Serial Fiction Novel/Movie Recommendations

[subplotkudzu]

Several people in A&E have suggested that I write a game supplement on how to mirror serial fiction from other media in gaming. it's a topic that is near and dear to my heart, so I am seriously considering it. For examples from existing media I can readily draw on

Super-Hero Comic Books: Chris Clairmont's first few years on X-Men (for an example of a good extended arc, devolving into subplot kudzu); Paul Levitz's last few years on Legion of Super-Heroes (likely the best example of braided plot structures in the genre), and Grant Morrison's run on Justice League (to show the transition from the 12 issue annual story to the more recent 8 issue story better suited to trade paperbacks), plus a few others.

Television: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (for seasonal length stories with asides to the villains); X-Files (for an ongoing story with no asides); Star trek: The Next Generation (for episodic stories linked by repeating subplots [Borg; Lore; Worf's Family Honor])

Movies:  Star Wars (The original trilogy, which breaks down neatly into 12 sessions, counting the preludes for the main PCs)

Books: The 87th Precinct novels; Various Diskworld series (the watch books and the Lancre books).

Obviously I want more in the movie and book departments, but I don't know what to add. I want the examples to be well know, well done and still accessible to the reader. They should also lean to what people consider 'gameable' 

I suppose I could include the Harry Potter books, but I also wanted something currently ongoing that didn't have as strong an end point (likewise, no Amber). Are the Dresden Files worth reading in this regard? The Anita Blake books? I don't want to start something that everyone acknowledges turns to trash in book 3+. I'd consider the Vlad Taltos books, but the achronological order of them makes it harder to examine beat structures and character growth over time. 

As for the movies, I don't want things that were one successful movie followed by a couple of unprepared for sequels (such as the Indiana Jones films), and I obviously want to avoid things like the LotR adaptation. 

Any advice or suggestions of where I should apply my analytical skilz would be appreciated. 

Comments

[doc-mystery.livejournal.com]

Hm...do you mean serials or series fiction/media?

From your comments above re serialized media I'd be interested in your take on the Dresden Files (with the caveat that there's a RPG based on this currently in play-test) and Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novels.

And what about all those great Republic and other "Saturday Morning at the Cinema" serials like Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Manhunt on Mystery Island, Undersea Kingdom, Daredevils of the Red Circle, etc.?


As for TV and film...hmmm...Tales of the Gold Monkey? The Prisoner? Magnum P.I.? Kolchak the Night Stalker?

[And what about that largely un-mined media territory such as anthology series like The Twilight Zone or The Other Limits for fast one-off gaming sessions?]

If you extend your media to include radio serials, there's always such items as "I Love A Mystery" and the 5-part "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar" serials.

::B::

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

I think the first 5 or 6 Dresden books are good. After that, I got off, but other folks love them. Basically, Hamilton's Anita Blake's world is interesting, but Butcher's the better author.

For the Vlad Taltos books, read in publication order.

I'd be curious to see what you think of the Cain / Godchild manga series, but I'm not sure it's worth your while.

Would the Oz books be worth checking out?

[thecoughlin.livejournal.com]

Even though they are technically Middle-readers (4-8th grade) I think you could have fun with Rick Riordans Percy Jackson series.... it is a Mythology pull-forward that is all the rage right now.....and the books are still coming.

For TV -- as much as I hate to advocate the Fox network for anything, Bones is great from an investigator standpoint and has some interesting main characters with "history", and while NCIS is getting a little tired it is another where both the buildup and moveforward can have some pace to them...

[brianrogers.livejournal.com]

for my purposes serial fiction is an ongoing story where the audience sees the story in installments before it is 'complete' (bearing in mind that some never actually finish). I'm essentially looking for things that parallel to the rpg experience.

[mylescorcoran]

Perhaps the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell? Or the O'Brien's Aubrey/Maturin novels?

[(Anonymous)]

I'd suggest the SyFy show "Warehouse 13" for an excellent example of how to do a classic comic-book style A-plot, B-plot, C-plot structure in a television series. It's very deft about balancing "monster of the week" stories with an ongoing "metaplot."

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

For manga, I'd recommend, if you can find them, the Kindaichi Case Files. I don't know if more than 17 were translated into English, but these are 16 lovely locked box mysteries (there's a single 2-parter, I believe, and the rest of the volumes are stand alone).

You could also look at the Nancy Drew / Hardy Boys / Bobbsy Twins type series, I suppose.

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (old and new), Firefly, Farscape. Oh, also Angel.

Do you want non-sf examples?

[thismustbetheplace-rjs.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Serial fiction in novel form I can see from my desk: Glen Cook's Garrett Files (episodic, with slowly evolving metaplot), P.N. Elrod's Vampire Files (lots of mystery series, really), and Bujold's Barrayar books seem pretty open-ended (though I am about ten years behind on her). Cherryh's Chanur novels? There's four or five of 'em.

For movies, the only franchises I can think of with enough "episodes" are horror flicks.