Parapsychology book series in reading order

by Alexandra Bracken

Sylvia Browne wrote about psychic phenomena and the afterlife. The American author, who described herself as a medium, published 55 catalogued books between 1990 and 2012, from Adventures of a Psychic (1990) to Past Lives of the Rich and Famous (2012). Spiritualism, parapsychology, the New Age movement and life after death are the recurring subjects, and the Journey of the Soul sequence collects part of the work. Browne appeared regularly on television and radio, including The Montel Williams Show and Larry King Live. Statements she made about missing persons were later shown to be false, and in 1992 she pleaded no contest to securities fraud. Browne was born in 1936 and died in 2013.

Alexandra Bracken

17 books• 5 series

Alexandra Bracken is an American author, born in 1987, known for The Darkest Minds and Passenger series. The catalogue lists 17 books from Brightly Woven (2010) to Immortal Rose (2026). The Darkest Minds (2012), Never Fade (2013) and In The After Light (2014) are among the early titles, and Passenger (2016) and Wayfarer (2017) follow. Other series are Prosper Redding and Silver in the Bone. Subjects include psychic ability, time travel, fantasy and science fiction.

Jane Roberts (1929-1984) was an American author and poet who described herself as a psychic and spirit medium channelling a personality named Seth. The resulting Seth Material made Roberts a leading figure in writing on paranormal phenomena, through The Seth Material (1970), Seth Speaks (1972) and The Nature of Personal Reality (1974). Roberts also wrote fiction, including the Oversoul Seven novels. Reincarnation, parapsychology and the nature of reality run through 47 catalogued titles.

Peter David

272 books• 94 series

Peter David (September 23, 1956 – May 24, 2025), often called PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games. A 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk won awards, and other comics runs include Aquaman, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Captain Marvel, X-Factor, Young Justice, SpyBoy and Spider-Man 2099. Star Trek: New Frontier is among David's Star Trek novels. Original series include Knight Life and Apropos of Nothing. The catalogue lists 272 books, beginning in 1984 with Picture Perfect, High Society and Sapphire Star.

J.H. Brennan wrote about the occult and wrote games for children. The nonfiction covers magic, reincarnation, astral projection, parapsychology and the New Age movement, starting with Astral Doorways and Five Keys to Past Lives in 1971 and taking in The Occult Reich (1974). The fiction includes the Sagas of the Demonspawn gamebooks, Barmy Jeffers and the prehistoric Shiva novels. The 60 catalogued titles date from 1971 to 2013, peaking in the 1980s.

Carole Nelson Douglas, born in 1944 and died in 2021, wrote sixty novels across mystery, fantasy and science fiction. Two mystery series dominate: the Irene Adler novels, which take the Sherlock Holmes character as their detective, and the Midnight Louie books, narrated around a cat and his owner Temple Barr. Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator, Sword and Circlet and Crystal Phoenix fill out the range. Douglas studied theatre and English literature, then worked as a newspaper reporter and editor around Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Forty-six titles are catalogued here, from 1982 to 2018.

Dean Koontz, born on July 9, 1945, is an American novelist of suspense thrillers that mix in horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery and satire. Koontz published early work under pen names including Deanna Dwyer, K. R. Dwyer, Leigh Nichols, David Axton and Brian Coffey. The catalogue holds 164 books, from Star Quest / Doom of the Green Planet (1968) to The Friend of the Family (2026), with A Storm So Bright and Beautiful set for 2027. Jane Hawk, Nameless and Dean Koontz's Frankenstein are Koontz series, and Odd Thomas appears among the characters. Fourteen Koontz hardcovers and sixteen paperbacks reached number one on The New York Times list, and sales top 500 million copies.

Jayne Ann Krentz, born Jayne Castle on 28 March 1948 in Cobb, California, is an American romance novelist with New York Times bestsellers under seven pseudonyms. Three names remain in use: Krentz for contemporary romantic suspense, Amanda Quick for historical romantic suspense and Jayne Ann Castle for futuristic and paranormal romantic suspense. More than 35 million copies are in print. The catalogue lists 205 books, from Vintage of Surrender (1979, as Jayne Castle) to Enter the Nightmare (2026), with The Book Hunter due in 2027. Early titles also appeared as Jayne Bentley, Jayne Taylor and Stephanie James. Series include Burning Cove, Eclipse Bay and the Dreamlight Trilogy.

Lisa Jane Smith (1958-2025), writing as L.J. Smith, produced young adult horror and fantasy about vampires, witches and the supernatural. The Vampire Diaries is her best known series and was adapted for television; Night World, the Secret Circle and Dark Visions sit beside it. Both The Vampire Diaries and Night World reached the New York Times bestseller list, and Smith's books took five award nominations. Fifty-four titles run from The Night of the Solstice (1987) to Paradise Lost (2014).

Erich von Däniken

31 books• 1 series

Erich von Daniken was a Swiss author of pseudoscientific books arguing that extraterrestrials shaped early human culture. Chariots of The Gods (1968) opens the catalogue and became a bestseller; Return to the Stars (1970), Gods from Outer Space (1972), Miracles of the Gods (1975) and Signs of the Gods (1980) followed. Thirty-one titles are catalogued to 2022. Scientists and academics reject the claims and class the work as pseudohistory and pseudoarchaeology. Ancient civilisations, UFOs and human-alien encounters are the recorded subjects.

Terry Deary

340 books• 41 series

Terry Deary is a British children's author, born in 1946, best known as the writer of the Horrible Histories series. Deary has written 351 books, which have sold more than 38 million copies in over 45 languages, and has ranked among Britain's best-selling authors since 1994. In 2012 Deary was the tenth most-borrowed author in British libraries, and Books for Keeps magazine named Deary the Outstanding Children's Non-Fiction Author of the 20th Century. The catalogue lists 340 titles from Teaching Through Theatre (1977) onward, including the True Stories and Tudor Terror series.

Allan Zullo, born on 23 November 1947, is an American non-fiction writer who has written or co-written more than 120 paperbacks for adults and younger readers. Zullo produced the Hall of Shame sports books with Bruce Nash, the Ten True Tales series for children and the Haunted Kids books, and he wrote A Boomer's Guide to Grandparenting with his wife Kathryn. He also created the newspaper comic strip The Ghost Story Club, which ran from 1995 to 1998. Raised in Rockford, Illinois, Zullo took a journalism degree from Northern Illinois University in 1969; the catalogue lists 104 titles between 1987 and 2019.

Mark Cheverton writes Minecraft adventure fiction for children. Gameknight999 is the central character, across Invasion of the Overworld (2013), Battle for the Nether (2014), Confronting the Dragon (2014) and Saving Crafter (2015), with Herobrine and Entity303 supplying the antagonists of the Herobrine Reborn, Mystery of Herobrine and Wither War runs. Cyberbullying, zombies and video games sit among the subjects. The catalogue holds 31 books between 2012 and 2021.

Near-death experience is the subject that defines Raymond A. Moody Jr.'s catalogue. Life After Life (1975) opens it and heads a series of the same name, followed by Reflections On Life After Life (1977), The Light Beyond (1988), Coming Back (1990), Reunions (1993) and Out of Body (1994). Subject tags name near-death experiences, future life, reincarnation and parapsychology, with case studies and research among the approaches. The listing holds 21 books and reaches Proof of Life After Life (2023). The median listed length is 196 pages and the catalogue is dormant.

Jason Offutt writes about the paranormal. Catalogue subjects for Offutt's books list parapsychology, apparitions, ghosts, unidentified flying objects and human-alien encounters, with Missouri guidebooks, fatherhood and humour also recorded. The 19 catalogued titles span 2005 to 2025, from On Being Dad (2005) through Ghosthunting Missouri (2006), Darkness Walks (2009) and Paranormal Missouri (2010) to Chasing North American Monsters (2025). Chasing American Monsters, Bad Day Zombie and Girl in the Corn are the series recorded to Offutt, and new titles are still appearing.