The Problem With Sequels: Join the Conversation

My friend and fellow author Shay Fabro has a very interesting post on her blog today regarding movie sequels. In it she challenges people to identify movie sequels that were actually better than the original. It's an interesting conversation and I encourage you to join in.

Her post has me wondering about my own line of work – writing novels – and whether or not book sequels face the same type of challenges as they do with film. The topic strikes particularly close to home as Grave Undertakings, the sequel to my debut thriller Asylum Lake, inches closer to hitting the shelves. The pressure to bring forward everything that readers enjoyed about Asylum Lake while still moving the story into new and interesting places has been quite daunting. In fact, there have been several times when I was tempted to just throw my hands in the air and give up. Fortunately, and I say this with all sincerity, Grave Undertakings delivers in all the right ways.

It begs the question, however, what are the most disappointing book sequels you can remember. We can include trilogies and series works, too.  Conversely, which ones totally rocked? I'll start the discussion with my own best and worst.

Best Book Sequel

The Fellowship of the Ring

I was ten-years-old when I first read Tolkien's classic, The Hobbit. My older brother was leaving for a stint in the U.S. Navy and he left me his book collection (inlcuding my favorite book of all time – Shadowland by Peter Straub). I was immediately enthralled with The Hobbit and the epic journey of the very endearing Bilbo Baggins. My brothers collection also included The Lord of the Rings trilogy and I can still recall the feeling of excitement upon discovering The Fellowship of the Ring was, in fact, a continuation of the adventures started with The Hobbit.Of course, the remaining titles in the series – The Two Towers and The Return of the King were equally magnificent, but it was with The Fellowship of the Ring that I first understood the value and excitement of a book sequel.

 

Worst Book Sequel

Hannibal Rising

I was one of the lucky ones who had read Thomas Harris' Red Dragon prior to watching the movie based on the sequel The Silence of the Lambs (I had also enjoyed the Michael Mann film Manhunter based on Red Dragon). Both The Silence of the Lambs and Harris' third installment Hannibal were terrific reads and provided deeper insights into the frightful mind of one of literature's, and film's, most popular villains, In fact, Dr. Hannibal Lecter.  Harris completely lost me, however, with the fourth and hopefully last installment, Hannibal Rising. Who would have thought that the humble beginnings of such a great protagonist could be so boring.

What say you? Have something to add to the conversation?