Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metrophage | 1988 | Richard Kadrey | Buy |
| 2 | Kamikaze L’Amour | 1995 | Richard Kadrey | Buy |
| 3 | Butcher Bird | 2005 | Richard Kadrey | Buy |
| 4 | Dead Set | 2013 | Richard Kadrey | Buy |
| 5 | The Grand Dark | 2019 | Richard Kadrey | Buy |
Richard Kadrey’s standalone novels span three decades and several subgenres. Metrophage (1988), his debut, is a cyberpunk novel that came out of the same late-1980s movement that produced William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. Kamikaze L’Amour (1995) continued in a similar vein, while Butcher Bird (2005) moved toward the supernatural territory that would define Sandman Slim.
Later standalones include Dead Set (2013), which mixes horror with a coming-of-age story, and The Grand Dark (2019), a standalone fantasy set in an alternate world that drew comparisons to Weimar-era Berlin. These five novels show how Kadrey’s interests shifted over time from pure science fiction toward the urban fantasy and dark fantasy work he is best known for today.