SF/fantasy books that turned into series, and shouldn't have

[wayrad]

I was pretty disappointed by the third and final volume of Tepper's Marianne trilogy. I mean, at the end of Book 2 she's gone back to relive her life for the third time in an attempt to finally get it right, and I expected Book 3 to be about that. But surprise, at the beginning of Book 3 all that is over with, and she spends the entire book lost in a silly board game. Except for making it extremely obvious that Ms. Tepper really, really doesn't like cats, I'm not sure what function Book 3 served in the story arc. Seemed to me like an extended anticlimax.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

This got touched off by Dr. Drib's threads in this area on Sf and Fantasy authors you should and shouldn't read.

One bit of discussion involved series, and got me to wondering: what series have you read that really never should have been turned into a series, and would have been far better as a stand alone novel?
______
Dennis

Nearly all of them? Isn't it more interesting to ask what series has been better by being turned into a series from an initial book?

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I know it's best not to, but has anyone mentioned John Norman's "Gor" series yet ? The original trilogy was actually pretty reasonable Burroughs-ish fantasy, but then it turned into wierdo-fetish soft porn, and went downhill from there...

About the first six are readable, if you buy the premise.

Gor is "counter Earth", kept hidden on the otehr side of the Sun by the advanced science of the insectoid Priest-Kings. The Priest-Kings have been kidnapping people from Earth for centuries and transplanting them to Gor.

The hero, Tarl Cabot, is a John Carter type, who quickly adjusts to his new surroundings and becomes a great warrior and leader.

The Priest-Kings maintain careful limits on permitted technology. So humanity has the stabilization serums, which arrest aging, and advanced medicine and building technology, but combat is still mano a mano with edged weapons.

Also in the mix are the Kur, bear-like aliens who have destroyed their own planet in internecine wars and seek to take over Gor from their refugee fleet.

Norman has broad historical knowledge, and a setting that lets him toss in human cultures from throughout history and transplant them to Gor to decent effect. Early books are marred somewhat by clumsy style and a tendency to infodumps in uncomfortable places.

One background bit in Gor is that most women are slaves, with the exception of a group called the Free Companions. Cabot's original lover, Talena, is a Free Companion. She disappears early in the series and Cabot sets out to find and free her.

Unfortunately, Talena is soon enough forgotten. The philosophy of Gor is that a woman is not truly happy and fulfilled (and multi-orgasmic) unless she totally submits to a masterful Gorean male and becomes a Kajira. In later books, this becomes the dominant theme, and the series dissolves into BDSM fantasies. (DAW even published a volume called "Imaginative Sex" which was a set of fantasies based on the Gorean female slavery theme.)

Norman was dropped from publication by DAW books after founder Donald A. Wollheim died and his daughter Betsy took over the operation. He claims his sales were still good, and being dropped from contract reflected bias on the part of Publisher Betsy Wollheim and Editor Sheila Gilbert against his material.

Speaking personally, the more dominant the female slavery theme became the weaker the books got, and the more Tarl Cabot became a true Goren male, the more boring and one dimensional he became. I didn't stop reading them because of the content. I stopped because I was bored.

At least some of them were picked up an re-issued in the 90's by a porn publisher called Masquerade Books, but I'm not sure about finding them now.
______
Dennis

[llreader]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

About the first six are readable, if you buy the premise.

The hero, Tarl Cabot, is a John Carter type, who quickly adjusts to his new surroundings and becomes a great warrior and leader.

Oh man, I remember John Carter and all that craziness on Mars.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by tompe

Nearly all of them? Isn't it more interesting to ask what series has been better by being turned into a series from an initial book?

That question occurred to me, too.

But I was specifically thinking of series that had begun as stand alone books, and expanded into series when the publisher or the author saw an opportunity. In some cases, the concept could stretch to accommodate a series. In others, things are more problematic.

Most series books these days are planed to be series from the outset, though you can argue some have run out of gas and stalled.

What series can you think of that was planned to be a stand alone book, became a series, and is better for it?
______
Dennis

[tompe]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

That question occurred to me, too.

But I was specifically thinking of series that had begun as stand alone books, and expanded into series when the publisher or the author saw an opportunity. In some cases, the concept could stretch to accommodate a series. In others, things are more problematic.

Most series books these days are planed to be series from the outset, though you can argue some have run out of gas and stalled.

What series can you think of that was planned to be a stand alone book, became a series, and is better for it?
______
Dennis

I thought about these kind of series also and therefore said "nearly all of them". Aliens is a film example or maybe that is just of an example when the second part was the best part. Pratchett and the Discworld books is an example were the whole series is much better than the first two books which was kind of standalone.

I think that Charles Stross tried to start a lot of series purposefully but if one book had not sold well it would not have been a series so I do not know if it fits. But the series starting with "The Atrocity Archive" I think is better than only the first book.

[llreader]

Interesting question, I can think of a lot of series that would not be all that great as stand-alone books (Prydan series - Book of three, etc., LotR). It is hard to know exactly which books were written to be stand-alone, especially as time passes. Also, some were probably good ideas, but just didn't work out all that well, like novellas extended to novel-length books but just didn't have the content for it.

How about books that are not specifically series, but set in the same milleu - Saberhagen's "Berserker" series, for example?

[EatingPie]

Originally Posted by llreader

I strongly disagree (about the Earthsea Trilogy).
I am re-reading the Chronicles of Amber (as I mentioned in the other thread), and I have to say it is one of the best *stories* I think I have read - suspense, intrigue, swashbuckling, sex, magic, mystery, betrayal, supernatural monsters and creepiness. Well done, and I like Zelazny's style (from tough-guy film noir to purple prose on the same page, or even same paragraph). That said, my memory of the second half the series (after Courts of Chaos) was that it was confused, had lots of people rushing around, and lots of characters appearing and disappearing all over the place. I didn't read more than two books, though, and it had been a while since I had read the original series, so I was a little fuzzy on all the different characters. Right now, my impression is that the second series should not have been written, and the first series should stand on its own (it was five books, but they were pretty slim). I am going to give it another go when I finish the first series, and see if reading through the whole thing helps.

I have signed first printings of several Ambers!

And I this is another I agree with. I don't know what book where everything crashed and burned, but in the last one I own, the character rips off the ring that's squeezing his finger in warning. Now if this isn't an act of total stupidity (as set up in the series) nothing is... and yet we were to believe he was a good and wise hero! O... M... G... Out of character, totally forced storyline. That moment summed up what was going so very, very wrong with the second series.

I guess it's good I hadn't read the books before meeting Zelazny. He would not have signed my books after I opened my mouth...

-Pie

[EatingPie]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

It is produced and shot by the same team who did Xena and Hercules - that is what originally attracted me to the series, I am a huge Xena fan. It is also filmed in New Zealand and the background scenery is GORGEOUS! I can't recall any rape as of yet in the series, but the torture with the Mord Sith is well done. Not too graphic, but it IS torture, all right. The series is VERY loosely based on the book. A lot was changed, and I like the series a lot more than I like the books. I find the series a lot more light-hearted in tone. Caveat - In my opinion the pilot is the worst episode of the series, so keep that in mind if you choose to give it a try. Season 2 is premiering today, in fact, with some sort of 1 hour "catch me up" episode beforehand. All in all it is not a thought-provoking, disturbing show (like my other favourite this year, Joss Whedon's Dollhouse), it is more of a fun, action-adventure type of program, similar to Xena and Hercules but less campy. Cheers!

I have not read the series, nor watched the show. However, my cousin loved it, but there is a major caveat.

The 2nd season of the series needs a Spoiler Warning! No, I'm not giving any spoilers. But according to my cousin, the last book isn't available in America, but the series ends the storyline. She loved the last episode, said she couldn't stop watching, and then realized it was the end!

So if you want to read the books, be careful with the show!

This is all second hand. I'm sure others will pipe in with more accurate details.

-Pie

[EatingPie]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

That question occurred to me, too.
What series can you think of that was planned to be a stand alone book, became a series, and is better for it?

Terminator! (Yes, I liked the newest movie too!)

Star Trek III and IV are a continuous ark off of Star Trek II. They were not planned that way, and Nimoy used bringing Spock back in ST:III as leverage to get into the director's chair. (I love ST:III, btw... the "theft of the Enterprise" is one of the best sequences ever in Star Trek history.)

Back to books...

Feist's Magician series. The first two books are the "one split into two by the publisher" deal, but obviously so. If you enjoy those books, many of his other books are very enjoyable.

Uh. Oh. My 3rd post in a row. Don't ban me!!

-Pie

[theducks]

L. Ron Hubbards Mission Earth Dec-ology, was 10 books to long

[llreader]

Originally Posted by EatingPie

I have signed first printings of several Ambers!

-Pie

I don't hate you for your pie, I hate you...

Nah, I don't hate you.

Good on you, though. Roger wrote some great stuff (and, as mentioned earlier, a lot of the best stuff was outside the Amber books). I guess I will pass on the Second Amber series for now, though, since my reading time is going to be limited.

Unfortunately, I just read that China Miéville considers Michael Moorcock a "literary hero", so now I have to go read more of his stuff "Maybe "Dancers..."). Sigh.

[DrMoze]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

Anyway, Terry Brooks should really, really not of done the Genesis of Shannara works.

I'm surprised that someone who appears to read books would actually write this. It is not English, the Queen's, bastardized American, or other.

I agree the Dune trilogy should have stopped there.

[Xiaopanda]

Originally Posted by owlrigh

What?!? There's a TV series? I was reading Goodkind years ago, waiting for every book to be released and then buying in hardcover; and then I was bored with one of his offerings and never went back.

So, the TV series, any good? Legend of the Seeker, I see. How does a Disney-ABC production come out of this, considering all the hardcore stuff, torture and rape, Goodkind writes?

Love the series (TV) though I was amazed at just how weak Cahlan is in the books..... Considering she is the only reason I watch the Series, Her fight scenes are usually totally awesome!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DrMoze

I'm surprised that someone who appears to read books would actually write this. It is not English, the Queen's, bastardized American, or other.

It's a very common mis-spelling. I suspect that people hear "should've", "would've", etc, and mistakenly believe the "'ve" to be the word "of" rather than an abbreviated form of "have".