Quote:
Originally Posted by theducks
Talk about painting with a Garden Sprayer 
I will say that SOME books are better with knowing the back story, but only serialized books tend to not hold their own.
More than once, I have come into a Series 'in the middle' and later went and back filled (yep, there were spoilers in what I read, but it was still enjoyable. Just as a re-read of a series book is  ) |
Yes, many SF & F series are really serials. A serial absolutely needs read / listened/watched in order.
If people argue about series order then it's a sign they can be read out of order or even standalone.
Narnia and JamesIII/Wolves (Joan Aiken) have a an original publication order. Both have an Author's order (Lewis held back at least one book to make publication order be that). Aiken's series was written & published madly out of order (1962 to 2005). In both cases you can read any of the books first, though some are better. Aiken's order matches internal chronology and Lewis's is original publish order. The publishers have renumbered in internal order, but the Magician's Nephew does have some spoilers so should be penultimate and not first. However it still "works". Neither series are serials.
See also Recluse series by L.E. Modesitt, which is all over the place. It's not a serial, but the Spellsong Cycle is closer to a serial and need read in order though each is a complete story. Wheel of Time is obviously a serial and many of the books "hang".
Most detective or mystery series can be read out of order even if a bit "nicer" to read in order. Mary Burchell unusually has some romances that are a series and need read in order. Romances are rarely a series.
Some Zane Grey Westerns are sequels, but can be read out of order.