#AmWriting – Series Suck!

Time for another swat at a hornet’s nest. Of all the recent trends in writing, one of my least favorite is how many book series there are these days. They drive me crazy. And I’ve had enough.

Series suck.

There I said it. And now the flames will descend upon my head, like mystical fires from sages of ages lost in the mists of time.

Whatever.

Based on the conversations I see/read/hear, the rush to create book series is more a marketing ploy than writing decision. It’s not because the story requires the length, but rather an easy way to “hook” readers. Mark me in the category that sees the word’s “First Book In A New Series” and puts the book down again. In the books I’ve read that part of a series there is too often a cliff hanger at the end of the book. Nothing resolved, no completion of a story, just a thinly veiled demand to “Give me more of your money”.

Do not hold me for ransom. If I buy a book, I want to read a complete story. That’s the general rule. Leave me at the end, in mid-action, with the literary version of “To Be Continued”, and it’s likely I’m done with you. Let your writing and story make me want to come back.

Are there series I’ve enjoyed? Yes. They fall into two categories. The series made up of stand-alone novels. This list is close to endless. I love the Nero Wolfe books, the Stephanie Plum books, the Joe Leaphorn books, so many series that I have read and continue to read. Each book is a complete and discrete story. While the characters and their individual relationship arcs extend from book to book, the story of each book is complete by the time you hit the words “The End”.

There are a few series where the story isn’t finished at the end of each volume that I’ve enjoyed. The obvious one is J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. It’s a story that needs the extra length. There’s also a clear story transition “ending’ for both “The Fellowship of the Ring” and “The Two Towers”. The story is not finished, but the action of that volume concludes. Isaac Asimov not only carried the story through the original “Foundation” trilogy, but managed to extend it later with solid additions. I’m undecided if George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Fire and Ice” series needs the length it has used so far, but he does manage to keep a lot of storyline balls in the air. We will have to wait to see if he ever finishes the series to judge. There also series that did well at first, but didn’t know when to quit. After you complete the original trilogy of Frank Herbert’s “Dune”, the quality of the stories show a dramatic decline for me.

That’s the real sticking point. I question if most of these series have the depth of story to maintain for book after book. It is possible to epic without requiring multiple volumes. How much filler remains so the author can meet their marketing needs? My greatest complaint with Tolkien is that there passages of scenic description that go on and on without adding much to the storytelling. Writing a series because the story needs the room is one thing. Writing it as a marketing hook, is another.

Those series…suck.

Peace.