Reading First Contact

Normally, a book series has a set reading order. Readers start with book one and move to book two, book three, etc. That’s not the case with the First Contact series.

The First Contact series is thematic rather than character driven. In other words, instead of following the same characters across dozens of books, the First Contact series follows one idea or theme over dozens of books. And this makes it quite unique. It’s the Black Mirror of book series as each story stands alone and can be read independently of any other book in the series. Think of it like The Twilight Zone or something like American Horror Story where each story is self-contained.

The advantage of this approach is we get to explore the concept of First Contact from multiple angles as though each was from a different timeline or a parallel world. Each is an experiment in what could happen.

Another benefit of this approach is you, as the reader, can pick and choose the subjects that interest you. You can read the synopsis for the different novels within the First Contact series and decide what you’d like to read—without missing anything in the overarching series. This gives you the freedom to be selective.

I often get asked if there is a recommended reading order, so I’ll post one here, but it’s only a guide. You can start and stop wherever you like within the series. The point of my reading guide is simply to give you some ideas. If anything, this is a reflection on the stories I enjoy most within the series.

Anomaly — is the first novel I wrote, and it’s a consistent favorite with readers. Cold Eyes — is a tribute to Larry Niven’s classic The Mote in God’s Eye and explores some really interesting themes3zekiel — if you’re looking for action, look no further than First Contact with gorillas in the African jungleThe Tempest — is a tribute to both Shakespeare’s play and the classic scifi 50s movie Forbidden PlanetWherever Seeds May Fall — a chilling look at how First Contact may be more complex than we’ve dared to imagineApothecary — if you’re looking for a story with heart and insights into medieval lifeStarship Mine — you’ll need a box of tissues. This book explores what it means for each of us to be human, navigating the cosmos in bodies which are, after all, our own personal starshipsClowns — looks at what aliens would think of our political and economic systemsJury Duty — what happens when First Contact goes wrong?Welcome to the Occupied States of America — Bullets and bombs have failed; now it’s time for a teenage girl in a wheelchair to save the day!

It pains me to leave novels like Losing Mars and Galactic Exploration out of the top ten, but there are only ten slots to fill. There are a lot of wonderful concepts to explore in the First Contact series.

Thank you for supporting independent science fiction. It’s readers like you that make these books possible. Without you, they wouldn’t exist as I’d still be working in web design—so, from the depths of my heart, thank you!