S. E. McKenzie (often listed as S.E. McKenzie) is best cataloged as an indie author with multiple lanes: a numbered dystopian/satirical fiction sequence (The Miner Stories), plus photo-essay collections (notably the In the Comox Valley books and the Montreal Photos pair). Order matters most in The Miner Stories; the photo and poetry-style books are generally “read-anytime.”

Because retailer metadata varies a lot for this author name, this page sticks to series where numbering and membership are consistently shown.
Affiliate Disclosure
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This article may contain affiliate links. If you click one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Choose Your Shelf First
If you want a true “series” experience (plot continuity):
Read The Miner Stories straight down by book number.
If you want place-based photography books:
Pick In the Comox Valley or Montreal Photos (any order works, but the author’s “collection number” notes can guide you).
If you’re here for poetry/short-form titles:
Treat them as separate continuity and browse by theme; many are listed as standalone volumes without an official sequence.
The Miner Stories (Read in Order)
- The Miner: Rescuing Ginger Goodwin (2014): A dystopian working-class struggle frames the series’ core conflict, setting Pitville’s power structure against the people trapped inside it.
- The Conspiracy: The Miner Book 2 (2016): Political manipulation and hidden alliances widen the threat, turning the fight into something organized and harder to name.
- Firestones: The Miner Book 3 (2016): The inner circle of influence moves into focus, and the series leans harder into how “reform” can be engineered to benefit the same winners.
- Black Thunder: The Miner Book 4 (2017): Grief and survival collide in a sharper, more intimate installment, where recovery becomes part of the battle line.
- Black Cloud: The Miner Book 5 (2018): The conflict expands into broader social fracture, with escalation driven by policy, propaganda, and organized violence.
- Destiny: The Miner Book 6 (2019): Consequences compound and loyalties strain, as the series pushes toward endgame decisions that can’t be walked back.
- FATEMAKER: The Miner Book 7 (2020): The final volume closes the long arc, paying off the power struggle the series has been building since Book 1.
Best starting point: Book 1, because the world and rules are introduced there and everything after assumes you already know them.
In the Comox Valley (Photography Collections)
These are presented as separate photo collections centered on the Comox Valley (Vancouver Island). They do not connect to The Miner Stories, and they don’t require any prior reading.
A fully verified “Book 1-8” list is difficult to standardize across catalogs, but the author’s own collection-numbering appears in several descriptions. Here are the confirmed collection positions:
- All Kinds of Weather: In the Comox Valley (2014): The first collection, focused on how shifting conditions transform the same landscape day to day.
- Wet and Wild: In the Comox Valley (2014): The fourth collection, contrasting nature’s intensity with signs of human change.
- Shot on Sight: In the Comox Valley (2014): The fifth collection, leaning into fog and fleeting moments captured quickly.
- The Wandering Eye: In the Comox Valley (2014): The sixth collection, built around roaming observation and smaller details.
- Ice: In the Comox Valley (2016): Listed as Book 8 in this line, emphasizing winter texture and cold-weather atmosphere.
Other Comox Valley photo titles are commonly listed (including Boats Rainbows and the Broken Hearted and Black and White and Colour), but the exact “collection number” placement for every title isn’t consistently surfaced in retailer metadata. If you want, I can build a definitive 1-8 list by cross-checking multiple storefront editions title-by-title.
Montreal Photos (Photography Series)
- Montreal: Photos (Montreal Photos Book 1) (year varies by edition): A first Montreal set built as a themed city photo collection rather than a narrative book.
- Montreal Photos Book 2: Festivals and Stuff (year varies by edition): A second collection focused on events and street-life energy.
Order note: You can read these in either order, but Book 1 → Book 2 is the cleanest progression.
Other Books Often Listed Under S. E. McKenzie
Many additional titles appear across catalogs (often poetry, short-form, or themed standalone volumes). Examples frequently surfaced include Haunted Poems: And Hunted Shadows, Zombie Economy, Sprawl, and numerous short-titled works.
Because these are not consistently organized into a single numbered sequence, the spoiler-safe approach is simple: treat them as standalones unless your edition explicitly labels a series number.
Reading Plans (Pick One)
Plan A – The series-first path (most structured):
Read The Miner Stories 1-7, then sample photo collections afterward.
Plan B – The place-first path (low commitment):
Start with All Kinds of Weather, then jump to Ice if you want the “late-series” Comox Valley vibe.
Plan C – Two quick tasters:
- The Miner: Rescuing Ginger Goodwin (for fiction)
- All Kinds of Weather (for photography)
Latest Release Status
The newest Miner Stories volume reliably listed as the series endpoint is FATEMAKER (2020). Later releases may exist in other formats (audio reissues, new editions, bundles), but new, numbered mainline entries beyond Book 7 are not consistently confirmed across catalogs as of this update.
FAQs
Is S. E. McKenzie primarily fiction or photography?
Both show up prominently. The clearest fiction lane is The Miner Stories; the clearest photo lane is In the Comox Valley.
Do the Comox Valley books need to be read in order?
No. They’re photography collections, not a continuing plot.
What’s the simplest “correct order” to follow without thinking?
Read The Miner Stories by book number (1 → 7). Everything else can be slotted anywhere.
Bottom Line
If you want a dependable reading order that won’t fight you, start with The Miner: Rescuing Ginger Goodwin (2014) and follow The Miner Stories straight through to FATEMAKER (2020). If you’re here for landscape photography instead, All Kinds of Weather is the cleanest entry point for the Comox Valley collections.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.

