Eric Flint was an American science fiction and fantasy author best known as the creator of the 1632 universe, also called the Ring of Fire series. His bibliography is unusually collaborative, with major series written alongside David Drake, David Weber, Dave Freer, Mercedes Lackey, Ryk E. Spoor, K. D. Wentworth, and many others.
That makes a simple publication list less useful than it sounds.
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Some Flint books belong to enormous shared universes. Others are compact two-book or three-book sequences. A few continue series created by other authors, and several posthumous novels have appeared since Flint’s death in 2022.
The safest approach is to keep each continuity separate and use publication order within that continuity.
Where Should You Start With Eric Flint?
If you are new to Eric Flint, choose your starting point by series rather than trying to read everything he published from beginning to end.
For alternate history, begin with:
- 1632
For a completed military alternate-history saga, begin with:
- An Oblique Approach
For science fiction with Ryk E. Spoor, begin with:
- Boundary
For humorous fantasy, begin with:
- The Philosophical Strangler
For Flint’s earliest solo science fiction novel, read:
- Mother of Demons
The most important warning concerns 1632. It eventually became a very large shared universe with numerous authors, anthologies, magazines, and parallel storylines. You do not need to read every published 1632 title to understand the central sequence.
Eric Flint’s 1632 Books in Order
The Ring of Fire universe begins when the modern West Virginia town of Grantville is transported to central Europe during the Thirty Years’ War.
The series quickly branches into different countries, political conflicts, and groups of characters. Publication order is therefore more reliable for first-time readers than an attempt to create one exact chronological sequence.
The list below focuses on novels carrying Eric Flint’s name as author or coauthor.
Eric Flint 1632 Novels in Publication Order
- 1632 (2000)
- 1633 (2002), with David Weber
- 1634: The Galileo Affair (2004), with Andrew Dennis
- 1634: The RAM Rebellion (2006), with Virginia DeMarce and others
- 1635: Cannon Law (2006), with Andrew Dennis
- 1634: The Baltic War (2007), with David Weber
- 1634: The Bavarian Crisis (2007), with Virginia DeMarce
- 1635: The Dreeson Incident (2008), with Virginia DeMarce
- 1635: The Tangled Web (2009), with Virginia DeMarce
- 1635: The Eastern Front (2010)
- 1636: The Saxon Uprising (2011)
- 1635: The Papal Stakes (2012), with Charles E. Gannon
- 1636: The Kremlin Games (2012), with Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett
- 1636: The Devil’s Opera (2013), with David Carrico
- 1636: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies (2014), with Charles E. Gannon
- 1636: The Viennese Waltz (2014), with Paula Goodlett and Gorg Huff
- 1635: A Parcel of Rogues (2015), with Andrew Dennis
- 1636: The Cardinal Virtues (2015), with Walter H. Hunt
- 1636: The Ottoman Onslaught (2016)
- 1636: Mission to the Mughals (2017), with Griffin Barber
- 1636: The Vatican Sanction (2017), with Charles E. Gannon
- 1637: The Volga Rules (2017), with Paula Goodlett and Gorg Huff
- 1637: The Polish Maelstrom (2019)
- 1636: The China Venture (2019), with Iver P. Cooper
- 1636: The Atlantic Encounter (2020), with Walter H. Hunt
- 1637: No Peace Beyond the Line (2020), with Charles E. Gannon
- 1637: The Peacock Throne (2021), with Griffin Barber
- 1637: The Coast of Chaos (2021), with Paula Goodlett and Gorg Huff
- 1637: The Transylvanian Decision (2022), with Robert Waters
- 1638: The Sovereign States (2023), with Paula Goodlett and Gorg Huff
- 1635: The Weaver’s Code (2024), with Jody Lynn Nye
- 1637: The French Correction (2025), with Walter H. Hunt
- 1637: Pilgrim’s Passage (2026), with Griffin Barber
This is not every novel in the 1632 universe. It is the more useful list for an Eric Flint bibliography because it excludes books written entirely by other contributors.
The Best 1632 Reading Order for Beginners
A new reader does not need to tackle all thirty-plus Flint titles immediately.
Start with this shorter path:
- 1632
- 1633
- Ring of Fire
- 1634: The Baltic War
- 1635: The Eastern Front
- 1636: The Saxon Uprising
After that, choose the regional branches that interest you.
The Italian and papal storyline includes books such as 1634: The Galileo Affair, 1635: Cannon Law, 1635: The Papal Stakes, and 1636: The Vatican Sanction.
The Russian storyline includes 1636: The Kremlin Games and 1637: The Volga Rules.
The Caribbean and Atlantic material includes 1636: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies, 1636: The Atlantic Encounter, and 1637: No Peace Beyond the Line.
Other branches move into France, Poland, India, China, Transylvania, and the Ottoman world.
This branching structure is why a single strict chronological list is less helpful than it would be for a conventional series.
Does 1632 Have a Chronological Reading Order?
Yes, but it is approximate rather than perfectly linear.
Many 1632 novels overlap in time while following events in different regions. Moving every volume into strict calendar order can therefore create just as many interruptions as it solves.
For a first read, publication order better preserves the growth of the universe and the introduction of major political developments.
Chronological ordering is more useful for a reread focused on a particular regional storyline.
Ring of Fire Anthologies in Order
The Ring of Fire anthologies contain canonical short fiction and help connect events between novels.
They are useful but not all equally necessary for a casual reader.
- Ring of Fire (2004)
- Ring of Fire II (2008)
- Ring of Fire III (2011)
- Ring of Fire IV (2016)
Status: Optional but important for deeper continuity
The first Ring of Fire is particularly useful early in the series because some later developments assume the broader world established by its stories.
Grantville Gazette Books in Order
The Grantville Gazette grew from the collaborative nature of the 1632 setting and includes fiction, background material, and stories by numerous contributors.
The Baen book editions include:
- The Grantville Gazette
- Grantville Gazette Volume II
- Grantville Gazette Volume III
- Grantville Gazette Volume IV
- Grantville Gazette Volume V
- Grantville Gazette Volume VI
- Grantville Gazette VII
- Grantville Gazette VIII
- The Grantville Gazette IX
These are optional if your goal is to follow the major novels.
They become much more valuable for readers interested in minor characters, technology transfer, local society, and the connective tissue between larger political events.
The original Gazette project has since been succeeded by Eric Flint’s 1632 & Beyond, which continues short fiction in the universe.
Is the 1632 Series Finished?
No.
Eric Flint died on July 17, 2022, but that did not end the shared universe.
Several novels Flint had been developing with collaborators were completed and published after his death. In 2025, Baen announced that the 1632 line would continue, with Charles E. Gannon overseeing future development of the series.
This creates an important distinction:
Eric Flint’s personal bibliography is finite, apart from remaining collaborative material carrying his byline.
The 1632 universe itself is ongoing.
Readers should therefore not assume that every future 1632 book will be an Eric Flint book.
Belisarius Books in Order
Eric Flint and David Drake wrote the six-volume Belisarius saga together.
This is one of Flint’s easiest major series to navigate because there is no complicated branch structure.
- An Oblique Approach (1998)
- In the Heart of Darkness (1998)
- Destiny’s Shield (1999)
- Fortune’s Stroke (2000)
- The Tide of Victory (2001)
- The Dance of Time (2006)
Status: Complete
Read all six in publication order.
The series follows the Byzantine general Belisarius in an alternate sixth century shaped by intervention from rival forces originating in the future. Later books directly continue the political and military conflicts established earlier.
Belisarius Omnibus Editions
Baen later collected the six novels into three omnibus volumes:
- Belisarius I: Thunder at Dawn
- Belisarius II: Storm at Noontide
- Belisarius III: The Flames at Sunset
Each omnibus contains two of the original novels.
Do not add the omnibus volumes to a reading order if you already own the six individual books.
Heirs of Alexandria Books in Order
The Heirs of Alexandria series was developed by Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint, and Dave Freer.
- The Shadow of the Lion (2002), with Mercedes Lackey and Dave Freer
- This Rough Magic (2003), with Mercedes Lackey and Dave Freer
- Much Fall of Blood (2010), with Mercedes Lackey and Dave Freer
- Burdens of the Dead (2013), with Mercedes Lackey and Dave Freer
- All the Plagues of Hell (2018), with Dave Freer
Read these in publication order.
The books belong to the same alternate magical Europe and continue political, family, and supernatural conflicts across volumes.
Status: Included continuity
Dave Freer’s A Mankind Witch also belongs to the Heirs of Alexandria setting, although Flint is not a coauthor. Readers attempting the complete shared-universe sequence may include it, but it is separate from a strict Eric Flint bibliography.
Boundary Books in Order
Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor’s Boundary sequence eventually divides into an initial trilogy and the connected Castaway novels.
For reading purposes, treat all six as one continuity.
- Boundary (2006)
- Threshold (2010)
- Portal (2013)
- Castaway Planet (2015)
- Castaway Odyssey (2016)
- Castaway Resolution (2020)
Status: Complete published sequence
The Castaway books shift the focus to other characters and circumstances, but they belong to the same universe and follow developments established by the first trilogy.
Do not begin with Castaway Planet if you want the complete context.
Jao Empire Books in Order
The Jao Empire series begins with two novels by Eric Flint and K. D. Wentworth. After Wentworth’s death, Flint continued the setting with David Carrico.
- The Course of Empire (2003), with K. D. Wentworth
- The Crucible of Empire (2010), with K. D. Wentworth
- The Span of Empire (2016), with David Carrico
Publication order is also chronological order.
Status: Three published novels
All three belong to one continuing interstellar conflict, so beginning with The Course of Empire is strongly recommended.
Crown of Slaves Books in Order
The Crown of Slaves novels were written by David Weber and Eric Flint within Weber’s Honor Harrington universe.
- Crown of Slaves (2003)
- Torch of Freedom (2009)
- Cauldron of Ghosts (2014)
- To End in Fire (2021)
These books form a connected subseries rather than an independent fictional universe.
Status: Included in the Honorverse, separate from Flint’s original settings
If you are already reading Honor Harrington, the Crown of Slaves books fit into the larger Honorverse publication chronology.
If you are approaching them primarily as an Eric Flint reader, start with Crown of Slaves, but expect references to events and institutions established elsewhere in David Weber’s universe.
Rats, Bats and Vats Books in Order
Eric Flint and Dave Freer wrote this military science fiction sequence together.
Main Novels
- Rats, Bats and Vats (2000)
- The Rats, the Bats and the Ugly (2004)
Read the two novels in this order.
Connected Short Fiction
The Genie Out of the Vat takes place earlier in the cycle.
Crawlspace is set much later in the same broader future.
Both are supplementary rather than required between the two main novels.
The collection Crawlspace and Other Stories includes Rats, Bats and Vats material along with fiction from other settings.
Status: Short fiction optional
Joe’s World Books in Order
Joe’s World is Flint’s comic fantasy setting.
- The Philosophical Strangler (2001)
- Forward the Mage (2002), with Richard Roach
Read them in that order.
The books share characters and setting, and Forward the Mage works as the second part of the sequence rather than as an independent starting point.
Pyramid Books in Order
Eric Flint and Dave Freer’s Pyramid books form a compact two-volume series.
- Pyramid Scheme (2001)
- Pyramid Power (2007)
The second book directly follows the premise introduced in the first.
Status: Complete published sequence
Trail of Glory Books in Order
Flint’s Trail of Glory alternate-history series consists of:
- 1812: The Rivers of War (2005)
- 1824: The Arkansas War (2006)
Read the novels in publication order.
The second continues the alternate American history created by the first, so it should not be treated as a standalone.
Witches of Karres Books in Order
This series requires an unusual warning because Eric Flint did not create it.
James H. Schmitz wrote the original The Witches of Karres, first published as a novel in 1966. Flint later helped continue the story.
The proper reading order is:
- The Witches of Karres (1966), by James H. Schmitz
- The Wizard of Karres (2004), by Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint, and Dave Freer
- The Sorceress of Karres (2010), by Eric Flint and Dave Freer
- The Shaman of Karres (2020), by Eric Flint and Dave Freer
Do not start with The Wizard of Karres merely because that is the first volume carrying Flint’s name.
The sequels deliberately continue Schmitz’s characters and setting.
Queen of the Sea Books in Order
The Queen of the Sea books are part of the broader Assiti Shards concept, but they are not part of Grantville’s 1632 timeline.
- The Alexander Inheritance (2017), with Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett
- The Macedonian Hazard (2021), with Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett
A modern cruise ship is displaced into the ancient Mediterranean world around the era following Alexander the Great.
Read the two books in order.
Status: Separate Assiti Shards continuity
The mechanism linking these books conceptually to 1632 does not mean their characters share Grantville’s history.
Time Spike
Time Spike (2008), with Marilyn Kosmatka, is another Assiti Shards story.
It uses the same broad idea of groups being displaced through time, but it takes place in a separate continuity from Grantville.
Status: Separate continuity
You do not need to read 1632 before Time Spike.
Likewise, Time Spike is not required before the Queen of the Sea books.
Demon Rift Books in Order
Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, and Paula Goodlett wrote the Demon Rift fantasy sequence.
- The Demons of Paris (2018)
- The Demons of Constantinople (2020)
A related short story, The Problem with Demons, appeared before the novels.
For a novels-only reading order, begin with The Demons of Paris.
For readers who want every piece of background material, The Problem with Demons can be treated as optional introductory fiction.
Arcane America and Council of Fire
Council of Fire (2019), written with Walter H. Hunt, belongs to the Arcane America shared universe.
It is not the first published Arcane America novel.
The broader sequence began with Uncharted by Kevin J. Anderson and Sarah A. Hoyt. Council of Fire takes place earlier in the setting’s internal chronology.
That gives readers two choices.
Publication Approach
- Uncharted
- Council of Fire
Chronological Approach
- Council of Fire
- Uncharted
For someone reading specifically for Eric Flint, Council of Fire can be read as the relevant entry.
For the entire shared universe, publication order is the safer introduction.
The General Series and The Tyrant
The Tyrant (2002), written by Eric Flint and David Drake, belongs to the larger General series associated with Drake and S. M. Stirling.
It is not Book 1.
Readers following the complete General universe should begin with the earlier Raj Whitehall books rather than jumping directly to Flint’s contribution.
The Tyrant is therefore best classified as:
Separate contribution to an existing series
It should not be presented as the beginning of an Eric Flint series.
Eric Flint Standalone Novels
Not every Flint collaboration became a series.
The following books can be read without working through one of his major sequences:
- Mother of Demons (1997)
- A Slow Train to Arcturus (2008), with Dave Freer
- Gods of Sagittarius (2017), with Mike Resnick
- Iron Angels (2017), with Alistair Kimble
- Venus, Mars and Hell (2019), with John Lambshead
- Diamonds Are Forever (2020), with Ryk E. Spoor
- Fenrir (2025), with Ryk E. Spoor
These belong to separate stories or settings unless specifically identified otherwise by their publishers.
Is Fenrir a Boundary Book?
No.
Although Fenrir was also written with Ryk E. Spoor, it should not be inserted after Castaway Resolution merely because Flint and Spoor collaborated on both.
Treat it as a separate science fiction novel.
Eric Flint Collections and Omnibuses
Flint’s bibliography contains a number of collections and repackaged volumes.
Examples include:
- Odyssey
- The Warmasters
- Mountain Magic
- Worlds
- Worlds 2
- Crawlspace and Other Stories
These should not automatically be inserted into a novels-in-order list.
Some contain shorter fiction. Others combine work by multiple authors or collect material that exists elsewhere.
For a first reading project, follow the original novels and use collections afterward.
Eric Flint Books That Continue Other Authors’ Universes
Several titles can be misleading if every book with Flint’s name is treated as one of his own independent series.
Three important cases are:
Witches of Karres
Start with James H. Schmitz’s The Witches of Karres before Flint’s sequels.
Crown of Slaves
These novels belong to David Weber’s Honor Harrington universe.
The Tyrant
This is part of David Drake’s larger General continuity.
These are separate continuities, and none should be mixed into 1632 or Flint’s other original settings.
What Was Eric Flint’s First Novel?
Eric Flint’s first published novel was Mother of Demons, released in 1997.
It is a standalone science fiction novel and remains one of the simplest entry points for readers who want to sample Flint without committing to a long collaborative series.
His first Belisarius novels followed in 1998.
The book that transformed his bibliography into a much larger shared-universe project was 1632, published in 2000.
What Is the Latest Eric Flint Book?
As of August 8, 2026, the newest published book carrying Eric Flint’s name is:
1637: Pilgrim’s Passage, with Griffin Barber.
It was published on August 4, 2026.
This is a posthumous Ring of Fire novel developed from work Flint had begun with his collaborator.
Before that, major posthumous publications included:
- 1638: The Sovereign States (2023)
- 1635: The Weaver’s Code (2024)
- 1637: The French Correction (2025)
- Fenrir (2025)
- 1637: Pilgrim’s Passage (2026)
Readers may therefore encounter new books with Flint’s name even though he died in 2022.
Are More Eric Flint Books Coming?
More 1632 material is expected, but two different categories need to be kept separate.
Baen has announced continued publication of the 1632 universe under ongoing editorial oversight.
Some projects were already being developed by Flint with collaborators before his death. Other future books will belong to the setting without being authored by Flint.
For that reason, a forthcoming 1632 novel should not automatically be described as a forthcoming Eric Flint novel.
Titles and dates that are not firmly confirmed should be left out of a definitive Eric Flint reading order until publication details are established.
Do You Need to Read Eric Flint’s Books in Publication Order?
Only within each continuity.
You do not need to read:
Mother of Demons, then Belisarius, then 1632, then Rats, Bats and Vats, simply because that approximates the order in which they appeared.
Those books belong to different fictional settings.
Instead:
- Keep Belisarius together.
- Keep Boundary and Castaway together.
- Keep Jao Empire together.
- Keep Trail of Glory together.
- Keep Joe’s World together.
- Keep Pyramid together.
- Keep Heirs of Alexandria together.
- Keep each Assiti Shards continuity distinct.
- Follow 1632 primarily by publication order or by regional storyline.
- Treat Honorverse, Karres, Arcane America, and General books as contributions to shared settings.
This avoids unnecessary switching between unrelated stories.
Eric Flint Books in Order FAQs
What Eric Flint book should I read first?
For most readers interested in Flint’s best-known work, start with 1632.
If the scale of the Ring of Fire universe seems daunting, Mother of Demons is a good standalone alternative.
For a completed long series, An Oblique Approach begins the six-book Belisarius saga.
What order should I read the 1632 books?
Start with 1632, then 1633.
After that, publication order is the safest general approach, but the universe branches heavily enough that following one regional storyline at a time is also reasonable.
Do not try to read every Gazette story before continuing with the novels unless you specifically want the most detailed version of the setting.
Are Ring of Fire and 1632 the same series?
Yes.
The setting is commonly called the 1632 series, Ring of Fire series, 1632 universe, or 1632verse.
These names refer to the same broad alternate-history continuity centered on the Grantville event.
Are all 1632 books written by Eric Flint?
No.
Flint created the setting and wrote or co-wrote many of its major novels, but the universe became a large collaborative project.
Many published 1632 books are entirely by other authors.
Is the 1632 series complete?
No.
The universe continues after Eric Flint’s death.
Future installments may be written by other authors under the continuing shared-universe framework.
Did Eric Flint finish his final books before he died?
Some later books were already in development with collaborators when Flint died.
Those collaborators subsequently completed the projects, which is why new books carrying Flint’s name have continued to appear posthumously.
Is Belisarius complete?
Yes.
The main Belisarius saga consists of six novels, beginning with An Oblique Approach and ending with The Dance of Time.
Should I buy the Belisarius omnibuses or individual books?
Either format works.
The three omnibus volumes simply collect the six original novels in pairs. Do not read both formats as though they contain different installments.
Is Castaway Planet a separate series from Boundary?
It begins a distinct phase and is sometimes described as the start of the Castaway sequence, but it continues within the Boundary universe.
For the fullest context, read Boundary, Threshold, and Portal first.
Is Crown of Slaves an Eric Flint series?
It is a series co-written by Eric Flint and David Weber, but it belongs to Weber’s larger Honor Harrington universe.
Readers unfamiliar with the Honorverse can begin the subseries with Crown of Slaves, although some broader political context comes from other Honor Harrington books.
Do I need The Witches of Karres before Eric Flint’s Karres books?
Yes.
James H. Schmitz’s The Witches of Karres is the original novel. Flint’s Karres books are sequels, not a reboot.
Are Time Spike and 1632 directly connected?
They use the broader Assiti Shards concept of temporal displacement, but they take place in separate continuities.
You do not need one to understand the other.
Are The Alexander Inheritance and The Macedonian Hazard part of 1632?
They belong to the broader Assiti Shards framework, but not to Grantville’s 1632 storyline.
Treat them as their own two-book sequence.
What is Eric Flint’s latest book?
As of August 8, 2026, the latest published book carrying his name is 1637: Pilgrim’s Passage, coauthored with Griffin Barber and published on August 4, 2026.
A Practical Eric Flint Reading Plan
Eric Flint’s bibliography becomes much easier once you stop treating it as one enormous sequence.
For the signature experience, read 1632 first and continue through whichever Ring of Fire branches interest you. Publication order remains the safest default because the setting expands outward rather than following one uninterrupted protagonist.
For a cleaner completed saga, read all six Belisarius novels from An Oblique Approach through The Dance of Time.
For science fiction, the six-book Boundary and Castaway sequence offers another straightforward path, while The Course of Empire begins the three-book Jao sequence.
The essential rule is to respect continuity boundaries. Eric Flint collaborated across many worlds, including universes created by other writers, so the author’s overall publication order is less important than keeping each individual series in its intended sequence.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.