Given the size (and cost) of some series in genre fiction, it pays to know the difference between a thrilling pentalogy and an inflated five-book trilogy
There are a few reasons why some people dislike a long series - those that grow to six- or seven-volume status or even occasionally hit double-digits. For some, three is the magic number, and anything beyond a trilogy appears overly complex and not worth the investment. For others, the suspicion that the author is making a grab at their wallet, rather than their imagination, is enough to turn them away from even the most creative and reasonably sized collections.
Whatever their reasoning, they who dislike the shelf-space-swallowing odyssey aren’t necessarily being unreasonable, as there are indeed a few collected works out there that could do to lose some considerable printed poundage. Whether the publisher is loathe to cut-off a profitable franchise or the author fears leaping to a new project, there’s any number of reasons for a series to be stretched beyond what most would consider its ideal limits.
On that note, for those of you who dread investing time and money in a series that simply refuses to grant closure, here are a few ways to tell if you’re riding a pony long overdue at the glue factory.
Beware the rehash
All authors, when developing a series, must link-back to previous installments. Different writers will take different approaches toward this, with some providing only minimal review of past events and characters, relying on the reader to do the memory-work and focusing on new developments. Others, particularly those with highly complex or lengthy stories, will include auxiliary sections, such as a dramatis personae or list of important factions/terms as a way of providing the reader reference, without taking space away from the new story at hand. Lastly, a third group will see need to embark on elaborate reviews of events long-since transpired, in order to properly frame those yet to come. It is this third variety that readers must be particularly wary of, for though some back-telling is necessary, an overt amount may actually be a disguised attempt to flesh-out a new volume that doesn’t actually contain enough new story to warrant an eighth or ninth installment. If it seems that your author is taking the proverbial one step back for every two steps forward, and one-third to one-half of each new volume is simply rehashing those which came before, be careful that you’re not following a series stretched two or three books too far.
No end in sight
While it’s true that sometimes even the author doesn’t know how their story will end until two or three books in, what many should realize about the success of some great series is the role played by the promise of a climax. Harry Potter fans understood from the start that Hogwarts’ was a seven-year program, and that accordingly, there would be seven books. Harry Potter would have done fabulously as a continuous set of stories going on for as long as people would buy the idea of a thirty-seven year-old student, but part of Rowling’s monumental success lay in the allure of that climactic seventh book.
A relative of mine once had the chance to speak with one of his favourite authors at a signing a few years back, and asked when the then-heptalogy might conclude, as things just didn’t seem to be advancing much as the books came out. In response, the author (who shall remain nameless, I’m not looking to get dragooned here) laughed. Wrap it up? Whatever for? Things were going fine.
Well, perhaps so, but he was down one frustrated fan after that day. If there is no mention by the author or publisher as to when the collection will conclude, be wary, as there might be a good reason for that.
Your hero is God
And by this I’m not referring to the Bible – even that monster of a compilation has its big finale – but rather, to heroes who grow to truly titanic proportions as their stories progress. Both fantasy and thriller genres are repeatedly guilty of this trend, with crusading warriors able to cut down whole armies with nary a wound in return, and Omega Force agents who seem to pick up mastered skills like I do rocks in my sandals . . . you know the type, speakers of all languages ever uttered, masters of martial-arts the world-over, seducers in under thirty seconds, seasoned pilots of all things winged, etc.
The problem with characters that attain ‘uber’ status is that even if the author has an ending planned, it’s unlikely to be satisfactory. On the one hand, it’s highly unlikely that such an untouchable leading-role will be off’ed in the end, while on the other, it would be almost as unconvincing for them to simply saunter off into the sunset, finished saving the world five times-over and now in search of a decent cribbage game a set of adult diapers.
The Bond structure
One point that should be mentioned: It isn’t always a bad thing that a series continues indefinitely, so long as the readership demands more.
Accordingly, there has arisen the ‘stand-alone’ series format, in which each volume is a story on its own, sometimes with nothing more in common between installments than a few primary characters. Each new adventure for James Bond presented a novel villain with accompanying unique plot for global domination, while a new Sherlock Holmes story promised, not the continuation of the last tale, but a new crime separate unto itself. This episodic format works fine for everyone but those actually looking for a grand finale (though even Sherlock Holmes had that), so just be sure of the nature of the series you’re looking at before taking the plunge.
