ABSTRACT
A series is a sequence of narratives, published separately, often over a considerable period of time, mostly about the same characters, and usually written by one author. Fantasy series whose narratives are tied in with a quest structure are invariably progressive and their extended length enables the author to accumulate incrementally the geographical, historical and cultural complexity of vast secondary worlds. Ballet stories and career stories have a unique celebratory character and appeal mostly to a specific readership. Series readers desire closures but fear termination. Furthermore, while they appear predictable, series fictions are often intrinsically volatile. The principal reason for this is that authors, readers and the narratives themselves are uniquely affected by time. Series fiction began in North America when James Fenimore Cooper’s The Pioneers was published in 1823, the first of the Leather-Stocking Tales. The 1940s and 1950s were dominated in Britain by two writers, Enid Blyton and Malcolm Saville, who matched each other’s output series for series.
