Forum: Story Discussion and Feedback

After about chapter 10 (that's a wild guess, I can't actually remember when it happens) they drop that part of the story and it becomes something completely different.

At that point I actually started to like the story :D Nowadays I'm a little more critical and would have probably dropped it before reaching chapter 4.

What's strange about that story and it's description is almost nothing of those early chapters and nothing listed in the description plays any part in like 99% of the rest of the extremely long story. After about chapter 10 (that's a wild guess, I can't actually remember when it happens) they drop that part of the story and it becomes something completely different.

Going from memory because it has been many years since I last read through it. I'm inclined to disagree.

It establishes a number of things about the core characters almost from the onset. "Alpha Females" (something that doesn't get introduced as a concept until later) have a high sex drive, which makes them susceptible to sexual coercion if those needs aren't being met(and they're unaware of the issue existing so they can take measures to counter it).

It establishes the Jeff as being very dedicated to the welfare of his family, but that same dedication can lead to borderline neglect in other ways under the right circumstances.

It also establishes that Jeff is very ruthless when it comes to defense of his family once he's aware of a threat. And that he can (in time) forgive mistakes.

It also puts Diana into the position where she is desperate enough to save her relationship with Jeff that she's willing to break with societal norms in order to do so. That breaking of social norms is what sets the stage for almost everything else that follows from there.

Without that happening, the path to getting the harem going takes a far more wandering and more convoluted path which likely would have required Little One and Ship basically telling them what they should be doing, and having Jeff and Diana likely trying to fight what they're being told. Which would have considerably changed a lot of the trajectory for the early story. And of course, then there is Arlene who would need to be addressed in this alternate version of the story.

IIRC, Jeff used Little One on Diana and Arlene before the sexual interlude with the person coercing them. Jeff, Diana, and Arlene did not understand the effect Little One's changes would have on Diana and Arlene; that wasn't made known to them until after the sexual situation was made known. Once the 3 of them understood the problem, Jeff reluctantly accepted both Diana and Arlene as his wives.

You are correct in your description but I see the 'problem' a little different. The first ~5+ chapters almost seem like a different type of story. More in the range for those who like much sex/stroke stories while the rest of the story evolves towards a scifi story with a lot less sex. At some points it even seems like here and there sex is thrown in just for the sake of having sex in the story while it doesn't do anything specific for the evolving story itself. At other points sex scenes are well integrated and supportive but certainly not everywhere. It's a very, very long running series so it's unavoidable that both author and story evolve over time. Not bad in itself but looking back it makes the way the story started seem a little out of line with the rest.

ETA: typo

There is a chance that if you get people invested in the characters before you write the kind of thing that happens at the start of this story, it will turn even more people away from it.

There is a chance that if you get people invested in the characters before you write the kind of thing that happens at the start of this story, it will turn even more people away from it.

I think it would turn off less people, especially if the current start is toned down as Grey Wolf suggested.
As far as the story is I suspect the readership is settled into a more or less static group of readers. I also suspect most current readers are not the kink lovers but scifi readers that probably skip or just glance over the sex scenes.
Personally I think book 3 is starting to drag on before the new journey starts. I'm waiting for book 3 to finish with collecting all important characters together (including some long time not mentioned characters) and leaving Earth, then book 4 starting with the journey itself.

I think book 3 started to drag about 100+ chapters ago :) The pace had picked up and was much better in recent (~ six months ago) chapters.

Yes, it did start to drag 100+ chapters ago but Roustwriter introduced some interesting side stories to keep it interesting, although the current side story of the 6 week flashback with Dessie and Phillip is starting to drag on its own :) I agree with you that some of those side stories would have been better as separate stories in a universe.
It's a unique story since I think it's the only never-to-end serial on SOL.

I read it every couple of years, so anything that's happened in the last six months is news to me :)

Courageous! I doubt I will ever start rereading but it's the only story I follow weekly without it being finished. For all other stories I wait until they are finished and download the complete story or just buy it from Bookapy if not finished on SOL yet.

There is an enormous amount of potential in side stories. I like a fair bit of the worldbuilding. Whether any of that potential will ever be realized ... likely not, unless Roust opens it up as a Universe.

While RW hasn't opened it up as a Universe, I seem to recall that he has given at least one or two authors permission to visit and interact with some characters ...

I wish Roust had ended each of the books so I could vote for them in the Clitodes.

I wish Roust had ended each of the books so I could vote for them in the Clitodes.

I suspect he would have had more readers if the story was split into multiple books. A lot of new readers will hesitate to start such a long story that's not finished yet so I guess it's mostly a steady group of readers that follow the soap opera.

Nothing wrong with a soap opera. There have been soaps that lasted decades on TV and started on radio.