Dean Lorey
Dean Lorey has published 5 books across 3 series. The recommended reading order starts with Monster Hunters/Nightmare Academy (2008).
Dean Lorey is an American author and screenwriter who began his fiction career in 2007 with Monster Hunters, the first book in his Nightmare Academy series. The series, which follows a young boy attending a secret boarding school for monster hunters, was published in over 20 countries and is in development at Universal Studios. Lorey earned an Emmy nomination for his work on the television show Arrested Development, and his screenwriting credits include Major Payne and Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. He also worked on My Wife and Kids and The Crazy Ones, starring Robin Williams. His most recent book is Fitness Confidential, which he co-authored with Vinnie Tortorich. Lorey lives in Calabasas, California, with his wife and two sons.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Anthologies
- TagschildrenDescriptionThirty seconds is all it takes to deliver a perfect shiver, and this anthology proves that horror doesn't need sprawling chapters to burrow under your skin. Edited by Dean Lorey, this collection gathers bite-sized tales of terror from some of the most inventive voices in contemporary fiction, each story calibrated to unsettle in the time it takes to brush your teeth or wait for the microwave to beep. The premise is deceptively simple—flash fiction at its most distilled—but the execution is anything but, with each half-minute nightmare offering a different flavor of dread, from the darkly comic to the genuinely unsettling. What sets this apart is its understanding that fear works best when it strikes fast and vanishes before you can catch your breath, leaving only the aftertaste of unease. The format demands precision, and these contributors rise to the challenge, crafting miniature worlds that collapse into chaos with ruthless efficiency. It's the literary equivalent of a jump scare that lingers, a collection designed for readers who appreciate horror that respects their time while refusing to pull its punches. Whether you're a seasoned genre fan or someone testing the waters of the macabre, these half-minute horrors offer a gateway into darkness that's as accessible as it is addictive.Publication dateJuly 12, 2011Amazon rating4.4/5Print length130LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
Order of Nightmare Academy Books
- Tagschildrensci-fiDescriptionWhat if the things that go bump in the night are real, and there's a secret academy training kids to fight them? Charlie Benjamin isn't your average teenager—he's a Nightmare, someone whose fears can literally open portals to a terrifying dimension crawling with monsters. When his dangerous gift is discovered, he's whisked away to the Nightmare Academy, a hidden school where kids like him learn to harness their abilities and protect humanity from the creatures lurking just beyond our world. It's equal parts Hogwarts and monster-hunting boot camp, where the stakes are life and death and your worst nightmares might actually eat you. But Charlie quickly discovers that controlling his power is harder than it looks. The monsters are relentless, the training is brutal, and not everyone at the Academy can be trusted. As he navigates this strange new world of portals and creatures, he'll need to master his fears before they consume him—and everyone else. Dean Lorey delivers a fast-paced adventure that taps into primal childhood terrors and transforms them into an action-packed thrill ride. It's dark enough to feel dangerous, funny enough to keep you grinning, and inventive enough to make you wish you'd thought of it first. Perfect for readers who like their fantasy with teeth.Publication dateAugust 26, 2008Amazon rating4.3/5Print length336LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
- TagsfantasyDescriptionThis is the kind of middle-grade fantasy that understands what kids actually want: monsters, mayhem, and a world where nightmares are real and someone has to fight them. Dean Lorey's Nightmare Academy series follows young Charlie Benjamin, a boy whose ability to open portals to the Nether—a dark dimension teeming with creatures from our worst dreams—marks him as either humanity's greatest weapon or its most dangerous liability. In these installments, the stakes escalate as Charlie faces not just the monsters that pour through his portals, but the consequences of wielding such terrifying power. The books balance genuine scares with humor and heart, never talking down to their audience while delivering the kind of imaginative creature design and fast-paced action that keeps pages turning. Lorey builds a mythology that feels both fresh and familiar, where nightmare creatures have their own hierarchies and motivations, and where the line between hero and threat grows increasingly blurred. What makes these books sing is their understanding that growing up means grappling with the things that frighten us—and sometimes discovering that the scariest thing isn't the monster under the bed, but the power we carry inside ourselves. Perfect for readers who've outgrown Goosebumps but aren't quite ready to leave monsters behind.Publication dateAugust 26, 2008Amazon rating4.6/5Print length320LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
- TagsfantasychildrenmysteryDescriptionCharlie Benjamin is in over his head. Mimics, Netherstalkers, and creatures worse than a roomful of Ravenous Sticky-Spitters are closing in, and the Named have done the unthinkable—they've summoned the Queen of Nightmares herself. The fate of our world rests on one kid and one weapon: the Sword of Sacrifice. It's the only thing powerful enough to stop her, but getting it won't be easy. Charlie can't do this alone. He'll need Theodore, Violet, and Brooke by his side, but the sword demands something in return—a price more horrifying than any monster they've faced. The sacrifice it requires isn't just dangerous. It's personal. And it will test their friendship in ways none of them are ready for. This is Dean Lorey's Nightmare Academy at its darkest and most urgent, a story where the stakes aren't just high—they're everything. The danger has never been greater, the enemies never more terrifying, and the cost of victory never more brutal. If you've been following Charlie's journey, this is where it all comes to a head.Publication dateJuly 27, 2010Amazon rating4.6/5Print length320LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
Order of Non-Fiction Books
- Tagsnon-fictionbiographymemoirDescriptionWhat if everything you've been told about getting fit is wrong? What if the treadmill sessions, the low-fat yogurt, the endless cardio—what if it's all been keeping you from the body you want? Vinnie Tortorich, a celebrity trainer who's worked with Hollywood's elite for decades, pulls back the curtain on the fitness industry's biggest lies. He's not selling you a miracle supplement or a thirty-day transformation. He's offering something rarer: the truth. This is the no-nonsense guide he's been giving his A-list clients for years, now available to anyone willing to listen. The approach is deceptively simple—cut the sugar, cut the grains, and move your body in ways that actually matter. No gimmicks. No fads. Just the strategies that have kept his clients lean, strong, and healthy when the cameras stop rolling. Tortorich writes with the blunt honesty of someone who's seen every diet trend come and go, and he's not interested in coddling you through another failed attempt. This is for anyone tired of spinning their wheels, literally and figuratively. If you're ready to stop trusting the marketing machine and start trusting someone who's been in the trenches, Fitness Confidential might be the last fitness book you'll ever need. It's tough love wrapped in practical wisdom, and it works.Publication dateDecember 2, 2013Amazon rating4.5/5Print length250LanguageEnglishPublisherTelemachus Press, LLC
Frequently Asked Questions about Dean Lorey
Dean Lorey has written books in a few different series. For the Nightmare Academy books, the order is Monster Hunters/Nightmare Academy, followed by Monster Madness/Monster Revenge, and then Monster War. The Half-Minute Horrors series is a standalone anthology. His non-fiction book, Fitness Confidential, is also a standalone title. If you are interested in his fiction for younger readers, the Nightmare Academy series is the primary focus. The anthologies and the non-fiction book do not need to be read in relation to the fiction series.
A good starting point for Dean Lorey's books is the first book in the Nightmare Academy series, Monster Hunters/Nightmare Academy. This book introduces the characters and the world of the Nightmare Academy. It is a middle-grade novel that sets up the subsequent books in the series. If you are looking for something different, Half-Minute Horrors offers a collection of short scary stories for a younger audience, and Fitness Confidential provides non-fiction health and fitness advice.
It is not strictly necessary to read all of Dean Lorey's books in order, as they are part of different series or are standalones. However, to fully appreciate the narrative and character development within the Nightmare Academy series, reading those books in their intended sequence is recommended. The order for that series is Monster Hunters/Nightmare Academy, Monster Madness/Monster Revenge, and Monster War. The Half-Minute Horrors anthology and Fitness Confidential can be read at any time.
Dean Lorey has written both series and standalone books. The Nightmare Academy series consists of multiple books that follow a connected storyline. He also has a standalone anthology titled Half-Minute Horrors. Additionally, he co-authored a non-fiction book, Fitness Confidential, which functions as a standalone title. The Nightmare Academy books are intended to be read as a series, while the others are not.
Dean Lorey has written at least seven books across his different series and standalone titles. This includes the three books in the Nightmare Academy series: Monster Hunters/Nightmare Academy, Monster Madness/Monster Revenge, and Monster War. He also authored the anthology Half-Minute Horrors. In addition, he co-authored Fitness Confidential. The exact total number of his published works may vary depending on how different editions or collections are counted.
The first book Dean Lorey wrote that is listed is Monster Hunters/Nightmare Academy, published in 2008. This book is the beginning of the Nightmare Academy series and introduces readers to the main characters and the unique setting of the academy. It was published alongside Monster Madness/Monster Revenge in the same year, but Monster Hunters/Nightmare Academy is generally considered the first entry in the series.
The most recent book listed by Dean Lorey is Fitness Confidential, a non-fiction title co-authored with Vinnie Tortorich, which was published in 2013. Prior to that, the most recent fiction book was Monster War, part of the Nightmare Academy series, published in 2010. The anthology Half-Minute Horrors was published in 2011. Fitness Confidential is his latest published work among the provided titles.
Dean Lorey writes fiction for a younger audience, primarily middle-grade horror and fantasy. The Nightmare Academy series falls into this category, featuring monsters and adventurous plots. He also authored an anthology of scary stories called Half-Minute Horrors, which caters to a similar age group. His non-fiction work, Fitness Confidential, explores health and fitness topics.
R.J. Palacio
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We verified the reading order for Dean Lorey's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: July 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Dean Lorey Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/dean-lorey