# Are there any book series out there you think have lost their edge?



## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

It could be any genre but the ones I have in mind are adventure series.

Like Clive Cussler. He has a new Dirk Pitt due out (Crescent Dawn in November) and the past handful he did, to me, had begun to show their age. I think that maybe he had begun running out of ideas when he introduced Pitt's children. (And I had read that he had intended the kids to take over the series but I think fan reaction stopped that plan)

I don't recall which particular one it was (maybe Sahara?) where at the end of the book (No spoilers...just pointing out a final scene) where Pitt, worn out and broken down after that current story, sits down and is silent as his friends carry on with a small party in another part of the warehouse.

He had no cool comment or anything it was just that he was tired and appeared like he wanted to sleep for a month. Could this scene have been something subliminal from the author?

I feel that maybe Cussler should have backed off the standard one book every two year schedule and arranged with the publisher to come out every three years at minimum. This way, each new book would be more of an event for the fans than just another every-two-years standard adventure. This would also possibly give him more time to recharge or research a really good story instead of being under pressure to whip up yet another story in order to meet a deadline.
after all, it's not like he needs the money anymore.

What do some of you think? 
Have you been following other authors and thought that maybe they were running out of steam?
Do you think that after so many books, the publishers should offer to arrange for a slower schedule so that the writer doesn't risk burning out?


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

Hate to say it, but George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Laurel K Hamillton's Anita Blake series.. degenerated into barely held together porn a number of books back.. her short story *FLIRT* recently was better than a large number of the past books in the series.


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

It's not an adventure series... but the Evanovich Stephanie Plum series has lost its edge for me.


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

I agree, the last few Stephanie Plum books I've read were not that good. I've heard Sizzling Sixteen is really bad, so I'm waiting for the price to drop.

I've also been a bit disappointed in the last few JD Robb In Death books. They're still good, but not GOOD.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

James Patterson's  series with Alex Cross.   The best ones were his earliest ones..  Gone  downhill  a lot lately.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

4Katie said:


> I've also been a bit disappointed in the last few JD Robb In Death books. They're still good, but not GOOD.


I feel that way about the Sookie Stackhouse series. The last one wasn't fabulous, well actually the last two and her latest short story but the series is still worth reading and I do enjoy it, just not as much.


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## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

BCL   I agree on the Alex Cross books

I mean, the poor marketing people must pull their hair out with each new book. How many times can you tag the copy with variations of......"This is Alex Cross' most dangerous enemy yet!" before the readers start yawning (let alone decide they've had enough of Mr. Cross and try out new characters?

Not that I'm complaining because I do still pick up the occassional Cross novel, but....I have also been skipping a few as well. Bad sign.


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2010)

Mockingjay--there, I said it! It got to the point in the first two books where I'd get nervous when I saw the end of a chapter coming because I knew something devastating was going to happen. In Mockingjay, chapters just ended. That's just on the writing end. If you want to know my thoughts on the story: http://powerlessbooks.com/blog


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

The Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Mae Brown (and Sneaky Pie).  The first 10 were so enjoyable, then the next 5 were okay, then the three after that... just progressively more disappointing.  I've stopped reading the series.

The Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon - hmmm.  I still enjoy the books, a lot.  She's had some misses, but never two in a row, so I'm still reading.


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## askenase13 (Mar 1, 2009)

I agree with the OP in that I have been quite disappointed in the last 3 Dirk Pitt novels.  Please remember that he is "co-authoring" many other novels as well.  Exactly what that means is unclear, but certainly it takes away his energy and ideas for the Pitt books.  Sadly, they have gone down hill.  After 30+ books, that is not surprising.

I'd like to see him move onto something completely different (like his book about the train robbery in the early 1900's).


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

The Alex Delaware novels by Jonathan Kellerman.  Ran out of steam years ago.

The last Sookie Stackhouse novel was incredibly blah.


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## ginaf20697 (Jan 31, 2009)

Outlander-good god, ENOUGH already!


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

askenase13 said:


> I'd like to see him move onto something completely different (like his book about the train robbery in the early 1900's).


The one with Isaac Bell and a detective agency as the main character(s)? Started out in the sort-of present day, then most of the story was told as a flashback?

It's a co-authored series now too. Third book was released this summer. Second one wasn't bad, haven't gotten the third yet, price is too high still.


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

Johanna Fluke/Hannah Swenson mysteries.

I don't give a R/A about Hannah not hooking up with anyone, but I feel the stories in general have just... _______ flatlined.  I couldn't finish Cream Puff and won't get any new ones, although I will re-read my old ones.

I always wanted Sujata Massey to come up with a new Rei Shimura mystery too, but for me the series flatlined after Typhoon Lover.   

Haven't started any new ones in a while.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I have to agree about the Stephanie Plum series.


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## akpak (Mar 5, 2009)

A trend I've noticed is that the quality of a series* goes down in direct proportion to how popular it gets: The author now is making enough money and has a big enough head that they fire their editors and the publishers just start wanting to make money off the known popularity.

Examples:
Charlaine Harris
Robert Jordan
Anne McCaffery
George RR Martin
Stephen King
Neal Stephenson
Jude Deveraux
Etc
Etc

*or just subsequent books from the same author

Of course the same thing happens in movies and TV also. Once something is a "cash cow" is when the creators really have to start reaching for new storylines. The [insert industry here] wants to keep raking in the money, so they all jump the shark eventually. I could cite examples all day long, but you get the idea.


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## davem2bits (Feb 2, 2009)

Couple well known series that I am losing interest in:

Harry Bosch Series
Kinsey Millhone Series


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## AlexJouJou (May 16, 2010)

IMHO the worst offender I can think of is Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta forensic series.

They went from unbelievably great to utterly abysmal. BOO!


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## unknown2cherubim (Sep 10, 2010)

AlexJouJou said:


> IMHO the worst offender I can think of is Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta forensic series.
> 
> They went from unbelievably great to utterly abysmal. BOO!


Yeah those. I couldn't wait for them to come out at one time, but I haven't gotten through one now in several years.

Harry Bosch, I couldn't finish _9 Dragons_ -- First Michael Connelly that I haven't been glued to. I'm not giving up on those yet, though.

Chelsea Cain -- Archie and Gretchen, only could handle first two before I realized I just don't like Gretchen and I don't care about her or Archie either. _Heartsick_, the 1st one, however was great.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

AlexJouJou said:


> IMHO the worst offender I can think of is Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta forensic series.
> 
> They went from unbelievably great to utterly abysmal. BOO!


I feel the same way about this series. I could hardly wait for the next one to be released until one day I realized that the one I had just finished wasn't up to Cornwell's standards as previously set. I tried the next one when it came out and knew that the series wasn't what I wanted it to be. I haven't read a book of hers for a long time.


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## K. A. Jordan (Aug 5, 2010)

I think that it becomes impossible to keep up a series after certain amount of time. The author _has _ to get bored with continuing characters. Like Athur Conan-Doyle killing Sherlock Holmes - it has to be agony to keep trying to think of something new. I am always willing to give an author a new shot when they introduce a fresh idea or new series.

Stephanie Plum is one that I'm still reading, hoping it will get better. I was surprised that Janet E. was able to keep it going for so long. But (to me) once Stephanie picked Joe over Ranger - I knew she was jumping the shark. The tension was gone soon after. But it was a great time while it lasted. Janet E. had some great bits. I'm picking through her other stuff, hoping to find another winner.

The Emilia Peabody series lost it's luster for me when Peters started switching from first to third in different chapters. I understand why she did it, time was passing and the characters aging - but what a bummer. Elizabeth Peters appears to have picked up on Vicki Bliss who was just as good and just as funny. I think I've read a good chunk of Micheals/Peters catalog. There is always a book or two that I've not read yet.

Darkover and Pern and a few other fantasy stories ran their course - or maybe I outgrew them. 

There are some paranormal series that have a high 'squick factor' for me. I'll read one here and one there, but I can't get into them like some people do.

There werea couple cat-themed Cozy Mysteries that I loved for a while. Don't recall the names.


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## toj (Aug 2, 2010)

The Sookie Stackhouse series has gone downhill since the series came out. It is like since she expects HBO to do whatever they want with the story anyway, why go in a definitive direction with the books?


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

kajordan said:


> There werea couple cat-themed Cozy Mysteries that I loved for a while. Don't recall the names.


Probably the Mrs. Murphy series. Definitely past it's use-by date.


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## dpinmd (Dec 30, 2009)

I agree with others who have mentioned the Sookie Stackhouse series. I thought that with the last one in particular Harris totally "phoned it in." (One positive effect from this is that I was so annoyed and disgusted with the last book that it helped meto really "let go" of the books as gospel. So it's really increased my enjoyment of _True Blood_ now that I'm not constantly thinking "that's not what's supposed to happen," or "that character would never do that.")


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## Devin O&#039;Branagan Author (Jul 20, 2010)

Unfortunately, I feel Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series has run out of steam, which breaks my heart. I loved the early books. Still do. I understand how challenging it is to write a series and keep it fresh, but to do so I think the author has to think outside the box and be willing to stretch.  I read Evanovich's book about writing, "How I Write," and in it she basically says that she found a model that worked and so would never change it. I feel that was her mistake.


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## Lynn Hardy (Sep 12, 2010)

kajordan said:


> I think that it becomes impossible to keep up a series after certain amount of time.


I have to politely disagree with this... L.E. Modesitt has a 14 book series out and that is the amazing thing about it - each book is a fresh view of a fantasy world he has created. Each book has a set of new characters, sometimes a character form a previous novel will put in a cameo. Each book reveals something new about the world of Recluce. It is one of the most amazing Fantasy series I've ever read.


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## Devin O&#039;Branagan Author (Jul 20, 2010)

Exactly, Lynn!  That was my point. To make a long books series work, the author must do something fresh and new in each book. Evanovich stated in her book about writing that since what she did was working, she wasn't going to change it. And my critique of her series is that all the books have become basically the same, and I have lost interest.


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## Lynn Hardy (Sep 12, 2010)

Devin O'Branagan said:


> Exactly, Lynn! That was my point. To make a long books series work, the author must do something fresh and new in each book. Evanovich stated in her book about writing that since what she did was working, she wasn't going to change it. And my critique of her series is that all the books have become basically the same, and I have lost interest.


I know what you mean... I absolutely hate books that drag on a romantic suspense for 5-10 books. I don't want to have to read more than 5 books to find out if they live happily ever after.

I managed to solve this in my 5 book series: The first two make a complete story for that group of characters. The next set of two will be a different set of characters.

Patricia Briggs has a fantasy series - Raven's Shadow - that also manages to wrap things up nicely at the end of each book. (But light on the romance in these.)


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

The Eddings (David and Leigh) went to the well a few too many times with the Belgariad/Mallorean series.

The original 5 + 5 series (5 Belgariad/ 5 Mallorean) was a masterpiece but Belgarath the Sorcerer, Polgara the Sorceress and The Rivan Codex drove the series to ground.


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

Tip10 said:


> The Eddings (David and Leigh) went to the well a few too many times with the Belgariad/Mallorean series.
> 
> The original 5 + 5 series (5 Belgariad/ 5 Mallorean) was a masterpiece but Belgarath the Sorcerer, Polgara the Sorceress and The Rivan Codex drove the series to ground.


I have to admit I found it hard to read through the Mallorean, as well, skimming through where it sounded repetitive. But I totally agree about the others.

Unfortunately, I also thought the late, great Anne McCaffrey wrote a few Pern novels too many after the second Pern trilogy (with a few exceptions like Moreta and Nerilka's Story) and am on the fence about her son trying to continue the series.


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## Learnmegood (Jun 20, 2009)

The first few Dick and Jane books had me riveted, but I feel they've definitely lost their edge lately.


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## unknown2cherubim (Sep 10, 2010)

Learnmegood said:


> The first few Dick and Jane books had me riveted, but I feel they've definitely lost their edge lately.


LOLOLOLOL. Somehow I wasn't expecting that.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

askenase13 said:


> I'd like to see him move onto something completely different (like his book about the train robbery in the early 1900's).


That was "The Chase," the only book of his I have read. It was pulp, but with well researched period detail.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

T.M. Roy said:
 

> Unfortunately, I also thought the late, great Anne McCaffrey wrote a few Pern novels too many after the second Pern trilogy (with a few exceptions like Moreta and Nerilka's Story) and am on the fence about her son trying to continue the series.


Ummm....to paraphrase Monty Python, she's not dead yet. She still co-writes some of the Pern books with Todd, though not many.


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## drenfrow (Jan 27, 2010)

Learnmegood said:


> The first few Dick and Jane books had me riveted, but I feel they've definitely lost their edge lately.


Totally. I mean how many times have we seen Spot run?


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

I passed on this year's book in the Kim Harrison "Hollows" series, as well as the most recent "Pendergast" book by Preston and Childs.

The authors are milking the series for a few more bucks. That was obvious with both series a couple of books ago.

I'll stick with indie authors. I don't even plan on buying Ken Follett's upcoming book, and I love his books, but it will be a cold day in hades before I pay $20 for an ebook.

JimC


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

It's not "Trace," I just looked and it starts with a bulldozer tearing down Scarpetta's old office.


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## vsch (Mar 5, 2009)

Sookie Stackhouse lost me a few books ago and I attempted the latest Outlander but couldnt get into it.


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

Steph H said:


> Ummm....to paraphrase Monty Python, she's not dead yet. She still co-writes some of the Pern books with Todd, though not many.


Dang, see what happens when I listen to what people tell me and don't go check for myself--which I usually do? ::blush:: I'm glad to hear that, and thanks for setting me straight! (Anne McM, if you're checking this thread--sorry about that.)


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## Sunshine22 (Feb 18, 2010)

I'd like to say the southern vampire series peaked at Book 4, but that's just my bias ... 

I thought CH did a great job in making the Sookie books new and fresh up until about book 8. I think it's interesting that as the series got even more popular because of the True Blood show, the books have progressively gotten stinkier.  The last few have been really disappointing, and book ten was terrible.  

I think many book series go past their prime, because of the money to be made with continuing a successful series.  There's sort of a forced pressure to continue with the series, even when it's run it's course.  And with CH, I'm guessing there's added pressure to release a new book each year, with the start of each new season of True Blood.


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## Cathymw (May 27, 2010)

Will I be run out of here if I say I though JK ran out of steam before finishing her Harry Potter series?  

I loved Books 1-4, was tolerant of 5 (I hated putting up with whiny teenage boys years ago, and didn't enjoy reading about one).  But 6 and 7 didn't do work for me either. At least, not as good as I thought they should be.

And we won't mention the epilogue.


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> Laurel K Hamillton's Anita Blake series.. degenerated into barely held together porn a number of books back.. her short story *FLIRT* recently was better than a large number of the past books in the series.


Amen to that. I won't even read one if it's given to me they're so bad. I can't remember the last one I read... Cerulean sins maybe? I just know I ended up skipping thru more than half of it because it was the same badly written porn as the chapter before it.

I disagree on Rowling. I think she had her arc in mind in advance and followed it. 5 was bothersome because I got tired of all the whining, but I loved 6 and 7. But I'm very glad she isn't continuing the series. it ran its course and it was done. Let it die. I hate that some folks can't let go of a series and whine and moan about "How could the author just end it?" I'd rather it end on a good note than be dragged thru the mud until I can no longer tolerate what I once loved.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Cathymw said:


> Will I be run out of here if I say I though JK ran out of steam before finishing her Harry Potter series?
> 
> I loved Books 1-4, was tolerant of 5 (I hated putting up with whiny teenage boys years ago, and didn't enjoy reading about one). But 6 and 7 didn't do work for me either. At least, not as good as I thought they should be.
> 
> And we won't mention the epilogue.


I think the Potter books became more and more dark... they were originally somewhat light and delightful - but as Harry grew up and became a moody adolescent - so did the books. I'm sure that was JKR's intent - but I didn't "enjoy" the last ones as much as the first ones.


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

> And we won't mention the epilogue.


I agree. Wish she'd stopped just before that.


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## Guest (Sep 19, 2010)

bordercollielady said:


> I think the Potter books became more and more dark... they were originally somewhat light and delightful - but as Harry grew up and became a moody adolescent - so did the books. I'm sure that was JKR's intent - but I didn't "enjoy" the last ones as much as the first ones.


I think you've got the right idea about it. The final destination was always the defeat of Voldemort, which we knew all the way back in book 1. I can certainly believe there are people who would stampede a bookstore to grab another book, but I believe a lot of us would cringe at it and Rowling would lose so much of her integrity.

The last half of the series became both darker and more expansive. There were so many players and so many storylines that it was a wonder they could keep it all straight. My favorite was the Goblet of Fire, both for the competitive and international aspects of it. So much fun!


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

sibelhodge said:


> Yes, unfortunately I agree. I've also read a lot of big authors lately (not series novels) who've also seemed to lose their edge. Maybe that's what happens after you've written lots of books. (I'll find out one day!) I think James Patterson has gone severely down hill.


While at Dragon*Con this year there was a panel with several sci fi authors and apparently Patterson doesn't even write his own stuff anymore. He gives an outline to other authors and they write the books now for the most part was was was said there.


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## Guest (Sep 20, 2010)

The Wheel of time by robert Jordan
Book I was great and so were the sequels until about book 4 when he started rehashing everything over and over and over. Yes, robert. We were there. We read it the first time it happened and then the 3 or four other times your reviewed it...
His books should have been edited down by a third to get rid of that stuff and get on with the story.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I think my list would be much, much shorter if it were series that did _not_ lose steam over time.


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## K. A. Jordan (Aug 5, 2010)

Labrynth said:


> apparently Patterson doesn't even write his own stuff anymore.


How burned out do you have to be to do that? I've heard there are other writers who do the same thing. It is a very sad thought.

@Dave - the Wheel of Time series so turned me off of fantasy that I've not picked up another book in the genre. I think of it as 'the never-ending series.' Another sad thought - with Jordan gone the series is not likely to be finished - is it?


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

kajordan said:


> How burned out do you have to be to do that? I've heard there are other writers who do the same thing. It is a very sad thought.
> 
> @Dave - the Wheel of Time series so turned me off of fantasy that I've not picked up another book in the genre. I think of it as 'the never-ending series.' Another sad thought - with Jordan gone the series is not likely to be finished - is it?


It is being completed by Brandon Sanderson. I think I heard it is expected to be completed in three(!) volumes.


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## K. A. Jordan (Aug 5, 2010)

NogDog said:


> It is being completed by Brandon Sanderson. I think I heard it is expected to be completed in three(!) volumes.


How many would that make? A quick peek at Wikipedia makes it look like 17 books.

It boggles the mind.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Piers Anthony's Xanth series.. I gave up on it probably 20 years ago.. I loved the first 8-10? maybe liked the next 5 or so.. and then.. no. just not worth it to me after that at all.


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

K. A. Jordan said:


> How burned out do you have to be to do that? I've heard there are other writers who do the same thing. It is a very sad thought.


I know RL Stien hasn't written his own stuff in years. I agree. take a break or retire or something but pawning it off on someone else is pitiful IMO.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

akpak said:


> A trend I've noticed is that the quality of a series* goes down in direct proportion to how popular it gets: The author now is making enough money and has a big enough head that they fire their editors and the publishers just start wanting to make money off the known popularity.
> 
> Examples:
> Charlaine Harris
> ...


Interesting post. From my limited dealings with agents and publishers, I get the sense that they're desperate for money and are therefore somewhat limited in their vision. When a good book with an original premise suddenly makes it big (_A Game of Throne_s and _Dead After Dark_ come to mind for me), publishers and agents rush to tell authors to churn out more of the same because they've obviously tapped a "market," whatever that means. I guess it's like discovering a gold vein if you're a prospector. This vein then gets mined ad nauseam, until long after discerning readers are sick of the series and its pale imitators. The shrinking bottom line is death to originality.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Eric Flint's 1632 series. First book was a stand alone and was great, and the 2nd and 3rd were quite good.  But the series has gotten so big and unwieldy that I gave up.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2010)

K. A. Jordan said:


> How burned out do you have to be to do that? I've heard there are other writers who do the same thing. It is a very sad thought.
> 
> @Dave - the Wheel of Time series so turned me off of fantasy that I've not picked up another book in the genre. I think of it as 'the never-ending series.' Another sad thought - with Jordan gone the series is not likely to be finished - is it?


It's so sad that it's funny.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2010)

Labrynth said:


> apparently Patterson doesn't even write his own stuff anymore.


This just seems criminal to me. It's fraud. It's one thing to write something and make up a pretend author for it, but to have somebody else attribute writing to you so you can pass it off as your own is just wrong.


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## sherylb (Oct 27, 2008)

Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The first one was delightful, the second one great, the third one ok and I just could not get past the first few chapters on the fourth one.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

This is one of the things that so amazes me about Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" books. I've read all three dozen or so of them (multiple times each, mind your) and enjoyed every one of them. Sure, some are better than others, but overall he's kept me wanting more. However, I think part of his secret is that it's really several different series, so he's not really trying to churn out one book after another with the same characters and the same overall story arc. One year it's a "City Watch" book, the next year a "Lancre Witches" book, the next a "Death/Susan" book, and the next might be a more independent book (e.g. "Small Gods"). Thus he can jump around a bit in terms of themes, stories, and characters, and not get into as much of a rut.


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## K. A. Jordan (Aug 5, 2010)

NogDog said:


> Thus he can jump around a bit in terms of themes, stories, and characters, and not get into as much of a rut.


I think he has the right idea - a background that is rich enough to support the series, without his having to write the same book over and over.

Xanth was so new and so fresh when it came out - but it quickly became 'just another coming of age' story. I can't tell you how many I bought or read. But when I had to purge my collection of books they made a couple of cuts. The Princes of Amber lasted quite a few cuts.

The only books I have left from those days are a mixed box of Pern, Darkover, Andre Norton, "Stormbringer" and my D&D books. 

Come to think of it the only series I _never_ got tired of was Norton's Witch World.


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

foreverjuly said:


> This just seems criminal to me. It's fraud. It's one thing to write something and make up a pretend author for it, but to have somebody else attribute writing to you so you can pass it off as your own is just wrong.


I agree. I've known about Stein for years (As I know one of his shadow authors) but Patterson was quite a surprise to me.

Michael Crichton is a group of author types these days as well.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

I didn't know any more books had been released by Michael Crichton after his death, other than Pirate Latitudes which, as I understood it, was basically done when he died.


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