Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Of Tangible Ghosts | 1994 | L.E. Modesitt Jr | Buy |
| 2 | The Ghost of the Revelator | 1998 | L.E. Modesitt Jr | Buy |
| 3 | Ghost of the White Nights | 2001 | L.E. Modesitt Jr | Buy |
| 4 | Ghosts of Columbia | 2005 | L.E. Modesitt Jr | Buy |
The Johan Eschbach series stands apart from Modesitt’s other work with its alternate history setting. Set in a version of America where ghosts are tangible phenomena and the country’s borders and politics developed differently, the series follows Johan Eschbach, a former spy turned professor who keeps getting pulled back into espionage. Of Tangible Ghosts (1994) introduced the concept, followed by The Ghost of the Revelator and Ghost of the White Nights.
The series combines spy thriller plotting with speculative world-building, creating a Victorian-flavored America where the existence of ghosts has shaped religion, politics, and technology in unexpected ways. Ghosts of Columbia (2005) collects the series into an omnibus edition.