Kolchak: The Night Stalker books in order

The Kolchak: The Night Stalker series includes the original novelizations by Jeff Rice and Stuart M. Kaminsky along with later novels and graphic novels from Moonstone Publishing featuring the horror-investigating reporter Carl Kolchak.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Night Stalker 1973 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
2 The Night Strangler 1974 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
3 Fever Pitch 2003 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
4 Lambs to the Slaughter 2003 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
5 Devil in the Details 2003 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
6 Get of Belial 2003 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
7 Pain Without Tears 2004 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
8 Kolchak the Night Stalker Volume 1 2004 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
9 Kolchak: The Night Stalker Chronicles 2005 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
10 Terror Within 2006 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
11 Bare Bones 2006 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
12 A Black & Evil Truth 2007 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
13 The Lovecraftian Horror 2007 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
14 The Kolchak Papers 2007 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
15 Sound of Fear 2008 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
16 The Rise & Fall of Carl Kolchak 2009 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
17 Cry Of Thunder 2010 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
18 Compendium 2011 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
19 The Lost World 2012 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
20 Kolchak and the Lost World 2012 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
21 Necronomicon 2012 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy
22 Passages of the Macabre 2016 Stuart M. Kaminsky Buy

The Kolchak: The Night Stalker books follow Carl Kolchak, a rumpled newspaper reporter who keeps stumbling onto supernatural cases that no one believes. The character originated in Jeff Rice’s unpublished novel The Kolchak Papers, which was adapted into the 1972 TV movie The Night Stalker starring Darren McGavin. Stuart M. Kaminsky wrote the novelization of the sequel TV movie, The Night Strangler, in 1974.

Starting in 2003, Moonstone Publishing revived the character with a series of original novels and graphic novels by various authors. These later entries range from prose mysteries to comic book formats, expanding Kolchak’s world well beyond the original TV movies and short-lived 1974 series. The full list here includes both the original novelizations and the Moonstone-era publications.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Kolchak: The Night Stalker series?

There are 22 books in the Kolchak: The Night Stalker series, published between 1973 and 2016.

What is the first book in the Kolchak: The Night Stalker series?

The first book in the Kolchak: The Night Stalker series is The Night Stalker, published in 1973.

What is the relationship between the Kolchak books and the TV show?

The character of Carl Kolchak originated in Jeff Rice’s novel The Night Stalker, which was adapted into a 1972 TV movie and later a television series. Stuart M. Kaminsky wrote the novelization of The Night Strangler, and Moonstone Publishing later produced a long series of Kolchak novels and graphic novels by various authors.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may receive commissions for purchases made through links on this site.

Privacy Policy