I imagine that Harry Potter is either high on everyone's list or not on the list at all. But for those that like them, the wait for the last book is almost over.
I haven't read too many other fantasy *series* that I like. I have a "favorite author", but I've only read two of his books and those two weren't related at all.
Oddly enough, I can't think of any SF series off the top of my head, either, that I've read. There are enough of them out there. (I'm not counting the umpteen Star Trek book lines, which I stopped reading 20 years ago or so as I couldn't keep up with them -- and because so many of them were utter garbage.)
I've read a few of Sue Grafton's alphabet books (and heard a couple on cassette in the car) and I'll probably pick up a few more during the summer.
The Lemony Snicket series finally reached The End, but it was probably several books to late.
And I have a huge collection of Doc Savage books in my basement, but I haven't read them in ages because I've been trying to read books that I can get rid of and pass along.
Okay, your turn . . . .
I turn the floor over to . . .
I really enjoyed Stephen King’s Gunslinger series.
book club ping
20 years ago, Jerry Ahern's 'Survivalist' series, and the Mack Bolan/Stony Man books. 8~)
For me Dune is the best series, even the ones by Frank Herberts son are good.
Growing up I loved the Xanth series. I also liked Star Wars books even though most of them are hit and miss, I just like reading them and putting myself into the Star Wars universe.
I REALLY enjoyed “The Raj Quartet”, a four book historical fiction series by Paul Scott which focussed on the ending days of British rule in India. PBS produced a miniseries of the first book, “The Jewel in the Crown” back in the 80’s which was very well received.
Paul Scott is an EXTREMELY descriptive writer, and some may find his writing tedious, but I found it fascinating. Race relations of all types, not only white/Indian, but also between different factions, castes and religions of Indians are explored in great detail and are integral to the twists and turns of the plot line. The main story line centers on a forbidden romance between a young British woman and an Indian man (educated at all the best schools in England, yet not accepted by either the British or his own people).
The first book is a good story in itself and some may be satisfied with just that, but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered and I enjoyed the writing so much, I continued with the other three.
If not Harry Potter, I’d go with Asimov’s Foundation series.
Im re-reading the entire Hardy Boys Canon. I also just finished Pete Early’s book on Aldrich Ames..
The Patrick O’Brian “Master and Commander” series of 20+ books is excellent. I was not too keen on the topic(British 19th naval)at first glance...but this was my incorrect bias. Now I love the topic.
Following Proust’s Lost Time the idea of a series or a set of parallel novels caught on in the realm of literature. Some sets ran to twenty-five novels with the same characters. But, the American West had its dime novels where the adventures of one or another western hero continued forever. The dime novels have disappeared, so if anybody has some of these in a trunk in tha attic it might be an opportunity.
Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp Series— great political fiction in the vein of 24!
1-The series about Rome and Ceasar by Norfolk Island, (SP) resident Colleen McCullough, which includes: CESAR, CESAR’S WOMEN, The GRASS CROWN, FORTUNE’s FAVORITE, and The FIRST MAN in ROME. Beautifully researched and the dialogue is crisp and remarkably fun to read. Each book is in the multi hundred to over 1,000 pages. A “READER’s” treat.
2-The Hera Series by New Zealand writer Pauline Gedge.
Ancient Egypt at it’s most conspiratorial and bloody.
3-Anything by Wilbur Smith; some twenty or more novels placed in or about Africa from it’s earliest encounters with the White men, to right now. A rich and deep writer who has created not one but several families, with genealogical movement; black and white. Start anywhere but better if from the begining. Adrenaline at it’s best.
4-Since I pled ignorance by submitting three, I figured, as would a U.S.Senator, (i.e., disembler,liar and cheat), why not me as well; so here is a forth series worth mentioning.
The Sano series, by Laura Joh Rowland.
Following the career and life of humble police officer Sano up through ranks to the Shogun’s “personal investigator of odd occurrences and happenings” in the Tokgukowa regime in ancient Japan. Clever investigation and involved plots making for a better more entertaining form of CSI: Ancient Japan(Cue giant gong clash!)Lots of involved and twisted plots for reading.
Piers Anthony - Xanth
Roger Zelazny - Amber
Marion Z. Bradley - Darkover
Alan Cole, Chris Bunch - Sten
A. Bertram Chandler - Grimes
David Drake - Hammer's Slammers
Eric Flint - Ring of Fire/Grantville
Alan Dean Foster - Flinx/Commonwealth
Leo Frankowski - StarGuard
David Gerrold - Chtorr (took forever!)
Terry Goodkind - Sword of Truth
James P. Hogan - Giants
Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time
Elizabeth Moon - Paksnarrion
John Ringo - Alldenata
Fred Saberhagen - Dracula
William Mark Simmons - Halflife
E. E. Smith - Skylark, Lensman
David Weber - Honor Harrington/Dahak/March series
Those are just the ones with a bunch of books...
The first that comes to mind is the Christian History Project— a series of books that deal with the history of Christianity -—superbly done...and fascinating reading.
The Space Trilogy by C S Lewis—not as well knownas his others
And Herbert’s Dune-—got through those years ago but still reverberate.
While they might not be my favorite series, I have recently enjoyed a series by “Gordon Kent”, pseudonym for a father/son team who both served and flew in ASW ops in the Navy. The current titles, in release order, are: Night Trap, Peacemaker, Top Hook, Hostile Contact, Force Protection, Damage Control, The Spoils of War. Like a lot of novel series, even including those of Patrick O’Brian, the writers tend to run short of new material down the line, but there is a lot of interesting techno stuff, which led me to learn a lot about S-3 aircraft that I didn’t know.
I don’t go in for series much. I have friends who are waiting for the next book in several different fantasy series,but they just don’t interest me much. I have another friend who has devoted this year to reading Churchill’s complete WWII history, which is a bigger goal than I’m willing to commit to.
I’ll get, and probably finish, the final Harry Potter the week if not the day it comes out. The last series before HP that I was in a hurry to snag and read was the Hitchhiker’s Guide trilogy (of five). I read The Green Mile, but only after it was all finished, and that’s not a novel series, but a single novel published in serial form.
My gripe with series, as you point out in a few examples, is that they tend to accumulate filler. The quality of each book is kind of hit or miss.
So what am I reading? I’ve been on a history and biography kick lately, reading Ellis Washington bio, His Excellency, McCullogh’s 1776, and over the last couple of years Isaacson’s bio of Ben Franklin and McCullogh’s of John Adams. I just finished In Cold Blood, a book I can’t believe I never read before now, and I”m working on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals, a bio of Abe Lincoln and his Cabinet. In between non-fiction, I squeezed in Hannibal Rising. I also recommend to anyone Bernard Lewis’ history of the Middle East, but reading it is not a task to be taken lightly.
When I finish the Goodwin, my plan is to zip through at least a half-dozen Vonnegut novels as my own personal memorial to the guy. I did something similar when Douglas Adams died. Adams was easier — he’d only written seven novels.
I don’t care too much for series. I like to finish the story:’) The last one I read though, I think, was the “Left Behind “ ones. I liked them but didn’t like waiting months for the next one to come out.