James P. Blaylock is an American fantasy and science fiction writer closely associated with the early development of steampunk. His bibliography also includes comic fantasy, supernatural fiction, contemporary California fantasy, ghost stories, young adult fiction, novellas, and short story collections.
The difficult part is not finding his books. It is deciding which books actually belong together.
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The biggest source of conflicting reading lists is the Narbondo and Langdon St. Ives material. Some catalogs combine everything involving Ignacio Narbondo into one large series. Others separate the contemporary California novels The Digging Leviathan and Zeuglodon from the Victorian St. Ives adventures.
For reading purposes, separating those strands is clearer.
The Orders That Matter Most
Readers who only want the core sequences can use these lists.
Balumnia Trilogy
- The Elfin Ship
- The Disappearing Dwarf
- The Stone Giant
The Digging Leviathan Books
- The Digging Leviathan
- Zeuglodon
Langdon St. Ives
- Homunculus
- Lord Kelvin’s Machine
- The Ebb Tide
- The Affair of the Chalk Cliffs
- The Aylesford Skull
- The Adventure of the Ring of Stones
- Beneath London
- River’s Edge
- The Gobblin’ Society
Short stories and omnibus editions complicate this list, so they are explained separately below.
Christian Trilogy
- The Last Coin
- The Paper Grail
- All the Bells on Earth
Ghosts Trilogy
- Night Relics
- Winter Tides
- The Rainy Season
Jane and Jerry Larkin
- Pennies from Heaven
- The Invisible Woman
For a first Blaylock book, Homunculus is the natural choice for steampunk, while The Last Coin is a strong starting point for his contemporary supernatural fiction.
The Narbondo and St. Ives Problem
Many bibliographies describe a broad Narbondo or Narbondo and St. Ives universe.
That classification is useful bibliographically but less useful as a reading order.
Ignacio Narbondo appears in material associated with two very different settings. The Digging Leviathan and Zeuglodon are contemporary California fantasies. The Langdon St. Ives adventures are primarily Victorian steampunk stories.
Because of that difference, readers should not assume that The Digging Leviathan functions as Book 1 of a conventional St. Ives sequence.
The cleaner approach is to treat them as related branches.
The Digging Leviathan Books in Order
The contemporary Narbondo sequence is:
- The Digging Leviathan (1984)
- Zeuglodon (2012)
Zeuglodon is the sequel to The Digging Leviathan.
These books are set in California rather than the Victorian England of the principal St. Ives stories.
Read them in publication order.
Is The Digging Leviathan a Langdon St. Ives Novel?
Not in the straightforward sense.
Some broad series listings place it before Homunculus because of the Narbondo connection. However, readers looking specifically for Langdon St. Ives should begin with Homunculus.
Recommended classification: Related Narbondo continuity, separate reading strand.
Langdon St. Ives Books in Order
Langdon St. Ives is Blaylock’s gentleman scientist, explorer, and adventurer, appearing across novels, novellas, and shorter stories.
For the major book length adventures, publication order is:
- Homunculus (1986)
- Lord Kelvin’s Machine (1992)
- The Ebb Tide (2009)
- The Affair of the Chalk Cliffs (2011)
- The Aylesford Skull (2013)
- The Adventure of the Ring of Stones (2014)
- Beneath London (2015)
- River’s Edge (2017)
- The Gobblin’ Society (2020)
This is the safest first reading order.
The stories were not all published at the same length. Some are novels, while others are novellas or shorter adventures. They nevertheless share St. Ives, his associates, and his recurring conflict with Narbondo.
Langdon St. Ives Short Stories
St. Ives appeared in short fiction before and between the longer books.
Important stories include:
- The Ape-Box Affair
- The Idol’s Eye
- Two Views of a Cave Painting
- The Hole in Space
- Earthbound Things
- The Here-and-Thereians
These stories are part of the St. Ives body of work, but new readers do not need to locate each one individually before beginning Homunculus.
The omnibus editions provide a much easier route.
The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives Omnibus
The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives was published in 2008.
It collects:
- Homunculus
- Lord Kelvin’s Machine
- The Ape-Box Affair
- The Idol’s Eye
- Two Views of a Cave Painting
- The Hole in Space
Readers who own this collection already have the first two major St. Ives novels plus several related stories.
Status: Omnibus, not a separate sequel.
The Further Adventures of Langdon St. Ives
The Further Adventures of Langdon St. Ives was published in 2016.
It gathers several later St. Ives adventures, including:
- The Ebb Tide
- The Affair of the Chalk Cliffs
- The Adventure of the Ring of Stones
- The Here-and-Thereians
- Earthbound Things
This collection overlaps with individually published St. Ives works.
Do not count the omnibus as another chronological installment.
Status: Collection of existing and related material.
The Steampunk Adventures of Langdon St. Ives
The Steampunk Adventures of Langdon St. Ives is another collection of St. Ives material.
It should be treated as a gathering of stories rather than a new novel following The Gobblin’ Society.
Readers building a completionist collection should check the contents before buying, because Blaylock’s St. Ives fiction has been repackaged in several forms.
Should You Read St. Ives Chronologically?
Publication order is preferable.
The sequence grew across several decades, and the original publication pattern allows Blaylock’s version of St. Ives and his world to develop naturally.
Trying to create an exact internal chronology among every short story, novella, and novel adds complexity without giving a new reader much benefit.
Begin with Homunculus.
Balumnia Trilogy Books in Order
Blaylock’s Balumnia trilogy is comic fantasy with a deliberately whimsical adventure style.
Read:
- The Elfin Ship (1982)
- The Disappearing Dwarf (1983)
- The Stone Giant (1989)
These books form a recognizable sequence and should be kept in publication order.
Where Does The Man in the Moon Fit?
The Man in the Moon was published in 2002, but it is not Balumnia Book 4.
It represents an earlier manuscript from which The Elfin Ship was substantially reworked. The published volume also contains commentary and additional material.
Readers who want the finished trilogy should read:
- The Elfin Ship
- The Disappearing Dwarf
- The Stone Giant
Then read The Man in the Moon as an optional look at the earlier form of the project.
Status: Optional archival and alternate version material.
Land of Dreams Books
Two works are commonly associated under the Land of Dreams heading:
- Paper Dragons (1985)
- Land of Dreams (1987)
Paper Dragons is shorter fiction rather than a conventional first novel.
The two works are connected more loosely than a standard numbered fantasy series.
For readers who want both, publication order is the natural route.
Recommended order: Paper Dragons, then Land of Dreams.
Required order: Low.
Christian Trilogy Books in Order
Blaylock’s Christian Trilogy consists of three contemporary fantasy novels that draw on Christian relics, symbols, folklore, and supernatural ideas.
The publication order is:
- The Last Coin (1988)
- The Paper Grail (1991)
- All the Bells on Earth (1995)
The name “Christian Trilogy” can make these sound like three volumes of one continuous plot.
They are better understood as a thematic grouping of related contemporary supernatural novels.
Publication order is still the cleanest way to encounter them, but readers should not expect the kind of direct continuation found in a conventional fantasy trilogy.
The Last Coin
The Last Coin revolves around the thirty pieces of silver associated with Judas.
It is the first published book in the grouping and the safest entry point.
The Paper Grail
The Paper Grail uses another supernatural artifact centered story.
It can be understood independently, although reading it after The Last Coin preserves the trilogy’s publication progression.
All the Bells on Earth
All the Bells on Earth completes the commonly recognized Christian Trilogy.
Again, this is more a linked body of contemporary supernatural fantasy than one uninterrupted three book narrative.
Christian Trilogy Omnibus
The three novels have also been collected together as:
The Last Coin / The Paper Grail / All the Bells on Earth
Readers with this omnibus already have the complete trilogy.
Status: Collection, not a fourth book.
Ghosts Trilogy Books in Order
The Ghosts Trilogy contains:
- Night Relics (1994)
- Winter Tides (1997)
- The Rainy Season (1999)
These are contemporary California supernatural novels.
Like the Christian Trilogy, this is a relatively loose grouping rather than a single plot split into three volumes.
Readers can understand the novels individually, but publication order is the most orderly approach for someone reading all three.
Does Night Relics Have to Be Read First?
Not with the same urgency as Homunculus before later St. Ives stories.
The Ghosts books share a broad mode and supernatural California setting more than a strict continuing narrative.
Still, a complete read should follow:
- Night Relics
- Winter Tides
- The Rainy Season
Pennies from Heaven and The Invisible Woman
A newer connected sequence is easy to miss because older bibliographies list Pennies from Heaven as a standalone.
That classification is now outdated.
Read:
- Pennies from Heaven (2022)
- The Invisible Woman (2024 print edition, 2025 digital edition)
Both books feature Jane and Jerry Larkin.
The Invisible Woman is explicitly a sequel and refers back to the earlier events.
Can You Start With The Invisible Woman?
It is better not to.
The second book continues the lives of Jane and Jerry and builds on consequences from Pennies from Heaven.
Recommended order: Publication order.
James P. Blaylock Standalone Novels
Books outside the principal series and groupings include:
- The Magic Spectacles (1991)
- The Knights of the Cornerstone (2008)
These can be read without preparation from another Blaylock novel.
The Magic Spectacles
The Magic Spectacles is a younger reader fantasy.
It does not belong to Balumnia.
Status: Standalone.
The Knights of the Cornerstone
The Knights of the Cornerstone combines contemporary California, mystery, and supernatural material.
Despite thematic similarities to several other Blaylock novels, it is not part of the Christian Trilogy or Ghosts Trilogy.
Status: Standalone.
What About Axolotl Double A-1?
Some bibliographies list Axolotl Double A-1 among Blaylock’s books.
It is an unusual publication rather than one of his principal commercial novel sequences.
It has no effect on the reading order of Balumnia, St. Ives, the Christian Trilogy, or the Ghosts books.
Readers following his major fiction can treat it separately.
James P. Blaylock Story Collections
Blaylock has published several collections of shorter work.
Major collections include:
- Thirteen Phantasms (2000)
- In for a Penny (2003)
- Metamorphosis (2009)
- The Shadow on the Doorstep (2009)
He has also published collaborative collections and small press books with Tim Powers.
These collections do not form a numbered sequence.
Readers primarily interested in St. Ives should use the dedicated St. Ives collections rather than trying to locate every relevant story through general anthologies.
Books With Tim Powers
Blaylock has a long literary association with Tim Powers, and the two have collaborated on several small press projects.
Examples include:
- On Pirates
- The Devils in the Details
- The Complete Twelve Hours of the Night
These works are separate from Blaylock’s major novel continuities.
Some involve the fictional poet William Ashbless, a long-running literary joke associated with Blaylock and Powers.
Status: Separate collaborative material.
Is William Ashbless a James P. Blaylock Pen Name?
Not in the ordinary sense of a private pseudonym used for a separate commercial bibliography.
William Ashbless is a fictional poet created and used by Blaylock and Tim Powers.
Material presented under or around the Ashbless identity belongs to their shared literary joke and should not be confused with an independent author whose novels must be inserted into Blaylock’s series order.
Complete Series Reading Route
Readers who want to explore Blaylock broadly without jumping randomly among unrelated continuities can use the following route.
Start With Balumnia
- The Elfin Ship
- The Disappearing Dwarf
- The Stone Giant
Read The Man in the Moon afterward only if interested in the earlier version of the first book.
Continue With the Narbondo Branches
First read the contemporary pair:
- The Digging Leviathan
- Zeuglodon
Then begin St. Ives:
- Homunculus
- Lord Kelvin’s Machine
- The Ebb Tide
- The Affair of the Chalk Cliffs
- The Aylesford Skull
- The Adventure of the Ring of Stones
- Beneath London
- River’s Edge
- The Gobblin’ Society
Add the St. Ives short stories and collections as desired.
Move to the Contemporary Supernatural Books
Christian Trilogy:
- The Last Coin
- The Paper Grail
- All the Bells on Earth
Ghosts Trilogy:
- Night Relics
- Winter Tides
- The Rainy Season
Finish With the Larkin Books
- Pennies from Heaven
- The Invisible Woman
The remaining standalone books can be placed anywhere.
Publication Order Versus Recommended Order
Blaylock is one author for whom a complete publication order is less helpful than a series based order.
His career repeatedly moves among whimsical fantasy, contemporary California supernatural fiction, Victorian steampunk, and shorter work.
A strict publication list would therefore interrupt several continuities.
The recommended rule is simple:
Finish Balumnia in order.
Keep The Digging Leviathan and Zeuglodon together.
Begin Langdon St. Ives with Homunculus.
Keep Pennies from Heaven before The Invisible Woman.
For the Christian and Ghosts trilogies, publication order is preferred but less critical because their connections are looser.
Latest James P. Blaylock Novel
The newest confirmed James P. Blaylock novel is The Invisible Woman.
PS Publishing lists a December 2024 print publication. A later digital edition appeared in February 2025.
It is the sequel to Pennies from Heaven and continues with Jane and Jerry Larkin.
That makes the current order:
- Pennies from Heaven
- The Invisible Woman
Upcoming James P. Blaylock Book
A nonfiction collection titled Beginning Anywhere, Moments in a Life has been announced for 2026.
The publisher describes it as a collection of articles, essays, and other short pieces.
However, a sufficiently reliable exact publication date was not available during this August 8, 2026 update.
For that reason, it should be treated as announced or forthcoming, not confidently listed as already published.
Status: Upcoming nonfiction, release timing not fully confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What James P. Blaylock book should I read first?
For steampunk, begin with Homunculus.
For whimsical fantasy, begin with The Elfin Ship.
For his contemporary supernatural fiction, The Last Coin is a useful entry point.
What order are the Langdon St. Ives books?
For the major book length adventures, use:
- Homunculus
- Lord Kelvin’s Machine
- The Ebb Tide
- The Affair of the Chalk Cliffs
- The Aylesford Skull
- The Adventure of the Ring of Stones
- Beneath London
- River’s Edge
- The Gobblin’ Society
Short stories can be added around this sequence, but they are not required before Homunculus.
Is The Digging Leviathan the first Langdon St. Ives book?
It is sometimes placed first in broad Narbondo series lists, but it is not the best starting point for Langdon St. Ives himself.
Begin the St. Ives sequence with Homunculus.
Treat The Digging Leviathan and Zeuglodon as their own related Narbondo branch.
What comes after The Digging Leviathan?
Zeuglodon.
It was published much later but is the sequel.
Is Zeuglodon a Langdon St. Ives book?
It belongs to the broader Narbondo related material but is better grouped directly with The Digging Leviathan than with the Victorian St. Ives sequence.
What are the Balumnia books in order?
Read:
- The Elfin Ship
- The Disappearing Dwarf
- The Stone Giant
Is The Man in the Moon Balumnia Book 4?
No.
It contains the earlier manuscript from which The Elfin Ship was reworked, along with supplementary material.
Read it after the trilogy if you want to compare versions.
Are the Christian Trilogy books direct sequels?
Not in the conventional sense.
The Last Coin, The Paper Grail, and All the Bells on Earth are grouped by their contemporary supernatural concerns and Christian elements.
Publication order remains recommended.
Are the Ghosts Trilogy books connected?
They form a loose group of contemporary California ghost and supernatural novels.
They are not as tightly serialized as the St. Ives adventures.
Is The Invisible Woman a sequel?
Yes.
It is the sequel to Pennies from Heaven and again features Jane and Jerry Larkin.
Read Pennies from Heaven first.
What is James P. Blaylock’s latest novel?
The Invisible Woman is the newest confirmed novel.
Its PS Publishing print edition dates from December 2024, followed by a digital edition in 2025.
Does James P. Blaylock have a new book coming?
A nonfiction collection, Beginning Anywhere, Moments in a Life, has been announced for 2026.
An exact dependable release date was not confirmed for this update.
Best Starting Point
There is no need to read James P. Blaylock’s entire bibliography chronologically.
For steampunk, start with Homunculus and continue through the Langdon St. Ives adventures in publication order. Readers interested in the broader Narbondo material can add The Digging Leviathan and Zeuglodon as a separate branch.
For comic fantasy, begin with The Elfin Ship. For contemporary supernatural fiction, begin with The Last Coin or Night Relics.
The clearest modern continuity is the Jane and Jerry Larkin pair. Read Pennies from Heaven before The Invisible Woman.
Keeping those boundaries intact avoids the main source of confusion in Blaylock’s bibliography: treating every Narbondo appearance, omnibus, novella, and loosely grouped trilogy as if it belonged to one continuous numbered series.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.