Welcome to the Caribbean, Love!

I remember back when I first heard about the "Cursed Child" play, I was hardly excited at all. I saw it as kind of a local thing for people who live in London or are visiting there, kind of like the Harry Potter musical (there was something like that, wasn't there?). One of the reasons I wasn't too interested was because it was supposed to be about something that happened to Harry when he was living under the stairs before he got his Hogwarts letter. Interesting, sure, but it couldn't have been too important if we never heard about it in seven books.

( sorry I forgot to cut this at first )

I can't seem to stop posting today. Thinking about Book 7 has, naturally, led me to think about Beyond Book 7. Rowling has made it clear that when the HP series is over she intends to write again, possibly in a more adult-oriented style. And we all know that whatever she writes will find a publisher, though I suspect she's correct that she'll never again have sales of the magnitude of the Potter series. But who cares about that? What I care about is if the books will be any good and -- most of all -- if I'll like them.

I've had experiences both ways. I still remember the excitement with which I bought Richard Adams's next book after Watership Down, my confident intention of loving it, and my... not loving it at all. But then, other favorite authors have written books I've loved, and gone on to write dozens more that I loved just as much. And then there is the whole series thing. It seems like most readers find it harder to accept new work from someone who's written a series they love (like the Vorkosigan series was for me) than someone who has written single books. I understand that Arthur Conan Doyle never could get past this barrier.

And then there's the worst-case scenario -- where an author's new work negatively affects your ability to enjoy and respect the work that you originally liked. Like if they're too repetitive or formulaic, or what you took as fresh stylistic quirks become unbearable mannerisms, or you realize their mind is a far narrower place to be in than you had at first thought. The first non-Potter book will be a very revealing moment for Rowling -- showing how much of the voice was hers and how much was Harry's, showing how wide her range is -- and a revealing moment for us -- showing whether we like her writing or just like the idea she got one day on a train.

So what do you think you'll do?

[Poll #588461]

Would you prefer it if she wrote another series rather similar to HP -- same genre, same age protagonist, and/or same tone -- or if she wrote something strikingly different? Do you fear being disappointed?