What do you do when one of your favorite light novels suddenly... ENDS!

nofairytale

@unknownmat That it isn't that the reader believes the author has the obligation to finish the series. It's simply that being left on a cliffhanger doesn't feel good. That doesn't excuse people who harass authors, but readers have the right to feel unhappy. If it had been made clear from the beginning that there won't be a continuation to the volume without a satisying ending, they may not have bought it.

I'd like to use the analogy of dating. Unlike a marriage, there's no legal obligation on either side, but people have certain expectations on the other party. Some expectations are reasonable, like the expectation that your date won't stood you up. If your counterpart does that without good reason, that doesn't give you the right to storm into their house banging on the door demanding they make up for it, but it's completely normal to feel pissed.

When a story ends with a "to be continued" or on a cliffhanger, it's reasonable to expect a continuation. Contract or no contract.

I doubt he would care.

If writing is his livelihood, he would, if it gets to the point where it affects his coffers.

unknownmat

@nofairytale said in What do you do when one of your favorite light novels suddenly... ENDS!:

It's simply that being left on a cliffhanger doesn't feel good... When a story ends with a "to be continued" or on a cliffhanger, it's reasonable to expect a continuation. Contract or no contract.

Ok. I understand. But I don't think Gaiman missed this point so much as that he rejected it outright. And for what it's worth, I tend to agree with him. At the end of the day, all I'm purchasing is one book, and that's all I have any right to expect. Even if the author pinky-promised to write more but never followed through.

You are, of course, free to feel frustrated. Or to never purchase from that author ever again, or whatever.

Jon Mitchell

@Village-Idiot said in What do you do when one of your favorite light novels suddenly... ENDS!:

Mixed Bathing: It's actually caught up to the WN and have to wait for more material.
Faraway Paladin: The author had actually said a few weeks ago that they're writing the next volume at the moment.

Mixed Bathing: I'll just have to be patient then...
Faraway Paladin: Hooray!
Clockwork: I wish Yuu Kamiya a speedy recovery, regardless of if h works on this project or not

my (perhaps poorly expressed) point is that western authors, and the market they cater to, operate with some different rules and expectations than the Japanese LN authors/market do...not to say that either should change to meet my tastes, rather that it is my failing to expect LNs to fit my pre-conceived notions. Would I find it most enjoyable if the next (last/final?) volume of Infinite Stratos tied all the loose threads neatly together and we arrive at a coherent resolution to the conflicts (and the relationships)? Yes, of course. I realize that my preferences are irrelevant, and that it is far more likely that the story is either left unfinished, or the author decides to conclude one plot arc and leave others unresolved (as that is far more typical of the genre)

Eternal Wanderer

I'm not going to say its the most common thing but occasionally patience is rewarded if you wait long enough, for example later this month we are getting the first Haruhi novel in years and I thought for sure we'd never see that series again.

Village Idiot

@Eternal-Wanderer To be fair the upcoming Haruhi volume is just a short story collection that's been out for years already. They're just compiling it into a volume for sale.

stardf29

@nofairytale said in What do you do when one of your favorite light novels suddenly... ENDS!:

@unknownmat That it isn't that the reader believes the author has the obligation to finish the series. It's simply that being left on a cliffhanger doesn't feel good. That doesn't excuse people who harass authors, but readers have the right to feel unhappy. If it had been made clear from the beginning that there won't be a continuation to the volume without a satisying ending, they may not have bought it.
...
When a story ends with a "to be continued" or on a cliffhanger, it's reasonable to expect a continuation. Contract or no contract.

It's reasonable to expect a continuation, and to be disappointed if there is none. And customers do have the right to make impersonal complaints or to not buy books for whatever reason.

Customers do not have a right to harass authors over it, though, and they also do not have any legal right to pirate books as a response.

And while it's reasonable for readers to complain or expect continuations, it's also very reasonable to expect readers to understand that there are all sorts of factors that can delay or outright prevent a continuation, many of which are outside the author's control.

I doubt he would care.

If writing is his livelihood, he would, if it gets to the point where it affects his coffers.

If an author's livelihood depends on writing, they're going to be motivated to write more because the new book itself makes money; sales on older books generally decrease over time, after all, and only big bestselling authors can get good income from older books. If an author is taking a long time to write a new book or abruptly ends a story, and it's not because of writer's block, publisher meddling, or other factors outside their control, then chances are their livelihood doesn't depend on writing; either writing is a side gig to a day job that pays the bills, or they're such a bestselling author making huge bank from older books (and stuff like endorsements) that they don't really need to write new books. That might make some readers mad, but probably not enough to affect their livelihood.

doceirias

@Village-Idiot Tsuruya's Challenge is new, and it's well over 250 pages (so longer than Disappearance).

Dawnaxis

So it sounds like we’re all more or less on the same page: all good stories are a gift and a blessing, and we should be thankful to have them. But Rozemyne’s definitely in our blood, and should a series end awkwardly or prematurely, our emotions will definitely run amok, so, well... Let’s just hope that someone can get the author to safety, because we struggle not to turn our collective gaze on him or her and crush them.

Our heads may know better, but the rage and betrayal and heartache are no less real for it.

the green death

Two things.. First: so excited to hear that more Faraway Paladin is on its way!

Second: Toradora, Empty Box and even the two volume Clock Strikes Z all had wonderful endings. I think it's worth noting that it's not Impossible for LNs to end well.

AerosAtar

I honestly get more frustrated at the love for "bittersweet" endings that the Japanese seem to have, though I definitely get annoyed with non-endings or sudden cut-offs...

The issue certainly isn't exclusive to JP LNs though, as has previously been aluded to by others. You've only got to look at things like Farscape and Babylon 5 to see examples in other industries (and countries)...

LunaNyx

Ugh. I really hate when stories (LNs, TV series, anything really...) suddenly end. I drop series whenever I find out that’s the case. I personally feel that there’s no point in wasting my free time on something that will leave me unsatisfied.

lighthawk96

@LunaNyx
I couldn't agree more.

Ezekiel Cupid.nb1v6iy

@Lily-Garden Tell me about it

Thomask

@Lily-Garden said in What do you do when one of your favorite light novels suddenly... ENDS!:

@lighthawk96 if I had to pick the one thing I hate about Light novels as a whole it would be this: that they can end at any point without narrative closure. But I guess that's what happens when you have the system up to continue series based the profits of the current volume

It sucks because I can really invest in a good series and then it just cuts off and you think "dear God how could you! Now I'll never know what happens next!!"

You’d think authors could have a contract clause whereas the writer, if the series is cancelled retains rights of future volumes. They could go back to web novel releases or find a new publisher...

lighthawk96

@Thomask
That would be great, but I don't know how they do contracts or establish copyrights or ownerships of that stuff in Japan, but it's a sound argument in my opinion. I think that might have happened to a few titles if I'm not mistaken. But maybe I am?

Thomask

@AerosAtar said in What do you do when one of your favorite light novels suddenly... ENDS!:

I honestly get more frustrated at the love for "bittersweet" endings that the Japanese seem to have, though I definitely get annoyed with non-endings or sudden cut-offs...

The issue certainly isn't exclusive to JP LNs though, as has previously been aluded to by others. You've only got to look at things like Farscape and Babylon 5 to see examples in other industries (and countries)...

Over a decade later and I’m still hoping for a Farscape restart or mini-series...

Babylon 5? Just need more. ;)

lighthawk96

@Thomask
I would agree whole heartedly on the Babylon 5. Just loved that series. Farscape started out good, but got really weird towards the end so I don't know about that one. Depending who's writing for it, it could be well worth it.

ManusDei

I don't mind, every story has to end sometime so as long as it's well writen I'm fine with it.

And even if there is no end (hello Faraway Paladin) I'd rather have a well writen story that has no end than one with a badly written ending. For example I really like the first GoT books but the last ones just have gotten boring, I read them because I had them on hand but I'll probably never read the next ones (if they ever get published).

I'm a "the journey matters more than the destination" kind of guy I guess.

catstorm

This has actually altered my reading patterns, I’m now very cautious about starting books with fewer then 3 volumes released because I’ve been burned to many times.

Walking my second path
Mistaken genius
Gear drive
Beast head
Seriously seeking sister

Just to name a few from J novel club that I was very into that stopped abruptly.

Jon Mitchell

@catstorm said in What do you do when one of your favorite light novels suddenly... ENDS!:

This has actually altered my reading patterns, I’m now very cautious about starting books with fewer then 3 volumes released because I’ve been burned to many times.

Walking my second path
Mistaken genius
Gear drive
Beast head
Seriously seeking sister

Just to name a few from J novel club that I was very into that stopped abruptly.

at least Beast Head completed an arc...what drives me nuts is when we're just left hanging...