Christopher Moore is a bestselling American author famous for his comic fantasy and absurdist fiction novels. His critically acclaimed books are packed with satire and feature ordinary characters who find themselves in extraordinary, often supernatural, situations.
Growing up in Ohio, Moore was inspired to write thanks to his love of authors such as John Steinbeck, Kurt Vonnegut, and Douglas Adams, to name a few. And now, he’s a literary great himself.
He’s written eighteen titles to date, and he’s currently working on a brand new historical novel in early 20th-century Vienna. So, if you’ve never read Moore’s books, now is a great time to start! Read on to find out all about this fascinating author’s work.
Christopher Moore’s Books
Christopher Moore has a wide and varied bibliography to explore, including five series, several standalone titles, and a graphic novel. But before we delve into his work, let’s learn more about the man behind the books.
Who is Christopher Moore?
Christopher Moore was born in 1957 in Toledo, Ohio, but spent most of his youth in Mansfield, Ohio.
He’s the only son of a highway patrolman and an appliance vendor, but despite having no literary influence in his family, he grew up loving books. He visited the library with his father every weekend, and by the age of twelve, he was already writing his material.
By the time he was sixteen, Moore had realized that his dream was to grow up and become an author, but it didn’t happen overnight. After graduating from Ohio State University, he moved to California, where he studied at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. While writing in his spare time, Moore worked as a grocery store attendant, a roofer, a waiter, an insurance broker, and DJ at a rock and roll club.
In 1992, he finally published his first novel, Practical Demonkeeping, and from that moment on, his career as an author skyrocketed. The book was a massive success in America and was subsequently published worldwide, including in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Portugal, and Russia.
The writer’s eclectic career background proved to be the perfect inspiration for his madcap characters, and he credits these earlier life experiences as a significant driving force behind his creativity.
In 2003, Christopher Moore moved from California’s Central Coast to Hawaii, where he developed a love for scuba diving and ocean kayaking. But nowadays, he lives in San Francisco, the setting of many of his stories, where he continues to write his bestselling novels.
Christopher Moore’s Books in Order
Christopher Moore has authored eighteen novels, but knowing where to begin with this fascinating author can be challenging. So, in this post, I’ll give you a full rundown of his work so you can decide where to begin your reading adventure.
| Sr. No. | Title | Publication Date | Print Length | Publisher | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Pine Cove Books | January 1, 1992 | 256 pages | St. Martin's Press | Amazon |
| 2 | The Bloodsucking Fiends Books | September 19, 1995 | 304 pages | Simon & Schuster | Amazon |
| 3 | The Grim Reaper Books | March 21, 2006 | 400 pages | William Morrow | Amazon |
| 4 | The Fool Books | February 10, 2009 | 311 pages | William Morrow | Amazon |
| 5 | The Noir Chronicles Books | May 16, 2019 | 317 pages | Elliot | Amazon |
| 6 | Christopher Moore's Graphic Novel | July 19, 2011 | 160 pages | William Morrow | Amazon |
| 7 | Christopher Moore's Standalone Novels | March 18, 2008 | 320 pages | Simon & Schuster | Amazon |
The Pine Cove Books
This wildly entertaining trilogy is set in the quaint little community of Pine Cove, California.
Book one, Practical Demonkeeping, was Christopher Moore’s debut novel. It follows the story of Travis O’Hearn, a one-hundred-year-old man who hasn’t aged a day since he was nineteen after accidentally summoned a demon from hell. And in the eighty-one years that have followed, Travis has been trying, without success, to send him back to the underworld.
But his efforts are only possible with the repository of incantations that he lost decades ago. Determined in his search, he traces the incantations to Pine Cove, hoping to banish his demon sidekick for good finally.
The Pine Cove Books in Reading and Publication Order
A common theme interconnects the Pine Cove books, but each acts as a standalone title. So you can read them in any sequence you like.
The Bloodsucking Fiends Books
Also known as The Love Story books, the Bloodsucking Fiends series is a rip-roaring vampire saga starring a young, would-be author from Indiana whose life is changed forever when he meets an alluring vampire-ess.
In book one, C. Thomas Flood flees to the creative city of San Francisco to follow his dreams of becoming a starving artist, a beatnik like his hero, Jack Kerouac. But then, he meets the recently transitioned redheaded vampire, Jodie, who proceeds to rock his world in ways he could never have imagined.
The Bloodsucking Fiends Books in Reading and Publication Order
The Bloodsucking Fiends novels are interconnected, and the characters’ lives evolve and intertwine from book to book. So, to get the most out of the series, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.
The Grim Reaper Books
This two-part series is a witty, tongue-in-cheek exploration of what happens when an ordinary guy is suddenly promoted to the position of Death.
Charlie Asher was as normal as can be, with a pregnant wife and humdrum job. But then everything changes when people near him begin to drop dead, and a dark shadow of ominous foreboding follows him.
Now, Charlie must accept that he’s no longer Mr. Average; he’s the new Grim Reaper.
The Grim Reaper Books in Reading and Publication Order
The Grim Reaper novels are interconnected, and the characters’ lives evolve and intertwine from book to book. So, to get the most out of the series, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.
The Fool Books
This bestselling trilogy is a hilarious and outrageous retelling of several Shakespearean classics.
The 2009 novel Fool is Christopher Moore’s take on King Lear, told from the perspective of the outlandish court jester.
The 2014 follow-up, The Serpent of Venice, is inspired by characters and events from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and Othello, with a dash of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado thrown in for good measure.
And the final installment of the series, Shakespeare for Squirrels, transports the famous character of Pocket into the setting of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The Fool Books in Reading and Publication Order
A common theme interconnects the Fool books, but each acts as a standalone title. So, you can read them in any order you choose.
The Noir Chronicles Books
Christopher Moore’s most recent offering is this page-turning two-part series, which follows the life and adventures of Sammy “Two Toes” Tiffin.
In book one, Noir, it’s 1947, and Sammy works as a bartender in San Francisco. It’s just another regular afternoon until a gorgeous blonde enters the saloon’s doors and introduces herself as Stilton.
Sammy falls head over heels in love, and the pair hit it off, heading out on adventures against a backdrop of strange, alien activity up and down the Pacific coast. But then, Stilton disappears, and Sammy is forced to embark on a dangerous, hair-raising mission to find her.
The Noir Chronicles Books in Reading and Publication Order
The Noir Chronicles’ books are interconnected, and the characters’ lives evolve and intertwine from book to book. So, to get the most out of the series, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.
Christopher Moore’s Graphic Novel
In 2011, Christopher Moore departed from his usual traditional writing to create a popular graphic novel, The Griff.
Co-written with Ian Corson and illustrated by Jennyson Rosero, this is a tale of madness and mayhem starring three young New Yorkers who find themselves at the heart of a global alien invasion.
A professional squirrel impersonator named Oscar takes down their intergalactic enemies. But unlike everyone else, this trio of unlikely heroes survives the cataclysmic attacks. And so, they leave their home in New York and head to Florida, where they join forces with an Ocean World orca trainer named Liz.
Christopher Moore’s Standalone Novels
Alongside his bestselling series, Christopher Moore has also penned five standalone novels, each in his trademark madcap, satirical style. Here they are in the order they were initially published.
- Coyote Blue (1994)
- Island of the Sequined Love Nun (1997)
- Lamb (2002)
- Fluke (2003)
- Sacré Bleu (2012)
Conclusion
Christopher Moore’s supernatural adventures offer the perfect entertaining escape from everyday life. His unique storytelling and hilarious satirical style have earned him a cult following of dedicated fans across the globe, and he’s got plenty more captivating work up his sleeve to come.
Are you already a fan of Christopher Moore’s books? If so, I’d love to hear your reviews and recommendations. Please drop me a comment in the box below!