[Gary Wassner]

I had to add some levity to my forum. It has been getting so serious lately.

In any case, some people prefer the longest series they can find, and some want only stand alone books. What is your preference and why?

[JRMurdock]

Depends on my mood. My mood also dictates HOW I read. I listen to audio, I read e-books, and I read books (hard and soft).

For content, again depends on mood. I'm currently listening to Angels and Demons via Audio. The intent audio book makes traffic go by so much quicker. I'm listening to Stranger in a Strange Land during my lunch. The slow paced book makes lunch go by slower.

For reading, I'm currently in the book about a couple of twins and some gem thingy. I forget the title though. I'm also reading on my Pocket PC Eye of the World (the first Jordan book if you needed me to tell you that).

For me, relaxing time is when I want an epic. I like to sit back, relax, and enjoy a good, long read. It's surprising how engrossing a novel can be. I find I spend more time relaxing once the novel picks up. :) When I read an epic, I don't want to story to end. I will find myself reading other works in between to make the epic 'seem' to last longer when in reality I'm just afraid to finish cuz that's it. It's over.

I'm glad I've got all three books though (of Gemquest that is) and I'll definately be picking up 4 when it's out and perstering the hell out of the author when I'm chomping at the bit for 5. But I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?

[JRMurdock]

I had to add some levity to my forum. It has been getting so serious lately.

And hey! You started those threads. :D

[Holbrook]

I had to add some levity to my forum. It has been getting so serious lately.

In any case, some people prefer the longest series they can find, and some want only stand alone books. What is your preference and why?


It's a bit like saying do you like soaps, drama series or one off plays/films?

Soaps you know are never going to end, the characters change, but the story goes on... and on.... and Errrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! Some book series are like that, they will go on for ever I am sure, various writers picking up the baton.


Then drama series. A series of stories about the same characters, but it does end and even if you miss a ep/book you can pick up the threads of the story.

Then the one off play/film the single book, the damn good story that you know there will be no more of. The danger here is that if the story is a success the author will be tempted to write more. Or another film is made. It is rare that the follow up matches up to the original and to be honest some stories should not be continued.

Personally both the books I have written and the third in progress are stand alones, though the second could be continued quite easily, also the first, though that would be very hard work, I would have to take the characters on quite a few years in their existence to make a good effort of it.

The latest, is a stand alone, I wouldn't want to continue this story. The main characters are finished with by the end of it... It would ruin it actually trying to work the ending for another book or story.

[juzzza]

I get bored easily. Usually it has nothing to do with the quality of the writing at all. For example, I love Martin's ASoIaF, and read AGoT and ACoK years ago... still haven't read the (split) third book.

I need long breaks between reading the same author let alone the same world and characters by the same author.

So I would say that usually I like stand-alones. However, I do like sequels to stand-alones if that makes sense... for example Perdido Street Station and The Scar... Same worlds and rules, different characters. I like Gemmell and loved his Waylander, Druss and Shannow books, which had many but are not really series per se.

WOT does not appeal to me in the least, I wouldn't care if the writing was considered consistantly exceptional (which is hardly the case), I simply refuse to invest in ten books to tell one story.

You have made me challenge this of late though Gary, as you know, I have read The Twins, and decided to break my normal routine by reading a few books in-between, before picking up The Awakening. I have to say, I am really ready and looking forward to picking book 2 up. That is unusual for me. I think I will go straight into The Shards after that... just promise me you won't get to ten books!!!

[Empty]

Assuming that this thread concerned the varied penis lengths of the male members of this site, I was about to concede without argument that yours is likely bigger than mine. It turns out this thread was not asking that question. :)

If the work is of enough quality and has enough revelation, character development, and is based in a large and interesting location, then yes I prefer a 'bigger' work. Otherwise I am please whatever the length as long as there is enough quality. You know the adage.

[Kleronomas]

For me, if the first book hooks me, I want more and more. The thing is, I haven't really put this to the test as it's only recently that the 10 book plus mega-epic has come along. Years ago, when I bought a new book, I'd look at the thickest ones first, trying to find something that interested me, hoping it was book 1 of a series. These days I'm not too fussed about that, although I still check out the thick books ahead of the average sized. If an author creates a world with huge scope, I want to explore it all, and I'll read for as long as it takes provided things remain interesting.

[Holbrook]

I get bored easily!

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrr Danger, Will Robinson... danger!!!!

[Hereford Eye]

Depends on the author and the characters. Have read everything Tony Hillerman has written on his Navajo Tribal Police protagonists and that's probably at about 15/16 books. That has to do with liking the characters and the setting and competent mystery writing as well.
Do not like series that start telling the same story over and over. Will drop them as soon as I detect that is going on.
Have read and will continue to read all Spider Robinson's Callahan series: like the characters, the spirit embodied in the stories, and the puns.
Read all Ian Fleming's James Bond books but none of the later books by other authors.
Read all the original Thieve's World and Merovingen Nights series because of characters I liked.
Read a lot of stand alones. There aren't that many good ones these days in sff circles, everyone seems to be going for trilogies. China Mieville, as Juzzza points out, being a notable exception as is Sean Stewart.

What I find interesting about my reading these days is that I get bored about the 66% of the way through the larger books. Tryin to figure out why that's so. Could be the onset of ADD, I suppose.

[Gary Wassner]

I think that I too reach a point in a series when my interest just wanes. WOT is a good example. I was fascinated in the beginning, and then it got tedious. I don't know if it had to do with the author or with me. I know many people, including one of my sons, who craves each and every one of Jordan's books as they are released.

With my own series, I never intended it to be of any specific length. I have a story to tell, and when it's told, the series will end. Each book I begin, and i am now in the middle of the fifth, I don't rule out that it will be the last. I really and truly don't know until I am far into the book. But then again, I don't outline or do story boards of any kind, so how could I ever know when this is going to end? I try very hard to write from a place, not to one. For me, that maintains the sense of spontaniety that I so adore.