Sequels: some love them, some hate them. But we must admit, some of the most celebrated books in literary history are sequels.
Hilary Mantel followed Wolf Hall with Bring Up the Bodies and won the Booker Prize twice. To Kill a Mockingbird gave us Go Set a Watchman. John Updike returned to Harry Angstrom across four “Rabbit” novels.
But what is it about sequels? Is it the author, the fact that we always want more, or something else?
Coolest Sequels to Date
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel will be up there. It was a tighter, sharper continuation of the Thomas Cromwell story. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien was also a great read. This was the middle chapter of The Lord of the Rings, which fans loved.
Sequels can go beyond just a linear order too. Franchising might not be how we typically see sequels, but franchising acts as a kind of ‘meta-sequel’ too, meaning sequels aren’t just limited to their original media. For example, TV shows like The Walking Dead have been transformed into slot games, with The Walking Dead and The Walking Dead Cash Collect sitting alongside popular slots like Betfair Even Bigger Bananas 2 game.
This means a web of connected content is created, where the term ‘meta-sequel’ comes from. Though more traditional concepts of sequels often do see people look to books. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris is a famous sequel as a follow-up to Red Dragon, and it helped push Hannibal Lecter to center stage.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is also worth a mention. It was a long-awaited book that answered decades of questions.
What Is It About Sequels?
We think it’s the investment that we have in the story already. A great story always makes the reader want more. Sequels provide that extra bit of context, something that fans love.
Familiar characters often feel like old friends as well. Readers don’t need to learn the characters again; they already know a part of their story, making the read more enjoyable.
Unfinished stories also demand closure. Loose threads and cliffhangers create a tension our brains want resolved, and sequels do that.
Up-and-Coming Sequels
There are plenty of sequels that are landing soon, including:
- A Court of Thorns and Roses is the sixth book in Sarah J. Maas’s series
- When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker to The Ballad of Falling Dragons
- Silvercloak by L.K. Steven to Turncloak
- Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell to Land
- The Rose Bargain to its sequel
- The Last Thing He Told Me to its follow-up
- Leigh Bardugo to the conclusion of her latest series
- Emily St. John Mandel to a new near-future novel
- Ann Patchett to Whistler
- Douglas Stuart to John of John
- Ava Reid to her next adult fantasy
Whatever you read next, the follow-up to a story you’re already invested in will undoubtedly be a good read.
The next sequel for you, however, depends on what you’re looking for. Silvercloak by L.K. Steven to Turncloak is looking promising, and The Rose Bargain is also looking great.
Before deciding where to turn next, research some of the up-and-coming sequels. See what interests you and consider reading the original beforehand.