Release order on first experience is the only way guaranteed to not create unnecessary confusion. Works in a continuity that are released after each other tend rely upon prior knowledge of the work to accentuate the experience. Inventing a new angle to experience them through may be valuable as an artistic exercise, but it is very clearly a bad idea to recommend that angle to newcomers. Release order is specifically reliable because it tracks either the creative process/development of ideas in cases of straightforward serialization, or in case of intentionality in release order follows author intent.

The only time a bespoke work order is even debatable is in cases of an adaptation of a work that is not adapted in release order of the original work. Even then, that adaptation may work around that in a way where it makes it, too, confusing to experience outside of its own release order.

  • built_on_hope [she/her]@hexbear.net
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    1 month ago

    Came in here to talk about Discworld. I generally agree with OP but for Discworld I usually recommend one of the standalones first because it’s a good way to get a feel for his writing and to see if you like it, whereas Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic are quite different from the other ones since he hadn’t really gotten into stride yet. Also depending on the person I usually recommend one I think they’ll like because it’s about something I know they enjoy. But I would never try to prescribe a whole reading order, that’s insane