Do you still start a book series that has not yet been finished?

[Scarloc99]

I was talking to a friend recently who lamented that ASOIAF was still unfinished, she had invested time in reading all the available books and questioned if she would get to read to the end. Her words to me "At least with WOT you knew it had ended". 

I had to explain to her that when I started reading WOT only 6 books had been released and throughout the following 18/19 years I had many moments of wondering if I would get to see the end. It is for this very reason that I never started reading George RR Martins work, and why, with the exception of the black libraries Horus Heresy series,  I won't start any series that has not yet been finished. Even with a trilogy I find myself now waiting until the 3rd book has been released before I will start them. 

So for other WOT readers who where there at the start experiencing the waiting and wondering if it would finally, did that experience make you tentative to start a series before it has been completed?

[DojoToad]

I started ASOIAF many years ago, picked it up from the SFBC.  And I have read the first 5 books, but am no longer very interested due to the long gap.  I will pick up Winds of Winter when it comes out, but it will sit on the shelf until the 7th book is released.  Then I'll read the whole series beginning to end.  But GRRM is juggling too many projects so I'm not reading anymore until I know I have it all.  I also picked up some of the stand-alone books from that universe (Fire and Blood) but haven't read them yet.  If I throw a few dollars away because it never gets finished then so be it.  Keeping track of the characters and storylines is even harder than WoT - so no sense reading until I can go straight through.

 

Long way of saying - I will not start another series until I know it is complete.  GRRM ruined me.  I may buy the books if the series is getting rave reviews, but they will sit unread until the story is complete.

[mogi68]

A work of art is never finished

[DojoToad]

On 12/30/2022 at 1:18 PM, mogi68 said:

A work of art is never finished

LOL - don't give GRRM any more encouragement...

[Scarloc99]

On 12/30/2022 at 6:18 PM, mogi68 said:

A work of art is never finished

I mean, many many painters would disagree with you there 🙂 

[slynese]

I don't like unfinished series, so no, I won't read a series unless it is finished.

[Delirium]

Yes, I will start any series that interests me and wait with bated breath for each new novel.

 

If the author has a reputation for not seeming to have any interest in finishing their series like GRRM, I won't even start it.  

[docfreska]

The experience of waiting for The Wheel of Time to be finished definitely left its mark on many readers, myself included. I remember feeling a mix of excitement and frustration as the years passed, and each new book came with the hope that the end was in sight, only to find that it would still be years before the story wrapped up. As a result, I became more cautious about starting unfinished series. The uncertainty about whether an author would finish their work, or worse, if they would pass away before completing the story, definitely makes one more reluctant to dive into a series unless the entire arc is already out.