Reminders in Series

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

I'm not quite sure how to phrase this, so bear with me.

As any fantasy fan does, I read a lot of series. One problem with this, especially when you're reading the series as it comes out, is that you might've forgotten details of the previous books.

I've found that different authors handle this different ways.

1) I don't care.

These authors don't really give you much in the way of reminders or clues and you sort of just have to remember or figure it out.

2) Random reminders.

These authors - the best, imo - weave in some little memory nudges, but don't hit you over the head with it.

3) Last Time On [Series Name] Reminiscence

These are the ones who seem to use the first few chapters more as recaps of what came before. As much as I hate feeling lost and confused (method 1) - I think I actually hate the recaps the most.

(And it doesn't necessarily have to be at the start of a book. Rowling did it with Quidditch - in every book when Quidditch is mentioned for the first time you got a few paragraphs explaining it. As much as I love the HP books, I sort of wanted to strangle her a bit for that.)

***

So - which do you prefer? Which do you find the most annoying?


(I thought of this this morning 'cause I'm reading a book which is doing the recap thing, and it really grated on me... in case anyone was curious.) ;)

[Dawn]

I sort of like the reminders in the form of plot summaries. Like a prelude to the book opening, there will be a straight up summary of the events up until then.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

I'm actually cool with it if it's before the book opening - and I guess that would be a more accurately called "Previously On... "

I'm more thinking the awkward way some authors cram it into the first couple of chapters as a sort of reminiscence. "I can't believe it was only two weeks ago when X tried to kill Y, and then Y did whatever... blah blah blah... Crazy shit, man."

[Dawn]

It annoys me when it's like that too, especially when I'm reading a bunch of series books in a row. Like Dresden.. It never bothered me when I was reading them one at a time, I was grateful for it actually. But then I read like 6 in a row and it drove me nucking futs.

[Snarktastic Sonja]

This is an interesting topic. I think Dawn says it perfectly:

It never bothered me when I was reading them one at a time, I was grateful for it actually. But then I read like 6 in a row and it drove me nucking futs

What I prefer is typically based on how I am reading. I typically like to re-read a series when a new novel comes out, but some of them are so freaking long at this point (*cough* Wheel of Time *cough*) that it is impossible to have any semblance of life and do so. And, I actually develop less patience as I get older. So, wikipedia is my friend. But, I think, we also hand tie an author who is kind of "obligated" to give us some sort of heads up to satisfy both types of readers. And, I am no longer patient enough to start a series of serial books that is unfinished. So, I WILL typically read them one right after another. I am, however, patient with the recaps.

That being said, I recently picked up a book where the author recapped the previous action in each and every chapter. OMG I about freaking lost my mind. I'm like, yea, that happened like 10 pages ago. Pretty sure I can remember that far back . . . (And, no, I did not finish the book. But, believe it or not, there were worse problems . . . )

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Definitely a fair point about reading in a row or in short order. The book I started this morning is the sequel of a book I just read a month or so ago, so it's still pretty fresh in my mind.

If it were several months or upwards of a year, I might be more appreciative and less annoyed.


Sonja wrote: "That being said, I recently picked up a book where the author recapped the previous action in each and every chapter. OMG I about freaking lost my mind. I'm like, yea, that happened like 10 pages ago. Pretty sure I can remember that far back . . . (And, no, I did not finish the book. But, believe it or not, there were worse problems . . . ) "

This would drive me absolutely mental!

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

Dawn wrote: "It annoys me when it's like that too, especially when I'm reading a bunch of series books in a row. Like Dresden.. It never bothered me when I was reading them one at a time, I was grateful for it ..."

This is me, too.

I'm ok with the info being presented before the book starts, too. That works well cause I get to skip it if I don't need it.

[Sophie]

I hate recaps, especially when phrases and even paragraphs are copy pasted from previous books. LKH was good for that. Natural random reminders are ok, especially if they highlight important plot points.

It also depends on the size and complexity of the series. If its a brick work of some 500+ pages with tons of characters and plot twists, then yeah, recaps are less of a nuisance. But in a standard 350 paperback, there's little need for that kind of waste of page space.

For series that I'm REALLY into, I actually keep notes. I have a "reading companion", an old beat up composition book where I keep random series notes, quotations, sometimes reviews. If I forget something I just whip that out.

[Janny]

I find the most skillful recaps are those where the author is able to add to, shift tension, or unveil a new twist upon what has happened before - that way, the information delivers fresh significance and adds piquant depth to the sequel.

[Pauline]

MrsJoseph wrote: "I'm ok with the info being presented before the book starts, too. That works well cause I get to skip it if I don't need it."

I think this is the best option for everybody. It works for anyone reading books back to back (they can skip it). It works for anyone who read the first book a while back and needs a reminder. It even works for those hapless folks who picked up volume 2 in a used book store without realising it was a middle book. AND it works for the author, who can dive straight into writing the new story without having to agonise over how much recapping to weave in.

I really think there should be a law about it. The Second [*] Law of Series Writing: thou shalt always write a summary of previous books in the series as a foreward to each new volume.

[*] The First Law is obviously: thou shalt finish the series before thou dies (or gets bored or gets another brilliant idea for a series or...).

[Traci]

If I get lost between books its usually character related. I'm absolutely terrible with names. So I hate sequels that just have characters talking to each other like you're supposed to know who the heck they are. I like a small reminder. If a character has an odd laugh, make him laugh early. If he's a mage, make him use a spell. Etc.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

I second the motion for the new law, Pauline. :>


@Traci - I have the same problem with names, and I agree a little jolt is a good thing. Unfortunately, the book I'm still reading, which started this whole thing, has the "give physical description of person" style of introducing characters, which helps me remember not at all.

[Wendy]

Little subtle reminders are nice in sequels, especially for those who are reading out of sequence.
For epics with lots of characters, it is nice to have: King Green: Ruler of Greenville, his daughters: A. B, C. Princess A: blah blah.
Or somewhere in a paragraph Mage Turtle remembered vividly the horrible fire spell that went wrong that ruins his life and career.
I enjoyed Robin Hobb's Assassin series, but the way she rehashed memories from previous books got irritating.

[Wendy]

p.s. if there are so many characters in a book or so similar in the names that I need a cheat sheet, I am not going to read it.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

I dislike overly similar names in general.

[Traci]

^ whisper-stay away from Steven Erikson...I love Malazan, as most people might already know, but he is so guilty of a lot of this. Not only similar names, try at least two characters having up to three names each. And many others having two, and I don't mean first and last names, I mean in this book by name was A but now I'm going to go by B because I like it better. The books do have a handy list of characters in the front of each one. And believe me, you need them!

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

Traci wrote: "^ whisper-stay away from Steven Erikson...I love Malazan, as most people might already know, but he is so guilty of a lot of this. Not only similar names, try at least two characters having up to t..."

O_o

[Jon]

From the writing standpoint, I try to leave as few reminders as possible. Some are unavoidable, but I really don't enjoy (writing or reading) recaps of previous books. So far, I haven't gotten many complaints about it.

[Jalilah]

I like to have a few reminders especially when I don't read the series straight through, or it is a new series and I have had to wait a year for the next book. I just started the 3rd Dresden file book Grave Peril after waiting about 4 months between the last. Right on the first page there is a character named Michael and I can't remember who is was is it the guy from the council or the one with the restaurant. Anyway, I don't mind a recap at all!

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I don't really care for "recaps". I find that once I'm into a book I usually have no trouble "finding my place". So the "weave the reminders in" approach suits me better.