Name of Book (The **** series Book 1)

[Paul_C]

I have mixed feelings whenever I see this, mostly that I may not get a full story all tied up in a neat, well concluded parcel, but just a first episode of a bigger story arc which will need all the books to be read before it all makes sense.

If the first book is a good one then there's always the promise of more enjoyment in the following books but I have to admit to being less enthusiastic about Book 1 of a series than about a single self-contained story.

This occurred to me as I was having another look through Amazon's free Sci-Fi selections, as almost every book is part of a series.

M John Harrison's Light and Hannu Rajaniemi's Quantum Thief were both enjoyable and more stories was a great pleasure with both, but that's not always guaranteed

 

[Peter V]

I have mixed feelings whenever I see this, mostly that I may not get a full story all tied up in a neat, well concluded parcel, but just a first episode of a bigger story arc which will need all the books to be read before it all makes sense.

If the first book is a good one then there's always the promise of more enjoyment in the following books but I have to admit to being less enthusiastic about Book 1 of a series than about a single self-contained story.

This occurred to me as I was having another look through Amazon's free Sci-Fi selections, as almost every book is part of a series.

M John Harrison's Light and Hannu Rajaniemi's Quantum Thief were both enjoyable and more stories was a great pleasure with both, but that's not always guaranteed

I like epics and especially so if I get in to the first of a trilogy (or larger) and find it to be extremely good - the promise of so much more is rewarding. Nights Dawn, Hyperion, The Commonwealth Saga, ASoIaF, The Lord of the Rings to name a few.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Free sections have a lot of series - because the first book acts as a teaser. Very few writers put single books on free now.

I don't mind a series but I do prefer ones that are complete.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I take my writing cue from Robert Fabbri, whose historical fiction novels about Vespasian aren't numbered, and written/sold to work as standalones as necessary.

Any prior information you need to know is referenced enough to get the gist of backstory without having to go through it in detail. Which means you can pick it up mid-series and quickly get a sense of what's going on, without feeling like missing out.

With other series, I don't mind picking up a first book because I already presume against reading the rest unless it's exceptional. That way I get to sample lots of different authors and get a sense of their writing, without having to feel like I'm committing beyond that first book. IMO it's a good approach as a writer, though I can see how readers can feel frustrated when a series takes decades to complete. We've certainly seen that a few times - but I don't think it's all that common.

 

[tinkerdan]

I love a series; often I delude myself into believing they are trilogies until the forth one arrives and it doesn't answer any of the most pressing questions.

At some point I'd like to know if there is an end or if this is going to be a never-ending story.

What I have a problem with is the Chapters that have been stretched and labeled as Parts and each part is 99 cents US and the twenty some parts that are out there waiting are going to cost more than you would pay if the thing were assembled properly into satisfyingly readable novels and you won't know it will end on the twenty-something one: or if by the time you get there, there will be five more waiting. (I have yet to find one of those available that peek my interest enough to read beyond the first part anyway.)

 

[Stephen Palmer]

It does slightly depend on what you call a trilogy, series etc.
Lord Of The Rings is one long book in three volumes.
I suspect a lot of series are opportunistic more than anything else.

 

[Bick]

I suspect quite a lot of fantasy series arise because the authors are Tolkien wannabe's in that they want to create a world, but don't have a clear idea how the plot is all going to work out and conclude satisfactorily, so they embark on a series. A number of big SFF series have shown great promise and settings early on and then peter out. I'm distrusting these days since being burnt by GoT and Revelation Space. In theory I'd like to immerse myself in a good series, but the risk is getting to be too high.

 

[Montero]

Well, I found Carrie Vaughn's "Kittie" series to hold up well - somewhere in the high teens in terms of book counts.... I actually read it slightly out of order and it was fine. It did also come to a firm ending. It was a series of individual events in a life, and an overarching story gradually emerging that was concluded neatly in the last book.

In terms of immersing self in series - I have to admit I am always pleased to discover a new to me completed series - but I still buy new incomplete series because I fancy it and because without the early books selling, the later ones may never be written.