11-03-2009, 06:55 PM | #1 |
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SF/fantasy books that turned into series, and shouldn't have
This got touched off by Dr. Drib's threads in this area on Sf and Fantasy authors you should and shouldn't read.
One bit of discussion involved series, and got me to wondering: what series have you read that really never should have been turned into a series, and would have been far better as a stand alone novel? ______ Dennis |
11-03-2009, 07:59 PM | #2 |
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Dune...Dune...Dune...Dune...Dune...Dune...Dune...
Great book poorly served by each successive sequel/prequel/whateverquel |
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11-03-2009, 08:04 PM | #3 | |
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Quote:
(Herbert wrote the first three as one long book, split in three for publications, which is why I ask.) ______ Dennis |
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11-03-2009, 08:08 PM | #4 |
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Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series should never have been published even starting with the first book.
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11-03-2009, 08:10 PM | #5 |
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All the extra Asimov Foundation stores after the first 1940's trilogy...
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11-04-2009, 12:45 AM | #6 | |
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And Piers Anthony gets puns *sent to him by readers* to include in future Xanth stuff. There really are authors who get told "we'll publish your other stuff as long as every other book is in the series." |
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11-05-2009, 04:31 AM | #7 |
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Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth after the first two. Third was okay but I thought it seriously went downhill after that. I thought the first book was pretty good and the second was just excellent.
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11-05-2009, 08:15 AM | #8 | |
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Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake books should have stopped somewhere around book 8. From that point on they have only gone more and more downhill |
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11-05-2009, 08:23 AM | #9 |
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Oh goodie!
Another thread I can say Wheel of Time in He really, REALLY should have made that one book only and then gone on and done something else! |
11-05-2009, 08:39 AM | #10 |
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Ursula leGuin's Earthsea is a fine example for such. 2nd and 3rd books are OK and after that the series is just ... nevermind what.
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11-05-2009, 09:02 AM | #11 |
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11-05-2009, 09:35 AM | #12 |
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Anne Rice: "Interview with the Vampire"
One "soulful tortured vampire" novel was all we needed, thank you. |
11-05-2009, 09:35 AM | #13 |
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I'll toss Ender's Game into the ring. Right after Speaker for the Dead that should have been nipped in the bud.
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11-05-2009, 09:39 AM | #14 | |
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Vampires are NOT sexy, they are evil, blodsucking buttholes that should be staked, have their heads chopped off and dragged into the sunlight, every last anemic one! So there! |
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11-05-2009, 10:00 AM | #15 |
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I agree. I find myself forcing myself to read the rest of the series (I am on book 8) because I like the world that Terry Goodkind created, and a few of the books. I like the t.v. series as well, that is actually what got me reading the books; I can't seem to finish book 8, however, I am a quarter of the way through and NOTHING has happened. I wonder what happens with these writers when their books go downhill like that? Is it the pressure to make a series out of any good fantasy book, even though the good ideas aren't coming? I actually respect George R.R. Martin for taking his time with Song of Ice and Fire's fifth book (even though many of his fans are angry about the looooonnng wait between books), because it means that he wants to take his time to write a good book, as opposed to churning out moneymakers (I hope).
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