pjfarmer.com

What is pjfarmer.com?

pjfarmer.com is the official website devoted to Philip José Farmer, the science fiction author. It presents itself as a comprehensive "Brobdingnagian collection of all things Farmerian," organizing material into sections on his works, writing about him, and related esoterica, alongside news such as recent releases and cover reveals.

Who it suits

• Readers new to Farmer: use the works section as a map of what he wrote before choosing a starting point.
• Long-time fans and collectors: the esoterica and "written about" sections suit people chasing obscure editions, commentary and background detail.
• Researchers and bloggers: a convenient reference for titles and release news, though for scholarly citation you should verify details against the books themselves.

A practical next step

If you are deciding what to read first, browse the works listing and pick a standalone novel rather than a series entry; then check the recent releases section to see what has been newly issued or reprinted. For broader context on Farmer's place in the genre, general reference sites such as The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction are useful companions.

Which Philip José Farmer books should I read first as a new reader?

Start with the two series that define his reputation, then branch out depending on what you enjoy.

Best entry points

• Riverworld (To Your Scattered Bodies Go first): His most famous sequence. Everyone who ever lived wakes along a vast river. It suits readers who want a big, idea-driven premise and don't mind a series that shifts focus between books. Start with the first book; it stands well on its own.
• The World of Tiers (The Maker of Universes first): A portal-fantasy adventure with invented pocket worlds. A good pick if you want something faster and more playful than Riverworld.
• Standalone novels for a single-book taste: Lord of the Light (a bold science-fictional take on ancient India and religion) and The Lovers (an early, influential work) are common recommendations for seeing his range without committing to a series.

How to choose

A practical next step

Read the opening of To Your Scattered Bodies Go; if the premise grabs you, continue the series, and if you want a change of pace afterward, try The Maker of Universes. Browsing the site's "The Works of Philip José Farmer" section at pjfarmer.com helps you see series order and the full range before you buy. For broader context on his place in science fiction, the Science Fiction Encyclopedia entry is a useful reference.

How can I find the correct reading order for the Riverworld series?

The most reliable starting point is the works section of The Official Philip José Farmer Web Page, which lists Farmer's books and recent releases. For Riverworld, the series is usually approached in publication order rather than internal chronology: To Your Scattered Bodies Go, The Fabulous Riverboat, The Dark Design, The Magic Labyrinth, and Gods of Riverworld, with Riverworld and Other Stories as a companion collection. Check the site's listing against these titles before buying, since editions and omnibus volumes can bundle them differently.

A practical approach

• First-time readers: start with To Your Scattered Bodies Go; it establishes the setting and reads well as a standalone.
• Completionists: read the short stories after the first novel, as some assume familiarity with the premise.
• Omnibus buyers: confirm which novels a collected volume contains, because "Riverworld" editions vary in scope.

The trade-off is simple: publication order preserves the discovery of the world as Farmer intended, while chronological or "best-of" orders can spoil early revelations. If you only want a taste, the first novel is the low-commitment choice.

What recent releases or upcoming titles are announced on pjfarmer.com?

The page's "Recent Releases" section announces a cover reveal for Up from the Bottomless Pit; that is the specific new title highlighted on the homepage, rather than a dated release calendar. The site does not present that item with a publication date or a list of forthcoming books in the supplied page text.

How to use the site to track releases

The homepage groups material into "The Works of Philip José Farmer," "Written About Philip José Farmer," and "Philip José Farmer Esoterica," so a reader looking for new or upcoming titles should begin with "Recent Releases" and then check the works section for the title's place in Farmer's bibliography.

For a concrete case: if you are deciding whether to buy Up from the Bottomless Pit, treat the cover reveal as an announcement of the edition's existence and artwork, not as confirmation of a ship date. Confirm availability with a bookseller or the publisher before ordering.

For broader context on Farmer and his influence, the official site is the natural starting point; The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction provides a separate reference entry, and ISFDB is useful for checking a specific title's publication history.

Where can I find bibliographies, cover art, and other esoteric material about Philip José Farmer?

Start with The Official Philip José Farmer Web Page, which organizes exactly this kind of material: its "Works of Philip José Farmer" section covers his books and series, "Written About Philip José Farmer" collects secondary writing and criticism, and "Philip José Farmer Esoterica" is the place for the oddities, ephemera and harder-to-classify items. The site's recent-releases area is where cover reveals and new editions surface, so check it when you want current art rather than historical covers.

What each kind of source is good for

• Official site (pjfarmer.com): best first stop for a structured overview of the bibliography and for esoterica; useful when you want a single starting point and can browse by section.
• Series-specific fan references: if your interest is narrow — say the Riverworld or World of Tiers books — a dedicated fan reference often lists editions, printings and cover variants in more granular detail than a general author site.
• ISFDB (The Internet Speculative Fiction Database): a practical choice for publication histories, magazine appearances, cover-art credits and variant titles; strong for verifying which artist painted a given cover.
• SF Encyclopedia (The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction): better for context, themes and critical overview than for exhaustive lists.
• Internet Archive (Internet Archive): useful for scanning old magazine covers and contents when you want to see the original publication rather than a reprint.

A simple decision rule: use pjfarmer.com to orient yourself, ISFDB to confirm edition and artist details, and fan or archival sources when you need images or print-run specifics. If you are building a reading list, start with the official site's works section, then cross-check titles and series order in ISFDB before hunting cover scans.

What scholarly or critical works about Philip José Farmer are listed on the site?

The site groups this material under “Written About Philip José Farmer”, a section separate from Farmer’s own works. That is where you should look for criticism, biography and reference writing about him rather than fiction by him.

How to use the section

• Start with the “Written About Philip José Farmer” heading on the main page. It is the site’s own category for secondary material, so it is the most direct route to scholarly and critical titles.
• Expect a mix of forms. A personal-author site of this kind typically gathers biographies, bibliographies, essay collections and critical studies alongside fan reference works. Treat the section as a reading list to check title by title, not as a peer-reviewed bibliography.
• Check the other headings for context. “The Works of Philip José Farmer” covers his own writing, and “Philip José Farmer Esoterica” collects oddities and ephemera. A critical essay can appear in an esoterica item, so scan both if a specific title is missing.

A practical example

Suppose you are preparing a seminar on Farmer’s Riverworld or World of Tiers novels and need secondary reading. Open the “Written About Philip José Farmer” section first and note the critical and biographical titles there. Then use the “Works” section to confirm publication dates and series order, so your citations line up with the primary texts. If a study you need is absent, the site’s arrangement still tells you what it considers the core secondary literature.

Decision criterion

Use this page as a starting bibliography and orientation tool: it shows what the author’s official site treats as significant writing about him. For formal academic work, verify each title in a library catalogue or a scholarly database such as the Internet Speculative Fiction Database at ISFDB, since an author-run site is selective rather than exhaustive.