Voice Of The Fans: Which Book Series Do You Want To End?
Series…you either love them or hate them. It seems that more often than not a new book will either start a series or continue one, forcing fans to have to wait months, if not years (George R.R. Martin/David Gerrold, I’m looking at you), for new installments.
On this week’s SFFaudio Podcast with our own John DeNardo, they were talking about series of books and their discussion lead me (probably directly but I don’t remember the particular spark for the thought) to ponder this question:
Q: Which book series do you want to end?
Now this could be because you think the series in question has worn out its welcome with newer installments being pale imitations of earlier works, or perhaps you think it has reached a natural conclusion and you don’t want any further books to muck it up. The choice is yours.
In thinking about my answer here two things struck me. First, it seems that Fantasy has quite a few more 3+ series than SF. That’s not a scientific result based on research, just a feeling. The Wheel Of Time, Song of Fire and Ice, Wizard’s First Rule, and on and on. The only SF series that comes to mind is Bank’s Culture novels, and being a series based on society spread out over interstellar distances there seems no end to the possibilities, so no, don’t end. Second, if I were to actually name some they would be fantasy series but then again, I’m not a fan of fantasy; I don’t read it as much, and so I stop reading when I get tired of a particular series. That is to say, I’m not going to give an answer, I’d rather hear yours.
So let us know!
Related posts:
- Voice Of The Fans: Consistently Entertaining Series
- Voice of the Fans: What Book Have You Recently Read That’s Good Enough To Recommend To a Friend?
- Voice of the Fans: What’s Your Favorite Horror Novel?
- Voice Of The Fans: The SF TV Show You’d Like To See
- Voice Of The Fans: What’s The Best Media Tie-in Novel?
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Ray Feist’s “Midkemia” series seems to have out stayed it’s welcome by a couple of sub-series. It’s had great moments but it really needs to get to the endgame so they can pick-up where it leaves off with an MMO.
We’re going to need a time machine. Stop the DUNE series after Dune Messiah.
In fact, stop all series where the author is dead. That would save us from a lot of stuff we really don’t need to see, like The Children of Hurin. If the author says “sure, spin off on it,” MAYBE, but I am so tired of the endless retreads and mooching.
I don’t think I’ve got an example of a series I want to be ended. If there’s a market, then write away. Doesn’t mean I read them, of course, but lots of others must, because they keep printing them.
I’ve often passed up buying or listening to a book because it’s part of a series, even if it looks interesting, and almost never read part of series unless I can get Book 1. If a bunch of volumes exist in a series, I’m not likely to even look for Book 1. A trilogy doesn’t scare me off at all, but if there’s a volume 5, it puts a huge dent in my interest.
Three exceptions that I can think of: I recently read Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks (the first Culture novel), and I’ve read a few of Bujold’s Vorkosigan books. And yes, Dune – I’ve read the first two (loved them both), and am about to jump into Children of Dune. Jesse and others have tried to wave me off, but I’m going in.
I don’t read much fantasy, either, but I do love The Song of Ice and Fire. So many people pile on there, but those books are GREAT. Take your time, Mr. Martin.
Other science fiction series I like: Bova’s Grand Tour, Asimov’s Foundation, Card’s Ender and Shadow.
Xanth series – Piers Anthony
Thomas Covenant series – Stephen Donaldson
Discworld series – Terry Pratchett (although I did like the first few books)
Conan series
Definitely – “stop all series where the author is dead” (quote from John Ginsberg-Stevens)
Any series where an author’s offspring has started co-authoring.
These are just off the top of my head – I’m sure I could think of more if I sat down & really thought about it.
Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series.
Actually if Banks could end this series and if it was possible to look back at all the books and how they are actaully a larger story that somehow all connects to an untilmate ending for the series which appears to be so epen ended….that would be pretty awsome.
Of course the possibilty of such an ending making one but of sense or being any good is only slightly more likely then Lost ending that way.
I second LKH’s Anita Blake series. I stopped reading years ago after the point she should have stopped writing them. She turned the character into a slut and a cold-hearted killer and stopped focusing on the mysteries that were supposedly the plot of the novel. I check back every so often amazed to discover she still publishing the series to glowing reviews on Amazon. The problem of the novels being all soft core sex scenes with absolutely no plot seems to have amplified too judging by the few negative reviews. Don’t these clueless people know you can get better, more explicit porn in the internet? Stop paying for it.