This week my family is celebrating two endings. My oldest son has been graduated from The University of Florida with a degree in computer science (he’s the one who does this site’s special coding) and we will all attend another son’s high school graduation this afternoon. They are relieved that years of toil are over and we are all excited about the next chapter in their lives.

Graduation represents both an ending and a beginning, but let’s just talk about endings today.

What are some of your favorite endings in speculative fiction? Bill and I recently finished Robin Hobb‘s Assassin’s Fate which concludes her FITZ AND THE FOOL trilogy but also wraps up all the other series set in her REALMS OF THE ELDERLINGS novels. We were amazed (but not surprised) at the way Hobb brought everything together so neatly, gifted us with a gloriously bittersweet ending to our favorite characters in fantasy literature, left us emotionally exhausted yet elated, and hinted that this grand finale also represents the beginning of something new (even if we never see it). As Bill said in our review, “You want those pages at the end to both be done and to just keep going.” It was perfect.

Without spoiling anything for readers, tell us what book or series has your favorite ending and why you thought it was so wonderful. As always, we’ll choose one random commenter to win a book from our stacks.

Author

  • Kat Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.