Do you know the Series Sickness???

[sis]

Series Sickness???

I call this the series sickness but that is just coz I dont know a better name for it .

You finish a great book and you cant wait to read the next one. Now imagine - your bookshop is slow and hasn´t got it yet, or worse the book isn´t out yet, or the total nightmare the book is out of print(that happend to me a couple of times ) .... so you bite your nails, you curse the publisher ... you stalk the bookshop for hours and drive the bookseller crazy.... till you get your nex dose.

There is a second "form" of that sickness that is much worse: You have just finished the book and you already have the second so you imediately start reading the next one, and the next one ... after about two thousand pages and a few sleepless nights later (thats my average)you get sick because... you cant stop reading, but you cant go on either because you are fed up.

Well now I sound like the addict I am ...

So I guess what I am trying to do here is to ask if there are others out there that have been stricken by this terrible dissease or if you know a way to battle it...I am serious people

 

[Halo]

Oh yes... I am currently suffering from the first form of the sickness with King's Dark Tower series. Get them out in paperback, you gits!!!!!!

 

[direstraits]

I used to get this when I discovered Robert Jordan's Wheel of time. At that time, Book Six was just about to come out. I read the first out out of curiousity, and got sucked it. The story was brilliant, and the writing great. I got the second book, third and you know the rest. Book Six was just before what I call "The Decline", after which the books stop making sense, and ramble on worse than me on a bad day.

I'm still officially 'series-ly sick' because George RR Martin's next book isn't out yet.

ds

 

[sis]

One of the worst times was when I read some six or seven Anne Rice books in a row I almost developed a serious allergy for witches and vampires. I would avoid everything that had anything to do with blood ....urghh

 

[direstraits]

Well, there is a version of this sickness where you buy multiple books by the same author in some strange compulsion. I bought Curse of Chalion, Barrayar, Ethan of Athos, Memory and Borders of Infinity after I got the Vor Game free. All of them are from Lois McMaster Bujold, and except for Chalion, all are from the Vorkosigan series. And all I bought one after another. Strange...

ds

 

[mr_michel]

Well, there is a version of this sickness where you buy multiple books by the same author in some strange compulsion.

i do that all the time, i usually buy whatever books i find of an author i like and stash them

 

[hay82]

I used to get this when I discovered Robert Jordan's Wheel of time. At that time, Book Six was just about to come out.

Did the same, only I first discovered the series at book 10, luckly I didn't study or work at that time so I spent all my time reading.

 

[Hannibal]

My policy now is to not venture into a series until it is complete, and as a whole has had rave reviews. I'm hoping George R.R. Martin's series is a resounding success. If it is, that is the one I will dive into (I stopped reading after 400 pages a few years ago when I realized there were THOUSANDS still to go).

A story has to be pretty darn good for me to invest that much time into it. And life is short!

 

[Ashlea]

Don't forget the other variation: I just bought this book, doesn't it sound cool? What do you mean, it's book 3 in a series? Where can I get the first 2? Special order? ebay? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

 

[direstraits]

"Wow, thanks for the present, Mom!"

[Sounds of frantic unwrapping]

"Uhm... this looks like Book 2 of a 3 parter story..."

ds

 

[VTChEwbecca]

Usually I will stockpile a series if I like the first book. If I can't get the next at the bookstore, I will surf online until I can (hopefully) find it. If it has yet to be published, I usually will reread the book I've just read (if its good enough).


As to getting book two of a series...arrgh. Usually I will ask someone who has read the series if it is necessary to read them in order. If not, I'll read the one I have, if so...I search frantically to find the first.

 

[marxlaws]

My policy now is to not venture into a series until it is complete, and as a whole has had rave reviews. I'm hoping George R.R. Martin's series is a resounding success. If it is, that is the one I will dive into (I stopped reading after 400 pages a few years ago when I realized there were THOUSANDS still to go).

A story has to be pretty darn good for me to invest that much time into it. And life is short!

yeah im currently reading some 18 open series. my fav is gardians of the flame by JR and it started 20 some years ago and the main plot wont wrap up until 2020 by consevative estiments. oh my god. love the books but 50 years to finish a book? he is a great writer too.

 

[Prolixic]

Oh yes. And the dishes pile up and floor needs vacuumed and you let the fire in the fire place go out four or five times and the phone rings but you don't hear it. Your friends know better than to even call you when you have new books and your wife--if you're lucky--is curled up on the other couch doing the same thing. Oh yes. The new series sickness.

Oh man I love that GOTF series marxlaws! Dragons, magical swords, wizards, thieves--great stuff. But not everyone knows what JR stands for around here.

 

[marxlaws]

Oh yes. And the dishes pile up and floor needs vacuumed and you let the fire in the fire place go out four or five times and the phone rings but you don't hear it. Your friends know better than to even call you when you have new books and your wife--if you're lucky--is curled up on the other couch doing the same thing. Oh yes. The new series sickness.

Oh man I love that GOTF series marxlaws! Dragons, magical swords, wizards, thieves--great stuff. But not everyone knows what JR stands for around here.

how can they not know of the mighty joel rosenberg! i shall have to teach them. or if they wish to see for themselves be welcome to go to (shameless plug upcoming) www.slovotskys-laws.com the unofficial fan site of rosenberg himself! no kidding its a great site with some really good insight to joel's works. now back to your regularly scheduled program

 

[Twigleg]

I constantly suffer from the first variation of series sickness... especially with Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series... I'll go absolutely crazy if Drowned Wednesday doesn't hit bookstores soon!! *pulls out hair*

 

[Oberon]

"Wow, thanks for the present, Mom!"

[Sounds of frantic unwrapping]

"Uhm... this looks like Book 2 of a 3 parter story..."

ds

I do that to my son (he is twenty-three) and he thanks me. He's on the third book of Fire and Ice and I had to break the news that number 4 is nearly a year late ... and that 5 and 6 are planned ....

I couldn't hope to wait for Donaldson to finish three more Covenant books!! Hell, I always buy his books in hardcover; only writer with whom I do that.

Rereading helps, altho ... the thought of rereading the Martin books!

 

[Prolixic]

I do that to my son (he is twenty-three) and he thanks me. He's on the third book of Fire and Ice and I had to break the news that number 4 is nearly a year late ... and that 5 and 6 are planned ....

You're kidding? I just finished A Game of Thrones and ordered, er, the next one. A Clash of Kings? Crap.

Series Sickness indeed.