Books that do not standalone, were known as 'Serials'. I grew up reading these in the pages of Analog.
Some Series, stand better than others in that they do not require you know any of the back story (although, this may also provide Spoilers, if you plan to read older books later.)
I usually hop on over to Fantastic Fiction, when I spot a work that is not the first (
Although, some firsts, are spin-off's and may contain spoilers of the original series) . If you care! Research
