Have you ever been disappointed when a book you love ends? Fear not, for sequels prove that hope lies beyond the final chapter… 

Sequels date back to ancient literature, the most prolific being Homer’s Odyssey, an epic following the eponymous character’s treacherous journey home after the events of The Iliad. Though this tale shares some of its predecessor’s characters, it mainly focuses on Odysseus, a pivotal soldier, yet not a main protagonist in The Iliad. By writing about his other familiar characters, Homer secures the reader’s interest, allowing him to enrich Odysseus’ character, which subsequently enhances the literary quality of the two epics. As Homer’s work holds immense longevity, it is safe to say he cracked the sequel code! 

Sequels still thrive in the modern day, thousands of years later. One example is Stephanie Meyer’s New Moon, a continuation of the pilot book from the infamous vampire saga: Twilight. Still following the love triangle between human Bella, vampire Edward and werewolf Jacob, this novel’s plot is melodramatic and often borders on ridiculous. However, Meyer’s first book is not renowned for its literary-ness, but rather this ‘iconic’ ridiculousness. Therefore, by creating an equally histrionic sequel, Meyer successfully upholds the cult-classic legacy of her first novel. It is also worth noting that Meyer has released several spin-offs related to the series, such as a gender-swapped version of the first book (Life and Death) and a novella exploring a minor character’s life (The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner). Meyer’s dedication to re-working one story proves sequels do not solely exist as continuations of a book, but as mediums for an author to explore neglected paths from their initial writing process.

However, despite being prevalent since literature’s birth, sequels face criticism for often failing the challenge of surmounting their pilot book. Nevertheless, revisiting beloved fictional worlds can still provide comfort and enjoyment, making sequels great reading material for those times when you don’t want to read anything ‘new’. 

As we enter this new academic year, we are all writing sequels for ourselves, writing new chapters abundant with growth and learning. I hope this sequel is a brilliant one! 

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