Ever feel like the world is moving in slow motion toward something messy? You aren’t alone. But while most folks are busy doom-scrolling about a sudden "Mad Max" apocalypse, John Michael Greer has been quietly writing the actual manual for the next few centuries.
Honestly, trying to pin down a definitive list of john michael greer books is like trying to herd cats in a library. The man has written over 70 titles. He’s a Grand Archdruid, a historian of forgotten technologies, and a guy who can explain why your retirement plan is probably a fantasy without making you want to jump off a bridge.
The Myth of the "Fast" Collapse
Most people discover Greer through his "peak oil" phase. You’ve likely heard the term. It’s the idea that once we hit the maximum rate of petroleum extraction, everything just stops.
Greer’s take is different. It’s smarter.
In The Long Descent, he argues that civilizations don't just go poof overnight. They don't explode. They crumble like a neglected Victorian house. A roof tile falls here. A window breaks there. Eventually, the porch falls off. He calls this "catabolic collapse."
It’s a process that takes centuries, not weeks. Basically, we’re living through it right now. If you look at the rising cost of living and the decaying infrastructure in small-town America, you’re seeing Greer’s theories in the wild.
Why His Non-Fiction Hits Different
If you’re just starting out, The Wealth of Nature is a trip. Most economists treat the environment like a free basement where you can dump trash forever. Greer flips that. He looks at "ecosystem services" as the real primary economy. Everything else—money, stocks, your Starbucks app—is just a tertiary layer of abstraction.
Then there’s Dark Age America. It’s a bit of a gut punch. He maps out how the next five hundred years might look as we transition to a "deindustrial" society. It isn't all bad, but it sure isn't the Jetsons.
The Weird Side: Magic and the Occult
You can’t talk about john michael greer books without getting into the weird stuff. The man is a scholar of the Western Mystery Tradition. He’s not some "new age" guy selling crystals for your "vibe." He’s a traditionalist.
The New Encyclopedia of the Occult is a massive, heavy beast of a book. It’s a standard reference. If you want to know the difference between Hermeticism and Thelema without the fluff, that’s where you go.
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He also wrote The Druidry Handbook. If you've ever felt that modern religions are a bit too disconnected from the actual dirt under your feet, his work on Druidry offers a practical, nature-based spirituality that doesn't require you to believe in ten impossible things before breakfast.
Magic as a Political Tool?
One of his most controversial recent hits is The King in Orange.
Regardless of your politics, his analysis of the 2016 election through the lens of "magic" is fascinating. He looks at how symbols and "memes" (not just the funny internet kind, but the deep psychological kind) were used to shift the collective consciousness. He talks about the "magic of the privileged" versus the "magic of the disenchanted."
It’s a wild ride. It makes you realize that what we call "marketing" or "spin" is often just a modern, watered-down version of very old psychological techniques.
The Fiction: Retrotopias and Tentacles
Greer doesn't just lecture; he tells stories. His fiction is often a "proof of concept" for his philosophy.
- Retrotopia: This is a fan favorite. It imagines a future America that has fractured into different tiers. One region decides to stop using high-tech gadgets and goes back to 1950s-era technology because it actually works and is affordable. It’s a "back to the future" vibe that feels surprisingly cozy.
- The Weird of Hali: This is his Lovecraftian series. But here’s the twist: the "monsters" are the good guys. He reclaims Great Old Ones like Cthulhu as symbols of the wild, untamable forces of nature that the industrial world is trying to kill.
- Star’s Reach: A "deindustrial" science fiction story set way, way in the future. It’s about a journey across a transformed North America.
How to Actually Read Him Without Going Crazy
If you try to read everything at once, your brain will melt. Don’t do that.
Start with the essays. His blog, Ecosophia (and his previous one, The Archdruid Report), is where most of his books began life. You can see the ideas being tested in real-time.
If you're interested in self-sufficiency, look for Green Wizardry. It’s basically a textbook for the end of the world as we know it. It covers everything from organic gardening to building a solar water heater. It’s "appropriate technology" at its best.
The Real Value of Greer's Work
Greer isn't selling a "prepper" fantasy. He’s not telling you to buy a bunker and 50,000 rounds of ammo.
He’s telling you to learn how to grow a potato. He’s telling you to learn a manual skill that doesn't require a computer. He’s telling you to build a community.
His books are essentially a long-form argument for sanity in an insane age. He acknowledges the limitations of our current way of life—the fact that we can’t have infinite growth on a finite planet—and then asks, "Okay, what now?"
Actionable Steps for the Greer Curious
- Pick your entry point. If you like history and economics, grab The Long Descent. If you like ghosts and secret societies, go for The Occult Book.
- Read the blog. Ecosophia is free and updated weekly. It’s the best way to get a feel for his voice.
- Practice "Less is More." Greer often talks about "collapse now and avoid the rush." This means simplifying your life on your own terms before the economy does it for you.
- Learn a "Green Wizard" skill. Whether it’s gardening, basic carpentry, or just learning how to cook from scratch, pick one thing that makes you less dependent on the global supply chain.
- Ditch the "Progress" myth. Start looking at the world as a series of cycles rather than a straight line going up forever. It’s a lot less stressful.
The world of john michael greer books is vast, weird, and deeply practical. It’s not about the end of the world; it’s about the start of the next one.