Book Universes: A Ploy For Fame Or A Reward For Readers

Most readers nowadays will want to begin a new series, only to discover that the series has been ongoing for over a decade, contains upwards of eight books, and spans more than one organized series. Yet, it's not long ago that serialized book series entered the fold, dating back to the 1800s. Before then, most books were self-contained stories rather than leaving open-ended cliffhangers for you to overthink until the next release. It is difficult to imagine that these book "universes" as they have come to be known so popularly today are just over 200 years old when literature itself dates back for centuries. To clarify, we are not explicitly signaling out serialized works, like trilogies or sagas; we are taking a deep dive into the world of book "universes," or books that span multiple series that are all interconnected and set in the same world. To do this, we must go back almost 200 years to the publication of the first comic book.

The Start of Something New

Comic books in today's world are a staple of the literature world, not to mention the source of massive fandoms and the basis of conventions and gatherings around the world. Looking back at how we got here, we must only jump back to 1837 Switzerland to the release of The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck by Rodolphe Topffer. It was the inception of a new age in literature that would forever change how stories were written. It is important to note that Japanese manga has been around much longer, dating back to the 16th century and some even earlier. However, manga did not see a rise in fame and expansion until the mid-1900s. As manga was a self-contained form of literature that originated and resided primarily in Japan, its popularity did not begin to spread and truly take root until long after the release of Topffer's Obadiah Oldbuck comic.

This was just the start of comic books' rise to fame around the world. But this was also when authors of novels began to transition away from self-contained stories into serials. One of the most notable early arrivals is the Rollo series by Jacob Abbott. The simultaneous emergence of both of these concepts can be considered the inception of what we recognize as book universes today. As the 1800s came to a close and the 1900s arrived, the world faced much turmoil. Comic books became a crutch of marketing and campaigning with the emergence of superheroes. They offered an escape to a fictional world, but more than that, they provided governments with marketing material to promote their side of the wars that were to come. But as the world came out on the other side of WWII, a radical change occurred in how literary series came about.

A Universe Is Born

Comic Books were the first place we saw the rise of what could be considered a fictional universe. Many different superhero franchises were launched between the early Marvel and DC Comics, such as the Avengers, Doom Patrol, X-Men, the Justice League, Fantastic Four, Green Lantern Corps, and so many more. Yet, despite hosting their separate franchises, their worlds were connected, and many comics featured crossover events between these different franchises. It was the birth of a new concept in literature. For the first time, these comics went beyond creating a series centered around a single plot or character and instead brought together multiple franchises in ways that drew even greater readership to both franchises and the publisher. It was such a monumental feat that paved the way for the same in the world of novels.

By the mid-1900s, authors were already starting to create more extensive franchises, surpassing your normal duology or trilogy. Sagas were becoming more popular, and some of the most renowned series ever appeared. A few include The Lord of the Rings in 1954, Outlander in 1991, Game of Thrones in 1996, and Harry Potter in 1997. These authors were creating fictional worlds and expanding them over sagas that contained upwards of five books. This was the start of what would soon grow much larger than a single world. Novels were starting to become longer serials, and authors were expanding their worlds, societies, and mythologies. As the turn of the century arrived, so too did the coming of the start of book universes.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

One of the earliest novels released in what would grow to become a massic book universe is Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief in 2005. The series Rick Riordan created spanned five novels following the titular character Percy Jackson on his journey. But Riordan was far from done when the series ended with its fifth novel in 2009. He quickly began work and released The Heroes of Olympus Series shortly after. This new set of five books was set in the same universe as Percy Jackson but expanded on the setting and characters, focusing on more than just Percy Jackson alone. Once again, when the series came to a close in 2014 with its fifth book, Riordan was quick to release his next series, The Trials of Apollo, and following that, another in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. While the former was set in the exact locations and featured characters from Riordan's other series, the latter was its own franchise, still set in the same universe but entirely separate from the world of Percy Jackson. Riordan also released The Kane Chronicles series, another one set in the same universe, yet wholly independent in setting, plot, and characters. Over the years, Riordan's 21-book feat became known as the "Riordan-verse."

The Mortal Instruments

Shortly after the first Percy Jackson novel was released, author Cassandra Clare released the first novel in her Mortal Instruments series, The City of Bones, in 2007. The series went on to have six novels and was followed by another, The Infernal Devices series, which saw the release of three more novels of its own. The Infernal Devices is a prequel series to The Mortal Instruments, building on her top-rated franchise. But Clare went on to release The Dark Artifices series, another trilogy set back in the present day, and then The Eldest Curses series, which contained two novels and bounced around both the past and present throughout its course. Clare later released The Last Hours series, headed by Chain of Gold, featuring two additional novels and serving as a follow-up and continuation of her Infernal Devices prequel series. Seventeen novels later, Clare has created what her fandom has dubbed the "Shadowhunters Universe," named after the elite organization on which the series focuses.

Throne of Glass

If a book universe is taking the storm right now, it is this one. Sarah J. Maas released The Throne of Glass, the first book in her Throne of Glass series, in 2012. The series comprised eight books and drew a massive following to the author and her fantasy world. Maas's series also came out when Dystopian books were starting to fade out of popularity, and a new trend was beginning to emerge in the Romantasy genre. This is the genre in which Maas's books truly thrive, and it is what she used to propel her books to unmatched popularity within the sphere. At once believed to be a self-contained series, Maas soon released her next series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, which began with a book of the same name and is made up of five books to date, with a sixth believed to be on the way. Throne of Glass was released in 2012, and A Court of Thorns and Roses in 2015, and since then, they alternated book releases until 2020, when Maas released the first of her third series, Crescent City, with House of Earth and Blood. But the release of House of Sky and Breath, the second book in the Crescent City series, truly saw the series characters and world collide and left fans highly anticipating the next release just earlier this year in January. Maas has amassed a near cult following for her series of sixteen books and counting in what her fans call the "SJM Universe," named after the author's initials.

Always Expanding

The three universes mentioned above are just a few examples of the book universe trend taking the literary world by storm. It may have started in the comic book sphere, but the concept of book universes has quickly spread to mainstream literature, and fans are eating it up. Yet, this rise in popularity begs the question of whether these book universes are simply a ploy being set in place by authors and publishers to drive sales and revenue. After all, if all of an author's books are connected, it is only reasonable to assume that you would have to read every book in the entire universe to truly be a part of it; the intent becomes questionable. With all three universes above amassing over fifteen books and so many other book universes out there, it merits a true exploration of whether they are simply a method of making a quick buck or an effort by authors to provide fan service by expanding beloved franchises beyond the confines of a single character point-of-view or story.

Regardless of the reality behind book universes, the fact is that they are here to stay. Many of these book universes are being adapted into movie and television series, with their franchises built on the massive followings that the book universes they are based on have amassed. Fandoms are eating up the new pieces of these universes as they emerge, propelling the authors and novels into rapid success. Any book released as part of the universes mentioned above or attached to the authors listed above in recent years has been an instant bestseller. Even books remotely related to these authors, either co-written or part of their programs to elevate other authors' voices, have garnered success. This begs a different question altogether: Are we placing too much acclaim and power in these authors' hands?

Book universes are one of the most popular trends in the literary world at the moment, and readers can't seem to get enough. But with these gigantic franchises constantly expanding and the authors continuing to release new works, there is also the flip side of the situation. It becomes harder for debut and sophomore authors to build to the same level of success that these authors have amassed. No, we are not saying that new authors are incapable of doing so with their work, but simply that it becomes more challenging if they happen to coincide with a big release as part of a larger franchise that has already garnered widespread popularity, their work is more likely to be overshadowed. When the release of Sarah J. Maas's House of Flame and Shadow, the third book in the Crescent City series and the one to pick up after the mindblowing crossover ending of the book that directly preceded it, came about in January of 2024, there were so many posts and videos released regarding the release, that readers had to go out of their way to find out what other novels were released ont he same day. This is a sign that there is something that has to be fixed. Readers should be allowed to know about all book releases, and all authors deserve to be seen and have their work promoted. These book universes will continue to draw new readers and elicit this reaction when they release new stories. Still, it is essential not to allow others to be overshadowed because you never know what book will be released that will grow to become the next book universe.

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