this post was submitted on 12 Jan 2026
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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.

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[–] chgxvjh@hexbear.net 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I'd avoid basing the reading order on the story arcs for most part, it's more fun to randomly run into known characters again. Other than that, it's difficult to mess up. I'd consider the Nomes as a start too. For the Nomes I'd read the books in order and consecutive.