Fans of long series of big novels, sound off!

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I always think of Wheel of Time when I think of the giant series of giant fantasy novels in the 1990s, but of course, it was just one of many from that era. And I know that there are still some published today, but it feels like the focus of fantasy and sci-fi novels has moved on.

If you miss those big novels and big series, what are your favorites? What's the appeal? Have you moved on to another series or are you on your third re-read of a favorite series?

 

[dragoner]

Night's Dawn trilogy has entered the chat

 

[jian]

I think of David Eddings’ ten book series of the adventures of Garion and his culturally stereotyped friends, which I enjoyed very much when I was a teenager, and which apparently remains influential on modern writers such as Joe Abercrombie. But then I remember the Eddings’ previous life as serial child abusers and why I threw away all my Eddings books.

Could you count the Discworld books? I suppose they’re not really episodic at all.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Could you count the Discworld books? I suppose they’re not really episodic at all.

I don't. You could fit multiple Discworld books into one Wheel of Time volume.

 

[zottel]

For me the biggest two are:

Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
An awesome tale about compassion, and railing against injustice. It can be quite the emotional journey. Philosphy often plays a big part, for me. It is both known for excellent writing, and being hard to get into. I can't agree on the latter part, you simply have to accept that you don't always know and understand everything. In any case, it is well worth it.

The First Law and the following books set in the same world by Joe Abercrombie
It's not a tight series, some of the books are standalone, but if read as a series the characters and the overarching plot get to really shine. It's often brought up as one of the mayor series that made grimdark popular, and always criticized as not really being grimdark in the same discussion.
At it's core, it is about terrible people trying to be a little a less terrible, and failing for the most part.

What I really love about long series is that you get to spend a lo of time with the characters and really get to know them. Both series have a lot of very memorable characters in them.

Honestly, I can't decide which of those two is my favourite. Most of the time, it's the one I have read more recently. If you put a gun to my head, I would probably pick Malazan, though. Damn, I will start a re-read now.

 

[GreyLord]

Not a big reader of the Giant Novels anymore, or reader of big series, but I can name a few.

My favorite, and the only one I'm currently reading is not really a Novel series, the books (Except for the last one which is extremely long) are not excessively big, but it is a LARGE series.

Lone Wolf (31 Books in the Main line currently, 4 World of Lone Wolf Books, 12 Legends of Lone Wolf Books, two Side Novels by other authors, a (I think) 3 books series called Autumn Snow (by a different author), the Skull of Agarash Comic, and the Magnamund Companion.

Other Book series that I've dabbled in or read in the past that may be considered to be Long with big Novels...

The Shannara Series - This has like 29 Books and several Novellas (collected in yet another Book). The biggest and longest ones are probably the First 3 though. I really enjoyed it at the start. Once he starts going more fantasy punk sci - fi it grew less interesting. When he started involving adult subjects...it REALLY lost my interest.

The Sword of Truth Series - 21 Books, many of which are pretty long. I never really got absolutely into this one, but it's one of those with Long Novels in a Long series.

Thomas Covenant - This is not as big a series of books as others, though the Novels can be lengthy. Only 10 books in this one. Has some uncomfortable adult themes.

not long novels, another book series similar to the Lone Wolf Game Books...

Fighting Fantasy had something like 59 Books when it ended years ago, and then it got resurrected. I have bought something like 5 or 6 more of them which were added on in this century (so at least 64 or 65 of them total).

Promising...

Brandon Sanderson's Books tend to be long. The Stormlight Archives tend to be extremely long in length. He's finished Book 5 of what he says is a 10 book series, but who knows if he'll add on to it after that.

 

[trappedslider]

If you miss those big novels

I like big books and you other readers can't deny

 

[Mad_Jack]

If you put a gun to my head, I would probably pick Malazan, though. Damn, I will start a re-read now.

See you in another ten years....

((The way Erickson kills off well-liked characters makes G.R.R. Martin look like an amateur. And yet it feels so good when he twists the knife, lol.)

Although not nearly as long or deep, Glen Cook's The Black Company series is probably my other favorite fantasy series I've read.

 

[jian]

A much shorter series (3 books) but indubitably doorstoppers from the 80s/90s was the Memory, Sorrow, Thorn series by Tad Williams.

I guess the modern doorstoppers are Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, I suppose, which feel a bit like Sanderson flexing the muscles he got from finishing the Wheel of Time. I’ve personally found them hard to get into, it feels like he’s being paid by the word.

 

[Ryujin]

At one point I had all 30-something* of the "Horseclans" books. There's something to be said for familiarity. You don't need to be introduced to the main characters, because they've developed over multiple books. They tended to be a quick read when I just needed to scratch an itch. it would make a perfect "Game of Thrones" style TV series, but I struggle to think who would star in it.

*Wikipedia says 18. but I swear there were more.