How many more books?

[pendell]

Main storyline, I mean. We're coming up on the close of this one. I assume there will be at least one more covering Kraagor's gate. Beyond that ... is that it? Will the next book be the last one? Or will there be another one after that?

I'm not talking prequels or additional content such as Snips Snails & Dragon Tails. I'm asking how many more books will be needed to complete the main story.

Beyond that ... what plans are there? Is there another story in the pipeline? Any teaser hints? Fantasy? SF? Same art style? More like the one we saw in Julio Scoundrel's short in SSDT?

All I ask is that the Giant not emulate Rowling and make his next story about something as deadly dull as Politics in small towns in West Country England . Good grief.

*Imagines Roy and Xykon arguing over a back fence*

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[RMS Oceanic]

I would hazard two at the most after book five. However what stops me putting money on it is we don't know what right now is preventing Xykon from marching up to Kraagor's gate to seize it, just what was put in place 60 years ago. Maybe they can hold him at bay for a book or so, or maybe the Order will find a way to get there much more quickly.

Two also makes sense from the pattern so far established:

1. Seek a gate
2. Consequences of gate seeking
3. Seek a gate
4. Consequences of Gate seeking
5. Seek a gate

Not that this is ironclad or anything.

[DeliaP]

I would hazard two at the most after book five. However what stops me putting money on it is we don't know what right now is preventing Xykon from marching up to Kraagor's gate to seize it, just what was put in place 60 years ago. Maybe they can hold him at bay for a book or so, or maybe the Order will find a way to get there much more quickly.

Two also makes sense from the pattern so far established:

1. Seek a gate
2. Consequences of gate seeking
3. Seek a gate
4. Consequences of Gate seeking
5. Seek a gate

Not that this is ironclad or anything.

In the intro to Don't Split the Party (Book 4) I believe the Giant says that at the end of this book the story will be more than half way through, plot wise. The fact that this is the first time this can be said (and not at the end of Book 3) says the half way point is somewhere in the course of Book 4. That supports seven books also.

[Kish]

I'd say...either two or three. Each gate so far has had two books* during which Xykon and Redcloak were attempting to seize/use it, except Lirian's; I suspect we will have two books for Kraagor's Gate. Where I'm uncertain, is in whether we'll have another book after Kraagor's Gate is done with.

*Counting On the Origins of PCs; gates have been destroyed in books -1, 1, 3, and 5.

[The Giant]

Two. ..........

[Kish]

Why so certain? It's not like the author said--oh.

[Mollez]

Two. ..........

...Well, that was direct. Thanks, Giant!

[littlebum2002]

I really doubt this will be resolved with only one more book. Sure, we have Kraagor's gate, but the final showdown CAN'T happen there! It has to happen in Xykon's Astral Plane dungeon. That's a rule, isn't it? That the final battle always has to come down in the bad guy's lair?

I see 2 more books, as everyone else is saying. One book with Kraagor's gate, and a book with the final battle in Xykon's dungeon and dénouement.


EDIT: Ninja'd by the Giant!

[pendell]

Two. ..........

Question asked and answered. Thank you.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[martianmister]

Seven, just like J. K. Rowling and G. R. R. Martin.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Seven, just like [...] G. R. R. Martin.

Since that is coming from the author that first said 3, then 5, I would recommend taking his latest promise of 7 books with a large grain of salt.

Grey Wolf

[F.Harr]

All I ask is that the Giant not emulate Rowling and make his next story about something as deadly dull as Politics in small towns in West Country England . Good grief.

*Imagines Roy and Xykon arguing over a back fence*

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Respectfully,

Brian P.

It's not ABOUT the politics of the small town, it's about people coming apart at the seams. It's a real downer, not a snooze at all.

Two. ..........

O.K. One for Haley to recap and one for Roy. I was hoping so.

Since that is coming from the author that first said 3, then 5, I would recommend taking his latest promise of 7 books with a large grain of salt.

Grey Wolf

Fine, be reasonable. See if we care.

:)

[pendell]

Since that is coming from the author that first said 3, then 5, I would recommend taking his latest promise of 7 books with a large grain of salt.

Grey Wolf

Not I. Both those estimates were made back before the story had reached the stage it is at now. With the filling out of most of the major plotlines the world is fairly detailed so predictions as to how much more book it will take to tell the remaining story are much more concrete than they were.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Not I. Both those estimates were made back before the story had reached the stage it is at now. With the filling out of most of the major plotlines the world is fairly detailed so predictions as to how much more book it will take to tell the remaining story are much more concrete than they were.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Counter: book 5 added even more previously-unknown characters and previously-unheard plotlines to the mix, without reducing almost any of the already established ones (unless you believe that Snow is dead).

The idea he can tie up this in two more volumes is ludicrous in the face of it, unless quality declines to the point where many of the extraneous threads are just dropped or resolved off-page. I'd rather be hopeful that now that his "five year intermission" he never planned to write has been written, he will go back to the original novel plan - but even if he does, I can't see him resolving this with fewer than 3 books, possibly mirroring the first three.

For Thor's sake, we are still waiting for the undead hordes to bring down the Wall. Until that shoe is dropped, the novels are just setting up the scenery and making time.

Grey Wolf

[littlebum2002]

Counter: book 5 added even more previously-unknown characters and previously-unheard plotlines to the mix, without reducing almost any of the already established ones (unless you believe that Snow is dead).

The idea he can tie up this in two more volumes is ludicrous in the face of it, unless quality declines to the point where many of the extraneous threads are just dropped or resolved off-page. I'd rather be hopeful that now that his "five year intermission" he never planned to write has been written, he will go back to the original novel plan - but even if he does, I can't see him resolving this with fewer than 3 books, possibly mirroring the first three.

For Thor's sake, we are still waiting for the undead hordes to bring down the Wall. Until that shoe is dropped, the novels are just setting up the scenery and making time.

Grey Wolf

Do you think maybe the "........" he added in white is a subtle joke that he might, again, be underestimating the amount of story he has left?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Do you think maybe the "........" he added in white is a subtle joke that he might, again, be underestimating the amount of story he has left?

(To clarify: I was talking about GRR Martin, not Rich)

Rich added "......." so that he could post - otherwise, he would not have reached the minimum 10 characters needed to do so.

I believe Rich will finish this story in 2 books. They might be extra thick, because he tends to need more pages than he plans out to do (as he has admitted in commentary), but I'm more than happy with that.

Grey Wolf

[Rakoa]

Oh well hot damn. I thought you guys were actually talking about Order of the Stick. Whoops.

[pendell]

Counter: book 5 added even more previously-unknown characters and previously-unheard plotlines to the mix, without reducing almost any of the already established ones (unless you believe that Snow is dead).

Perhaps, but not all of these things have to be resolved in the main story. Sometimes you can add this sort of thing just to give the world greater depth.

Also, just because he finishes the main story doesn't mean he needs to be done with OOTS forever. There could be prequels, sequels, spinoffs, and parallel novels. Figure that once Rich finishes the story it'll take him some time to write something new and develop a fanbase for it. In the meantime he can dash off an OOTS spinoff to fill out some of the details skimmed in the main story and get roughly the same effect from the fans as if he threw a bloody hunk of meat into a piranha tank :).

ETA: Oh, Grey wolf is not talking about OOTS. Sorry . I should have been tipped when he started mentioning Snow and the undead hordes. I confess my first thought was : "Who? Is that in the kickstarter stories or something?"

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[The Giant]

Yeah, it'll be seven, even if the last one looks like a phone book.

[Sunken Valley]

Yeah, it'll be seven, even if the last one looks like a phone book.

I can actually see six being the phone tying off all the plot points not directly needed for the final showdown. Then seven is a short 150 strip volume set in the Snarl World.

But there's an even worse problem, with seven books we'll run out of OOTS members to put on the front. Maybe 6 can have Vampire Durkon, 7 can have Belkar and you can cheat and give 5 to Swordsman Elan.

Now for the new question we can use this thread for: How many prequel books. I say three (Origin and Start we have had, final book is linear guild as Rich says no Scribble prequels)

Do you agree to three prequel books Rich?

[pendell]

Two more books. Not a gully dwarf two either, I expect :).

*Is old enough to remember Bupu and her all-powerful lizard cure*
*Is too old*

Tongue-in-cheek,

Brian P.

[Ron Miel]

Yeah, it'll be seven, even if the last one looks like a phone book.

Thanks for confirming that. I believe it's the first time you've given a definite answer, isn't it?

Do you feel like also telling us how many more prequels/ sidequels you have planned?

[RoboChap]

All I ask is that the Giant not emulate Rowling and make his next story about something as deadly dull as Politics in small towns in West Country England . Good grief.

*Imagines Roy and Xykon arguing over a back fence*

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
.

Apologies for the offtopic comment, but as an inhabitant of a small town in the English Westcountry I felt the need to point out that such politics are not always boring. Such as the time the gentleman a few doors down from decided that his neighbours 60+ year old apple tree obstructed his view of the lovely countryside. Next morning we awoke to find him armed with a chainsaw, cutting down his neighbours tree. I would love to see Roy and Xykon arguing over a back fence with that scenario in mind...

(Also, the movie Hot Fuzz is essentially a story of politics (and village of the year awards) in a small town in the Westcountry, and that's far from dull...)

[littlebum2002]

(To clarify: I was talking about GRR Martin, not Rich)

Oh.

Rich added "......." so that he could post - otherwise, he would not have reached the minimum 10 characters needed to do so.

Oh.

Apologies for the offtopic comment, but as an inhabitant of a small town in the English Westcountry I felt the need to point out that such politics are not always boring.

Not as interesting as neighborhood politics in Australia!
71 y/o woman attacks 78 y/o neighbor with tomahawk for parking too close to her house.

[Forbiddenwar]

I remember when Jordon's very last book "A Memory of Light" was announced. I think there was a comment to the effect of "But it'll be extraordinarily huge" in that announcement too. 5 years and a different author later the last book became 3 somewhat manageable books.
So, I don't think anyone would mind either an exceptionally large last book or a split into last book A and Last book B. As long as the story is paced well.

Except for those who have to pay international shipping on the larger books, of course. But no one should let that effect their work.

[Sunken Valley]

Do you feel like also telling us how many more prequels/ sidequels you have planned?

I'm going to say he has one more prequel. A Linear Guild prequel.

Sidequels when he feels like it.

[Jay R]

Yeah, it'll be seven, even if the last one looks like a phone book.

That will make an ... interesting book cover.

[nohamotyo]

Yeah, it'll be seven, even if the last one looks like a phone book.

I'm looking forward to the possibility the seventh book going all Andrew Hussie and having an Act Six Act Three Intermission Five.

[SaintRidley]

Two more books. Not a gully dwarf two either, I expect :).

*Is old enough to remember Bupu and her all-powerful lizard cure*
*Is too old*

Tongue-in-cheek,

Brian P.

Fortunately Rich is not a gully dwarf, which raises the likelihood that he means what the rest of us mean when we say two.

[martianmister]

The last book probably looks like that:

Spoiler

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