Unfutunately, the only one I can find right now is Backwards, so I’m going to have to work from memory:
Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers
Better Than Life
Backwards
Last Man
I think there’s one or 2 between Backwards and Last Man, but since I can’t seem to find my copy of LM, I can’t say for sure.
When the Bay Area Science Fiction Association (BASFA) had Tad Williams as a guest two years ago, Mr. Williams basically stated that he tries not to write series. He tells a single story, which might take a few volumes to tell and then goes on. I haven’t started Otherland yet, but he did state that it would also follow the no series case.
We had Stephen Dedman(sp) in early Oct. He was a bit of a hoot, fit right in.
I like some of the previously mentioned series a lot, but I’m not going to just say “me, too.” So, here are a couple that haven’t been mentioned.
Fantasy: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams. The first book is The Dragonbone Chair. Totally enthralling.
SF: The Giants books by James P. Hogan. The first book is Inherit the Stars. This guy is truly the best hard SF writer around today. In a book review (it might have been for Inherit, though I’m not sure), Isaac Asimov once said of Hogan, “Move over, Arthur Clarke.” Later, when Clarke reviewed another Hogan work, he said, “As much as it pains me to do so, I must agree with Isaac.”
Science Fiction:
I love Bujold’s Vorkosigan series. They’re maybe not great literature, but they are pure entertaiment, and among the most re-readable science fiction books I’ve ever read.
I also love the “Year’s Best” anthology that Gardner Dozois edits every year. I find science fiction to be uniquely well-suited to short story form. This year’s Seventeenth Annual edition is not to be missed; Kage Baker’s story “Son Observe the Time” alone is worth the hardcover price.
Fantasy:
Dragonriders of Pern? Are you kidding me? obfusciatrist, have you read this since you were fourteen? Whirling opalescent eyes are mentioned on every damn page. Good grief.
Best ever fantasy trilogy is the Riddlemaster trilogy by Patricia A. McKillip. Every book she’s written is lovely. The woman is a goddess.
I have to second the recommendation on the Man-Kzin wars series. Every author adds a new twist, development, or different way of looking at things. The Kzinti really are a fascinating race; they’re not just Tiggery-looking Klingons any more.
Actually, I haven’t. I have always attributed my growing disenchanted with the series with the introduction of “scientific” explanation.
Maybe I should have just attributed it to the fact that I was older.
I withdraw the nomination until a hand recount can be performed.
That is true. The books can in no way stand alone, and each individual book does not really come to any particular climax or cliffhanger.
That said, anything published in multiple parts is going to considered a series by most (we’ll ignore). The problem with Otherland, IMO, is that it is growing increasingly unfocused. So many split storylines that some of them seem to only get 10-15 pages in an entire book and seem nothing more than shells.
(And I don’t know that I am happy to see Tad Williams bringing the bloat that is killing Fantasy to the SF genre). He is a good writer, though.
This interests me. Is there any source of information about BASFA more informative that http://www.basfa.org? That site doesn’t really tell much other than how to get to a meeting.
*Forests Of The Night
Emperors Of the Twilight
Specters of The Dawn*
by S. Andrew Swann
A great genetic engineering SF series, with an interesting sub-text.
Demon Prince series by Jack Vance.
or possibly
Amber series by Roger Zelazny.
SF:
The Liaden Universe novels
The Sholan Alliance novels
Fantasy:
Katherine Kurtz’s Deryni novels
Michelle West’s Hunter’s Oath and Hunter’s Death
I’ve read so much science fiction, that I could never pick a favorite. I could possibly come up with a page of favorites.
Try reading “The Hobbit” with Jethro Tull’s “Heavy Horses” album playing. Sets a great mood for the novel. “Songs From The Woods” “Jack In The Green”
I don’t care if that was a joke. I now hate you. Calling that “writing” is like referring to vomit as “gourmet.”
One good Sci-Fi series that hasn’t been mentioned is the Uplift series by David Brin. I like the fact that he’s willing to leave so much in the air, though I can see where that would drive some people nuts.
The Dragonriders series is good for pre-teens. Sadly, I don’t enjoy it any more.
I’ve read just about everything in this thread, and could comment on most of it, but I’ll refrain. But I do have to support the George RR Martin series. I just finished the new book 3, and it’s getting better and better.
Early Robert Jordan was also good.
Oh, and about Foundation. I recently reread it and was not all that impressed. The first book, in particular, was a thinly veiled allegory about various forces that shape history. There was a chapter on religion, a chapter on military conquest, a chapter on economics, etc.
D’oh, an’t believe I forgot uplift.
Seconded!
I’ve said it before on this board, but if you haven’t read the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake, you definitely should. I love that series.
Just a moment ago I found that the BBC has recently done a miniseries on it:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gormenghast/
Has anyone seen this? How was it? Anyone know where I could catch this in America? (Apparently BBC America has/will run it, but I’d never heard of that channel, much less get it on my cable).
As the prototype for most modern space opera, E.E. Doc Smiths’ Lensman series is worth a read every decade or two. Nothing gets rid of intergalactic drug lords better than hitting their planet with a moon sized chunk of antimatter precipitated from a space where c is the lower limit for velocity…
E.E. Doc Smith - hell, yeah!! Not to mention how the spaceship’s navigator whips out his slide rule to plot their course! And anyone who gets around the speed of light limit by saying it was just a theory get points for guts in my book.
Well, you can ask me. I’ve been a member for about three years. It is kind of hard to discribe simply, because meetings can go so many ways. Some nights we don’t talk about SF at all really, those nights it serves more a purpose of people with similar interests meeting and talking. However, since this is my first such group to be part of, don’t really have anything to compare to it. AFIT Amiga Users Group wasn’t nearly as organized about things, and I was only 15 at the time.
In addition to those books/series listed above, I’ll add:
David Weber’s Honor Harrington series - Horatio Hornblower goes to the stars, but good military SF.
David Eddings’ Belgariad series - Very formulaic fantasy epic series, but his dialog and writing style still tickle me. YMMV
Guy Gavriel Key’s Fionivar Tapestry series - Group of college chums are transported to a fantasy world. Key’s writing is beautiful even if this setting and plot aren’t the most original ideas in the genre.
Glen Cook’s Black Company series - A mercenary company in a fantasy setting; pretty good stuff.
David Farland’s The Runelords series - The most interesting magic system I’ve seen in a while.
Gordon Dickson’s Dorsai series - Classic SF
Morgan Llywelyn - anything - If you like Irish mythology, you owe it to yourself to read Llywelyn. She is a true bard.
I’d try to rack my brains for more, but if I stay on the computer much longer, my GF is going to kill me. 
Happy reading!
Robert Asprin’s Thieve’s World
Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar
George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards
Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy(first three books only!)
Saberhagen’s Dracula
Frederik Pohl’s Gateway series is pretty good.