Adam Johnson Anthologies Reading Order
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| The Creative Writing MFA Handbook | 2005 | Buy |
| Tin House: Summer Issue 2008 | 2008 | Buy |
| Secret Santa | 2021 | Buy |
| The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2015 | 2015 | Buy |
Short Story Collections
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Emporium | 2002 | Buy |
| Fortune Smiles | 2015 | Buy |
Standalone Novels
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Parasites Like Us | 2003 | Buy |
| The Orphan Master’s Son | 2012 | Buy |
| The Wayfinder | 2025 | Buy |
Adam Johnson is an American author whose fiction is known for its range and ambition. His second novel, The Orphan Master’s Son (2012), won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Set in North Korea, it follows a man who assumes the identity of a high-ranking military officer. The book drew praise for its depiction of life under totalitarian rule and its inventive narrative structure.
His debut novel, Parasites Like Us (2003), takes a very different approach, combining archaeology with a satirical take on civilization’s collapse. His short story collections, Emporium (2002) and Fortune Smiles (2015), cover similarly varied ground. Fortune Smiles won the National Book Award for Fiction.
Johnson’s upcoming novel The Wayfinder (2025) continues his pattern of exploring unlikely settings. He also contributed to the writing handbook The Creative Writing MFA Handbook and appeared in anthologies. Whether working in the short or long form, Johnson writes fiction that pushes into unusual territory while staying grounded in human psychology.