Shirley Jackson Books in Order (Updated February 18, 2026)

Shirley Jackson was an American writer (1916–1965) whose bibliography falls into three useful shelves: novels, short-story collections, and domestic memoirs.

Reading order only “matters” if you want to watch her themes tighten over time; otherwise, you can start almost anywhere.

A quick map of what you’re choosing

• If you want the core experience: read the six novels in publication order.
• If you want the famous haunted-house entry point: start with The Haunting of Hill House.
• If you want short fiction first: start with The Lottery and Other Stories (the only collection published in her lifetime).
• If you want the funny side first: start with Life Among the Savages.

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The novels in publication order

1. The Road Through the Wall (1948): A suburban community’s tidy surface cracks under gossip, cruelty, and quiet social violence.
2. Hangsaman (1951): A young woman’s first-year isolation turns uncanny, with identity and perception sliding out of alignment.
3. The Bird’s Nest (1954): A woman’s psychological fracture becomes a darkly controlled study of selves in conflict.
4. The Sundial (1958): A wealthy household leans into apocalypse as a kind of social game with real stakes.
5. The Haunting of Hill House (1959): A fragile search for belonging meets a house that doesn’t welcome visitors in any human way.
6. We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962): Two sisters live inside the aftermath of a family disaster while the town watches and waits.

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Short story collections and posthumous collections

1. The Lottery and Other Stories (1949): A landmark set of stories where ordinary routines tip into dread with minimal warning.
2. Come Along with Me (1968): Posthumous volume combining an unfinished novel fragment, lectures, and a set of stories (including “The Lottery”).
3. Just an Ordinary Day (1996): Posthumous collection mixing previously uncollected work with stories found in Jackson’s papers.
4. Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays, and Other Writings (2015): A broad posthumous gathering of fiction and nonfiction, including pieces not previously collected.
5. Dark Tales (2017): A curated selection focused on Jackson’s most unsettling short fiction in one volume.
6. The Missing Girl (2018): A compact standalone edition built around one of her stories, designed as a quick entry point.

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The domestic memoirs (separate lane; read either order)

1. Life Among the Savages (1953): Comic, sharply observed family life rendered with the same precision as her horror.
2. Raising Demons (1957): A looser, warmer continuation that turns household chaos into narrative art.

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Recommended reading order (pick one route and stick to it)

Route A: The “novels only” spine (cleanest, most coherent)

1. The Road Through the Wall (1948): Start at the beginning and watch the social menace sharpen.
2. Hangsaman (1951): Keep going while her psychological voice intensifies.
3. The Bird’s Nest (1954): Continue into identity and control at closer range.
4. The Sundial (1958): Shift into satirical doom without leaving her core themes.
5. The Haunting of Hill House (1959): Hit the central haunted landmark at the right moment in her evolution.
6. We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962): Finish with her most distilled, self-contained world.

Route B: The “one book to decide” sampler

1. The Haunting of Hill House (1959): If you want atmospheric, psychological haunting.
2. We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962): If you want a sealed household story with bite.
3. The Lottery and Other Stories (1949): If you want short fiction that turns the screw fast.

Route C: The “stories first” path (then move to novels)

1. The Lottery and Other Stories (1949): Begin with the most canonical short-fiction gateway.
2. Dark Tales (2017): Continue with a concentrated, modern-curated set of her darker work.
3. Then move to The Haunting of Hill House (1959): The themes will feel familiar in longer form.

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Latest Releases

Latest Releases: The recent book released by the author is: The Missing Girl (February 22, 2018).

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FAQs

Do any Shirley Jackson books form a series?
No. The novels and story collections share themes, not continuity.

What’s the most spoiler-safe starting point?
Any title is spoiler-safe because there’s no shared plot universe. Choose based on mood: haunted-house, sealed-family, or short fiction.

Should I read the posthumous collections in order?
Only if you enjoy bibliography order. Content overlap and editorial selection mean these are better treated as “pick what you want” volumes.

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Conclusion

If you want the most reliable, structured experience, read the six novels in publication order. If you want a fast, low-commitment entry, start with The Lottery and Other Stories (1949) or The Missing Girl (2018) and move to the novels once you know which register you prefer.