# Just how many "Wild Cards" books were there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-many-wild-cards-books-were-there/151618 "2003-01-30T15:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-many-wild-cards-books-were-there/151618/1 "2003-01-30T15:12:45Z")
I managed to download a zip file from Kazaa last night with about 3,000 ebooks, some of which were Wild Card books! I remember reading up until about Blaise was a teenager, and then sort of fell out of them. Does anyone know the definitive answer as to how many there were, or if they’re still going? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-many-wild-cards-books-were-there/151618/2 "2003-01-30T15:19:06Z")
The first series was 10, then there was a follow-up series of four or five more. The first series was much better. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-many-wild-cards-books-were-there/151618/3 "2003-01-30T15:31:55Z")
Sitting on my shelf in the other room are the first series of twelve – count 'em, twelve, Wild Cards books, numbered I through XII. This is followed by a series of three other WC books: _Card Sharks, Marked Cards,_ and Black Trump\*. Those are the only Wild Cards books I know of. (Were there any published after _Black Trump_?) ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-many-wild-cards-books-were-there/151618/4 "2003-01-30T16:13:14Z")
A new one just got published, entitled [Deuces Down](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743445058/qid=1043943032/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-9832073-6500663?v=glance&s=books). The bad news is that it’s not supposed to be that great–it’s essentially a bunch of mostly unconnected stories about deuces that span decades (kinda like the first book, but without the internal cohesion). The good news is that it’s apparently the first in a new crop of Wild Cards books due out over the next couple years. Man, I loved those books…but they did seem to sputter out after the jumpers cycle. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-many-wild-cards-books-were-there/151618/5 "2003-01-30T16:39:44Z")
wow, I thought I was gonna be the only one with the answer… 🙂 Yup, I-XII in the first series, then 3 in the “new cycle” and now deuces down is the start of a new batch. I haven’t picked it up yet, but I’ve been craving new wild cards for years. Oh, there’s also the 4-issue comic book, but it’s kinda lame. what a great series… I almost cried when chysalis died. I love everything up to the trip to Takis, which was kinda lame, but it got back on track with the Jumpers. Then book XII was kinda boring with Cap’n Trips in Vietnam or something. The “new cycle” I liked, with the whole Black Trump thing. Man, I gotta read those again from the beginning. I’ve forgotten too many details. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-many-wild-cards-books-were-there/151618/6 "2003-01-30T17:28:13Z")
Wha…? New series of _Wild Cards_ books? Who…when…with the…homina…vtt…vtt… Any more details? ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-many-wild-cards-books-were-there/151618/7 "2003-01-30T17:40:30Z")
details: [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743445058/ref=ase\_georrmar/](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743445058/ref=ase_georrmar/) (note that the referral comes from Martin’s website, so the affiliate bonus would go directly to him.) I know there was a page somewhere showing the cover for next one after deuces down, but I can’t find it now. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-many-wild-cards-books-were-there/151618/8 "2003-01-30T20:14:11Z")
Speaking as someone who’s read the entire “Wild Cards” series, Martin should stop editing them and get back to work on his “Storm of Swords” world. IMHO ---
**Author:** ![stringy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@stringy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stringy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-many-wild-cards-books-were-there/151618/9 "2003-01-31T03:05:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*Speaking as someone who’s read the entire “Wild Cards” series, Martin should stop editing them and get back to work on his “Storm of Swords” world. IMHO \*\* Damn right he should. The suspense is killing me, and I’ve heard that the next in the series won’t be released until later this year. I suppose I could track down some Wild Cards to keep me going - I haven’t read those and they do sound very interesting.