Whats your view on other writers finishing books/series

[alanHd]

A writer has been hired to pen a fourth instalment to the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series by author Stieg Larsson, its Swedish publishers have said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25419214


I hope this lives up to the other books in the series.

[susan_cassidy]

I don't like it, and I never read them. I think of the original author's work as the "canon", and don't even acknowledge the existence of other books in the series. To me, no subsequent author can exactly match the tone and style of the original author. I've tried a couple, and found that to be true.

[DrNefario]

That's how I feel, too.

The possible exception would be Brandon Sanderson completing Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, because Sanderson, as I understand it, worked with Jordan when the latter was terminally ill. I say that, but I've been in no great rush to read the last few Wheel of Time books, so I'm not sure I really believe it.

[speedtouch]

Without the ability of other writers picking up where Keith Laumer left off on his excellent Bolo series, it would have died a sad and lonely death. So I completely support the option of having other writers pick up where the original writer left off.

[Tarana]

I'm all for it if the author left substantial notes/work on those last works ESPECIALLY if it was part of the series. Most fans, including myself, would like to see how the author was going to wrap it up. The bigger problem is to find a writer of enough substance in the genre to actually take up that work. They'd rather be writing their own work.

[elcreative]

Depends on the writers used... sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't... and occasionally it works very well. For series where there feels more left to do, I will usually give a follow-on writer a chance...

[alanHd]

Originally Posted by Tarana

I'm all for it if the author left substantial notes/work on those last works.

That was my first thought on this book, until I read the writer did not have access to the original unfinished manuscript.

[SeaBookGuy]

I thought the new Jeeves & Wooster book was fairly close to Wodehouse's original series.

[DiapDealer]

I don't approve of authors dying before their series are finished. It's unprofessional.

[Penforhire]

Not a fan of the concept.

While I absolutely adore the works of both Robert Ludlum and Eric Van Lustbader, I find it dopey beyond comprehension to have Lustbader continuing to write Jason Bourn novels. Lustbader does action scenes better. Ludlum does complex conspiracies better. It just feels like advanced fan fiction.

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

I don't like it, and I never read them.

^This.

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't approve of authors dying before their series are finished. It's unprofessional.

And inconsiderate as well.

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Not a fan of the concept.

While I absolutely adore the works of both Robert Ludlum and Eric Van Lustbader, I find it dopey beyond comprehension to have Lustbader continuing to write Jason Bourn novels. Lustbader does action scenes better. Ludlum does complex conspiracies better. It just feels like advanced fan fiction.

Same sentiments on both authors. My best friend read a couple of the Lustbader Bourne books and she loathed them. I told her it served her right for reading them in the first place

[eschwartz]

I personally was not a fan AT ALL of "And Another Thing..." the supposed sixth book to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, written by Eoin Colfer. He had no idea how to write a book in the spirit of Douglas Adams. It is possible other authors could finish off other peoples' series's properly; I suppose it depends on who is doing the writing.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't approve of authors dying before their series are finished. It's unprofessional.

LOL! That's the first thing I thought too

I think it's stupid to keep writing and writing and writing.... AND WRITING.... without an end in sight, especially if you're a bit older already. Up to this time, is has prevented me to read The wheel of Time and The Sword of Truth, because I'll be reading that has no ending (yet?).

Yes, it might keep readers coming back, but it may also wear them down. "Are we EVER going to see a conclusion?"

If one wants to write a long series, it would be best to do it in trilogies, making each trilogy one cohesive story, and finishing the trilogy in such a way that a reeader can either keep reading the next trilogies, or stop reading without having to wonder how it would all end.

So, in short:

- Approve if another writer finishes a series as not to leave readers hanging forever.
- Don't approve if a writer picks up the series and keeps going and going.

[speakingtohe]

I'm for it if I like the book. Some are good some are bad and probably more are so-so.

I read some Robert Goldsborough Nero Wolfe books, and liked them. Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone books by Michael Brandman - good, Spenser by Ace Atkins - so so and the Christmas book finished by his editor deteriorated quickly.

The one I have a hard time dealing with is the Robert K. Tanenbaum Butch Karp books which I love, but they were actually ghostwritten from the beginning by his cousin and then they had a falling out and supposedly Tanenbaum is writing them now.

Lot of series are written by different authors - coauthors and many I have enjoyed, many I haven't. thieves World and Wildcards come to mind.

As long as there is no trickery involved, and perhaps even if there is, I don't get all nutso about it. If I like the book, good, if I don't, I don't have to read the next one although sometimes I will. After all I have read some less than stellar books by authors I love, and it doesn't affect how I view the books that caused me to love them.

Helen

[Valhalla]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

The possible exception would be Brandon Sanderson completing Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, because Sanderson, as I understand it, worked with Jordan when the latter was terminally ill.

Sanderson never met Jordan. He was working from notes left by Jordan.