Sequels that should never have been written

[jonesy]

The other day I was idly browsing in a bookshop and noticed that someone, his son I think, has recently written a sequel to Frank Herbert's Dune series. Although I quite enjoyed those books as a teenager, I don't think I'll bother with this one and suspect that Herbert might have been better off calling it a day after the very first Dune, a sci-fi classic.

Some others that spring to mind: some of Asimov's later, sadly rather contrived, efforts at linking his Robot and Foundation stories; Ursula Le Guin's disappointing sequel to her brilliant Earthsea trilogy; and, IMHO, a real stinker that devalued the original story: Richard Adams' Maia, a prequel, written some years later, to his excellent Shardik.

So what do you think are the sequels (or prequels) that shouldn't have been written?

 

[Fnaar]

I really really really really (x10) enjoyed "A Star Called Henry" by Roddy Doyle (one of my top ten books). I was so looking forward to the next in the series (ging to be a trilogy) called "Oh, Play That Thing" (the protagonist is now in the states, and ends up as minder for Louis Armstrong)... it was a really disappointing read, stretching credulity to the max. However, I'll still get the third one when it eventually comes out....

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Ursula Le Guin's disappointing sequel to her brilliant Earthsea trilogy

However disappointed some people were with Tehanu - and I wasn't one of them - The Other Wind, the last Earthsea book, is one of the most beautiful and moving things she has written.

 

[jonesy]

However disappointed some people were with Tehanu - and I wasn't one of them - The Other Wind, the last Earthsea book, is one of the most beautiful and moving things she has written.

Ah, I'd missed that one. I'll look out for it.

 

[asterix]

Lord of the Rings

 

[jonesy]

Lord of the Rings

Ah, now I see your mistake: you had intended to post the above in the "Sequels that turn out to be better and more successful than the original" thread!

 

[Abitrary]

Lord of the Rings

The first one shouldn't have been written either. Never before has a single author had such impact with such low quality writing. I once had a fist fight with someone trying to persuade me that it was good, FFS.

 

[Dayvo]

The first one shouldn't have been written either. Never before has a single author had such impact with such low quality writing. I once had a fist fight with someone trying to persuade me that it was good, FFS.

Who won/was right?

 

[Abitrary]

Who won/was right?

oh god, an aquaintance was getting lary telling me about the lord of the rings history or something, and I pushed him away and he fell over. He took it badly and got up and started punching me.

I've always been beaten up periodically throughout my life and I know how to dance around, protect my balls and head etc. I sometimes imagine doing a punch back, but then the agressor would win.

Regarding who was right? I was because those books should never have been written because of all this sort of stuff.

 

[atbman]

It's not about the Buick

The New Improved Testament!
(washes your sins really white!)

Uncle Tom's Condominium

The Colour Purple
(with corrected spelling)

If she went to Paris, why are we besieging Troy?

An Irish Traveller's Tales by Seamus O'Dysseus

 

[alecstilleyedye]

The first one shouldn't have been written either. Never before has a single author had such impact with such low quality writing. I once had a fist fight with someone trying to persuade me that it was good, FFS.

i never liked tolkien's work, and the films are ones i will never voluntarily watch ever.

the folk who are into them big style are even worse than the star wars/trek mob too…

 

[Abitrary]

i never liked tolkien's work, and the films are ones i will never voluntarily watch ever.

the folk who are into them big style are even worse than the star wars/trek mob too…

I tried reading The Hobbit when the LOTR films came out out of peer pressure (I work in IT), and it took me 3 years and I still couldn't finish it, it was so one-dimensional.

In the meantime I read a heavy Iris Murdoch one, a Martin Amis one, several others, and a Stephen Fry one... although that the worst thing I've ever read and threw it at the wall out of sheer frustration that he is such a wit yet such a crap writer.

 

[Fnaar]

i never liked tolkien's work, and the films are ones i will never voluntarily watch ever.

I read the Hobbit at school, and thought it was a whole big pile of toss, so I never bothered with LOTR. Those who did (we were 13, it was the early 70s) tended to be those who wore military coats from the army surplus store, and were rather too keen on masturbation, and having communal showers after PE.

 

[longers]

Those who did (we were 13, it was the early 70s) tended to be those who wore military coats from the army surplus store, and were rather too keen on masturbation, and having communal showers after PE.

A lad from our school was supposedly caught mid stroke with a copy of that Judge Dredd comic

 

[asterix]

Ah, now I see your mistake: you had intended to post the above in the "Sequels that turn out to be better and more successful than the original" thread!

OK, I'm in a good mood: you can keep the LOTR.