[bigbry]

Every once in awhile you find the "What order to read the series" post. I am in the middle of a non-fantasy/sci-fi series (Sharpe by Cornwall) and had trouble finding the correct order of the series since the author, after 9 books) went back and visited various time periods that take place before, after and even in between the original series. I see the same happening in Dune and recently Foundation.

The question for the group is: when picking up an on-going/complete series do you read them in PUBLISHING order or the worlds CHRONOLOGICAL order??


My response: I usually go with publishing order for I believe the author/authors feel more comfortable with thier world as the series progresses. The writing flows better and everyone is more familiar with the characters. When returning to those worlds, either in "prequels" or "fill-in" novels it is usually because of a demand for more stories about these characters/places by fans/publishers. These later books are written with the established fan in mind and sometimes the readers are taken for granted as they ussually already have a grasp on the world and certain things, covered in earlier books, are glossed over.

Just my few cents.......

[Ouroboros]

I always go with publishing order. The order they were written is almost certainly the way they are meant to be read.

The idea that a series must always progress chronologically forwards as it unfolds is obviously challenged (fairly successfully) by writers such as L.E Modesitt, David Gemmell and others. I'm all for playing with time lines.

[Warewolf]

Definitely publishing order. That way, you see the series unfold as the author envisioned it. Plus, you get to experience it in the same way as all the readers who read the books as they came out did.

[wildfire]

Publishing order.......

[Clarkesworld]

Publishing order. A lot of prequels spoil the mysteries that are in the original books.

-Neil

[Richardb]

Publishing order... but, it is nice to be able to go back and also read them chronologically. I found it a very different experience reading the Recluse books in chronological order than I did the original reads. I understood some things better.

[Ouroboros]

Funny you mention that, Richard - recently I did the same thing with the Recluce books.

'The Magic of Recluce', published first but chronologically near the middle of the series, is still the stand-out book of the series in my opinion. A bit grittier than the rest, and Modessit's writing style in this work tends more towards alluding to things obliquely rather than spelling things out obviously as in others in the series.

Modesitt's series, chronologically speaking, effectively jumps from the middlish book to the third-from-beginning book and fills in everything between and one after, and then jumps back to the first book and the second book (confused yet? I am). Then he covers events happening concurrently in the middle of the series effectively from the POV of 'the enemy'. Then, to cap it all, he jumps to the far past before the series began and examines part of the history of a dead nation destroyed in the chronologically second-earliest novel.

Now that's a bit of jumping around.... I think I got all of that correct.

It's quite a complex tapestry, and would seem to make more sense had it been layed out chronologically, right? Some things probably are clearer, as Richard says, but I would argue that the author has done a magnificent job of juggling it all into coherency and that many of the finer touches and little ironies are missed if it is dumbed-down and read chronologically.

[Richardb]

Just to make clear how bizarre the chronology of the books is... here is the official chronology: 1850 years of Recluse history.

Approx. Year: Novel :Events
1: Magi'i of Cyador :Lorn must become a Mirror Lancer officer of the White Empire of Cyador, hiding his talents as a magus, while fighting barbarians and the Accursed Forest, and falling in love with the merchanter Ryalth.
8 :Scion of Cyador: Now an overcaptain, Lorn -- and Ryalth -- must discover how to keep Lorn from falling prey to plots from ambitious senior officers, merchanters and Magi'i who plot various coups to take over the Malachite Throne, and stop a barbarian invasion.
401: Fall of Angels: Ryba's and Nylan's ship Winterlance breaks order-chaos barrier into new universe; they and 24 female marines planetfall to the Roof of World, survive local attacks, build Tower Black and Westwind, begin the Westwind guards
403 :The Chaos Balance: Nylan and Ayrlyn leave Westwind. They seek refuge in Lornth, which comes under attack by Cyador, the first white empire. Nylan discover the secret of the accursed forest to save Lornth and his son
900: The Towers of Sunset :Creslin, son of the Marshall of Westwind, flees an arranged marriage; is enslaved by White Wizards, escapes, and enters marriage of convenience to Maegara, the white witch; they escape Candar to a desert isle where they create the island nation of Recluce.
1190 :The White Order: Cerryl, orphan of a renegade white mage, loses the rest of his family and works his way toward the heritage which fate - and the Guild of the White Order - appear to have denied him. He becomes an apprentice scrivener in Fairhaven, only to discover the white wizards are observing his every move - and may take his life.
1200: The Magic Engineer: Dorrin is exiled from Recluce because of his love of machines forbidden by the Black mages; he, Kadara, and Brede travel through Candar and settle in Spidlar; the White Wizards of Fairhaven raise mountains and build roads through them as they unite Candar under chaos-rule; Dorrin tries to build his machines, many turned to war uses by Brede, as the three fend off chaos.
1205: Colors of Chaos: Cerryl finds that he had only begun to discover the problems facing Fairhaven and the White Order and now must cope with dangers from all over Candar, from Recluce, and from within Fairhaven itself, including the jealousy and instability of the High Wizard himself.
1650: The Order War: Justen, a Black engineer, and his brother Gunnar volunteer to help Sarronnyn fight off the White Wizards of Fairhaven; Justen is driven into the Stone Hills, then rescued by a druid to face greater trials. He defies the Council of Recluce and builds a weapon horrifying both the Council and the White Wizards in his efforts to destroy Fairhaven.
1850: The Magic of Recluce: Young, bored, woodworker Lerris leaves Recluce on his dangergeld exile; he travels Candar and finds the gray wizard Justen; he escapes danger and becomes a woodworker again; he fights the great white wizard Antonin; then finds love and understanding with Krystal, subcommander of Kyphros.
1855: The Death of Chaos: Lerris, Krystal, and all of Candar are threatened by both the growing power of the Emperor of Hamor and the growth of Chaos; Hamor attacks Candar, and then Recluce; in the end Lerris must attempt destroy Hamor's power and the power of Chaos, or face the proverbial fate worse than death.

[FicusFan]

Fora completed series: always chronological order. Wouldn't even consider publishing order unless I am reading the series as the books are still being published. I want a story that unfolds from start to finish, with a picture and a context that builds in depth and complexity.

I have no interest in jumping around from book to book. The author will often jump around within the book, and I see no reason to add to it. I also don't necessarily think the order is planned by the author. Some do work that way, but others simply have an idea for something, and have already passed that point in the story. Rather than not write the book they publish it out of sequence, but that doesn't mean there was a reason to do it that way, or that it is beneficial to read it that way.

[Eventine]

I want a story that unfolds from start to finish, with a picture and a context that builds in depth and complexity.

I don't think reading in chronological order achieves that. Usually (or at least in my experience) when an author writes a prequel half the concepts, characters, etc are included from the previously published novels and like Neil said:
A lot of prequels spoil the mysteries that are in the original books.
Or at least some of the irony contained in the prequels is lost.

Small case study (with minor spoiler):
The First King of Shannara (prequel to Sword of Shannara) features ancestors of two characters who randomly meet in the Sword of Shannara. If the books were read in chronological rather than publishing order, the irony here would have been lost (or at least rendered less effective by being reversed).