Wild Cards is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels, and solo novels written by a collection of authors known as the Wild Cards Trust and edited by George R. R. Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass. Set largely during an alternate history of post–World War II United States, the series follows humans who contracted the Wild Card virus, an alien virus that rewrites DNA and mutates survivors; those who acquire minor or crippling physical conditions are known as Jokers, and those who acquire superhuman abilities are known as Aces.
As of the publication of Aces Full in November 2025, the series consists of thirty-four books. Wild Cards began publication through Bantam Books, under its Spectra imprint, in January 1987. Bantam published the series until 1993 and released twelve installments. Baen Books published three books from 1993 to 1995. From 2002 to 2005, ibooks Inc. published two more installments, including one solo novel.
Starting in 2008, Wild Cards was published by Tor Books, an imprint under Macmillan Publishers. By August 2022, Tor Books had released thirteen novels. Tor also reprinted several earlier novels. Reprinting rights to the first eight novels were acquired by ibooks Inc. in 2000. The company reissued the first six novels before declaring Chapter 7 bankruptcy shortly after the death of founder Byron Preiss; ibooks' assets were acquired by Brick Tower Press. As of November 2021, Tor Books reprinted the first, twelve, sixteenth, and seventeenth novels.
Wild Cards is currently published by Bantam Books, with three novels released between 2023 and 2025.
Marvel Entertainment has published two Wild Cards miniseries, thirty-two years apart. The first, released via their Epic Comics imprint, was published from September to December 1990 and featured an original storyline based on events that occurred in the early novels. A second limited series, this time adapting stories from the first novel, ran from June through October 2022.
Books Bantam Books (1987–1993) Bantam Books, under its Spectra imprint, published twelve books between 1987 and 1993, including two solo novels written by Melinda M. Snodgrass and Victor Milán. No. Title Original release ibooks Inc. reprint release Tor Books release 1 Wild CardsEdited by George R. R. Martin January 1987 July 31, 2001 November 23, 2010 "Prologue" by Martin "Thirty Minutes Over Broadway!" by Howard Waldrop "The Sleeper" by Roger Zelazny "Witness" by Walter Jon Williams "Degradation Rites" by Melinda M. Snodgrass "Interlude One" by Martin "Captain Cathode and the Secret Ace" by Michael Cassutt "Powers" by David D. Levine "Shell Games" by Martin "Interlude Two" by Martin "The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato" by Lewis Shiner "Transfigurations" by Victor Milán
"Interlude Three" by Martin "Down Deep" by Edward Bryant and Leanne C. Harper "Interlude Four" by Martin "Strings" by Stephen Leigh (as S. L Farrell) "Interlude Five" by Martin "Ghost Girl Takes Manhattan" by Carrie Vaughn "Comes a Hunter" by John J. Miller "Epilogue: Third Generation" by Shiner "Appendix: The Science of the Wild Card Virus" by Milán "Excerpts from the Minutes of the American Metabiological Society Conference on Metahuman Abilities" 2 Aces HighEdited by Martin April 1987 October 2001 December 20, 2011 "Pennies From Hell" by Shiner "Jube" by Martin "Unto the Sixth Generation" by Williams "Ashes to Ashes" by Zelazny "If Looks Could Kill" by Walton Simons "Winter's Chill" by Martin "Relative Difficulties" by Snodgrass "With a Little Help From His Friends" by Milán "By Lost Ways" by Pat Cadigan "Mr. Koyama's Comet" by Williams "Half Past Dead" by Miller 3 Jokers WildEdited by Martin October 1987 February 2002 February 11, 2014 Bagabond by Harper Fortunato by Shiner Jennifer "Wraith" Maloy by Miller Jack "Sewer Jack" Robicheaux by Bryant Roulette by Snodgrass James "Demise" Spector by Simons Hiram Worchester by Martin 4 Aces AbroadEdited by Martin May 1988 August 27, 2002 January 13, 2015 "The Tint of Hatred" by Leigh (as S. L. Farrell) "From the Journal of Xavier Desmond" by Martin "Beasts of Burden" by Miller "Blood Rights" by Harper "Warts and All" by Kevin Andrew Murphy "Down by The Nile" by Gail Gerstner-Miller "The Teardrop of India" by Simons "Down in the Dreamtime" by Bryant "Zero Hour" by Shiner "Always Spring in Prague" by Vaughn "Puppets" by Milán "Mirrors of The Soul" by Snodgrass "Legends" by Cassutt 5 Down and DirtyEdited by Martin November 1988 January 7, 2003 October 27, 2015 "Only the Dead Know Jokertown" by Miller "All the King's Horses" by Martin "Concerto for Siren and Serotonin" by Zelazny "Breakdown" by Harper "Jesus Was an Ace" by Arthur Byron Cover "Blood Ties" by Snodgrass "The Second Coming of Buddy Holly" by Bryant "The Hue of a Mind" by Leigh "Addicted to Love" by Cadigan "Takedown" by Harper "Mortality" by Williams 6 Ace in the HoleEdited by Martin January 1990 February 25, 2003 October 4, 2016 Jack "Golden Boy" Braun by Williams Gregg Hartmann by Leigh Mackie "Mack the Knife" Messer by Milán Sara Morgenstern by Milán James "Demise" Spector by Simons Dr. Tachyon by Snodgrass 7 Dead Man's HandEdited by Martin July 1990 June 13, 2017 Daniel "Yeoman" Brennan by Miller Jay "Popinjay" Ackroyd by Martin 8 One-Eyed JacksEdited by Martin January 1991 August 7, 2018 "Nobody's Girl" by Simons "The Tower of Gold and Amber" by Murphy "Luck Be A Lady" by Chris Claremont "Horses" by Shiner "Snow Dragon" by William F. Wu "Noawadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" by Milán "A Broken Thread in a Dark Room" by Vaughn "Sixteen Candles" by Leigh "The Devil's Triangle" by Snodgrass "Dead Heart Beating" by Miller 9 Jokertown ShuffleEdited by Martin August 1991 April 30, 2019 "The Temptation of Hieronymous Bloat" by Leigh "And Hope to Die" by Miller "The Unintended" by Cherie Priest "Lovers" by Snodgrass "Madmen Across the Water" by Milán "Unraveling" by Vaughn "While Night's Black Agents to Their Prey Do Rouse" by Williams "Riders" by Shiner "Nobody Does It Alone" by Simons 10 Double SolitaireWritten by Snodgrass and edited by Martin March 1992 December 3, 2019 11 Dealer's ChoiceEdited by Martin October 1992 September 1, 2020 Bloat by Leigh Modular Man by Williams Billy "Carnifex" Ray by Miller Tom "The Great and Powerful Turtle" Tudbury by Martin Zelda "Bodysnatcher" by Martin Wyungare by Bryant 12 Turn of the CardsWritten by Milán and edited by Martin January 1993 November 9, 2021
Baen Books (1993–1995) Baen Books published a new triad between 1993 and 1995 subtitled of a New Cycle. In 2002, Martin commented that he felt the triad was creatively "three of the strongest volumes Wild Cards ever had" and that the series "came back strong" after stumbling with a previous storyline; however, he conceded that the triad was "very dark", acknowledging it was a commonly voiced complaint, and that he felt switching publishers was a mistake.
No. Title Original release 13 Card SharksEdited by Martin February 1993 "The Ashes of Memory" by Leigh "Till I Kissed You" by Wu "The Crooked Man" by Snodgrass "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes" by Cassutt "A Wind From Khorasan" by Milán "The Long Sleep" by Zelazny "Cursum Perficio" by Murphy "The Lamia's Tale" by Laura J. Mixon 14 Marked CardsEdited by Martin March 1994 "The Color of His Skin" by Leigh "Two of a Kind" by Simons "My Sweet Lord" by Milán "Paths of Silence and of Night" by Harper "Feeding Frenzy" by Williams "A Breath of Life" by Sage Walker "A Dose of Reality" by Mixon and Snodgrass 15 Black TrumpEdited by Martin July 1995 Gregg Hartmann" by Leigh Jack "Popinjay" Ackroyd by Martin Mark "Cap'n Trip" Meadows by Milán Billy "Carnifex" Ray by Miller Zoe Harris by Walker
ibooks Inc. (2002–2006) In 2000, ibooks Inc. purchased two new installments and the rights to reprint the first eight books of the series; the two new books were published between 2002 and 2006, including a solo novel by John J. Miller. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in July 2005, shortly after the death of founder Byron Preiss. In December 2006, J. Bolyston & Co. Publishers, parent company of the Brick Tower Press imprint, acquired all of Preiss' assets, including those of ibooks, for $125,000. Brick Tower Press offered e-book versions of its titles, including Deuces Down and Death Draws Five, via Humble Bundle in February 2016.
No. Title Original release Tor Books release 16 Deuces DownEdited by Martin June 25, 2002 January 5, 2021 "Storming Space" by Cassutt "Four Days in October" by Miller "Walking the Floor Over You" by Simons "A Face for the Cutting Room Floor" by Snodgrass "Father Henry's Little Miracle" by Daniel Abraham "Promises" by Leigh "With a Flourish and a Flair" by Murphy 17 Death Draws FiveWritten by Miller and edited by Martin February 1, 2006 November 9, 2021
Tor Books (2008–2022) Tor Books, an imprint under Macmillan Publishers, published the series in both print and e-book format, releasing thirteen new installments from November 2008 to August 2022.
No. Title Original release 18 Inside StraightEdited by Martin with assistance from Snodgrass January 22, 2008 "Johnathan Hive" by Abraham "Dark of the Moon" by Snodgrass "Chosen Ones" by Vaughn "Looking for Jetboy" by Cassutt "Metagames" by Caroline Spector "Star Power" by Snodgrass "Wakes the Lion" by Miller "Crusader" by Martin "The Tin Man's Lament" by Ian Tregillis "Incidental Music for Heroes" by Leigh (as S. L. Farrell) "Blood on the Sun" by Snodgrass 19 Busted FlushEdited by Martin with assistance from Snodgrass December 9, 2008 "Double Helix" by Snodgrass "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda" by Spector "Just Cause" by Vaughn "Political Science" by Tregillis and Simons "The Tears of Nepthys" by Murphy "Volunteers of America" by Milán "Dirge in a Major Key" by Leigh (as S. L. Farrell) "Mortality's Strong Hand" by Miller "Won't Get Fooled Again" by Milán "A Hard Rain Is A'Going to Fall" by Milán 20 Suicide KingsEdited by Martin with assistance from Snodgrass December 22, 2009 Jerusha "Gardener" Carter by Leigh (as S. L. Farrell) Wally "Rustbelt" Gunderson by Tregillis Noel "Double Helix" Matthews by Snodgrass Mark "Cap'n Trips" Meadows by Milán Michelle "Amazing Bubbles" Pond by Spector Johnathan "Bugsy" Tipton-Clarke by Abraham Tom "The Radical" Weathers by Milán 21 Fort FreakEdited by Martin with assistance from Snodgrass June 21, 2011 "The Rat Race" by Cherie Priest "The Rook" by Snodgrass "Faith" by Miller "Snake Up Above/Snake in the Hole/Snake on Fire" by David Anthony Durham "...And All the Sinners Saints" by Milán and Ty Franck "Sanctuary" by Mary Anne Mohanraj "Hope We Die Before We Get Old" by Leigh "More!" by Paul Cornell "The Straight Man" by Murphy 22 LowballEdited by Martin and Snodgrass November 4, 2014 "The Big Bleed" by Cassutt "Those About to Die..." by Durham "Galahad in Blue" by Snodgrass "Ties That Bind" by Mohanraj
"Cry Wolf" by David D. Levine "Road Kill" by Williams "Once More, for Old Times' Sake" by Vaughn "No Parking..." by Tregillis 23 High StakesEdited by Martin and Snodgrass August 30, 2016 Marcus "Infamous Black Tongue" Morgan by Durham Barbara "Babel" Baden by Leigh Bathsheeba "The Midnight Angel" Fox by Miller Francis Xavier "Franny" Black by Snodgrass Michelle "Amazing Bubbles" Pond by Spector Mollie "Tesseract" Steunenberg by Tregillis24Mississippi RollEdited by Martin and SnodgrassDecember 5, 2017 "In the Shadow of Tall Stacks" by Leigh "Wingless Angels" by Miller "A Big Break in the Small Time" by Vaughn "Death on the Water" by Priest "Find the Lady" by Murphy