Book in multiple series

[maddz]

How do people handle a book that is a cross-over between more than one series?

I've got 2 entries in my catalogue, one for each series, which seems a somewhat clunky way of doing it, but I don't see any other way given that both series are different and one is not a sub-series of the other.

For what it's worth, the book in question is The Energy Eaters by Arthur K Barnes and Henry Kuttner (it's on Gutenberg) and it features the lead characters from Barne's The Adventures of Gerry Carlyle and Henry Kuttner's Tony Quade.

It's slightly complicated because both authors wrote separately and in collaboration.

[ownedbycats]

There's a few other threads scattered around (look down at similar threads ). I think the main consensus is to create a custom series-like column and use that for secondary series.

[capink]

A better approach IMO is using the reading list plugin for multiple series. Since reading lists are ordered they are suitable for storing series information. The only thing missing (for me) is the ability to search by series name, which I get around by using the template search feature using the following python template:

python:
from calibre_plugins.reading_list.config import get_list_names, get_book_list

def evaluate(book, context):
    book_id = book.id
    db = context.db
    book_lists = []
    list_names = get_list_names(db)
    for list_name in list_names:
        book_ids = get_book_list(db, list_name)
        if book_id in book_ids:
            book_lists.append(list_name)
    return ','.join(book_lists)

The template above returns a comma separated list of all reading lists a book belongs to. It can also be used for storing the series in a composite column, although I never tried this so cannot know how good it is performance wise.

[maddz]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

There's a few other threads scattered around (look down at similar threads ). I think the main consensus is to create a custom series-like column and use that for secondary series.

The problem with doing that is that when I transfer to my Kobo only the 'main' series will display. I already have a sub-series column which also doesn't transfer (annoying - I hate fiddling with plugboards which I think is what is needed to get the sub-series to display). The other issue is that the second series is not a secondary series - it's a second series and ranks with the first series.

We really need more places to custom display metadata on Kobos; I'm already using the sub-title field for collection information; sub-series and tags are the other missing data items.

I see someone in one of the old threads does use a second entry rather than a series-like column.

Fortunately, it's only the one book (well, short story) so far but given the authors concerned I suspect more candidates will come to light as their short stories are digitised.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by maddz

The problem with doing that is that when I transfer to my Kobo only the 'main' series will display. I already have a sub-series column which also doesn't transfer (annoying - I hate fiddling with plugboards which I think is what is needed to get the sub-series to display). The other issue is that the second series is not a secondary series - it's a second series and ranks with the first series.

You can add the second series as a collection in the Kobo preferences. If you want more control you can make a template that formats the collection however you want. You won't get series sorting, but you do get the list.