Where to start with Jack London
A reading order for five Jack London books, from the quick adventure of The Call of the Wild to the bleak politics of The Iron Heel.
Published October 12, 2026
Start with The Call of the Wild
At under 100 pages in most editions, The Call of the Wild is the easiest way in. It follows the dog Buck through the Klondike gold rush and shows London's strengths: speed, vivid nature writing and a clear idea of what survival costs.
Then The Sea-Wolf
The Sea-Wolf is a longer adventure with a stronger philosophical argument. Its villain, Captain Wolf Larsen, is one of London's most memorable characters, and the contest between him and the refined narrator carries the book.
For the writer behind the stories: Martin Eden
Martin Eden is semi-autobiographical. It follows a sailor who teaches himself to write and discovers that success does not feel the way he expected. Readers who like London's adventures often find this the most moving of his novels.
For his politics: The Iron Heel
London was a committed socialist, and The Iron Heel is his political novel. Presented as a manuscript from the future, it describes an oligarchy crushing a workers' movement. It is rougher as storytelling but important as an early dystopia.
For something short and strange: The Scarlet Plague
The Scarlet Plague is a short post-apocalyptic story set in 2073, told by an old man who remembers the plague that ended the old world. It reads quickly and shows London trying out science fiction.
Short stories
If you want even less commitment, his short story To Build a Fire is a compact example of the northern tales that made his name. It is widely anthologised and easy to find.