Jen at Crazy for Books has restarted her weekly Book Blogger Hop to help book bloggers connect with one another. The only requirements to participate in the Hop are to write and link a post answering the weekly question and then visit other blogs that are also participating to see if you like their blog and would like to follow them. A complete explanation of the history and the rules of the Hop can be found here.
This week Jen asks: What book series do you never want to see end?
These sorts of questions are difficult for me to answer, because not only have all of my favorite series already ended, in many cases, the author of the series is dead. (Although being dead doesn't always stop a writer from releasing more books, just ask someone like Robert Ludlum. Well, if you can contact the dead you can ask him).
That said, I don't think there has ever been any series that I would have never wanted to see end. I am a huge fan of the Babylon 5 television series, for a variety of reasons. But one reason that I love the show is that the ongoing story line of the series had a beginning, a middle, and an end. And it was an ending that was thought out ahead of time. Too many series seem to wander along without any real idea where they are going, and then they end up like Lost or The Wheel of Time, just meandering until the story runs out of steam and concludes with a whimper. Endings are as important to a story, and to a series, as a beginning. I would argue that endings are more important, because that's what the reader is going to have as their final memory of the series.
The upshot of all this is, my answer is: None. There are no book series that I never want to see end. I want them all to end, and I would really like it if they all ended well. Not happily mind you, but well.
Go to previous Book Blogger Hop: All Four of the Gaelic Games Have Fifteen Players to a Side
Go to subsequent Book Blogger Hop: William Holden Starred in the Movie Stalag 17
Book Blogger Hop Home
I gotta agree with you here. There really is nothing more disappointing than a beloved series that continues too long. Each new installment is a bigger disappointment than the last. Rehashing old plots and having characters act out of character just to continue the story. I think it's usually pretty obvious when authors and TV show writers have an overall story arc or just make it up as they go along. Ahem, Lost! Old follower.
ReplyDelete@adinabb: I think too many writers simply don't think about the ending of their story enough. Television writers seem to be especially susceptible to this, but it seems to affect movie writers and book authors as well.
ReplyDeleteNew follower via RSS
ReplyDeleteActually, I kind of agree with you on series... I always want a conclusion... but there are series that I WOULD like for the worlds certain books are written into continue.
http://littlesqueed.blogspot.com/2012/09/book-blogger-hop-and-follow-me-friday.html
@Heather: There are some books I have read that I finish wishing they were a little longer. But I usually take that as a sign of a successful story - if a book leaves you wanting more, then the book has clearly entertained you without wearing out its welcome.
ReplyDelete