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Swede

(34,624 posts)
Thu Feb 2, 2012, 01:10 PM Feb 2012

Great Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Who Never Wrote Sequels or Trilogies

Here are some of the greatest writers in the genre who never wrote sequels to their work. Note: This is by no means going to be an exhaustive list. Especially given how many Golden Age authors only wrote standalone books, we could be here all day if we tried to list every author who wrote nothing but standalones.

http://io9.com/5880602/great-science-fiction-and-fantasy-writers-who-never-wrote-sequels-or-trilogies

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Great Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Who Never Wrote Sequels or Trilogies (Original Post) Swede Feb 2012 OP
I would add Greg Egan to that list phantom power Feb 2012 #1
I was wondering about Banks semillama Feb 2012 #3
No, you don't, but Player of Games and Consider Phlebas are both awesome reads. eppur_se_muova Mar 2012 #6
Early stuff is better. bemildred Mar 2012 #8
Wow mzteris Feb 2012 #2
Was Jules Verne on that list? semillama Feb 2012 #4
_The Mysterious Island_ getting old in mke Feb 2012 #5
He also wrote eyl Mar 2012 #7

phantom power

(25,966 posts)
1. I would add Greg Egan to that list
Thu Feb 2, 2012, 01:33 PM
Feb 2012

Greg Bear writes sequels, although his series seem to come twos, not trilogies.

Neal Stephenson wrote his Baroque trilogy, but aside from that his novels are all standalone.

I wonder how to categorize Iain M. Banks - his culture novels are pretty much stand-alone, but all set in the same universe.

semillama

(4,583 posts)
3. I was wondering about Banks
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 01:59 PM
Feb 2012

I've not read his stuff before but it's highly recommended. So sounds like I don't have to start with his earliest work if I can't find it?

eppur_se_muova

(37,429 posts)
6. No, you don't, but Player of Games and Consider Phlebas are both awesome reads.
Sat Mar 10, 2012, 06:21 AM
Mar 2012

His later works don't carry quite the same fire -- I'm thinking particularly of The Algebraist.

I ended up reading his books in more or less the order of publication, except that I read Phlebas first.

BTW, his earliest works were reprinted in QP not that long ago, so you should be able to find it. I never read books twice, but for Phlebas and Games I'd be willing to make exceptions.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
8. Early stuff is better.
Sat Mar 31, 2012, 05:41 PM
Mar 2012

He's become a bit routine and formulaic. I liked "Against A Dark Background" and "Excession" in particular. The others mentioned here are good too, "Player of Games" for example.

getting old in mke

(813 posts)
5. _The Mysterious Island_
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 04:01 PM
Feb 2012

was a sequel to _2000 Leagues Under the Sea_.

In an odder sequel, _An Antarctic Mystery_ (an obscure one) was a sequel to Edgar Allan Poe's _The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket_.

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