Two issues with series

[sarahemmm]

I have been a long time user of LibraryThing and of Calibre, which I have recently been working on (manually) synchronising. Various issues, but the two which are bugging me somewhat are in Series:

Firstly, LT allows a 1->many relationship with series. Is there any way of replicating that in Calibre?

Second, some of the LT series have rather 'interesting' series order, whereas Calibre only allows numbers. Perhaps most noticeable in the Liaden Universe https://www.librarything.com/nseries...BLee-Miller%7D

Any suggestions?

[Wiggo]

I‘m using subgroups for series.

Main series.01 subseries a
main series.02 subseries b

https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/sub_groups.html

[theducks]

I have a second (custom column) series field for when the main can not be made to work for me (OR the Author renamed a series. That column gets the other name so searches have a chance )
Just be prepared to manage by hand as metadata sources are the wild west in lack of consistency. We are talking, even the SAME source, same series )

Hierarchical is my main method
I frequently rename series to fit my methods: (be prepared for disappointment when that can't cope with deep nested sub series )

( Manage Series Plugin can be of a great help with the Regular Series column allows a uniform naming on the selected books and renumbering. )

(mostly) By Universe: (books with a set foundation: place, people, premise)
Pern.Harper Hall
Solar Clipper.Golden Age

Spinoffs: (many, many spinoffs of the original, where a character got their own series) This is where I frequently use the second series column
Spinoff name gets {series[index]}, Base series gets put into here with its name and index in the overall)
Calibre only supports 1 index per field.

And the Elephant in the Library Anthologies with multiple different series. (IMHO Column count bloat is not a desired solution) EPUB Split

<Various [0]> is the Main, (Pick your Fav outa the lot ) for the second column

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Wiggo

I‘m using subgroups for series.

Main series.01 subseries a
main series.02 subseries b

https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/sub_groups.html

I came here to suggest something like this.

I wonder why you don't use something like

Main series.05
Main series.subseries a.01
Main series.subseries a.02
Main series.subseries b.05

This would let you search by main series and sort by series number, or search by subseries and sort by series number. It wouldn't be hard to to build template searches for a subseries independent of the main series ('subseries a' no matter what its main series is), as there are template functions designed to make that separation easy.

[Wiggo]

I‘m a big fan of reading orders. That’s why xxxx.01 yyyyy
I also had never a problem finding my series.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Wiggo

I‘m a big fan of reading orders. That’s why xxxx.01 yyyyy

Why do subseries matter? I would just put them in order of the main series and I'd have the correct reading order.
Because they are the Primary (index), to read in order.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Why do subseries matter? I would just put them in order of the main series and I'd have the correct reading order.
Because they are the Primary (index), to read in order.

They just happen to fit into the Mains timeline.
And not all sub series actually fit AFTER the first main book (a prequel?)

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Wiggo

I‘m a big fan of reading orders. That’s why xxxx.01 yyyyy
I also had never a problem finding my series.

I use a series-like custom column called Reading Order to deal with this. For example, the Bradley Darkover books reading order has little to do with any series order. Bradley recommended reading in publication order.

But all of this is to say that someone should do what they want, not what the Literati says you should do

[Wiggo]

I usually read in publication order because...because it's just the normal order when you buy books.

Unless I'm getting old series, then I prefer chronological - at least subseries wise, if that makes sense.

[Sirtel]

I almost always read in the published order and all my series are ordered that way.

As to subseries, I don't use them; if I really need to know the book belongs to a subseries, I'll just put a note in the comments.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by theducks

They just happen to fit into the Mains timeline.
And not all sub series actually fit AFTER the first main book (a prequel?)

Prequals can have a numbers such a 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, etc.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I almost always read in the published order and all my series are ordered that way.

As to subseries, I don't use them; if I really need to know the book belongs to a subseries, I'll just put a note in the comments.

The issue here, is REISSUE/revised mucks up Published (as set in the book) date without you forcing the Original date.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by theducks

The issue here, is REISSUE/revised mucks up Published (as set in the book) date without you forcing the Original date.

Yep. I usually check in such cases, to find out the original publication order.

[sarahemmm]

Thanks for such a varied set of suggestions!

I'll have a think before making any changes (I was trying to keep everything in sync with LibraryThing, which is my main catalogue).