
Cover of Dark Love

Dark Love

1996

51
Cover of Year's Best Fantasy & Horror: Ninth Annual Collection

Year's Best Fantasy & Horror: Ninth Annual Collection

1996

52
Cover of Twists of the Tale: An Anthology of Cat Horror

Twists of the Tale: An Anthology of Cat Horror

1996

53
Cover of American Gothic Tales

American Gothic Tales

1996

54
Cover of Blood Thirst

Blood Thirst

1997

55
Cover of Robert Bloch's Psychos

Robert Bloch's Psychos

1997

56
Cover of The Best of the Best

The Best of the Best

1998

57
Cover of The Playboy Book of Science Fiction

The Playboy Book of Science Fiction

1998

58
Cover of Legends 1

Legends 1

1998

59
Cover of Eternal Lovecraft: The Persistence of HPL in Popular Culture

Eternal Lovecraft: The Persistence of HPL in Popular Culture

1998

60
Cover of Scary! Stories That Will Make You Scream!

Scary! Stories That Will Make You Scream!

1999

61
Cover of 999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense

999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense

1999

62
Cover of Vintage Science Fiction

Vintage Science Fiction

1999

63
Cover of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Twelfth Annual Collection

The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Twelfth Annual Collection

1999

64
Cover of The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

1999

65
Cover of Technohorror: Inventions in Terror

Technohorror: Inventions in Terror

1999

66
Cover of The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century

The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century

2000

67
Cover of Tails of Wonder and Imagination

Tails of Wonder and Imagination

2001

68
Cover of A Century of Great Suspense Stories

A Century of Great Suspense Stories

2001

69
Cover of Dark Masques

Dark Masques

2001

70
Cover of Baseball: a Literary Anthology

Baseball: a Literary Anthology

2002

71
Cover of The Wavedancer Benefit: A Tribute to Frank Muller

The Wavedancer Benefit: A Tribute to Frank Muller

2002

72
Cover of From the Borderlands

From the Borderlands

2003

73
Cover of In the Shadow of the Master

In the Shadow of the Master

2003

74
Cover of Great Ghost Stories

Great Ghost Stories

2004

75
Cover of The Future Dictionary of America

The Future Dictionary of America

2004

76
Cover of Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Seventeenth Annual Collection

Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Seventeenth Annual Collection

2004

77
Cover of Transgressions

Transgressions

2005

78
Cover of The Campfire Collection

The Campfire Collection

2005

79
Cover of Transgressions, Vol. 2

Transgressions, Vol. 2

2006

80
Cover of The Best American Short Stories 2007

The Best American Short Stories 2007

2007

81
Cover of The Living Dead

The Living Dead

2008

82
Cover of The Best of Cemetery Dance II

The Best of Cemetery Dance II

2008

83
Cover of Dancing with the Dark

Dancing with the Dark

2009

84
Cover of The Big Book of NECON

The Big Book of NECON

2009

85
Cover of Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead

Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead

2009

86
Cover of Best New Horror 20

Best New Horror 20

2009

87
Cover of First Words: Earliest Writing from Favorite Contemporary Authors

First Words: Earliest Writing from Favorite Contemporary Authors

2009

88
Cover of The Dead That Walk

The Dead That Walk

2009

89
Cover of Shivers VI

Shivers VI

2010

90
Cover of Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror

Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror

2010

91
Cover of Best New Horror 21

Best New Horror 21

2010

92
Cover of The Chronicles of Harris Burdick

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick

2011

93
Cover of A Book of Horrors

A Book of Horrors

2011

94
Cover of Crucified Dreams

Crucified Dreams

2011

95
Cover of Lightspeed: Year One

Lightspeed: Year One

2011

96
Cover of Rage Against the Night

Rage Against the Night

2011

97
Cover of The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Four

The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Four

2012

98
Cover of The Mammoth Book of Body Horror

The Mammoth Book of Body Horror

2012

99
Cover of The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, 2012 Edition

The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, 2012 Edition

2012

100
Cover of Shivers VII

Shivers VII

2013

101
Cover of Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All

Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All

2013

102
Cover of Bad Seeds: Evil Progeny

Bad Seeds: Evil Progeny

2013

103
Cover of Selected Shorts: Behaving Badly

Selected Shorts: Behaving Badly

2013

104
Cover of Turn Down the Lights

Turn Down the Lights

2013

105
Cover of Woman: An Anthology

Woman: An Anthology

2014

106
Cover of Field of Fantasies

Field of Fantasies

2014

107
Cover of Chiral Mad 3

Chiral Mad 3

2016

108
Cover of Six Scary Stories

Six Scary Stories

2016

109
Cover of Grave Predictions

Grave Predictions

2016

110
Cover of The Best American Mystery Stories 2016

The Best American Mystery Stories 2016

2016

111
Cover of In Sunlight or In Shadow

In Sunlight or In Shadow

2016

112
Cover of Detours

Detours

2016

113
Cover of You, Human

You, Human

2018

114
Cover of Flight or Fright

Flight or Fright

2018

115
Cover of It Came From The Garage!: An Anthology of Automotive Horror

It Came From The Garage!: An Anthology of Automotive Horror

2019

116
Cover of Terrifying Tales to Tell at Night

Terrifying Tales to Tell at Night

2019

117
Cover of Dark Tides

Dark Tides

2019

118
Cover of Best of Best New Horror Volume 2

Best of Best New Horror Volume 2

2020

119
Cover of The Pulp Horror Book of Phobias, Vol II

The Pulp Horror Book of Phobias, Vol II

2020

120
Cover of The Best Horror of the Year Volume Thirteen

The Best Horror of the Year Volume Thirteen

2021

121
Cover of Revelations

Revelations

2022

122
Cover of Chiral Mad 5

Chiral Mad 5

2022

123
Cover of Qualia Nous: Vol. 2

Qualia Nous: Vol. 2

2023

124
Cover of The Rack

The Rack

2024

125
Cover of The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand

The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand

2025

The Dark Descent Books in Order – Publication & Chronological Order | Reading Order Books