Josh Malerman Books in Order: Bird Box, Incidents Around the House and Where to Start

By Ahaqir Ishaq

Josh Malerman can make looking outside, hearing a strange sound, or walking through your own home feel dangerous. His books begin with unsettling ideas and turn them into stories about survival, family, and the limits of what we understand.

If you are looking for Josh Malerman books in order, the most important rule is simple: read Bird Box before Malorie. Most of his other major fiction titles can be read independently, including Incidents Around the House, Daphne, and Pictures of You.

Below, you will find a publication-order checklist, the Bird Box reading order, and recommendations for choosing your first Malerman book. This guide stays spoiler-free.

Do You Need to Read Josh Malerman’s Books in Order?

You do not need to read Malerman’s entire bibliography chronologically. Publication order is useful if you want to follow the development of his fiction, but it is not required to understand his standalones.

The exception is the main Bird Box sequence. The publisher identifies Malorie as the sequel to Bird Box, so reading the original first gives you the characters’ history and avoids encountering later developments prematurely.

You can begin with Incidents Around the House without reading Bird Box. The two books offer different entry points: one centers on a family facing a frightening presence, while the other places a mother and her children in a world where sight itself becomes dangerous.

Josh Malerman Books in Publication Order

This checklist covers his principal novels, book-length fiction collections, and standalone shorter fiction. It does not attempt to list every individual story, anthology contribution, comic, or special edition. Years refer to original publication or release, with reissues identified separately.

Several dates can cause confusion. Earthling originally published Goblin in 2017, while the later Del Rey edition appeared in 2021. Similarly, This Is Horror released A House at the Bottom of a Lake in 2016, before its 2021 Del Rey edition.

Ghoul N’ the Cape also has a publication wrinkle: copies may carry a 2021 date, but Earthling’s release page lists January 2022 and explains the shipping delay.

For readers exploring nonfiction, Watching Evil Dead: Unearthing the Radiant Artist Within was published in 2025. It belongs alongside his bibliography, but it is a book about creativity and his artistic life rather than another horror novel.

Bird Box Books in Order

Read the main novels in this sequence:

1. Bird Box (2014)
2. Malorie (2020)

Bird Box

Bird Box follows Malorie and her children through an apocalyptic world threatened by something people must not look at. Survival depends on navigating danger without the sense most people rely on first.

This is the starting point I would recommend for readers who want a survival story with a strong central hook. The premise immediately creates questions: How do you travel safely? Whom can you trust? How do you protect children when you cannot inspect the threat?

Even if you know the Netflix film, beginning with the novel gives you the foundation for the book’s sequel.

Malorie

Malorie continues the story after Bird Box. It returns to the problem of protecting a family in a world where the rules of survival shape every decision.

Save it until after the first novel. Readers who want more of Malorie’s story can move directly into the sequel; readers who prefer a change of setting can explore a standalone first and return later.

Where to Start With Josh Malerman

The best starting point depends on which kind of horror interests you. These are editorial recommendations based on the books’ premises and formats.

Incidents Around the House: For Readers Interested in Other Mommy

The publisher’s synopsis for Incidents Around the House introduces eight-year-old Bela and the entity she calls Other Mommy. As that presence becomes more threatening, the family relationships Bela depends on become increasingly fragile.

The appeal of this starting point is its intimacy. The frightening situation develops around a child and the people who should make her feel safe.

If Other Mommy brought you to Malerman’s work, you can begin here. You do not need to work through his earlier books, and this guide deliberately leaves Bela’s fate unexplained.

A House at the Bottom of a Lake: For a Shorter First Read

Two teenagers discover a submerged house during a first date. Their fascination with it draws them toward something they cannot readily explain.

This is the entry point I would suggest for someone who wants to sample Malerman without beginning a full-length novel. Its blend of first love, curiosity, and unease also makes it a different introduction from the survival pressure of Bird Box.

Daphne: For Slasher Fans

Daphne follows a high school basketball team confronting a disturbing local legend. Kit Lamb hears the story, teammates begin disappearing, and the possibility that thinking about Daphne might summon her creates its own trap.

Choose this one if you enjoy horror built around an identifiable pursuer, teenage friendships, and the anxiety of approaching adulthood.

Goblin and Spin a Black Yarn: For Readers Who Like Shorter Stories

Goblin gathers six linked novellas around its unsettling title town. It is a useful choice when you want the cumulative atmosphere of a shared setting.

Spin a Black Yarn offers five novellas with different premises. Its publisher describes stories involving a haunted house, a disturbing confession, space travel, an alarming household invention, and revenge.

The practical distinction is simple: choose Goblin for a place you can keep returning to, or Spin a Black Yarn to sample several different kinds of unease.

Other Josh Malerman Books Worth Exploring

Black Mad Wheel sends a band to investigate a mysterious sound in an African desert. It is a natural follow-up for readers curious about how Malerman builds horror around the senses.

Unbury Carol combines an outlaw rescue story with the terror of being buried alive. Carol experiences episodes that resemble death, and her husband sees an opportunity to claim her fortune. Its Western setting offers a change from Malerman’s domestic horror.

Inspection concerns isolated schools where boys and girls have been raised without knowing the other group exists. The mystery centers on the people controlling their education and withholding knowledge of the outside world.

Pearl introduces a malevolent pig with telepathic power. It is the book previously published as On This, the Day of the Pig, as the publisher explicitly confirms. You do not need to buy both titles to follow a two-book series.

For an online option, Carpenter’s Farm is available as a serialized novel on Malerman’s website. Ghoul N’ the Capeoffers a much longer, genre-spanning adventure; its limited-edition history makes it a less convenient first recommendation.

What Is Josh Malerman’s Latest Novel?

As of October 9, 2026, the latest published novel verified for this guide is Pictures of You, released on September 8, 2026.

The publisher describes a psychological thriller about Emily, who wakes in an unfamiliar room and becomes entangled in an artist’s dangerous work. It can be read independently of Bird Box and Incidents Around the House.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Incidents Around the House part of Bird Box?

No. It is a standalone novel, and you can read it without reading Bird Box or Malorie.

Are Pearl and On This, the Day of the Pig the same book?

Yes. On This, the Day of the Pig was later republished under the title Pearl. They should not be treated as consecutive installments.

Is Watching Evil Dead a horror novel?

No. It is nonfiction about Malerman’s creative life, inspiration, and the influence of watching Sam Raimi’s film.

Which Josh Malerman book should I read first?

Choose Bird Box for apocalyptic suspense, Incidents Around the House for domestic supernatural horror, or A House at the Bottom of a Lake for a shorter introduction.

If you enjoy horror that places family relationships under pressure, you can also explore our review of Our Share of Night.

Which Josh Malerman book are you planning to read next? Share your choice in the comments.

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