Jumping Back and Forth Between Unfinished Fantasy Worlds is Confusing!

One of the joys of reading fantasy is the sheer complexity of the worlds explored. I enjoy losing myself in a different and often very real world portrayed within a novel. However, jumping in and out of different fantasy worlds is a confusing process.

The very nature of fantasy lends itself to massive epic tomes and long ancipatory waits between new books in a series. As someone who has read most of the fantasy books out there, I find there is always a curve of confusion when returning to a fantasy world through a new book. In fact, it’s a rather jarring experience to jump back into a fantasy world that you have not visited more than a year. Let’s use George Martin for example. Between his fourth book, Feast, and his upcoming book, I’ll have read at least several hundred fantasy books. The finer details of Martin’s story will be lost to me; I know I’ll be spending at least a couple hundred pages of the new book trying to stitch the details of his world back together into something completely cohesive.

There are a few things you can do to mitigate the “confusion” you may experience when returning to a fictional world:

Reread the entire series.
A solution for some people I’m sure and certainly the best way to reintroduce yourself to a specific fantasy world. However, I personally almost never reread books – I can’t stand the foreknowledge.

A Summary of the Previous Books
Some authors are nice enough to provide a “what’s gone on before” section, which is immensely helpful. However, you still lose all the finer nuances of the story – all those emotional attachments and buildups that occur when you’re reading a story. It’s kind of like putting on a pair of really dark sunglasses — all the color is drained out of the world.

Wait Until the Series is Finished
You can certainly wait until a series is finished before reading it. This is a strategy I have been employing with certain TV shows such as Lost and Battlestar Galactica – I refuse to watch them in anything but seasonal chunks. It’s a bit different with books though; if a fantasy series tweaks my interest, I lack the patience to wait a good three to four years to start reading it.

Do you guys have the same problem?

I recently read Peter Hamilton’s newest book, The Dreaming Void. I’ve always been a fan of Hamilton’s works. He, along with Richard Morgan, are my favourite science fiction writers. Hamilton’s books are always immensely enjoyable — always seamlessly combining epic space opera, fantastic characterization, and addictive plots. I find this a rare combination in science fiction.

Science Fiction often gets so caught up with novel, far reaching concepts that it forgets about the human elements of the story. Novel concept is great, but at the end of the day, most readers want a story that evokes emotion. And fortunately, Hamilton’s books always do. Hamilton’s books always emphasize character while simultaneously exploring challenges humans face in future societies.

The Dream Void is a magnificent book. It’s also unique in that it seamlessly integrates fantasy with hardboiled futuristic science fiction – something I haven’t seen done in a long time. So if you are looking for the perfect blend of fantasy (in regards to a middle world where characters can use a sort of magic) with hard science fiction that explore vast ideas, this book is a must read. As a lover of fantasy and hard science fiction, I was delighted with this book’s integration of both worlds!
I am going to write a more detailed review of The Dreaming Void within the next couple of days.