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12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read

The Last Interview of Thomas M. Disch

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Wyldemusick
10/26/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
The fifth book in the McGill Feighan series by Kevin O'Donnell. PLAINSwas supposed to be almost done back in 1990 or so, and to be released by Tor, but Kevin all but fell out of the writing world at that point. The series itself was planned to be ten books -- the first three appeared in short order, and the fourth after a delay of several years...and then nada. #books
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Soon Lee
10/25/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
Top of my wish-list would be the conclusion to Tony Daniel's trilogy that began with "Metaplanetary", continued with "Superluminal", and then his publisher declined to publish the conclusion... #books
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ghopkins1138
10/25/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
George Alec Effinger began a fourth Budayeen novel. The first chapter can be found in the collection, "Budayeen Nights."
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bagumpity
10/25/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
Just wait a few years. If the author is still alive, he'll die and his family will either miraculously find a "99% finished manuscript" or find some semi-literate hack to write the sequel. Or the SyFy channel will use the title of the books, the character names, and a vague reference to the original plot for a "dramatic reinterpretation" of one of the existing works.

The spinning of authors' corpses in their graves is what keeps the magnetic poles of the Earth from suddenly reversing. Without posthumous "collaborations," we'd all have to buy new windshield compasses to hang our fuzzy dice from. #books
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Starwatcher
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
Another tragically incomplete project is Miracle Man, my all-time favorite Alan Moore/Neil Gaiman comics series. Will it ever be completed? I have my doubts.
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Edited by Starwatcher at 10/24/09 3:45 PM Starwatcher was starred Starwatcher was unstarred

van_line
10/24/09

@Starwatcher: now that Marvel owns Marvelman and supposedly Neil Gaiman is interested, this might actually happen. #books
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Starwatcher
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
Yeah, the sad thing is, almost all of those writers were/are favorites of mine: Dick, Delany, Lovecraft, Butler and Disch especially. Why is it that the writers I love are always tragic figures who never wind up completing their best stuff? It doesn't matter the genre--they inevitably get cut down in the midst of something amazing. And still I aspire to be like them. What's that say about me?
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Edited by Starwatcher at 10/24/09 3:40 PM Starwatcher was starred Starwatcher was unstarred

bobert
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
"The Geography of Dreams", Stephen R. Boyett's sequel to "The Architect of Sleep".

It's 23 years now since you published "Architect", SteveBoy - and it was far better than "Ariel," which you are publishing a sequel to.

I know, I know, you have bad memories about the Architect sequels - I've read your usenet posting, "The Archetype of Slop," dozens of times. And I'm sure you were right when you looked back over what you'd written, and found it was wordy and gassy, and you tossed it in the bin.

But you know, if you could ever finish up what you started in "Archetype", with the same quality, you'd be up there with Phil Dick and Ursula LeGuin as one of the greats who transcend the genre, and people will be reading it a hundred years from now. #books
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Grey_Area
10/24/09

@bobert: I've said it before, and I'll say it again...
CAN I HAZ MOAR RACCOONZ? #books
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Dessad
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
You might as well add George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series--the guy is never going to finish it, thanks to his questionable handling/revision of the series structure from "Feast" onward.

Just a stunningly 'bad move', in my opinion, and I wouldn't be surprised if he never finishes the series at this rate. #books
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J_Frank_Parnell
10/26/09

@Dessad: Your words, they make me cry. Only because I believe them to be true. #books
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amygdala
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
Not exactly unfinished novels, but unfinished series: John Barnes has started THREE separate series of books, each including huge plot threads that the reader wants to see resolved, and hasn't finished any of them: the Century Next Door series (four books, last book was published in 2002), the Thousand Cultures series (four books, last book published in 2006), and the Jak Jinnaka series (three books, last book published in 2003).

Great books, but we'd love to see some closure, somewhere... #books
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Wookie1972
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
It's not a book, but I would love to see something done (perhaps a graphic novel?) with David Lynch's Ronnie Rocket. I've read the synopsis and it sounds absolutely insane, but in a good way. #books
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Wookie1972
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
I hate to be mean, but isn't that a little bitchy on Stephen King's part? I mean, he's got more money than God. #books
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Moff
10/24/09

@Wookie1972: Well, no. I mean, by that logic, isn't it bitchy of him to keep selling his writing at all, rather than give it away for free?

He may never have finished the actual writing; in that case, it wouldn't be like he was withholding the material, just that he wasn't going to produce it for free. Which he was totally honest about from the outset, so I don't think that's bitchy. (Wikipedia does say he's said he'll finish it someday.) #books
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Wookie1972
10/24/09

@Moff: I guess you're right. But I know if I'd paid my dollar (this is the first I'd heard of this, btw) I'd be ticked off. #books
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Slatz_Grobnik
10/26/09

@Wookie1972: In his defense, sorta, this was ten years ago. He was trying to figure out what the new model for things would be possibly at a point where people weren't ready for the idea.

Likewise, the method and his attitude does seem stuck somewhere between the contribution model and the pay-per-play one. #books
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Wookie1972
10/26/09

@Slatz_Grobnik: I can see your point. I just find King a little odd, considering that he has said that he has "retired" and has put out more books than several "nonretired" authors. #books
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Moff
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
Joel Rosenberg (who's best known for his Guardians of the Flame series, which I've never read) (and who is this guy, not this guy) wrote a book called D'Shai and a sequel called The Hour of the Octopus in the early '90s, which are fantasy mysteries told in the first person that are just pitch-perfect. Supposedly, he's planned a third book, The Last Assassin, but there is, infuriatingly, no news on it yet.

JOEL ROSENBERG, PLEASE WRITE THE DAMN BOOK. Anyone else ever read the first two? #books
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Zidel333
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
The REAL Book 7 of Dune by Frank Herbert. None of that Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert crap. Sad that this isn't on the list. Travesty really. #books
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Kermi
10/24/09

@Zidel333: Quoted for absolute truth. Admittedly, I haven't read any of the new Dune novels, but I have my reason: Kevin J. Anderson is a menace. His contributions to science fiction literature are criminal. #books
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njesto
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
David Gerrold's "Chtorr" series!
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Grey_Area
10/24/09

@njesto: Never. Gonna . Happen. #books
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Guang
10/24/09

In reply to 12 Unfinished SF Novels We Wish We Could Read
I was so mad at Robert Jordan for not finishing the last book of the WoT series before he passed. I was reading through the rest of them, timing my reading to be able to get the last one just as it came out and read all 12 at once.

I hope that his ghostwriter does them (now the last book is split in 3 parts) justice. #books
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Caius
10/24/09

@Guang: I was wondering if they would mention Robert Jordan here. Hopefully the new books will do the series justice. #books
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Yellowphant
10/24/09

@Guang: Yeah, that would be my main problem with endless fantasy epics. I remember reading the first 800 or so pages of Wheel of Time before I realized that the end of the story wouldn't come until I read another ten thousand pages.

Turns out I was wrong -- the end of the story never came.

I much prefer self-contained fantasy novels like Elantris or The Iron Dragon's Daughter (which eventually DID get a sequel after fifteen or so years, but that I can deal with.)
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MichaelWalsh
10/24/09

@Guang: Generally the ghostwriter is not listed as an author/co-author (think of Ron Goulart and the Tek War books) - Sanderson would be more properly a co-author.

But hey, since zombies are the new hot thing, perhaps a Robert Jordan zombie could be created. Imagine the signing tour. #books
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Adam Whitehead
10/24/09

@Yellowphant: That's odd because it's the author of ELANTRIS who's finishing WHEEL OF TIME. And the reviews of the new book are pretty good. #books
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pH-unbalanced
10/24/09

@Yellowphant: Yes, yes yes!

I did the same thing -- nowhere in my copy of _Eye of the World_ did it say it was the first book in a series. So I was happily reading along thinking it was a stand-alone novel, and I literally got about 20 pages from the end and thought "I don't think he can wrap this all up that fast."

Sadly, all too true. #books
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Adah
10/26/09

@Yellowphant: The Iron's Dragon Daughter has a sequel? Excuse me, I have some reading to go do. #books
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Yellowphant
10/28/09

@Adah: "The Dragons of Babel." It's here on my shelf, but I haven't read it yet. I'm waiting for the right time, when I don't have so many half-finished books cluttering my desk. I hope the wait's going to be worth it. :D #books
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