We all know the feeling that strikes when a good book is drawing to a close. We wait with bated breath for the conclusion while at the same time wishing the ending would never come. Fear not, for there’s a simple solution to this predicament. Delve into a series and you can experience the pleasure of a well thought out story while knowing that the end is not forever; the beloved world and its characters await in the next installment. There’s something for everyone in the following list, which covers series in several genres of fiction.
Mystery
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny – This series, now 10 books strong, began in 2005 with the publication of Still Life. It follows Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sret du Qubec and his team of investigators as they unravel a host of rather unusual murders.
The Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters – At 20 books in length and counting, Elizabeth Peters’ Egyptologist Amelia Peabody has come a long way since her first adventure, Crocodile on the Sandbank, in 1975.
The Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith – Under a male pseudonym, J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame introduced rough-and-tumble private detective Cormoran Strike in the debut novel The Cuckoo’s Calling in 2013. The second in the series, The Silkworm, has just been released.
Historical Fiction
Thomas Cromwell Trilogy by Hilary Mantel – In 1500s England tensions are high in the court of Henry VIII and the spotlight is on the social climb of Thomas Cromwell. The first of the trilogy, Wolf Hall, was published in 2009. Bring up the Bodies followed in 2012, while the third and final book is forthcoming.
The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett – This trilogy of epic proportions follows five families of different nationality through the trials and tribulations of the 20th century, beginning with the First World War. Fall of Giants (2010) and Winter of the World (2012) are currently available, while the concluding volume is set to be released later this year.
SciENCE Fiction/Fantasy
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams – Anyone with a funny bone will appreciate Adams’ humorous approach to Sci-Fi. In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979), Arthur Dent, a hapless earthling, chooses to leave his home planet behind and begin traveling space with a raucous crew. The following five books in the series follow Arthur through many more (mis)adventures.
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin – No contemporary series list would be complete without Martin’s fantasy epic (also knows as the Game of Thrones series). It began in 1996 with the publication of A Game of Thrones, and five books out of a total seven have been published.
Discworld by Terry Pratchett – Another humorous and wildly imaginitive fantasy series, Discworld is just that: a flat, disc-shaped world balanced on the backs of four elephants which are in turn carried by a gigantic turtle. Filled with parody and a diverse cast of characters, over 40 books have been published, beginning in 1983 with The Color of Magic.
Flickr photo by sararasmussen available via Creative Commons license.