Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | After Things Fell Apart | 1970 | Ron Goulart | Buy |
| 2 | Gadget Man | 1971 | Ron Goulart | Buy |
| 3 | Hawkshaw | 1973 | Ron Goulart | Buy |
| 4 | Crackpot | 1977 | Ron Goulart | Buy |
| 5 | Brinkman | 1981 | Ron Goulart | Buy |
The Fragmented America series by Ron Goulart spans five books published between 1970 and 1981, opening with After Things Fell Apart. The title of that first book announces the premise directly — a broken-down America where ordinary structures have collapsed — and the books that follow play out stories set against that backdrop.
The series moved through Gadget Man (1971), Hawkshaw (1973), and Crackpot (1977) before closing with Brinkman in 1981. The gaps between entries suggest these were not written as a tight continuous narrative, and each title has a standalone quality reflected in names that suggest individual characters or concepts rather than a shared ongoing plot.
Ron Goulart was a prolific writer of satirical science fiction, and the Fragmented America series fits within that mode — darkly comic, fast-paced, and interested in the absurdities of a world that has come apart at the seams. After Things Fell Apart is the natural starting point, but each book can largely be read on its own.