Now Toddson, I don't think the publishing industry is prone to taking a trend and running it into the ground.

"Shakespear Undead"

I admit I totally want to see the "Rosencranz and Guildenstern are Undead" movie. *IF* it comes to Cincy.

Alert for Librarians, Children's Literature fans, Fantasy Fans.

There's a new critical study Four British Fantasists which looks at the generation of British fantasy writers which followed after Tolkien and Lewis, focusing on Diana Wynne Jones, Alan Garner, Susan Cooper and Penelope Lively.

A literate, illuminating look at four authors whom Butler calls, important contributors to the formation of a corpus of modern children's literature…capable of bearing the weight of academic scrutiny. All four studied at Oxford while J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis were writing and lecturing, and Butler notes the influences that these men had on each writer. The text is divided into three major sections. Applied Archeology deals with the interplay between past and present, especially as it is played out on the landscape. Longing and Belonging addresses the complex relationship between identity and place. Myth and Magic explores each author's use of traditional literature, especially from the British Isles. Butler convincingly demolishes reductive, issues-oriented critics by explicating and celebrating the artistic choices made by these four masters of their craft. Since many of today's undergraduates grew up with these writers, this important title should not be limited to academic libraries supporting graduate and undergraduate children's literature courses. It belongs in any library that serves a liberal-arts curriculum. It is highly readable, commandingly intelligent, and refreshingly jargon-free. A seminal work of criticism.–Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams

I don't know anything about Penelope Lively. Anybody a fan?

I don't want to sound like a snob, because I read nine of them myself I think, but anyone else think it's crazy there are now *sixteen* Stephanie Plum books? I hope she's still not deciding between(Guy With Short Italian Name) and Ranger, Mystery Man. Maybe she finally got married and has a daughter that alternates between cute and fat, and she's teaching her how to look in her sights without messing up her eye shadow as she snarks over donuts with her own Designated Ethnic Sassy Friend.

Umm I hate to admit to being addicted. Essentially nothing has changed.

Well in all fairness have not read 16 & 17. I have to be in the right mood for Plum.

I read the first ... six? ... of the Stephanie Plum books and enjoyed them. I did kind of burn out on them after that, though. I think the franchise may have run its course.

Which leads me to ask - how does an author keep a series going long-term? how does s/he keep it from getting either stale or having to push it to the point it's ridiculous?

This is part of Lee Child's genius with the Reacher books. They started out ridiculous (ridiculously AWESOME), and he's a drifter, so each book can be in a different place with a different supporting cast.

also - P-C, on your recommendation I (finally) read "Rosemary and Rue". I liked it - I liked it enough that before I'd finished it, I went out and bought the second book (which I'm now reading).

With Discworld, Pratchett has a large enough cast of characters that he can have little series-within-the-series focusing on their stories.

also - P-C, on your recommendation I (finally) read "Rosemary and Rue". I liked it - I liked it enough that before I'd finished it, I went out and bought the second book (which I'm now reading).

Awesome! So glad to hear it. And with that one, the answer is that Seanan has various ongoing plotlines running in the background of the books and triggers set to be pulled in specific books and a definite planned ending so that the series doesn't go on forever and ever.

For most writers, past a certain point you move on and write stuff outside the series. Or you end up like Doyle, and get pushed by public demanding into returning to damn series. Because it turns out that Sherlock Holmes is better than anything else you write no matter how much you protest otherwise!