# This book looks good...Oh, it's from a series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080 "2011-08-25T20:30:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/21 "2011-08-26T02:40:54Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > _XXXX: Being the Fifteenth of the Chronicles of Zzyzx_. Pffft. Total tripe; a complete ripoff of _Xyzzy: The Twisty Maze_. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/22 "2011-08-26T03:01:00Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > When they do not bother to do that (as is very often the case) it is pretty good evidence that neither the author nor the publisher think it matters a damn what order you read them in. You are going to like it just as much, and be just as likely to buy another in the series, whichever one you start with and whichever order you go in. There are probably readers who won’t pick up a book that says it’s the 9th, so it’s not in their interests to tell you. While it might be better to read the entire series in order, it often doesn’t matter which book you choose to read initially (to decide if you like an author or a character that’s part of a series), most are written to stand alone. I don’t shy away from series, when I find an author or character I like I will always try and track down more books and am pleasantly surprised to find a series already waiting for me to explore. At that point I’ll try and start at the beginning, but it doesn’t bother me that my first exposure was at a later point (or an earlier point if there are prequels or things are out of sequence). Stuff in real life doesn’t happen in order either, you learn about people in the now and then find out about their history, I’m fine with that in books as well. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/23 "2011-08-26T13:16:03Z")
I tend to shy away from series books. I want the whole story and I want it now! I’m also leery of getting stuck with a cliffhanger ending and the next book being an unknown number of months in the future. Or what if the author dies without finishing? And I won’t read them at all if I can’t start with book one and go in order. Another problem I have is that I read a lot of YA books and it seems that almost everything coming down the pike is the beginning of a series. That makes me picture the author and publisher saying, “The kids like vampires, don’t they? Well, let’s churn out five or six more of those.” On the other hand, I’m reading some series that I really like. I started this thread a few weeks ago to see if there were any others I should pick up: [Which book series are you reading? - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=619497) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/24 "2011-08-26T13:23:27Z")
My reading of new fantasy and SF has been dramatically curtailed because I refuse to read a series until it’s clear it’s finished, or the books are standalone. Yet 90% of the genre bookshelf space is taken up with series like that. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/25 "2011-08-26T13:30:50Z")
I came in here to mention the Fantastic Fiction site. Not only is it wonderful for what has already been published, they apparently have a secret line to what is going to be published, often updating their pages before the authors’ own websites! ---
**Author:** ![Grrlbrarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrlbrarian/32/4048_2.png) [@Grrlbrarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrlbrarian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/26 "2011-08-26T14:29:20Z")
Fantastic Fiction is good, but my absolute favorite site to look up mystery & thriller series in order is [http://www.stopyourekillingme.com](http://www.stopyourekillingme.com) They also have lists of awards, mysteries by location, and other handy stuff, as well as lookup by author or character name. It also helps to know (and they do tell you) reading order if it differs from publishing order. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/27 "2011-08-26T18:35:17Z")
> [@Grrlbrarian](#): > > Fantastic Fiction is good, but my absolute favorite site to look up mystery & thriller series in order is [http://www.stopyourekillingme.com](http://www.stopyourekillingme.com) > > They also have lists of awards, mysteries by location, and other handy stuff, as well as lookup by author or character name. It also helps to know (and they do tell you) reading order if it differs from publishing order. This looks excellent, too. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love this place. I think my mom will really like these links, too. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/28 "2011-08-26T19:23:33Z")
I generally try and start the series, under the assumption that the first few books were good enough to encourage the publisher to continue the series, and early enough that the author hasn’t gotten lazy. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/29 "2011-08-26T19:31:28Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > That doesn’t help if the publisher stops publishing the book, which is more often the case. Then flog up the chain until those responsible are flogged! These are federally funded compliance officers with full flogging powers at their disposal. Do I have to flog everyone myself? Addendum to the regulation. Prequel books published after the initial first book of the series shall be clearly labeled as such. If the prequel has “Dune:…” in the title, the author shall also be flogged. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/30 "2011-08-26T19:36:14Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Another problem I have is that I read a lot of YA books and it seems that almost everything coming down the pike is the beginning of a series. That makes me picture the author and publisher saying, “The kids like vampires, don’t they? Well, let’s churn out five or six more of those.” That’s one of the reasons I’ve pretty much stopped reading YA fiction or most adult fantasy or lightish SF - these days it’s extremely rare to read a book that’s not part of a series, and often the first book will not tell you that, you just suddenly don’t get an ending. One book I recently read had a nicely-tied up ending that made sense, then suddenly, in the last five pages, the protagonists were kidnapped, the parents acted completely out of character and there was a conspiracy that hadn’t been hinted at in the previous 200 pages and … to be continued. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/31 "2011-08-26T20:34:34Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > I hate those lists at the front of a book that aren’t in chronological order! Or if they are, then they omit the book you’re holding in your hand, so that you can’t tell where it fits in the series. Or they fail to disclose that the book has been reissued with a new title, which you only learn after you start reading. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/32 "2011-08-26T23:50:58Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Or they fail to disclose that the book has been reissued with a new title, which you only learn after you start reading. That’s a trap I’ve fallen into because I buy books locally, online from the US and online from the UK. For some reason I’ve never been able to fathom, books are often published with titles different in the US from the UK or Oz. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/33 "2011-08-27T13:13:25Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > That’s a trap I’ve fallen into because I buy books locally, online from the US and online from the UK. For some reason I’ve never been able to fathom, books are often published with titles different in the US from the UK or Oz. Maybe it’s to trick us into buying them twice? I’m off to the library to pick up two mysteries, one is first in a series and one is third (but I know I’ve read the first two). ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080/34 "2011-08-27T13:37:10Z")
I’ve read all of Robert Crais - Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, L.A. Detectives. The first books are much lighter and things get heavier and darker and more complex as the series goes on. (and Robert Crais seems to be branching out with Joe Pike novels). But you can read each book as a stand-alone. There are references to earlier events, but it doesn’t ruin anything…Same with the hundreds of Ed McBain 57th Precinct police procedurals. The same characters (sort of a combo of Barney Miller and NYPD Blue), each can be read as a stand-alone. Now I wish Sue Grafton would get on the stick and give us a new Kinsey Milhone and start to finish up her alphabet series. (the thing with this series is, Kinsey is ‘stuck in the 80’s’ before cell phones and computers, and there is lots of good old-fashioned pounding the pavement, interviewing, and visiting people of interest.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-book-looks-good-oh-its-from-a-series/594080.md?page=1)