Confession: I own about 15 of the Cynster novels. When really, the only two that I consider keepers are Devil's Bride and A Secret Love. Why you ask? Because I have a disease - it's called "Serialitis". It's an inexplicable drive to own an entire series of books, even when you don't love the series any more.Serialitis is also accountable for my Carpthian issues. I bought every book in the Dark series through Dark Secret, when I realized that I was throwing money away on a series that hadn't held my attention or piqued my interest in about five books.
Serialitis isn't limited to my book buying habit. It speaks directly to my television series on DVD habit as well. Even though I hated Season 3 of Grey's Anatomy, I own it (so dark and angsty, no ha-ha in it at all). Because, really, what's the point of owning Seasons 1,2, & 4? I bought all of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, even though season 4 sucked (Riley - really?!). I own all of Angel, even though seasons 3 & 4 were wretched (will he and Cordy do it? Cordy gets knocked up by Angel's son - WHAT?!).
It's a real issue for me. I continue buying books in a series even after it's gone to crap.
Am I the only one suffering from Serialitis? Is there a cure?
7 Comments:
Hi Kati,
You crack me up over here LOL I also suffer from serialitis, I have whole series on my shelf which I even have to start in, I'm trying to contain it with the rule: If you haven't read an author yet, buy book 1 and after you've read it buy the next. It works, to a certain degree, for it often clashes with a disorder I developed while buying books: The OOP disorder. This is where you would love to read a book - in terms of, you'll die if you don't get a copy - and then find out it is out of print. You search but only find them at prices of 50-200 dollars.
So I try but serialitis is getting the better of me more often than not.
OMG let's not go there. I have a serious case of serialitis, and it seems to have no cure. Unlike Leontine I have no hard and fast rule, though I have considerably lessened the number of books I've purchased in 2009 so I can reduce the number of unread books I have. Hoping it will work. So far, haven't made much of a dent. I blame my favorite authors who keep writing books that I absolutely have to buy!
Oh, and I thought Riley was cute, just not the right guy to pair up with the Slayer.
I have all 28 books if the In Death series. I used to be a serialitis with Anita Blake, but since she became a raging sexual ho beast, I gave that up.
Hmm Spike and Buffy and Angel and Buffy and Spike... hmmm...
um, no you would not be the only one suffering from this disease I too have the same problem. Mine tends to focus on buying books that I've never even read but just know I have to have them. Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series is a great example.
Another is Sookie Stackhouse I have only read up to book 4 yet I own all of them.
The only thing for me is the TV shows I own all of Stargate Alantis, Supernatural, How I met your mother, Eureka, Burn Notice and Fireflies. I am still trying to collect the original stargate which will be a 300.00 purchase... Yeah Its bad.
Oh, right, that season of Angel was lame, wasn't it? Though I loved the storyline of that perfect boring guy who came from the other dimension.
Well, I have to read in order, but luckily I don't have to own the whole thing! LOL That would be such a problem! We need to find a cure for you!!
Hmmm, I kind of have serialitis - I don't need the whole series, but I can't have any gaps in the books that I do have :)
And I definitely have what Leontine has beautifully described as OOP disorder. I read Melusine (Sarah Monette) [dark fantasy] and had to have it (and the rest of the series). And then the 'size disorder' hit - I had to have all four books in the series the same size! But do I need therapy for this? No sir!
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