Where to Start?

**nealasher** · July 14th, 2007, 09:04 AM

Mindgames: Fool's Mate is a standalone novella. The Skinner is set in the same universe as the quintology but a few hundred years in the future and Voyage of the Sable Keech is a sequel to it. Hilldiggers is set even further in the future and Prador Moon is way in the past (but our future) set during the Prador War mentioned in the other books. Africa Zero (two novellas) is standalone as are The Parasite and Cowl (the latter being a time-travel novel). The Engineer ReConditioned is a novella and collection of short stories, some of which are set in the Polity universe and are precursors to the books.

Obviously: clear as mud...

http://theskinner.blogspot.com/
http://freespace.virgin.net/n.asher

**chitman13** · August 3rd, 2007, 06:07 AM

Finally started on getting the back catalog with trade paperback editions of Gridlinked, The Line of Polity and The Skinner on order and I was lucky enought to find a first hb edition of Voyage of the Sable Keech (in good condition) in my local second hand store.

The other half has headed to Chester today to look for various wedding stuff (*shudder*) and I pursuaded her to go into Waterstones to see if they had any signed HB copies - unfortunately none were left, the reason is that so many people know that you go there to sign copies they go in a flash. Gutted.

Ah well, I'm sure that a hb edition of Brass Man and Polity Agent can be found without too much trouble and then I'll be waiting for the UK hb of Prador Moon and then Line War next year. I'll also try and track down some of the older stuff, shouldn't be difficult

BTW, Hilldiggers is great, hopefully I'll finish it this weekend

**nealasher** · August 3rd, 2007, 02:08 PM

Mmmm, best I forewarn them in the store up there next time I'm likely to pop in, perhaps they'll get in more stock. I think you know, but you can order signed copies from me, but they work out expensive, since postal workers around the world wanting to practice drop-kick on my parcels I can't afford to discount. Forbidden Planet in London has numerous signed copies available too.

Glad you're enjoying Hilldiggers, Mark!

**chitman13** · August 8th, 2007, 03:05 AM

Hi Neal
I'll more than likely be in contact about a HB copy of Polity Agent if you have one, but if memory serves the list didn't include a HB copy of Brass Man.
Let us know the next time you are heading to Chester Neal, I'll jump on the train and bring a few of the books I have to get signed if you wouldn't mind!

**chitman13** · September 20th, 2007, 05:20 AM

Right, birthday is here so I now have plenty of reading material: Gridlinked, Line of Polity, Brass Man, Polity Agent and also The Skinner (which I've already read). Luckily enough I managed to pick up a copy of Polity Agent while visiting Cheshire Oaks a couple of weeks ago, it was sitting on the shelf all lonely.

Do you have any idea of the release for Line War? Looking forward to getting these lot read in the next couple of months and then Prador Moon when Macmillan release it

**Andols** · May 1st, 2008, 02:29 PM

I will be adding your work to my stack also mr. asher. This thread was helpful.

Now if I could find any of it locally...

**biodroid** · June 23rd, 2008, 12:32 AM

From all the good reviews I am now aching to read a Neal Asher novel but cannot get a hold of Gridlinked, I know the book stores by us carry The Skinner. I would like to know do I need to read Gridlinked before I read The Skinner? Is it similar to Peter F Hamilton's Greg Mandel series? This is what wikipedia says the reading is:
Ian Cormac Series
Gridlinked (2001)
The Line of Polity (2003)
Brass Man (2005)
Polity Agent (2006)
Line War (2008)
Spatterjay Series
The Skinner (2002)
The Voyage of the Sable Keech (2006)
A Novel of the Polity Series
Prador Moon (2006)
Hilldiggers (2007)
Shadow of the Scorpion (2008)

Are they all follow ons of each other and it is then recommended to read them in this particular order or not? Please help thanks!!

**chitman13** · June 25th, 2008, 07:25 AM

You'll need to read the Cormac series in order, but you can read the rest withour reading those (I have). The Skinner is the best place to start IMO, so give it a go!

**nealasher** · March 8th, 2010, 02:45 PM

I hope this helps:

**heliosclem** · October 25th, 2010, 05:33 PM

I started with Gridlinked then read Prador Moon and Shadow of a Scorpion so I could read things chronologically, but now I'm reading Line of Polity and it's made several references (Jain tech, The Makers, the character Mika) that I don't recognize. Are they things I should have read in other works that I missed or are they things that will be fleshed out in later?

**nealasher** · November 4th, 2010, 04:28 AM

heliosclem, the Makers (or a Maker) and the character Mika were in Gridlinked. Jain Tech was just introduced in The Line of Polity.

**pox** · December 5th, 2010, 05:36 AM

Originally Posted by nealasher

Julian May's Many Coloured Land

ah no way... It's rare enough I find someone who's even read all those. Ace.

Thanks for all your books btw. They've filled out a good portion of this year very nicely.