# What is the longest series of fiction books you've read? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 6, 2008, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419 "2008-11-06T05:41:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/21 "2008-11-06T13:31:46Z")
Since I can’t use Shadowrun I’ll have to go back even farther and say Zanth. I’ve listened to the Doc Savage books. I’ve been listening to Doc Savage for a couple weeks again. The last story finished up 15 minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/22 "2008-11-06T13:35:03Z")
The Discworld books, like many of you. Also a significant portion of Ed McBain’s 87th Precent novels - probably every one published before 1990 or so. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2008, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/23 "2008-11-06T13:36:28Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Also a significant portion of Ed McBain’s 87th Precent novels - probably every one published before 1990 or so. All of them. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/24 "2008-11-06T13:41:02Z")
Discworld. The only other series I’ve read more than three books in were the Dragonriders of Pern (7 before giving up), Dune (four and half, which is three and a half too many), and Hitchhiker’s Guide. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/25 "2008-11-06T13:44:02Z")
I know there are longer series out there, but probably the longest I’ve read is Edgar Rice Burroughs’ **Tarzan of the Apes** , which runs 24 volumes, or 25 if you’re liberal about it and allow in **Tarzan: The Lost Adventure** (based on Burroughs’ notes and outline) Other series I’ve read: **Horatio Hornblower** (12 volumes) **Conan the Barbarian** (In the Lancer/Sphere/Ace series 12 volumes, although other Conan novels were written later. If you only count the Howard stuff, it’s out in three volumes now.) Lindsay Davis’ **Marcus Didius Falco novels** Arthur Conan Doyle’s **Sherlock Holmes** stories (with plenty of pastiches added by everyone on the planet, it seems) James Blish’s **Star Trek Novelizations** (13 volumes, counting “Mudd’s Women” and not counting Blish’s non-series “Spock Must Die”) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/26 "2008-11-06T13:54:02Z")
There are 33 Nero Wolfe novels, but I’m not sure if I’ve read them all. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/27 "2008-11-06T14:00:15Z")
I’ve read the Allan Quatermain series, Conan the Barbarian and the Sherlock Holmes stories. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/28 "2008-11-06T14:03:34Z")
I read all of the “Three Investigators” books as a kid—I’m not sure how many, but I’d guess there were over 20 of them. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/29 "2008-11-06T14:17:55Z")
_Lemony Snicket_ – there are 13, and a few companion books. And I **still** don’t know what it was all about. They were fun though. The _Malazan_ books by Steven Erikson and Loren Esslemont will number 22 when finished. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/30 "2008-11-06T14:23:31Z")
All the original Hardy Boys. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/31 "2008-11-06T14:28:41Z")
The Destroyer series, over 130 so far, read 'em all. and if we were counting comics, Fantastic Four from #1 to yesterday’s. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/32 "2008-11-06T14:30:46Z")
I like series books. I guess my longest would be the 24 Richard Sharpe books, written by Bernard Cornwell. I didn’t realize there were so many. Other favorite series: The Aubrey/Maturin books Tony Hillerman’s 18 Leaphorn/Chee books. Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan books, about 14 of those. The Lord Peter Wimsey books (actually reading the last one now.) The 11 Vampire Files books, by P.N. Elrod. The Brother Cadfael books I’m in the middle of the Honor Harrington series and Steven Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa series. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/33 "2008-11-06T14:33:40Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Horatio Hornblower** (12 volumes) This one. Also, a whole lot of MZB’s _Darkover_ series. And I think I’ve read a rather lot of Xanth books, since I’ve often picked one up at airports for fluff reading, when nothing else looked intriguing. No idea how many of those I slogged through. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/34 "2008-11-06T14:37:05Z")
The first 31 of **E.C. Tubb** ’s _Dumarest_ series; I haven’t bothered to track down the concluding volume, published over a decade after the rest (even though it’s the only one that advances the plot appreciably!) ---
**Author:** ![KittenKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kittenkat/32/306_2.png) [@KittenKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KittenKat)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/35 "2008-11-06T14:44:21Z")
Rex Stout wrote 33 novels and 42 novellas featuring Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin; I’ve read them all. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/36 "2008-11-06T14:45:47Z")
I’ve read all the John Carter of Mars books. Back in the 70’s I read an assload of the Remo Williams books. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/37 "2008-11-06T14:48:25Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > The Destroyer series, over 130 so far, read 'em all. > and if we were counting comics, Fantastic Four from #1 to yesterday’s. I used to love those, but once Sapir and Murphy stopped writing them I thought that they got lame. I read them until about 100 or so. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/38 "2008-11-06T14:59:33Z")
The Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I started reading them because they were on the banned books list and then just continued on until I was all caught up. But she’s still writing them, and is even doing some prequels…I’ve read at least twenty of these things, but apparently there will never be an end. And they’re just these bland little tales. I have no idea how they’d have gotten on that list. Anyway, I quit. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/39 "2008-11-06T15:07:12Z")
The Aubrey/Maturin books and the Hornblower series. ---
**Author:** ![Redfrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@Redfrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redfrost)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419/40 "2008-11-06T15:18:27Z")
The Alex Delaware novels by Johnathon Kellerman. Sherlock Holmes by Sir Author Conan Doyle. Most of Tom Clancy’s novels. Many of R.A. Salvatore’s Forgetten Realms “Dark Elf” novels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-series-of-fiction-books-youve-read/471419.md?page=3)