# Book Series you can reread over and over **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [September 22, 2024, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580 "2024-09-22T06:24:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2024, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/81 "2024-09-25T03:16:28Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Edgar Rice Burroughs’ various series, especially John Carter of Mars. I just mentioned Woola in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2024, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/82 "2024-09-25T12:14:49Z")
Sorry. I should have seen that and acknowledged it. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/83 "2024-09-25T14:49:54Z")
No, no, no, it was a different thread, no reason you should have seen it. It was the Baker’s Dozen thread, and I put Woola in as an animal companion. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/84 "2024-09-25T16:07:08Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy “trilogy.” The Adams books are as close as I get to a holy text. Every few years I’ll pull out the compilation and read it front to back again. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/85 "2024-09-25T16:25:41Z")
Like others above, I just finished a comprehensive re-read of all of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories and added the dozen or so written recently by Robert Goldsbourgh (not bad, he captures the atmosphere, but the conclusions are not up to standard, IMHO). Have often re-read Eric Flint’s _ **1632** _ and David Weber’s _Honor Harrington_ series but both have become so long and cumbersome reading the whole body of work will take weeks, so I pick and choose. I have the Lensman series sitting on my booksheves, paperbacks from 1966-67, but haven’t re-read them in 40 years. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/86 "2024-09-25T18:34:17Z")
Multiple-read series for me: Dune (the original Frank books) Lord of the Rings Illuminatus Titan/Wizard/Demon White Mountains Hitchhiker Guide (though now I only re-read the first two anymore) edit to add: Gibson’s Sprawl books Thomas Covenant chronicles Bridge of Birds and follow-ons ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/87 "2024-09-25T20:16:21Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Like others above, I just finished a comprehensive re-read of all of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories and added the dozen or so written recently by Robert Goldsbourgh (not bad, he captures the atmosphere, but the conclusions are not up to standard, IMHO). The first couple of Goldsbourgh’s are okay, but I lost interest after than ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2024, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/88 "2024-09-25T21:54:03Z")
Purist that I am, and idolizing Stout and Wolfe, I have never considered reading the Goldsboroughs, and don’t plan to. Has anyone who continued a dead author’s series ever risen to the level of the original? ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/89 "2024-09-25T22:19:27Z")
Matt Helm, by Donald Hamilton Harry Dresden, by Jim Butcher Richard Bolitho, by Alexander Kent Swallows and Amazons, by Arthur Ransome Asey Mayo, by Phoebe Atwood Taylor John Grimes, by A Bertram Chandler Time Patrol, by Poul Anderson Blandings Castle, by P G Wodehouse ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2024, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/90 "2024-09-25T23:36:54Z")
1. Belgariad series, by David Eddings, with the codexes of Belgarath and Polgara. I’ve reread these so many times. 2. Discworld. The entire series. 3. All the books from Valdemar, by Mercedes Lackey. Good fiction. 4. The older Laurell K. Hamilton Anita Blake books. The newer ones are just porn. 5. The Dresden Files. Love them a lot. 6. The Nightside books by Simon R. Green. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/91 "2024-09-26T00:14:28Z")
I was once on a jag where all I read was Henry Miller’s Rosy Crucifixion. Over and over. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/92 "2024-09-26T02:28:18Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Has anyone who continued a dead author’s series ever risen to the level of the original? If there is a story started or an outline, some have made some pretty good ones. L. Sprague de Camp did this to some RE Howard tales, and even converted some non-conan to Conan, and they work fine. > [@SCAdian](#): > > John Grimes, by A Bertram Chandler Hornblower in Space! > [@Noelq](#): > > The older Laurell K. Hamilton Anita Blake books. The newer ones are just porn. I read the first few, then she went from vampire killer to vampire fucker. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/93 "2024-09-26T16:59:32Z")
Quite a few of mine have already been mentioned including The Foundation series, The Dresden Files, Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series, & Heinlein’s Future History. I’ll add. The Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne The Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka The Known Space books by Larry Niven The Star Trek novels using the characters from the original series ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/94 "2024-09-26T17:03:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The Thunder and Lightning series by John Varley Yes! Came in here to say that. Also Varley’s Gaia trilogy, I re-read that even more often. Narnia, of course. Hitchhiker’s, from time to time Armistead Maupin’s _Tales of the City_ series. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/95 "2024-09-26T20:03:09Z")
> [@Fugazi](#): > > The Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne I love him, but the idea of the iron Druid being a hired killer, turned me off. Then some of the later books, written in one of the other characters 'voice". His Kraken series is good, but it needs a glossary or something. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/96 "2024-09-26T20:11:53Z")
Several of mine are already mentioned, but I’ll throw out some others that I haven’t seen mentioned: The Expanse by James S. A. Corey The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay (really, any of Kay’s work, but particularly this two book set) The Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist (just the first series, not all the sequels, although I think I’ve reread the Empress series a couple of times) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/97 "2024-09-27T02:18:20Z")
> [@Wilson](#): > > The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay (really, any of Kay’s work, but particularly this two book set) How could I have forgotten the Kay books? The Sarantium books and the three later sequels I can read over and over. And my brother would read Eric Frank Russel’s Wasp at least once a year. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2024, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/98 "2024-09-27T02:42:24Z")
> [@Wilson](#): > > The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay (really, any of Kay’s work, but particularly this two book set) I found an inexpensive used copy on Amazon, I will give it a try > [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > How could I have forgotten the Kay books? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/99 "2024-09-28T03:41:33Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Like others above, I just finished a comprehensive re-read of all of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories I am a bit surprised you don’t reread over and over a certain series by Harry Harrison featuring James Bolivar diGriz… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580/100 "2024-09-28T14:23:43Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > I am a bit surprised you don’t reread over and over a certain series by Harry Harrison featuring James Bolivar diGriz… Did it a couple years ago, but it may be time for a re-fresh… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-series-you-can-reread-over-and-over/1007580.md?page=6)