Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parasites Like Us | 2003 | Adam Johnson | Buy |
| 2 | The Orphan Master’s Son | 2012 | Adam Johnson | Buy |
| 3 | The Wayfinder | 2025 | Adam Johnson | Buy |
Adam Johnson’s standalone novels cover wide-ranging territory. His debut, Parasites Like Us (2003), is set in South Dakota and blends archaeology with dark comedy about the end of civilization. The Orphan Master’s Son (2012) takes place in North Korea and follows a man navigating the regime’s brutal hierarchy. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2013.
The Wayfinder (2025) is his upcoming third novel. Each of Johnson’s novels inhabits a completely different world, connected by his interest in characters caught in systems larger than themselves. Readers who enjoy literary fiction with bold settings will find all three worth their time.