Series: The Good and the Bad

Yes, I am aware that the saying is usually, “the good, the bad, and the ugly”. I know. But I’m not planning to talk about any ugly books, so today it’s just the good and the bad.

I know it’s been a minute, but life happened and this space – obviously – failed to thrive. Time to rectify that.

I read a few series the last few months. Or, really, I should say: I tried reading a few series the last few months. I’m not sure I finished any of the series. I kept hoping that the series would be amazing, or that storylines wouldn’t repeat or get boring and drag on until people find a way to build houses on Saturn.

As a result, some series that I have been reading faithfully over the years (hello, Gray Man!) have been pushed towards the bottom of my TBR pile because I just can’t do any more “continuing stories” or because I was invested in other series and hoping for the best.

I think most series exist because enough people liked the first book, or maybe even the first two books, and wanted to see more. Or maybe the author said from the beginning, “hey, this is a 7-book series”, and purposely left the first six books unresolved until the final book. I’m okay with either of those scenarios: in the first, I get more of what I enjoyed; in the latter, I know going in that I’ll have to read a lot of books to get the full story and I also know there will be a final resolution.

And, really, isn’t that what we should all be hoping for? At some point, a series should resolve itself. Think about TV series – so many series start off full of hype, and then after a few seasons they get cancelled. All that time viewers wasted . . . so sad.

The Good

Let’s start with the good: sometimes, a series just gets it right.

  • Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series is amazeballs. Seriously: 13 books, each that build on the events of the previous one(s), all building along the same character arc and storyline, and then poof – it gets all wrapped up (maybe a little too quickly, but whatever) and things are resolved. Yes, book 13 ends with a question. But she has said that she will write the next “chapter” in the overal saga of things later (gotta give Beep a series), so she gave herself a nugget to build from when she does. (Her next book, by the way, has nothing to do with this series – which I think is smart.)
  • The Gray Man books by Mark Greaney are superb: yes, each book *could* stand on its own if it had to, but reading them in order gives you a little more perspective on the characters and their development. That said, the fact that each could stand on its own allows for minor sub-arcs to be developed, each of which contributes to the greater arc. As such, it hasn’t yet fallen flat. (A similar series is Mitch Rapp, first done by Vince Flynn and now continued by Kyle Mills.)
Man toasting others in a cheers.

The Bad

Unfortunately, money talks – in both TV and books. Some series start off with a bang, and then they just keep going and going because people keep buying them. They just don’t know when to stop. Let’s talk about a few examples:

  • Karen Marie Moning is coming out with at least one additional Fever Series book [presumably] starring Mac and Barrons. Can we all be honest and admit that this series *should* have stopped after the first five? I mean, end it with Mac and Barrons grilling burgers and let the readers imagine the rest.
  • The Nate Temple series by Shayne Silvers starts off great. I liked the characters – the integration of Greek mythology is wonderful – and the supporting characters really do carry the books. Unfortunately, I had a harder time liking Nate himself, which was unfortunate. His character arc hits so many potholes that it can be really hard to empathize with him. I stopped reading at the 30% mark in book nine . . . I just couldn’t anymore.
  • Game of Thrones. There, I said it. Yes, the books are good. BUT – will the books ever be finished? It’s a legitimate concern – I mean, it’s been eight years since the last Ice and Fire book came out, and now we’ve got GRRM doing five spin-off shows for HBO, writing backstory books we didn’t need or ask for . . . Dude, focus. (And please resolve the ending we saw in the HBO series.)
picture of frustrated man with hand on his forehead

So, what have we learned?

It isn’t fair to readers who have spent time (and money, and maybe their own blood, sweat, and tears) investing in a series to let it deteriorate or drag on and on. If you know you’re going to have a series, have a definite storyline and stick to it. I think plots and narratives develop much more naturally when that is the case.

Yes, loyal readers will continue to read the books because that’s what we do. I know when Karen Marie Moning comes out with the next book, I’m going to buy it on instinct. When Mark Greaney comes out with the next Gray Man book I’m going to order it and let it sit in my TBR pile whether I’m ready for it or not. I know those things like I know my kids like candy. It is fact.

But, at some point, the audience will shrink and the authors may lose interest and storylines could get dull or repetitive. Creative writing should be exactly that: creative. Let’s not dull down the art with the unnecessary.

Discussion

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