Have you ever gone back to a long-running series you enjoy to re-read the first book or first story? I have been taking some time to do that recently to learn and understand how authors have introduced their characters, worlds, and stories. Recently, I have read…
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun (Cat Who)
Nine Princes of Amber by Roger Zelazy (The Chronicles of Amber)
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
Storm Front by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files)
The Blue Cross by G.K. Chesterton (Father Brown)
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (James Bond)
The Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler (Dirk Pitt Adventure)
Triplanetary by Doc E.E. Smith (Lensman)
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Barsoom)
The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy (Jack Ryan)
It is fascinating to go back and read these books. Some of these stories or their main characters are unrecognizable compared to the later books. That can be from major shifts in the story, changes in tone, change in authors in the series, or just time passing and the author updates their story for the current audience.
What have you learned going back and rereading a series from the beginning?