What fantasy series have you been reading for the longest?

ixoy

I've noticed that a lot of people seemed to have come into epic fantasy via "The Wheel of Time" series, which is coming to an end. Many have been reading it for years (since it's been around since 1990 that's no surprise).

What fantasy series have you been reading over the longest span of time?

For me it's Feist's Riftwar Saga series, starting with "Magician" back in about 1988/1989 (can't be sure which - it was a long time ago!). Today I'm still reading him ("A Crown Imperiled") and he, like WoT, will be finally finishing up next year. That'll be a 24 year span!

Other long term reads include:

* "Wheel of Time" (began around 1994 for me to 2013 for the final one)
* Janny Wurt's "The Wars of Light and Shadow" (begun around 1994 - no end date known yet!)
* George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" (begun around 2000 - no end date yet!)

Steven Erikson's Malazan series was over about an eight year period for me but you could count it as ongoing if you throw in the Kharkansas trilogy and the Toblakai series after that.
Anyone following the Shannara series (which I don't really) could do very well here as it's longer running than any of those listed above.

Any other people been following a series for one decade or more? Reading any of these over a couple of years in one go doesn't count!

PADRAGON

Ah this takes me back....
I started reading The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant
in 1984 ! Now that makes me feel old i was sixteen at the time
which might explain the impact it had on me.
With the last in the series due next year that'll be 29 years.
Do i win a prize?

Trojan

It's interesting how little discussion there is of Shannara here. I read 3-4 of them about 12 years ago but stopped, so technically one might call that ongoing. I saw it reported that Brooks said he'd never conclude the series, just keep writing until he dies. I don't know if it's true or not, but it would put me off a bit

(I started reading Locke Lamora and I've been waiting about 45 years for book 3 now...)

Temptamperu

1992, a mate gave me a battered copy of The Eye of the World. Its gonna be weird after I read the final book in January.

Zapp Brannigan

2000-Present for Wheel of Time

2001 - Present for A Song of Ice and Fire.

Trojan

Trojan wrote: »

It's interesting how little discussion there is of Shannara here.

I absolutely hated it, tbh. Couldn't read it.


Wheel of time is my winner as well, 12 years and counting. And GRRM, but I don't know how long for that one.

The others I've followed haven't gone on as long

AnCapaillMor

Agree with shannnara, I tried but couldn't, they were just so dull.

Relatively new to fantasy and series, I always did my best up to 2 years ago to not read unfinished series. Saga of the 7 seven suns would my longest, started with book 1 on release, then again its sci-fi.

ixoy

Trojan wrote: »

It's interesting how little discussion there is of Shannara here. I read 3-4 of them about 12 years ago but stopped, so technically one might call that ongoing. I saw it reported that Brooks said he'd never conclude the series, just keep writing until he dies. I don't know if it's true or not, but it would put me off a bit

Shannara was one of my earliest actually and probably preceded "Magician". I just haven't bothered to keep up with it because it's a bit... bland. There's a lot more creative work out there. Technically I read the Jerle Shannara books a couple of years ago but really I can't see myself going back so I'm discounting it.

Could also say the same for Stephen Donaldson but I really didn't like the last Covenant book I read (2nd in the Final Chronicles) so I'm not sure whether to continue.

Trojan

I kind of lump Brooks and Eddings together - bland and repetitive - and I've no real interest in going back there unless someone tells me that it got awesome suddenly. I know Gemmell is as repetitive as Eddings, but at least he tried to make his repetition seem slightly different and his stuff is far more readable - Eddings was shameless in his repetition and the amount I enjoyed his first few series was outweighed by disdain for his later series.

I didn't like Donaldson. I've read the first 6, not sure how many came after that, but it was enough.

matrim

I think I started reading fantasy with Eddings. Moved from there to Wheel of Time probably around 1996 and really looking forward to the ending.

I read Feist after WoT but gave up on them around the Serpentwar Saga. I still re-read Magician and the Empire series every couple of years but I'm not pushed to move on to the newer stuff.

For GoT I started around 2002 and still enjoying them.

Andy-Pandy

I picked up a copy of Wheel of Time from Barnes & Noble in Union Square, New York in the summer of 96.

DoctorEdgeWild

I've been reading Fighting Fantasy gamebooks since I was about 6 or 7 which was around 1987. Still enjoy reading them to this day, almost 25 years later. I know they're not quite in the league of the more sophisticated tastes around but I can't imagine any series giving me so much enjoyment for such a length of time.

growler

Feist has probably been the longest running one for me back to when Magician was published (bought one of those over sized not quite hardback ,paperbacks) in about 1986 , followed very closely by Katherine Kerr's Deverry series about the year I think.

Started WOT early on but simply gave up on it ever ending before I had turned to dust.

Other lengthy devotions to authors would include Robert Rankin for about 20 years from 1990 to not so long ago. Wilbur Smith and his ancient Egypt series which seems to have been long running.

I now try not to start unfinished series, though this is not working out very well in practice ! :rolleyes:

Elfinknight

I got Magician for my 21st birthday. That was in '95. Been reading about Midkemia since.
If I can include sci-fi, Dune has kept me going since I was about 15

BostonB

What does the longest time mean? Some of these got so long and dull I just stopped. If I start reading them again they become the longest. Wheel of time because I still can't face going back to it. Terry Pratchett probably, but its not really a series, I don't read them all only the ones with Guards and Wizards, and Death. Was much into the other ones. Magician I stopped a few books in. Things like Dune, and Foundation I read many years ago. Horseclans was another read years ago. Donaldson was good but grim. Can only read so much of that. Read some of his Scfi but not much. Gormenghast series I'm not sure I finished it. Not entirely a sane read but fascinating in a odd way. Some of these series I now find theres extra books which I didn't know about. Like the Saga of Pliocene Exiles by Julian May. Probably a good series is one I read quickly, like the Patrick O Brien books, or the The Amtrak Wars. Recently read through the Game of Thrones, but am losing interest in that. Also the Halo series of books, which reminded me very much of classic SCFI of my youth. Enjoyed them. Magician also I lost interest after a good few books. These big series of Eddings and similar just put me off tbh.

I find if you've read a good few classic series, over the years its hard to find something new to keep your attention. Newer series tend to wander a lot rather than sticking to the main story. I just get bored. Game of thrones was good but really has got too long winded, for me I have no interest in the East side of the story. Have to slog through that.

keane2097

Probably spent longer reading and re-reading Tolkien than anything else tbh. Read eight or nine of the WoT books twice but quit cos they're terrible, but that probably spanned a fair few years as well.

By the time I get through the entire Malazan series it'll undoubtedly be the longest because I tend to start over or at least go back a book or two before starting a new one. Have five or six of them down so far.