As a part of Project Shelving I’ve been getting more severe with book series. Sci-fi loves a series. Known worlds and characters guarantee sales, and tap into the deep-rooted completist gene we know so well around here. Can we get by knowing that the story we loved in what is now part one now carries on into parts 2 to six. Maybe that mysterious origin/object/event will be finally explained in book 4/5/63. Over the last few years I’ve been consciously re-reading these and fighting the completist gene. Holding onto part one, as it’s very good, and ditching parts 2-6 as they are not. I am here to hopefully provide a counter to that completist gene, and reassure you that in these cases clearing those shelves is the right thing to do. Or you can safely stop at the end of the first book.
Your suggestions please for series where the start should also be the end – interested in fantasy, crime etc – not genres whose series I know well.
Rendezvous With Rama – the original AC Clarke novel is full of mystery and understatement, the three sequels written with (by) Gentry Lee get progressively longer and less rewarding. A case of the more you know, the more boring it gets.
Ringworld – though Niven’s no-one’s idea of a great writer, his incredibly influential BDO is brilliantly explored in the original novel by an engaging cast of characters. Over three sequels this cast of characters return again and again to Ringworld, have inter-species sex (a big thing for Niven) and bicker. To no great end.
Ender’s Game. A super young adult scifi novel, followed by a perhaps even better and very subtle novel Speaker for the Dead. Alas the chronicles of Ender don’t Ender but go on and on in two spectacularly boring further sequels, and a load of prequels that are desperately unnecessary.
Foundation. One of the original sci-fi novel series, Asimov’s gentle and humane future history has spawned two sequels to the original trilogy, two prequels and some ‘from the universe of ‘ novels that are pretty much homeopathic in their distance from the originals. Never strong on plot or action, the prequels virtually grind to a halt in their desire to set things up for, but not conflict with, the original.
2001: Unlike with RWR, Clarke did write the three sequels. Like with RWR the props – monoliths, enigmatic messages, bemused astronauts, cosmic events are moved around to progressively less effect.
Dune. Ah Dune. The most completely original and loved sci-fi of all time – discuss. Can the same be said of the five sequels written by Herbert, and the prequels and further adventures written by his son, perhaps the Jordi Cruyff of science fiction.
Whereas..Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy, Alistair Reynold’s Revelation Space quartet, Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos and (a little more genretastic) Peter F Hamilton’s Nights Dawn trilogy I can all thoroughly recommend because it’s clear from the outset that these were written as series and the story sustains all through. Mars may get a bit too talky in part 3.
Never go back they say, and with Clarke, Niven, Scott Card, Asimov and their sharecroppers it’s clear that sales and perhaps an easy write were the motivator and that tying up some loose ends was not enough in terms of action for 400 more pages.
moseleymoles says
One more:
EE Doc Smith’s Lensman series – well consistency is maintained, as the breathless prose and wooden characters are as prominent in Triplanetary as Children of the Lens. In that sense it’s a good series. Just not good in a writing type of way. Surely can only be read now as an example of the pulp era.
moseleymoles says
this is a niche post, but I’m interested in what other series people have abandoned the sequels while retaining the original.
Vulpes Vulpes says
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Though I have to say that The Illearth War volume is a later high point. He really could have done with a decent editor, but nonetheless I enjoyed the lot.
garyt says
I stuck it for, I think 4 books. The last one I started was the punchline to the joke ‘not a book to be tossed aside lightly…’.
Carl says
Thomas Covenant – Stephen Donaldson, the writing of the incomprehensible and the need for a good dictionary.
Those books contained so many new words. We had a copy of Chambers as well as a Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, yet Donaldson used words to be found in neither.
I actually waded through the first two series – the initial trilogy was far more engaging than the second – but then gave up.
The One Tree I recall was especially tortuous. The pages and pages of Covenant’s internal conflicts was unendurable. I’d skip a few pages and still it continued, skip a few more and it still hadn’t ended.
As Foxy says, he needed a good editor. A very strict editor. Had I been that man I’d have condensed those pages (60 or more??) down to Covenant was f*****g pissed off and didn’t know what to do about it.
Bargepole says
Agree completely – you needed a dictionary to follow the stories! The first series I enjoyed, the second with the irritating Linden Avery (?) less so, and the third series was hard going but I felt obliged to stick it out! He certainly never wrote a paragraph when a page would do!
I enjoyed the two Mirror of her Dreams books more.
I also enjoyed Stephen King’s Dark Tower fantasy series, but it’s another one that could have used some judicious editing, especially the latter volumes….
Moose the Mooche says
People seem to have solved the problem of 2010 Odyssey 2 and its depressingly pat “explanations” of the first film/book by simply forgetting that it happened. People vaguely remember that there was a space movie with yer man out of Jaws, but that’s about it.
moseleymoles says
It has been, even with Helen Mirren in a jumpsuit, erased pretty comprehensively. Must watch it again.
Moose the Mooche says
….and a Russian accent. (All US films made in the 1980s were obliged to refer to the Cold war, no matter when they were set)
deckards says
I really enjoyed the first volume of Steven King’s Dark Tower series but lost interest by the end of volume 3.
Iain M Banks culture novels are primarily individual stories, Consider Phlebas and Excession being the stand outs.
Lando Cakes says
Whoa! I don’t think that any of the Culture books could be considered dispensable. And CP and Excession aren’t the two stand-outs for me, though that comes down to taste. This is one reason that I continue to feel sad about Banks’ death – there was absolutely no sign that he was losing his touch. His last ‘M’ book, The Hydrogen Sonata, was as good and inventive as anything else in the series.
Lando Cakes says
I absolutely agree with you on the ‘extra’ Foundation and Dune books. The Law of Diminishing returns writ large.
deckards says
I didnt mean to say any of the culture novels are dispensable, far from it. I loved Iains work both with and without the ‘M’. Thr only one I’ve struggled with was the Algebraist. I need to revisit it.
moseleymoles says
And the Culture novels are a bit different, being stand alone novels in a common universe. Close reading of course probably reveals lots of interlinking etc (I am starting on a second reading and loved CP though it felt a bit crude in comparison to later novels). But the quality is superb from start to finish.
paulwright says
I felt The Algebraist was a bit IMB by numbers, but the later Culture novels were better.
The stand outs for me are Use of Weapons (which I always think of as a companion piece to Complicity) and Excession.
And of course Feersum Enjiin is best read as an audiobook. Sorry, if he wanted me to actually read it he would have written it fonetiklee.
Kaisfatdad says
An excellent theory, Mr Moles, and one i am sure can be applied to other genre fiction, not least crime writing. A writer establishes a template and then repeats it again and again.
And I am all too happy to indulge in comfort reading with those writers I enjoy.
And then there are others who pull the rug from under my feet, and will not give me such an easy ride. Which leads to a far more enjoyable read.
moseleymoles says
Series do absolutely offer a reading comfort blanket, which is why we find them so seductive. But the series is in itself not a bad thing. At the highest end of the literary spectrum I am working my way most enjoyably through Anthony Powell’s 12-volume sequence (posh word for a series) and they are fantastic. Also Proust wrote a series. I’m not sure that Powell or Proust farmed the work out though.
Franco says
Harry Turtledove’s World War series of books. First four were brilliant. Ploughed through three more, every one a little more turgid and disappointing than the last. Couldn’t finish the eighth and final volume. The whole concept had completely run out of steam.
moseleymoles says
Actually two more – one the only fantasy series I’ve read, Gene Wolfe’s book of the new Sun which is a fantastic four volume series. More and perhaps uniquely Caledonian sci-fi, Ken Mcleod’s ‘Fall Revolution’ series which I need to re-read. And Wolfe continued to expand on the Severian story, so do I need to read book five now as well?
ganglesprocket says
I am going to recommend two series here.
Liu Cixon’s “The Wandering Earth” Trilogy which just FLIES! Starts off as a hideous moment in the Chinese cultural revolution and then just melts your brain.
NK Jemison’s Broken Earth series. It just works.
I also really love China Mieville’s New Crobuson books. All brilliant, but the last one is a bit “series 5 of The Wire” to be honest.
MC Escher says
Is no-on going to mention Harry Potter then? OK, then: Harry Potter.
In their defence they have apparently shown many myriads of childen (and adults) that reading books is A Good Thing.
However, the writing is shocking. I gave up after 4 when I realised that the deadly prose was not improving. But what I object to most is the endless retconning: “Oh the thing that we’re facing now can only be defeated by the Spanner of Angioplasty.” “What’s that now?” “You know, the thing that no one has ever mentioned before until now”. “Yes, yes of course. We’d better find it before whatisname does” Cynical stuff.
moseleymoles says
As an non Potter person I can only observe that what a book became a series – longer volumes filled with ever more filling in of lore – became a franchise with prequels plays etc. Like many sci-fi and fantasy series world building increasingly takes the place of plot and jeopardy disappears as like superheroes none of the principals can ever leave the series.
This could be termed the law of lore.
Carl says
The lengthening books reflected the power (in a wholly non-magical sense) that JK Rowling gained as she became one of the world’s best selling (if not THE best selling) author.
She was able to dispense with editorial control and have her words published pretty much as she typed them.
Thus the books became flabbier and longer and probably all the worse for that.
Other authors able to exercise this power, that I am aware of are John Le Carre and PD James.
paulwright says
It has been referred to in SF as “plot armour” – that protects the lead character from any lasting harm.
Occasionally subverted – my favourite being Neil Gaiman’s Black Orchid, where the titular character dies on page 3 (irrc).
fentonsteve says
Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
It may have been conceived as a trology, although it is said he made the story up as he typed. It almost certainly did not need to be a five-part trilogy.
Moose the Mooche says
The problem was that very quickly there were four competing versions of the story – the original radio series, the albums based on the radio series, the TV series and the books trying to keep up with them. You’d have needed a brain the size of a planet to keep that lot under control.
Carl says
There were five versions: there was also the stage production produced by Ken Campbell. I saw it at Theatr Clwyd and it was very good – perhaps my favourite mode, given the various options.
paulwright says
Six – you’ve forgotten the film with Martin Freeman. Which is understandable.
In fact I think 7 because there was a computer game too.
Does the radio version of the later books count as 8?
Moose the Mooche says
Probably.
Ohhh, that film. Doug did well to die to avoid being associated with that piece of sh—.
PS. Ken Campbell? I didn’t know about that. Perfect casting – total head-the-ball.
paulwright says
so long and thanks for all the fish shows signs of DNA being sick to teeth of HHGG but it being his cash cow. Everything in it is more or less forgotten for the next book
moseleymoles says
Yes this is an excellent example. DA wrote it as a six-part radio comedy show, little knowing it would more or less dominate the rest of his creative life.
paulwright says
Stephen Donaldson’s The Real Story is an excellent novella, and bookshelf worth of extra stuff.
(I’ve never read Thomas Covenant, so maybe I just don’t get his style)