Book series that are too long/not long enough

[RandomTrivia]

To go with the TV show discussion, what about books? Series that ended too soon? The ones that went too long?

 

 

I wish Dorothy Gilman had written more Mrs. Pollifax mysteries.

I hope Mercedes Lackey has more Valdemar novels to write.

I'll buy the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books as long as Alexander McCall Smith keeps writing them (probably).

I wouldn't turn down more Harry Potter books.

I've stopped buying Rita Mae Brown's cat series in hardback, after almost 20 books.

The Pern books maybe should have ended after Anne McCaffrey's strokes (or her son needs more practice and a better editor).

Jean Auel could use a better editor, she writes like she gets paid by the word (or the pound).

 

I won't even touch Twilight and Shades of Grey. Tried to read them. Couldn't do it.

[LilMissMetaphor]

Xanth went on WAY too long.

[Gizmola]

I wish there were 7 more Harry Potter books. I know that in reality it was the perfect length - I just miss them terribly. I miss the midnight parties at bookstores and the excitement of a new volume.

[formergothardite]

Left Behind OMG that series would never end. And the kids series has like 30 books in it. It became very obvious that they were just trying to see how much money they could make.

[StarrieEyedKat]

I wish there were 7 more Harry Potter books. I know that in reality it was the perfect length - I just miss them terribly. I miss the midnight parties at bookstores and the excitement of a new volume.

Word

[Arete]

I know some people are going to howl, but A Song of Ice and Fire, what most people think of as Game of Thrones. The last two books have been a waste, and it's become obvious he is dragging this out for money. I adore the first three books, but I suspect getting a television serious (which is awesome, not knocking it) is what is corrupting the books.

[keen23]

The Flowers in the Attic series (and everything else that was written by VC Andrews after she died) was too long.

Stephanie Plum has gone on too long.

Sue Grafton's alphabet series is way too long- good premise, but really, I've lost interest since about I.

Terry Pratchett has managed to keep Discworld fresh and exciting by not concentrating on the same characters for too long. As wonderful as Sam Vimes is, it's refreshing when someone like Moist Von Lipwig, Death or Rincewind gets to play a starring role for a time. It's really world-building at it's finest.

[B5SnowDog]

The Pern books maybe should have ended after Anne McCaffrey's strokes (or her son needs more practice and a better editor).

I quit reading the series once he started writing them with her. His voice was just too different.

Xanth went on WAY too long.

Oh hell yes. Have you ever read the Xanth and Guide to Xanth pages on Book-A-Minute?

I thought the Deverry Series by Katharine Kerr needed at least one more book. I never thought I'd say that about a 15 book series but the last book felt too rushed.

[contrary]

I would totally take more harry potter, but don't think it was a bad idea to stop. I loved anne rice's Mayfair witches trilogy. I'd have taken more of those!

[samurai_sarah]

I agree that Stephanie Plum has gone on too long. I stopped reading after book 8 or so.

The "Molly Murphy" series by Rhys Bowen is on the brink for me. But I haven't read the two latest yet, so I might change my mind.

Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander/Cross Stitch" has gone on way too long, but I still read the series, because damnit, I want to know how it ends.

Dennis Lehane's "Kenzie-Gennaro" series, I always wished he'd continue. But when I just googled him, I saw that I missed the 2010 book. Yay!!! All's well in my world again. Off to amazon.

[Gizmola]

Not to derail, but is anyone going to read J.K. Rowling's new book, The Constant Vacancy?

[Loveday]

I wish there were 7 more Harry Potter books. I know that in reality it was the perfect length - I just miss them terribly. I miss the midnight parties at bookstores and the excitement of a new volume.

Quoted for so much truth.

Not to derail, but is anyone going to read J.K. Rowling's new book, The Constant Vacancy?

*raises hand* Me. It comes out this week, doesn't it? :)

[terranova]

I know some people are going to howl, but A Song of Ice and Fire, what most people think of as Game of Thrones. The last two books have been a waste, and it's become obvious he is dragging this out for money. I adore the first three books, but I suspect getting a television serious (which is awesome, not knocking it) is what is corrupting the books.

HOOOWWWWWWLLL!

:D

I enjoyed the last book more than any since the first one. I found the middle three spent so much time with Arya and the Hound and co farting around in the Riverlands getting nowhere. Can't wait for the last 2!

[NjoyingNsanity]

I always thought J.K. Rowling should have written more maybe not about Harry, but she created such a large world with the wizarding world that she could have written more maybe a few prequels to Harry, maybe a series dealing with the founders, Dumbledore as a student, or he'll even the Marauder's during their Hogwarts years. She could also write about the exploits of Harry and the gang's kids during their time at Hogwarts.

[Loveday]

I always thought J.K. Rowling should have written more maybe not about Harry, but she created such a large world with the wizarding world that she could have written more maybe a few prequels to Harry, maybe a series dealing with the founders, Dumbledore as a student, or he'll even the Marauder's during their Hogwarts years. She could also write about the exploits of Harry and the gang's kids during their time at Hogwarts.

Exactly. I suspect that at some point down the road, years from now, she'll revisit the wizarding world and create a new series based on one or a combination of the above. :dance:

[pomology]

I always thought J.K. Rowling should have written more maybe not about Harry, but she created such a large world with the wizarding world that she could have written more maybe a few prequels to Harry, maybe a series dealing with the founders, Dumbledore as a student, or he'll even the Marauder's during their Hogwarts years. She could also write about the exploits of Harry and the gang's kids during their time at Hogwarts.

Or even wizards living outside of Britain. I really enjoyed when she talked about people all over the world visiting the World Cup.

Honestly, I don't give a shit about Harry and his exploits (come and get me Merry Band of Bitches). But I really enjoy the wizarding world she created.

[ADoyle90815]

Or even wizards living outside of Britain. I really enjoyed when she talked about people all over the world visiting the World Cup.

This.

[crazyforkate]

SO agreed with Jean M. Auel. Right now it's like she's vomiting onto the page. Horrible.

Harry Potter shouldn't be longer in terms of the main story, but it should have more companion books, or maybe an encyclopedia.

And of course Stieg Larsson had to go and die after only three books...grrr.

[LilMissMetaphor]

Oh hell yes. Have you ever read the Xanth and Guide to Xanth pages on Book-A-Minute?

Haha, too true.

[Kaylee]

I really wish Poppy Z. Brite had written more of the books set in Missing Mile (not really a series, but it seemed like one because of the common settings and characters for Lost Souls & Exquisite Corpse). I know it's not gonna happen because the author has said he is so over those characters and that period of life, but I loved the books and was so sad there weren't more of them.

I'm on the fence about Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series. I loved them up through Blue Moon but since then it seems like things are so complicated with so many characters, power struggles, and side plots, that they can kind of wander. Still though every time one sort of loses me I end up liking the next one, so I guess it works as a whole.

I keep hearing rumors that there will be a 4th 50 Shades of Grey book, or a another trilogy, and I really hope not.

On that note though (as in SM related novels, not because their writing is similar in any way), Laura Antoniou can write as many more Marketplace books as she likes and I'd still probably want more. The Leather Women series was good too, and I love to see more of those.

[Arete]

Oh, J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts), should have had Eve Dallas knocked up and living happily ever after about 10 books ago.

[gimlet]

I wish Lauren Henderson was still writing Sam Jones novels (mystery series set in 1990s-early 2000s England, heroine detective was a punky conceptual sculptor who got up into all sorts of trouble.)

And I wish Karen Rose Cercone had had her 3 book publishing deal extended. It was another mystery series, set in 1905 Pittsburgh with a romance between an Irish-Italian, socialist/anarchist, lady journalist and an Armenian steelworker turned cop. I think it was a great idea that came along about 10 years too soon. Great meditations on culture and identity, American political and industrial history, and set in the boom days of that region. I lived in Cleveland but am fond of Pittsburgh and its similar faded glory.

[Lillybee]

Stephanie Plum is no longer funny. Same book over and over. Auel's first two books were wonderful but she should have stopped there. Ayla just about invented everything, including a needle with an eye, a bra, tamed wild animals and the list just keeps on going on and on.

I agree with the poster above, I would love more Valdermar novels.

[JesusFightClub]

Or even wizards living outside of Britain. I really enjoyed when she talked about people all over the world visiting the World Cup.

Honestly, I don't give a shit about Harry and his exploits (come and get me Merry Band of Bitches). But I really enjoy the wizarding world she created.

YES THIS. I never liked Harry, it was the other characters I was much more interested in.

I would have liked to know more about Hermione's backstory, we're only given a taste. How did Hermione's powers manifest? More about her homelife and family? She has a sense of social justice, where did she get that from?

Also totally seconding the "wizards outside of Britain" point. It would be cool if there were witches and wizards in Asia and Africa whose stories we could hear. And I want to know more about the big wizarding schools which aren't Hogwarts, and the wizarding culture in general. Rowling seemed to have a lot of fun adding little "wizard culture" aspects to the stories, I hope in a few years she'll return again to the Potterverse and do any parts she enjoyed writing.

[doggie]

Terry goodkind sword if truth series is long but going fine. Reminds me of fundy thinking. I am listening to the audiobooks and they are huge around 25 CDs. And there are 11 books. So far book 8 and it had only been 2 it do years.