Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Sword Swallower | 1968 | Ron Goulart | Buy |
| 2 | Flux | 1974 | Ron Goulart | Buy |
| 3 | Shaggy Planet | 1943 | Ron Goulart | N/A |
| 4 | Il perfido Cyborg | 1978 | Ron Goulart | N/A |
The Barnum System: Ben Jolsen series by Ron Goulart is a four-book strand within the broader Barnum System universe, following the character Ben Jolsen. The sequence opens with The Sword Swallower (1968), continues through Flux (1974) and Shaggy Planet, and closes with Il perfido Cyborg (1978).
Readers of the wider Barnum System fiction will recognize some shared titles across the sub-series, so starting with The Sword Swallower gives you the clearest introduction to Ben Jolsen’s thread before following through to the 1978 finale.