Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ambassador of Progress | 1984 | Walter Jon Williams | Buy |
| 2 | Knight Moves | 1985 | Walter Jon Williams | Buy |
| 3 | Angel Station | 1989 | Walter Jon Williams | Buy |
| 4 | Days of Atonement | 1991 | Walter Jon Williams | Buy |
| 5 | Aristoi | 1992 | Walter Jon Williams | Buy |
| 6 | Wall, Stone, Craft | 1993 | Walter Jon Williams | Buy |
| 7 | The Rift | 1999 | Walter Jon Williams | Buy |
| 8 | Implied Spaces | 2008 | Walter Jon Williams | Buy |
Walter Jon Williams’s standalone novels show the full range of his interests. Ambassador of Progress (1984) is a first-contact story about a human diplomat sent to a pre-industrial world. Knight Moves (1985) follows an immortal man in a far-future setting. Angel Station (1989) is about struggling traders who encounter a dangerous alien species. Each of these early novels experiments with a different SF premise.
His later standalones are just as varied. Days of Atonement (1991) is a mystery set in a small New Mexico town. Aristoi (1992) imagines a post-human society where the ruling class has been engineered for genius. The Rift (1999) is a disaster novel about a massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault line. Implied Spaces (2008) blends sword-and-sorcery adventure with hard SF concepts about simulated universes. The common thread is Williams’s willingness to try something different with every book.