Order of Book Series
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Specialist Books in Order

Specialist by John Shirley contains 11 books, published between 1984 and 1985. The first book is A Talent for Revenge (1984) and the newest is American Vengeance (1985). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
11
Published
1984–1985
Pages on record
189 in 1 of 11 books
See all 11 books in order Printable Specialist checklist

Specialist is a series by John Shirley, with 11 books published in 1984 and 1985. A Talent for Revenge (1984) is the first. Manhattan Revenge, Sullivan's Revenge, The Psycho Soldiers, Maltese Vengeance and The Big One share that year. The Vendetta, One-Man Army, Vengeance Mountain and Beirut Retaliation date from 1985, and American Vengeance (1985) is the last listed.

How many Specialist books are there?

Specialist has 11 books, released between 1984 and 1985.

Specialist Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 11 Specialist books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of Manhattan Revenge by John Shirley, book 2 of the Specialist series (1984)
  2. Cover of Vengeance Mountain by John Shirley, book 9 of the Specialist series (1985)
  1. 1
    A Talent for Revenge1984 · confirmed 1/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Manhattan Revenge1984 · 189 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1984189
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Sullivan's Revenge1984 · confirmed 1/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The Psycho Soldiers1984 · confirmed 1/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Maltese Vengeance1984 · confirmed 1/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    The Big One1984 · confirmed 1/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Vendetta1985 · confirmed 1/4
    1985–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    One-Man Army1985 · confirmed 1/4
    1985–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Vengeance Mountain1985 · confirmed 1/4
    1985–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Beirut Retaliation1985 · confirmed 1/4
    1985–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    American Vengeance1985 · confirmed 1/4
    1985–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Is there a chronological order for Specialist?

No separate chronological order is on record for Specialist, because none of the book listings this catalogue draws on publishes one; the publication order above is the only order given.

Do you have to read Specialist books in order?

You should read the Specialist books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each Specialist book also stands alone.

Where to start with Specialist

Start with A Talent for Revenge (1984), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Specialist book?

American Vengeance (1985) is the newest Specialist book released so far.

Is there a new Specialist book coming?

No next Specialist book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Specialist at a glance

No recent titles
The newest Specialist title on record dates from 1985, 41 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
Release pace
Specialist books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
189 pages across the 1 of 11 books with a recorded length, a median of 189 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Specialist books, 11 of 11, were published in the 1980s.

More books by John Shirley

The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.

Other series by John Shirley

The series linked below has its own reading-order page.