🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Victor Milan
Victor Milan is an American author best known for writing several series and standalone novels in the fantasy, science fiction, thriller, and Westerns genres. He first came into prominence when he won the Prometheus Award in 1986 for his novel “Cybernetic Samurai”. Milan has been a writer for over 31 years, though he has also worked as a computer support technician, semi-pro actor, cowboy, long time emcee of the Collinsville, Illinois Archon multi genre convention, and Albuquerque rock DJ. Except for a period of about 10 months in 2000 when he had to get formal employment, Victor Milan has pretty much been a writer his entire adult life.
All Book Series by Victor Milan
The Sword and the Dagger
Series opener · book 1 of 49 · published 1987 Anthology · Ardath Mayhar
Shrapnel: Fragments From The Inner Sphere
Book 2 of 49 · published 1989 Anthology · William H. Keith Jr.,Elizabeth Danforth,Ken St. Andre,Jordan K. Weisman
Natural Selection
Book 3 of 49 · published 1992 Anthology · Michael A. Stackpole
Assumption of Risk
Book 4 of 49 · published 1993 Anthology · Michael A. Stackpole
Operation Excalibur
Book 10 of 49 · published 1996 Anthology · William H. Keith Jr.
Prince of Havoc
Book 14 of 49 · published 1998 Anthology · Michael A. Stackpole
Wolves on the Border
Book 22 of 49 · published 2004 Anthology · Robert N. Charrette
Hunters of the Deep
Book 23 of 49 · published 2004 Anthology · Randall N. Bills
Heretic's Faith
Book 24 of 49 · published 2005 Anthology · Randall N. Bills,Roc Books
Classic BattleTech 25 Years of Art & Fiction
Book 33 of 49 · published 2009 Anthology · Randall N. Bills
Angry Voices In The Dark
Book 34 of 49 · published 2011 Anthology · Loren L. Coleman
The Nellus Academy Incident
Book 36 of 49 · published 2014 Anthology · Jennifer Brozek
A Splinter of Hope/The Anvil
Book 37 of 49 · published 2019 Anthology · Blaine Lee Pardoe,Philip A. Lee
Shrapnel, Year One
Book 40 of 49 · published 2023 Anthology · Philip A. Lee,Bryan Young
Let Slip the Dogs of War
Book 42 of 49 · published 2024 Anthology · Bryan Young
Fortunes of War, Volume 1
Book 43 of 49 · published 2025 Anthology · John Helfers,Bryan Young
These Violent Ends
Latest in the series · book 49 of 49 · published 2026 Anthology · Bryan Young
King Pinch
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1995 Anthology · Walter Velez,David Cook
The Simbul's Gift
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 1997 Anthology · Lynn Abbey
The Prometheus Design
Series opener · book 1 of 61 · published 1982 Anthology · Sondra Marshak,Myrna Culbreath
Triangle
Book 4 of 61 · published 1983 Anthology · Sondra Marshak,Myrna Culbreath
Web of the Romulans
Book 5 of 61 · published 1983 Anthology · Leonard Nimoy,M.S. Murdock
The Tears of the Singers
Book 8 of 61 · published 1984 Anthology · Melinda M. Snodgrass
The Vulcan Academy Murders
Book 9 of 61 · published 1984 Anthology · Jean Lorrah
Dwellers in the Crucible
Book 14 of 61 · published 1985 Anthology · Margaret Wander Bonanno
The Three-Minute Universe
Book 19 of 61 · published 1988 Anthology · Barbara Paul
Home Is the Hunter
Book 24 of 61 · published 1990 Anthology · Dana Kramer-Rolls
The Patrian Transgression
Book 38 of 61 · published 1994 Anthology · Simon Hawke
The Fearful Summons
Book 43 of 61 · published 1995 Anthology · Denny Martin Flinn
First Frontier
Book 44 of 61 · published 1995 Anthology · Diane Carey,James I. Kirkland
The Rings of Tautee
Book 47 of 61 · published 1996 Anthology · Dean Wesley Smith
The Joy Machine
Book 48 of 61 · published 1996 Anthology · Theodore Sturgeon,James Gunn
Vulcan's Heart
Book 52 of 61 · published 1999 Anthology · Josepha Sherman,Susan Shwartz
The Disinherited
Book 57 of 61 · published 2007 Anthology · Peter David,Robert Greenberger,Michael Jan Friedman
Excelsior: Forged in Fire
Book 58 of 61 · published 2007 Anthology · Andy Mangels,Michael A. Martin
Cast No Shadow
Book 60 of 61 · published 2011 Anthology · James Swallow,Dayton Ward
Allegiance in Exile
Latest in the series · book 61 of 61 · published 2013 Anthology · David R. George III
Ancient Heavens
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 1989 Anthology · Robert Vardeman
Wild Cards
Series opener · book 1 of 49 · published 1986 Anthology · George R.R. Martin
Jokertown Shuffle
Book 9 of 49 · published 1991 Anthology · Melinda M. Snodgrass
Double Solitaire
Book 10 of 49 · published 1992 Anthology · Melinda M. Snodgrass
Turn of the Cards
Book 12 of 49 · published 1993 Co-authored · George R.R. Martin
Death Draws Five
Book 14 of 49 · published 2006 Anthology · George R.R. Martin,John J. Miller
Busted Flush
Book 15 of 49 · published 2008 Anthology · George R.R. Martin,Melinda M. Snodgrass,Caroline Spector
Inside Straight
Book 16 of 49 · published 2008 Anthology · Melinda M. Snodgrass
Ghost Girl Takes Manhattan
Book 18 of 49 · published 2010 Anthology · Carrie Vaughn
Fort Freak
Book 19 of 49 · published 2011 Anthology · George R.R. Martin,Melinda M. Snodgrass,David Anthony Durham
The Button Man and the Murder Tree
Book 20 of 49 · published 2013 Anthology · Cherie Priest
The Elephant in the Room
Book 21 of 49 · published 2013 Anthology · George R.R. Martin,Paul Cornell
Lowball
Book 22 of 49 · published 2014 Anthology · George R.R. Martin,Melinda M. Snodgrass,David Anthony Durham
Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza
Book 23 of 49 · published 2014 Anthology · Carrie Vaughn
Prompt. Professional. Pop!
Book 24 of 49 · published 2014 Anthology · Walter Jon Williams
The Thing about Growing Up in Jokertown
Book 27 of 49 · published 2016 Anthology · George R.R. Martin
When the Devil Drives
Book 29 of 49 · published 2017 Anthology · Melinda M. Snodgrass
The Flight of Morpho Girl
Book 31 of 49 · published 2018 Anthology · George R.R. Martin,Caroline Spector
Knaves Over Queens
Book 32 of 49 · published 2018 Anthology · George R.R. Martin
The City That Never Sleeps
Book 34 of 49 · published 2019 Anthology · Walton Simons
Naked, Stoned, and Stabbed
Book 35 of 49 · published 2019 Anthology · Bradley Denton
Wild Cards X: Double Solitaire
Book 36 of 49 · published 2019 Anthology · Melinda M. Snodgrass
Three Kings
Book 38 of 49 · published 2020 Anthology · George R.R. Martin,Melinda M. Snodgrass
Pairing Up
Book 45 of 49 · published 2023 Anthology · George R.R. Martin,Melinda M. Snodgrass,David Anthony Durham,Kevin Andrew Murphy,Gwenda Bond,Marko Kloos,Christopher Rowe,Bradley Denton,Peter Newman
Sleeper Straddle
Book 47 of 49 · published 2024 Anthology · Carrie Vaughn,Stephen Leigh,Mary Anne Mohanraj,Cherie Priest,Walter Jon Williams,Christopher Rowe,Max Gladstone
House Rulesin Stories
Book 48 of 49 · published 2025 Anthology · George R.R. Martin
Ante Up
Latest in the series · book 49 of 49 · published 2025 Anthology · John Jos. Miller
Warrior: Riposte
Series opener · book 1 of 74 · published 1988 Anthology · Michael A. Stackpole
Warrior: En Garde
Book 2 of 74 · published 1988 Anthology · Michael A. Stackpole
Heir to the Dragon
Book 4 of 74 · published 1989 Anthology · Robert N. Charrette
Natural Selection
Book 9 of 74 · published 1992 Anthology · Michael A. Stackpole
Tactics of Duty
Book 14 of 74 · published 1995 Anthology · William H. Keith Jr.
Operation Excalibur
Book 16 of 74 · published 1996 Anthology · William H. Keith Jr.
Prince of Havoc
Book 26 of 74 · published 1998 Anthology · Michael A. Stackpole
Threads of Ambition
Book 27 of 74 · published 1999 Anthology · Loren L. Coleman
By Blood Betrayed
Book 32 of 74 · published 1999 Anthology · Mel Odom,Blaine Lee Pardoe
Illusions of Victory
Book 33 of 74 · published 2000 Anthology · Loren L. Coleman
Patriots and Tyrants
Book 37 of 74 · published 2001 Anthology · Loren L. Coleman
Initiation to War
Book 39 of 74 · published 2001 Anthology · Robert N. Charrette
Operation Audacity
Book 45 of 74 · published 2002 Anthology · Blaine Lee Pardoe
A Silence in the Heavens
Book 47 of 74 · published 2003 Anthology · Martin Delrio
By Temptations and By War
Book 52 of 74 · published 2003 Anthology · Loren L. Coleman
Hunters of the Deep
Book 55 of 74 · published 2004 Anthology · Randall N. Bills
Target of Opportunity
Book 58 of 74 · published 2005 Anthology · Blaine Lee Pardoe
Principles of Desolation
Book 62 of 74 · published 2006 Anthology · Jason M. Hardy
Surrender Your Dreams
Book 64 of 74 · published 2006 Anthology · Blaine Lee Pardoe
Service for the Dead
Latest in the series · book 74 of 74 · published 2021 Anthology · Martin Delrio
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Victor Milan?
Victor Milan is an American author best known for writing several series and standalone novels in the fantasy, science fiction, thriller, and Westerns genres. He first came into prominence when he won the Prometheus Award in 1986 for his novel “Cybernetic Samurai”. Milan has been a writer for over 31 years, though he has also worked as a computer support technician, semi-pro actor, cowboy, long time emcee of the Collinsville, Illinois Archon multi genre convention, and Albuquerque rock DJ.
Which Victor Milan series should I start with?
The best place to start is The War of Powers series, the earliest of Victor Milan's multi-book series: it opens with The Sundered Realm (1980) and runs to 7 books across 1980–1989, ending with Ancient Heavens (1989). Victor Milan's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Victor Milan written?
Victor Milan has 281 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1980 and 2026. 275 of them belong to 11 named series — the largest being the BattleTech Legends series with 74 books — and 6 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Victor Milan's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Victor Milan's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are The War of Powers (1980–1989, 7 books), Cybernetic Samurai (1985–1990, 2 books) and BattleTech Universe (1987–2026, 49 books), plus 5 more.
How are Victor Milan's books organised into series?
This guide splits Victor Milan's 281 books into 11 named series and 6 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: BattleTech Legends (74 books, 1988–2021); BattleTech Universe (49 books, 1987–2026); Steele (8 books, 1989–1991); The War of Powers (7 books, 1980–1989); The Dinosaur Lords (3 books, 2015–2017), plus 6 further series.