# Book Series that fizzled as they went on.....(open spoiler alert!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338 "2005-11-16T17:05:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/41 "2005-11-17T06:36:17Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Christ, you aren’t kidding. I thought that it was bad when he would devote 10 pages to a rant about communism(in 1995 – I think we’d all gotten the point by then, Terry). Then he goes and devotes 1/3 of a 1000-page book to an allegory about how communism is bad. And then he devotes an entire book to the evils of pacifism and vegetarianism that was so bad, I was cheering for his main character to die by the end of it. I’ll third this. Wizard’s First Rule was one of the best fantasy novel’s I’ve read. I devoured the last 400 pages in an evening, something I’ve never done before. It was amazing. By Faith of the Fallen I nearly burned the book in disgust. It couldn’t have been more heavy-handed had he dropped a character named Gorbachev right into the middle of the story. What was most insulting was that Goodkind took a carefully designed and defined character (Emperor Jagang) and completely warped his viewpoint to come up with this illogical rant in the form of a novel. I couldn’t read any more of the series after this. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/42 "2005-11-17T06:54:30Z")
Gabaldon’s _Outlander_ series fizzled after the second book for me. I sort of flipped through the third book (_Dragonfly in Amber_, is it? Or was that the second?) and then after that I couldn’t be bothered to go on. I don’t know how I feel about Haydon’s _The Symphony of Ages_ series. I half wished it ended after the third book. Rhapsody gets more annoying as the Wheel turns (or as the Symphony plays, I suppose it should be) but Achmed is still interesting enough to make up for it. For me, anyway. What about the _Anne of Green Gables_ series? I loved the last book, but most of the books in the middle were not half as interesting as the first two. Except _House of Dreams_; my copy of that one is falling to pieces. But Anne’s time in university and her time as a teacher bored me to tears. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/43 "2005-11-17T07:30:07Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > Yeah, they’re starting to get old. > In the same vein, Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone series (_A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar,_ etc. ) have been going steadily downhill for a while, too. They started out funny and a little silly like the Evanovich series, but have gotten boring and dry. The lastest was “R” (I think- is “S” out yet?) and was incredibly boring. Heh-heh-heh, lastest. Definition, the most last. Add L. J. Braun’s “The Cat Who …” books. There’s only so many murders you can have in a small town before it gets ridiculous. Although I love Glen Cook’s Garrett series the last few just don’t have it. The problem I see it is Garrett’s too well off now. He’s no longer scraping by wondering if he should just give it all up and go investigate grafting at the brewery. Shame, the first 5 are just amazing imho. ---
**Author:** ![mojave66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mojave66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojave66)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/44 "2005-11-17T07:46:10Z")
I will speak Heresy and say that Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City” books started out great and then devolved into incredibly surreal and silly plots, two-dimensional characters and (much to my fury) turned one of the best characters in the first book into a self-absorbed bitch. And I say this as a true Maupin fan. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/45 "2005-11-17T11:27:35Z")
Many would probably say that the series never even got started, but IMHO, Niven’s _Ringworld_ series has been a study in the art of downhill novelwriting. ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/46 "2005-11-17T14:04:52Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Many would probably say that the series never even got started, but IMHO, Niven’s _Ringworld_ series has been a study in the art of downhill novelwriting. Robert Rankin’s ‘Brentford Trilogy’ fell away quite sharply after book three. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/47 "2005-11-17T14:21:17Z")
I dread the day when some greedy fool of a publisher decides that \*Lord of the Rings \* should be a series … and you just know it’s coming … ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/48 "2005-11-17T14:38:52Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Hm. And to think I found it profoundly enjoyable. > > Oh well, to each his own. > > Awww, forget that! _Heretic_! _Blasphemer_! Persecute! Maim! Burn 'im!!! > > 😃 Should I get a case of ginger beer? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/49 "2005-11-17T14:52:46Z")
I am torn about posting this here, maybe someone else can tell me if it should be here or in the other thread. Admittedly I haven’t read the last several books of the series because the 4th one just didn’t do it for me. Maybe it got back on track after that, maybe it got worse. Anyway, it’s **Spider Robinson’s Callahan series**. I loved the first 3 books, then I read Callahan’s Lady and it was just “meh”. So, has anyone else read the next 6 books? Did it fizzle or should I start reading it again? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/50 "2005-11-17T15:23:30Z")
Don’t bother. The rest are only for hard-core fans, and even then they are a pain to finish. One bottle of ginger beer should be sufficient. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/51 "2005-11-17T15:32:04Z")
**Wile E** - in the name of all that is good and holy, don’t read any of the more recent Callahan’s books - they’ll just piss you off, and make you start to hate the original stories. **mojave66** - Maupin’s major problem is a disinterest in bringing in new characters. Several times during the series, he just used an existing character but gave them a complete personality makeover because he wanted to use a plotline that wouldn’t quite fit with the existing ones. While that might maintain a sort of continuity, it isn’t really fair to your characters when they suddenly change sexualities, values, or personalities between books. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/52 "2005-11-17T15:50:52Z")
> [@mojave66](#): > > I will speak Heresy and say that Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City” books started out great and then devolved into incredibly surreal and silly plots, two-dimensional characters and (much to my fury) turned one of the best characters in the first book into a self-absorbed bitch. And I say this as a true Maupin fan. According to Maupin, he did this on purpose as a way of shifting the story from the outrageous but freedom-loving '70’s to the Me Decade. I think it makes sense, but I still hated it. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/53 "2005-11-17T16:06:30Z")
Not so much a series, but a trilogy. The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Maripillier (?). I loved the first book–very well written and evocative. By book 3, I was gnashing my teeth and I finished it just to say that I had. It got really melodramatic and disjointed and odd. I don’t mean suspensful odd or creepy odd–I mean characters changing and acting out of character for no reason. bleh. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/54 "2005-11-17T16:24:36Z")
**Battle Circle** by Piers Anthony. By the time we get to the “Neq the Glockenspiel” stage of things, it is so bad that you wonder why Anthony’s publisher didn’t have him assassinated. ---
**Author:** ![haardvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/55 "2005-11-17T17:40:24Z")
I know it ain’t all the same Herbert, but I’m surprised no-one’s mentioned \Dune\. I thought Stephanie Plum got tired after the 2nd book. I think this thread has convinced me to never pick one up again. Ditto Goodkind. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/56 "2005-11-17T17:53:10Z")
I have to second the Anita Blake series. It started as a good supernatural detective series and it’s devolved into vampire S&M porn. It pisses me off that she made Anita one of the monsters. It would have been much better if she had staked Jean-Claude around the third book. Maybe I’m just the wrong audience, seems like it’s written for pasty people who like to sit around their basement and pretend to be vampires. I also have to agree with the Jack Ryan series. Hasn’t been the same since the end of the Cold War. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/57 "2005-11-17T18:29:06Z")
2nd page and noone has mentioned Jonathan Kellerman? I haven’t read anything of his since the Murder Book or A Cold Heart (there might be one more after that I read) but he still tells the same. story. Michael Connolly’s books are pap from book one onwards. John Connolly’s Charlie Parker books are top class though. I can’t wait for the next one. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/58 "2006-01-01T17:08:25Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I mentioned Jean Auel’s series that begins strong with **Clan of the Cave Bear** , an interesting and original novel about a time that most historical fiction writers never visited. Each successive novel moved closer to paint by the number historical romance, however, while Ayla creates everything from flint-fire technology to streaming video as she travels with her New Age caveman soulmate to France. By the end it’s almost dreck. Hee Hee Hee. Of course it would be funnier had I not shelled out twenty five bucks for the most recent book, which is still sitting on my shelf. After waiting ten years for Ayla to give birth already, after Chapter 1 I found I no longer cared. I also heartily concur with the criticism of **Evanovich** and **Laurell K. Hamilton**. Evanovich needs to end the series now while Plum has some semblance of dignity left. And while I do admire Hamilton for allowing Anita Blake to actually grow as a character and become more jaded as time went by (which was realistic), she went completely overboard with the sexual depravity and the series sank like a stone. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/59 "2006-01-01T17:52:08Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Hee Hee Hee. > > Of course it would be funnier had I not shelled out twenty five bucks for the most recent book, which is still sitting on my shelf. After waiting ten years for Ayla to give birth already, after Chapter 1 I found I no longer cared. That last one got to be known in the Whia household as “The Big Book of Nothing”. It’s in my pile to take to the used bookstore. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338/60 "2006-01-01T18:05:05Z")
Ditto Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind. With Jordan, I’m not sure how much of it is true fizzling, and how much is “I grew up and developed better taste in literature”, but with Goodkind…blech! The anti-communism stuff was so bizarre and off-putting, I had absolutely no desire to continue reading after…I don’t know, what was it, the third book? Major disappointment, as I had been very much enjoying the series up to then. Moreover, everyone I’ve ever discussed this with had the exact same reaction. Makes me wonder how well the new books (saw one just came out in paperback recently) are selling. After this sort of thing, I have my fingers crossed for George R.R. Martin. If he fails me too, I just might give up on fantasy, I can’t take so much disappointment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-that-fizzled-as-they-went-on-open-spoiler-alert/331338.md?page=4)