Product Code Database
Series fiction refers to a group of independently published works of fiction that are related to one another, usually through similar elements of setting and characters. A common example of series fiction is a book series. Series fiction spans a wide range of , and is particularly common in adventure, Mystery fiction, romance, fantasy, and science fiction. While commonly associated with children's and young adult literature, series fiction has also been a significant feature of mainstream and genre fiction for adults. Early examples include James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales (1823) and Honoré de Balzac's La Comédie humaine (1829).
Typically authored by a single writer, some series are collaborative efforts driven by publishers, as seen in The Hardy Boys or Sweet Valley High. Series fiction can be classified into progressive series, where characters grow and narratives are chronological, or successive series, which consist of self-contained stories that can be read in any order. The popularity of series fiction has grown with the commercialization of publishing, the rise of fan communities, and the expansion into multimedia franchises. Series fiction has been criticized for its formulaic plots and perceived lack of literary value, particularly in series aimed at younger and female audiences.
However, Peggy Lin Duthie identified much earlier examples of series fiction in Britain, predating the American series claimed by Watson to be the earliest. She considers the earliest example to be Sir Walter Scott's Waverly Novels, which begun in 1814 with Waverley. Before E. Nesbit, she also identifies other British authors of series fiction, such as Anthony Trollope with his Chronicles of Barsetshire (which started in 1855 with The Warden), and Margaret Oliphant's The Chronicles of Carlingford (begun in 1861 with "The Executor", a short story, and a novel, The Rector)
As for non-English language examples, Watson mentioned German writer Erich Kästner with his Emil and the Detectives series (1929), and French writer Paul Berna with his A Hundred Million Francs (1955). Duthie again identified an earlier French example, the mainstream series of Honoré de Balzac, La Comédie humaine, that debuted in 1829.
In the interwar period, series fiction expanded from literature (novels) to other mediums, notably comics and . During that time, Edward Stratemeyer's Tom Swift series was extremely popular among young readers in the United States. The postwar period saw the emergence of a female protagonist in series fiction. The use of female protagonists during this period is often criticized for being one-dimensional, with a focus solely on beauty. The popularity of series fiction increased during the internet era, from the late 1990s onward.
While series are common in genre fiction, they have also been found in mainstream fiction (as early as with Honoré de Balzac's La Comédie humaine from 1829). Series fiction is often incorrectly pigeonholed into one primary genre, but in fact many series can have elements of different genres; those genres can also change over time as authors mature or experiment with different styles. A long running series that was set in times contemporary to the readers can be seen as historical if the time in the series progresses very slowly, and it becomes long-running (ex. Alison Uttley's Little Grey Rabbit series begun in the 1920s and continued into the 1970s, with later books receiving explanatory notes about history).
Series are common in children's and youth literature. Common types of children's and youth series include adventure story, ballet story, camping and tramping story, family saga, pony story, and somewhat later, in the 20th century and growing in popularity, fantasy and science fiction story, such as the Harry Potter series. The latter genres are also common in series fiction for more mature audiences, which also often feature adventure (including western), horror, Mystery fiction, detective fiction and Romance novel (notably, the Harlequin novels).
Brian M. Stableford noted that series fiction is a result of commercialization and mass production of fiction, and its formularization to meet readers expectations; he writes that "powerful market forces pressure publishers and writers to follow up successful works with sequels". He also observes that series are often likely to suffer from the problem of "melodramatic inflation"; i.e. "the necessity of increasing the magnitude of threats that the hero is required to overcome". One of the solutions to the later is the creation of Side story (spinoffs) or . Other reasons for continuing the series have been described as the author's desire to "fill in narrative gaps" or to write "major ideological reappraisals". On the other hand, some writers have noted that continuing the series can be challenging for various reasons such as becoming burned out in the context of a particular setting or character.
Waiting for the next installment in a series is a part of the appeal of the series, used to boost their popularity through improving and managing recipients anticipations, with purposeful marketing, journalistic and fan speculation, and related methods. Consuming more than the first part of the series implies commitment; as noted by Watson: "There is often a chanciness in choosing to read a single novel but you cannot read a series of twelve novels by chance". Fandom are more likely to form around longer series; such communities themselves attract some readers. Such communities, particularly in the Internet era, can also lead to increased interaction between readers and writers, influencing the course of the series in line with fan's wishes as expressed online.
Shortest series can be as short as a single trilogy. Larger series can number as many as several hundred installments, particularly in cases of Media franchise and , such as, for example, Star Trek and Star Wars science fiction series, or the Longarm westerns.
Other terms related to series fiction, sometimes used as , include, among others, multi-part novels, sequences, and sagas. Also related are the concepts of shared universes, fan fiction and canon, particularly common in speculative fiction series (science fiction, fantasy and horror).
Nonetheless, even series that suffer from lack of critical acclaim and formulaic repetition can be long running, commercially successful and have a dedicated fanbase.
Expected familiarity with the setting, character and author style has in fact been identified as part of the appeal of series fiction.
Victor Watson distinguishes progressive and successive types of series, with the former being characterized by character arc, with books intended to be read in order, usually chronological. The latter, on the other hand, show much less character growth and can usually be read in any order without significant impact on the reader's understanding of the story. Some series can change from progressive to successive, or vice versa.
Series fiction spans all types of media. Major types of series fiction include, among others:
Series can be divided by size as well:
|
|
