I’m amazingly glad the Wheel of Time series is going to be finished – not being able to find out what happens in the end would be many, many years of torture. But we all know that Jordan left detailed notes and gave the outline to a few people. He prepared for someone else to finish his work and the new author is going to try and do him justice.
So if it is a series with hanging plotlines and character arcs unfinished, I would really want the novel finished (or at least all my questions answered).

But if it is a series without hanging plotlines, I don’t think it should be finished. Books with the same main character without a real character arc or book-to-book plotlines can be finished as the author left them. Those people who want to continue just to make money often end up screwing up the series. Or writing inferior books.

So mostly I think Jordan is a strange case. I’m happy for it and I’m reading the book when it comes out, but continuations generally scare me.

For writers where the story is the thing, then no real problem especially if the person finishing their series is an established writer in their own right and it’s clear that it’s another writer, which is the case with Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan.

“I like Brandon Sanderson as an author more than I ever like Robert Jordan, so I'm excited about him finishing The Wheel of Time with book 12 (or more -’ he's prediction around 700,000 words now, so I expect it will be two or even three actual volumes when Tor publishes it).”

I agree – Sanderson is a much better writer than Jordan, especially in terms of character. It would be interesting if he tried to copy Jordan’s stylistic flaws as well as follow the outlines of the story.

Also, I actually really liked Sanditon. OK, it isn’t classic Austen by any stretch, probably even if she’d finished it, but Another Lady did fine finishing the story. I wonder if we would find who that writer was…

Now I just have to wait for the end of March, and it’s mine. All mine!

I don’t think it would be necessary with projects like the Jason Bourne books, or Nora’s In Death books, because (unless I’m mistaken) those books each stand alone. But dang it, if it’s a true trilogy or whatever, I want to know the end.

I wouldn’t have a problem with another author finishing the work provided their voice is similar or close. Being the morbid little thing that I am, I have actually considered what I would want if I were to die before my any of my series finished, and I do have an extremely talented friend who I think would do a fine job working from my notes. Her voice isn’t exactly like mine but I think it’s close; I have total faith that she could provide readers with something at least satisfying even if it isn’t exactly what we all hoped for. Her own published books are certainly popular enough.

The thought of dying before completing any of my series fills me with sick dread.

As for various examples noted above, I like the Jill Payton Walsh completions of Sayers, although I actually thought the second one, Presumption of Death was better than Thrones, Dominations. Nothing like as good as Sayers at her best, but readable and fun. I don’t like Ruth Plumly Thompsom’s Oz books much; as a kid I read them because they were better than nothing, but I quickly learned that I preferred to re-read Baum’s instead. I think Baum and Tolkien were the authors who got me hooked on re-reading favorites, because after The Hobbit and the great trilogy, none of Tolkien’s variously finished stuff worked very well for me.

I like Brandon Sanderson as an author more than I ever like Robert Jordan, so I’m excited about him finishing The Wheel of Time with book 12 (or more — he’s prediction around 700,000 words now, so I expect it will be two or even three actual volumes when Tor publishes it).

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky was published with notes about the remaining parts of the book and was a big hit. Maybe part of that was the author’s own story playing a part in the public reaction to the book.

In my mind, it wouldn’t be the same. And I’d hate it. It’d be a fraud.

But then there are the V. C. Andrews books. I was never an Andrews fan– I haven’t read any of her books but they were everywhere. From what I heard Andrew Neiderman has written more books by V. C. Andrews than Andrews did. That seemed a cheat to me.

Probably if I really liked a series, I could be sucked in to buying another book in the series by someone else, but just because I’m weak, not because I think it’s a good idea.

If the someone else is doing their own work with the original author’s characters, I’m not keen.

Of all the books I know that have had this happen Scarlet is the one that comes to mind, I think things were best left with MM, who I don’t think planned another book, at least then Scarlet and Rhett wouldn’t have had a brain transplant.

Robert Jordan is a special case. As I understand, he had plenty of information about the last book already written, and the estate and publisher worked together to find someone that had a similar enough style that it wouldn’t be jarring. The series had been going on for 20+ years and does have a definite end; it’s not an “open” series like many mystery books or urban fantasies.

For a series that was a more general, ongoing, “new adventures in the life of…” kind of thing, I would not want any additional works published. If the author is dead, then the series is over, in my mind.

If there was some kind of ongoing cliff-hanger kind of situation (like “who is Collan” in Melanie Rawn’s Exiles series), then I would want an unfinished manuscript or notes, etc.

I feel like an author’s world is their own sandbox, and I’m not interested in seeing someone else’s sandcastles there. I know there have been some great examples of one author finishing another’s work, but there have been many other examples of it going badly and the books selling only on the strength of the deceased’s name. And, how many times have we seen old series dusted off for marketing reasons – new Jason Borne novels even though Ludlum is dead, or yet another half-finished world of Tolkein’s when the LotR movies came out. It’s just not my cup of tea.

which Jill Paton Walsh brilliantly compiled into a finished book.

That’s good to know. I’ve wondered if that book was any good.

@LoriK: I completely agree. Authorial voice is very important to my reading experience. To me, the same characters written in another voice are different characters.

So, I’d rather an unfinished series than have an ending with the “wrong” voice which would be infuriating rather than simply frustrating.

I’d be happiest with the author’s notes, or someone who knew the author explaining what would have happened: I might grieve for the book that never was, but as long as I knew how the story resolved itself, I’d be content.
Another writer writing the story wouldn’t work, because that wouldn’t be canon, so I’d always have doubts how it really ended.

As for indivdual books, I don’t really see the point of someone else finishing them: be a neither fish nor fowl thing. I think I read a version of Jane Austen’s Sanditon that someone else had finished – years ago now – and it wasn’t up to much. I preferred the way they published P.G. Wodehouse’s last book – the work as far as it went, and his notes for the rest.

Having said that, I agree with Ms Bookjunkie that the Jill Paton Walsh books are worth reading – not as good as the originals, but good fun nonetheless.