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Robert Olen Butler Complete Bibliography

Browse books by Robert Olen Butler in publication order, including standalone books, complete series lists, reading order, and publication years.

Updated 2026-07-11 / 90 books / 9 series

American author Robert Olen Butler, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning short story collection *A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain*, has published over twenty novels and story collections. His works, including the *Christopher Marlowe Cobb* mystery series, explore themes of identity and war. This page lists Robert Olen Butler’s books in order, covering both chronological publication and series reading order.

Books by Robert Olen Butler in Publication Order

1981 The Alleys of Eden POoSN / 1 Buy
1982 Sun Dogs POoSN / 2 Buy
1983 Countrymen of Bones POoSN / 3 Buy
1985 On Distant Ground POoSN / 4 Buy
1987 Wabash POoSN / 5 Buy
1988 New Stories from the South(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 1 Buy
1989 The Deuce POoSN / 6 Buy
1992 A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain POoSSC / 1 Buy
1992 New Stories from the South 1992(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 2 Buy
1993 New Stories from the South 1993(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 3 Buy
1994 Listening for God Reader, Vol. 1(By: Flannery O'Connor,Raymond Carver,Alice Walker,Garrison Keillor,Annie Dillard,Richard Rodr’guez,Patricia Hampl,Peter Hawkins,Frederick Buechner,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins) POoCLatLoFB / 1 Buy
1994 New Stories from the South 1994(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 4 Buy
1994 They Whisper POoSN / 7 Buy
1995 New Stories from the South 1995(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 5 Buy
1996 Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot POoSS / 1 Buy
1996 Listening for God, Vol. 2(By: Anne Tyler,John Updike,Tobias Wolff,Gail Godwin,Henry Louis Gates Jr.,Kathleen Norris,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins,Carol Bly,Andrew Dubus) POoCLatLoFB / 2 Buy
1996 Tabloid Dreams POoSSC / 2 Buy
1996 New Stories from the South 1996(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 6 Buy
1997 New Stories from the South 1997 POoNSFTSB / 7 Buy
1998 New Stories from the South 1998(By: Padgett Powell) POoNSFTSB / 8 Buy
1998 The Deep Green Sea POoSN / 8 Buy
1999 New Stories from the South 1999(By: Tony Earley) POoNSFTSB / 9 Buy
2000 Listening for God, Vol. 3(By: Tillie Olsen,Wendell Berry,John Cheever,Louise Erdrich,Mary Gordon,Tess Gallagher,Reynolds Price,Oscar Hijuelos,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins) POoCLatLoFB / 3 Buy
2000 Mr. Spaceman POoSN / 9 Buy
2000 New Stories from the South 2000(By: Ellen Douglas) POoNSFTSB / 10 Buy
2001 New Stories from the South 2001(By: Lee Smith) POoNSFTSB / 11 Buy
2002 Listening For God, Vol. 4(With: Allegra Goodman,James Baldwin,Kent Haruf,SueMiller,Doris Betts,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins,MichaelMalone,Alice Elliot Dark) POoCLatLoFB / 4 Buy
2002 Fair Warning POoSN / 10 Buy
2003 New Stories from the South 2003(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 12 Buy
2004 Had a Good Time POoSSC / 3 Buy
2004 New Stories from the South 2004(By: Allan Gurganus) POoNSFTSB / 13 Buy
2005 From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction POoNB / 1 Buy
2005 New Stories from the South, 2005(By: Jill McCorkle) POoNSFTSB / 14 Buy
2005 Best of the South: From the Second Decade of New Stories from the South(By: Shannon Ravenel) POoNSFTSB / 15 Buy
2006 Severance POoSSC / 4 Buy
2006 New Stories from the South 2006(By: Allan Gurganus,Kathy Pories) POoNSFTSB / 16 Buy
2007 New Stories from the South 2007(By: Allan Gurganus) POoNSFTSB / 17 Buy
2008 Intercourse POoSSC / 5 Buy
2008 New Stories from the South 2008(By: Z.Z. Packer) POoNSFTSB / 18 Buy
2009 Hell POoSN / 11 Buy
2009 New Stories from the South 2009(By: Madison Smartt Bell) POoNSFTSB / 19 Buy
2010 New Stories from the South 2010(By: Amy Hempel) POoNSFTSB / 20 Buy
2011 A Small Hotel POoSN / 12 Buy
2012 The Hot Country POoCMCB / 1 Buy
2012 The Book of Virtue(By: Ken Bruen) POoBB / 1 Buy
2012 Pronghorns of the Third Reich(By: C.J. Box) POoBB / 2 Buy
2012 The Book Thing(By: Laura Lippman) POoBB / 3 Buy
2012 The Book Case(By: Nelson DeMille) POoBB / 4 Buy
2012 An Acceptable Sacrifice(By: Jeffery Deaver) POoBB / 5 Buy
2012 Death Leaves a Bookmark(By: William Link) POoBB / 6 Buy
2013 The Star of Istanbul POoCMCB / 2 Buy
2013 The Final Testament(By: Peter Blauner) POoBB / 7 Buy
2013 Rides a Stranger(By: David Bell) POoBB / 8 Buy
2013 The Long Sonata of the Dead(By: Andrew Taylor) POoBB / 9 Buy
2013 The Book of Ghosts(By: Reed Farrel Coleman) POoBB / 10 Buy
2014 The Empire of Night POoCMCB / 3 Buy
2014 The Compendium of Srem(By: F. Paul Wilson) POoBB / 11 Buy
2014 What's in a Name?(By: Thomas H. Cook) POoBB / 12 Buy
2014 Remaindered(By: Peter Lovesey) POoBB / 13 Buy
2014 The Sequel(By: R.L. Stine) POoBB / 14 Buy
2014 The Gospel of Sheba(By: Lyndsay Faye) POoBB / 15 Buy
2014 Book Club(By: Loren D. Estleman) POoBB / 16 Buy
2014 The Nature of My Inheritance(By: Bradford Morrow) POoBB / 17 Buy
2014 It's in the Book(By: Max Allan Collins,Mickey Spillane) POoBB / 18 Buy
2014 The Scroll(By: Anne Perry) POoBB / 19 Buy
2015 The Best Small Fictions 2015 POoBSFB / 1 Buy
2015 The Book of the Lion(By: Thomas Perry) POoBB / 20 Buy
2015 The Little Men(By: Megan Abbott) POoBB / 21 Buy
2015 Condor in the Stacks(By: James Grady) POoBB / 22 Buy
2015 Mystery, Inc.(By: Joyce Carol Oates) POoBB / 23 Buy
2015 Every Seven Years(By: Denise Mina) POoBB / 24 Buy
2015 From the Queen(By: Carolyn Hart) POoBB / 25 Buy
2016 Perfume River POoSN / 13 Buy
2016 The Travelling Companion(By: Ian Rankin) POoBB / 26 Buy
2016 Citadel(By: Stephen Hunter) POoBB / 27 Buy
2016 Reconciliation Day(By: Christopher Fowler) POoBB / 28 Buy
2016 Dead Dames Don't Sing(By: John Harvey) POoBB / 29 Buy
2016 The Haze(By: James W. Hall) POoBB / 30 Buy
2017 Hoodoo Harry(By: Joe R. Lansdale) POoBB / 31 Buy
2018 The Hemingway Valise POoSS / 2 Buy
2018 Paris in the Dark POoCMCB / 4 Buy
2018 The Pretty Little Box(By: Charles Todd) POoBB / 32 Buy
2018 Seven Years(By: Peter Robinson) POoBB / 33 Buy
2018 The Last Honest Horse Thief(By: Michael Koryta) POoBB / 35 Buy
2018 The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository(By: John Connolly) POoBB / 36 Buy
2020 The Girl Who Did Say No(By: David Handler) POoBB / 37 Buy
2021 Late City POoSN / 14 Buy
2022 The Traitor(By: Martin Edwards) POoBB / 38 Buy
2022 The Dark Door(By: Lisa Unger) POoBB / 39 Buy
2022 The Honeymoon Trap(By: Peter Swanson) POoBB / 40 Buy

Complete Robert Olen Butler Series Reading Order / browse all ->

01 From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction 2005 Buy
01 Listening for God Reader, Vol. 1(By: Flannery O'Connor,Raymond Carver,Alice Walker,Garrison Keillor,Annie Dillard,Richard Rodr’guez,Patricia Hampl,Peter Hawkins,Frederick Buechner,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins) 1994 Buy
02 Listening for God, Vol. 2(By: Anne Tyler,John Updike,Tobias Wolff,Gail Godwin,Henry Louis Gates Jr.,Kathleen Norris,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins,Carol Bly,Andrew Dubus) 1996 Buy
03 Listening for God, Vol. 3(By: Tillie Olsen,Wendell Berry,John Cheever,Louise Erdrich,Mary Gordon,Tess Gallagher,Reynolds Price,Oscar Hijuelos,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins) 2000 Buy
04 Listening For God, Vol. 4(With: Allegra Goodman,James Baldwin,Kent Haruf,SueMiller,Doris Betts,Paula J. Carlson,Peter S. Hawkins,MichaelMalone,Alice Elliot Dark) 2002 Buy
01 A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain 1992 Buy
02 Tabloid Dreams 1996 Buy
03 Had a Good Time 2004 Buy
04 Severance 2006 Buy
05 Intercourse 2008 Buy
01 The Best Small Fictions 2015 2015 Buy
Standalone Reading Order 14 books / 1981-2021
01 The Alleys of Eden 1981 Buy
02 Sun Dogs 1982 Buy
03 Countrymen of Bones 1983 Buy
04 On Distant Ground 1985 Buy
05 Wabash 1987 Buy
06 The Deuce 1989 Buy
07 They Whisper 1994 Buy
08 The Deep Green Sea 1998 Buy
09 Mr. Spaceman 2000 Buy
10 Fair Warning 2002 Buy
11 Hell 2009 Buy
12 A Small Hotel 2011 Buy
13 Perfume River 2016 Buy
14 Late City 2021 Buy
01 Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot 1996 Buy
02 The Hemingway Valise 2018 Buy
01 The Hot Country 2012 Buy
02 The Star of Istanbul 2013 Buy
03 The Empire of Night 2014 Buy
04 Paris in the Dark 2018 Buy
01 New Stories from the South(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1988 Buy
02 New Stories from the South 1992(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1992 Buy
03 New Stories from the South 1993(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1993 Buy
04 New Stories from the South 1994(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1994 Buy
05 New Stories from the South 1995(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1995 Buy
06 New Stories from the South 1996(By: Shannon Ravenel) 1996 Buy
07 New Stories from the South 1997 1997 Buy
08 New Stories from the South 1998(By: Padgett Powell) 1998 Buy
09 New Stories from the South 1999(By: Tony Earley) 1999 Buy
10 New Stories from the South 2000(By: Ellen Douglas) 2000 Buy
11 New Stories from the South 2001(By: Lee Smith) 2001 Buy
12 New Stories from the South 2003(By: Shannon Ravenel) 2003 Buy
13 New Stories from the South 2004(By: Allan Gurganus) 2004 Buy
14 New Stories from the South, 2005(By: Jill McCorkle) 2005 Buy
15 Best of the South: From the Second Decade of New Stories from the South(By: Shannon Ravenel) 2005 Buy
16 New Stories from the South 2006(By: Allan Gurganus,Kathy Pories) 2006 Buy
17 New Stories from the South 2007(By: Allan Gurganus) 2007 Buy
18 New Stories from the South 2008(By: Z.Z. Packer) 2008 Buy
19 New Stories from the South 2009(By: Madison Smartt Bell) 2009 Buy
20 New Stories from the South 2010(By: Amy Hempel) 2010 Buy
Bibliomysteries Reading Order 39 books / 2012-2022
01 The Book of Virtue(By: Ken Bruen) 2012 Buy
02 Pronghorns of the Third Reich(By: C.J. Box) 2012 Buy
03 The Book Thing(By: Laura Lippman) 2012 Buy
04 The Book Case(By: Nelson DeMille) 2012 Buy
05 An Acceptable Sacrifice(By: Jeffery Deaver) 2012 Buy
06 Death Leaves a Bookmark(By: William Link) 2012 Buy
07 The Final Testament(By: Peter Blauner) 2013 Buy
08 Rides a Stranger(By: David Bell) 2013 Buy
09 The Long Sonata of the Dead(By: Andrew Taylor) 2013 Buy
10 The Book of Ghosts(By: Reed Farrel Coleman) 2013 Buy
11 The Compendium of Srem(By: F. Paul Wilson) 2014 Buy
12 What's in a Name?(By: Thomas H. Cook) 2014 Buy
13 Remaindered(By: Peter Lovesey) 2014 Buy
14 The Sequel(By: R.L. Stine) 2014 Buy
15 The Gospel of Sheba(By: Lyndsay Faye) 2014 Buy
16 Book Club(By: Loren D. Estleman) 2014 Buy
17 The Nature of My Inheritance(By: Bradford Morrow) 2014 Buy
18 It's in the Book(By: Max Allan Collins,Mickey Spillane) 2014 Buy
19 The Scroll(By: Anne Perry) 2014 Buy
20 The Book of the Lion(By: Thomas Perry) 2015 Buy
21 The Little Men(By: Megan Abbott) 2015 Buy
22 Condor in the Stacks(By: James Grady) 2015 Buy
23 Mystery, Inc.(By: Joyce Carol Oates) 2015 Buy
24 Every Seven Years(By: Denise Mina) 2015 Buy
25 From the Queen(By: Carolyn Hart) 2015 Buy
26 The Travelling Companion(By: Ian Rankin) 2016 Buy
27 Citadel(By: Stephen Hunter) 2016 Buy
28 Reconciliation Day(By: Christopher Fowler) 2016 Buy
29 Dead Dames Don't Sing(By: John Harvey) 2016 Buy
30 The Haze(By: James W. Hall) 2016 Buy
31 Hoodoo Harry(By: Joe R. Lansdale) 2017 Buy
32 The Pretty Little Box(By: Charles Todd) 2018 Buy
33 Seven Years(By: Peter Robinson) 2018 Buy
35 The Last Honest Horse Thief(By: Michael Koryta) 2018 Buy
36 The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository(By: John Connolly) 2018 Buy
37 The Girl Who Did Say No(By: David Handler) 2020 Buy
38 The Traitor(By: Martin Edwards) 2022 Buy
39 The Dark Door(By: Lisa Unger) 2022 Buy
40 The Honeymoon Trap(By: Peter Swanson) 2022 Buy

Where to start with Robert Olen Butler

What is the best order to read Robert Olen Butler books?

Publication order is usually the safest place to start. If a book belongs to a series, follow the numbered series reading order shown on this page.

Are standalone books and series both included?

Yes. Standalone titles appear in the full chronological bibliography, and series are broken out separately with reading-order links when catalog data is available.

More authors

Bobby Akart -> Barbara Erskine -> Alastair Reynolds -> Scarlett Cole ->

Source note: Sequencebooks organizes author, book, and series records from its catalog data. Publication years and series order are shown when available.