On Monday, June 2, 2003, at 08:33 PM, Gaertk at aol.com wrote: > Ike Porter <ikep at umbc.edu> writes: > >> Something I've always wanted to see was a site where people >> could advise other readers when to stop reading a series. >> There are some books out there that are really good, but >> maybe don't get read because they morph into drek >> *coughRAMAcough*. Maybe I'll start working on that in my >> CST*. > > Many times there are warning signs, though most readers are > optimists and so don't heed them: > > 1) Sequel written by or co-written with someone else (Rama, > Foundation). or a series "Presented By..." > 2) Time since previous books is at least a decade longer than > previous gaps (Foundation). Dune was guilty of this as well. As was The Black Company, iirc. > > 3) Nothing happened in previous book[s] (Wheel of Time). Say it, brother! > > 4) In the last book, the insanely powerful protaganist was > still whining about not being able to do anything (Dune). > (Sorry, couldn't think of anything better for Dune.) Wheel of Time was good for this as well, as well Incarnation of Immortality by Piers Anthony. > > 5) Author keeps writing the same book over and over (Xanth, > Valdemar). Black Company, Shannara > Also "When The Author Doesn't Know When To Stop" Piers Anthony is a good example of this, as is Mercedes Lackey --- "If they've already seen your best they can do without the rest, don't ya know."---James McMutry