The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I don't mind cliffhangers. If I like the series, I'll continue anyway, if I don't like it enough to continue, then I won't, cliffhanger or no.

I've read several excellent (for me) series where some books end in cliffhangers. No big deal.

It's extortion. "Here, you paid me for a complete book, but you're not going to get one--you'll have to pay me more, More, MORE to find out what happens!" There's no flipping excuse for it (and yes, yes yes, Tolkien be damned.) I'm reading a book to escape--not be held hostage to it.

NO. Not only no, but Hells no.

Hitch

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Hitch

It's extortion. "Here, you paid me for a complete book, but you're not going to get one--you'll have to pay me more, More, MORE to find out what happens!" There's no flipping excuse for it (and yes, yes yes, Tolkien be damned.) I'm reading a book to escape--not be held hostage to it.

NO. Not only no, but Hells no.

Hitch

I actually prefer series to single complete books. Even better when the series is one long, continous story, not self-sufficient episodes.

That's one of the reasons epic fantasy is one of my favorite genres.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I actually prefer series to single complete books. Even better when the series is one long, continous story, not self-sufficient episodes.

That's one of the reasons epic fantasy is one of my favorite genres.

It's fine if you know in advance!

[JSWolf]

If the book ends on a cliffhanger and I know it does, as long as the next book is available, I don't mind giving it a go.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Quoth

It's fine if you know in advance!

I don't mind if I find out at the end of the book. In fact, I'm usually pleased if I liked the book.

[spacepope]

Originally Posted by Hitch

It's extortion. "Here, you paid me for a complete book, but you're not going to get one--you'll have to pay me more, More, MORE to find out what happens!" There's no flipping excuse for it (and yes, yes yes, Tolkien be damned.) I'm reading a book to escape--not be held hostage to it.

NO. Not only no, but Hells no.

Hitch

I will say that my mom was frustrated because she got suckered into a series like that. The first book was maybe $2.99 and then the next three books were $10. She read the rest of the series but wasn’t happy. I’ve told her to look at it the cost of sequels before buying to avoid this situation.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by spacepope

I will say that my mom was frustrated because she got suckered into a series like that. The first book was maybe $2.99 and then the next three books were $10. She read the rest of the series but wasn’t happy. I’ve told her to look at it the cost of sequels before buying to avoid this situation.

I've never felt compelled to continue because of a cliffhanger. As I said, if I like the book, I'll read the sequels anyway. If I didn't like it, no cliffhanger will make me buy the sequels. I just won't care.

[spacepope]

[double post]

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I don't mind cliffhangers. If I like the series, I'll continue anyway, if I don't like it enough to continue, then I won't, cliffhanger or no.

I've read several excellent (for me) series where some books end in cliffhangers. No big deal.

Depends on the series and author for me. And the promises made by the author, either directly or indirectly, about how the book will end.

If it is supposedly a series of semi-connected books (Mystery/Monster of the Week style or something), then leaving it at a cliff hanger is not acceptable. If I know it is a series with a single long storyline then I don't have as much problem with it. If they are ambiguous even slightly about the type of book it become much less acceptable.

For author, if I trust the author enough to complete the next book in a reasonable time (less than 2 years), it bothers me much less too. The list of authors that I would trust in this situation is dwindling though. I can think of only 1 right now.

[arjaybe]

On a similar note, I get annoyed if I'm promised a trilogy and it keeps going after three. I'm thinking of a series involving Merlin.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Depends on the series and author for me. And the promises made by the author, either directly or indirectly, about how the book will end.

If it is supposedly a series of semi-connected books (Mystery/Monster of the Week style or something), then leaving it at a cliff hanger is not acceptable. If I know it is a series with a single long storyline then I don't have as much problem with it. If they are ambiguous even slightly about the type of book it become much less acceptable.

For author, if I trust the author enough to complete the next book in a reasonable time (less than 2 years), it bothers me much less too. The list of authors that I would trust in this situation is dwindling though. I can think of only 1 right now.

Yeah, well, I was first and mightily burned (and infamously, I was far from the only one!) by Melanie Rawn, during Ruins of Ambrai. She'd had two very successful fantasy series before that, all set in the same world/universe and she popped along with Ambrai, did two books, stopped book two on something:

SPOILER, SPOILER!

Spoiler:

The death of a major, beloved character

and then, BAM the damn book ended and that was that. The promised third book never appeared, or if it did, it was seriously like 25 years later and I think I read it's dreck.

That was the beginning of the end for me with cliffhangers. I've been Rawn-burned.

By cliffhangers, I don't mean, longer-term unresolved story arcs, like..."will Harry Dresden get together with whats-er-name," or the like. I mean, failing to end a book with something that actually resolved the current plot elements of the current book. (Does Harry catch the murderer, or the like.)

I don't have a problem with longer story arcs. But I do resent feeling like my goose is being plucked, to mix my metaphors, for the almighty $2.99 or what-have-you.

Hitch

[Sirtel]

Authors leaving a series unfinished is a whole other kettle of fish IMO. That's always a risk with any series, unless the series is already finished by the time one starts reading it.

Sometimes it's not the author's fault. Publishers occasionally decide to cut a series when it has not been successful enough for them, authors have serious health issues or even die and so on.

As to the specific example of Melanie Rawn, I read the first book of her first series and that was it for me. Left me completely cold and uninterested. So I never even got to the Ambrai series.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Authors leaving a series unfinished is a whole other kettle of fish IMO. That's always a risk with any series, unless the series is already finished by the time one starts reading it.

Sometimes it's not the author's fault. Publishers occasionally decide to cut the series when it has not been successful enough for them, authors have serious health issues or even die and so on.

As to the specific example of Melanie Rawn, I read the first book of her first series and that was it for me. Left me completely cold and uninterested. So I never even got to the Ambrai series.

You're in luck (with Rawn, I mean). Now, with LIZ WILLIAMS, that's a whole other kettle of fish. She allegedly has the final Inspector Chen book already done and written, and has said that she refuses to self-publish it, (purportedly named "Morningstar", apparently). DAMNATION.

Hitch

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Hitch

You're in luck (with Rawn, I mean). Now, with LIZ WILLIAMS, that's a whole other kettle of fish. She allegedly has the final Inspector Chen book already done and written, and has said that she refuses to self-publish it, (purportedly named "Morningstar", apparently). DAMNATION.

Hitch

That's just pure bullheadedness.

The most famous modern example is, of course, George R. R. Martin. He has no excuses either, other than what seems to be a writer's block or something.

[ownedbycats]

I've read several series where it was painfully obvious that the last book was not meant to be the last one (probably the publisher decided to discontinue it), so the author was left scrambling to try to wrap up dangling plotlines. They're always a bit painful.

Even worse, one of these series ended on book 11. At least make it 12 so it's even!!!

EDIT: Also, back in the 1980s there was a children's series that the last book left a few things dangling. I think some decade ago, I found the author's email and decided to inquire... turned out the publisher discontinued the series.

I (maybe half-jokingly) suggested that if she could get the rights back, she should rewrite and self-publish. A few years later, guess what I find available on Amazon?