Looking Glass Books in Order
Part ofJohn Ringo Books in OrderFind the Looking Glass series by John Ringo and Travis S. Taylor in order, with summaries, background on Earth’s portal tech, and guidance on how it links to Von Neumann’s War.
Last updated: December 25, 2025
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Publication Order
4 books
Manxome Foe
by Travis S Taylor
2008
When an off-world archaeological team vanishes after a likely Dreen attack, Vorpal Blade is sent to investigate. The crew must thread hostile space, face new bioengineered horrors, and decide how much risk they are willing to take to keep the enemy away from Earth.
Claws That Catch
by Travis S Taylor
2008
A rumor of lost alien technology sends a new Vorpal Blade on a high-stakes mission to a world littered with ruins. Training green crew, juggling alien allies, and racing the Dreen to the prize, the veterans aboard must win a treasure hunt that could decide the fate of the war.
Vorpal Blade
by Travis S Taylor
2007
Outfitted with alien hyperdrive tech, the former ballistic-missile submarine Vorpal Blade becomes humanity’s first true starship. Its mixed crew of Navy sailors, Marines, and scientists heads out to scout distant worlds, only to find that deep space is far stranger and deadlier than expected.
Into the Looking Glass
by John Ringo
2005
A mysterious explosion at a Florida university tears open portals to other worlds, unleashing monsters and opportunity in equal measure. Physicist Bill Weaver and a hastily assembled task force race to understand the “looking glasses” before Earth is overrun—or left behind.
Series background & context
The Looking Glass series, also known as Voyage of the Space Bubble, begins when a catastrophic experiment at a Florida university punches holes in reality. The resulting portals, or “looking glasses,” open onto other worlds and bring very unfriendly visitors to Earth.
In Into the Looking Glass, Earth reels from the first explosions and incursions while scientists and soldiers scramble to understand what the portals are and how to use them. Physicist William Weaver becomes the linchpin between theory and practice, helping turn disaster into an opportunity to reach the stars.
Later books co-written with Travis S. Taylor—Vorpal Blade, Manxome Foe, and Claws That Catch—follow the crew of the refitted submarine turned starship Vorpal Blade as it prowls alien space. Missions range from scouting ruined worlds to protecting new allies and racing hostile species for control of powerful technology.
The tone is classic Ringo: gallows humor, lovingly described hardware, and Marines who are equal parts professionals and smart-mouthed troublemakers. Taylor adds a layer of real-world physics and engineering that grounds the wilder concepts in plausible science.
If you like portal fiction, first-contact stories, or space Navy adventures where a single ship and its embarked troops carry the fight far from home, the Looking Glass books are a natural next step after Ringo’s other military SF.
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