Beginning at the End, Ending at the Beginning?

[ScottyMcGee]

I have a bit of a dilemma.

I'm not going to write these series of books for a while, so I still have time to think it through.

First off, in case you don't want to read my blather I'll ask the question first. How do you guys feel about a series that has the last chronological book (or somewhere in the middle) published and then later on the first book published?

Although it's not a book series, one notable example is the Star Wars series. I know the guy who wrote Last of the Mohicans did it that way too. I'm not sure exactly why though. Sometimes the author/director just doesn't know how to begin, and so they release the ending part first.

But the thing is with me and my four-part series I'm conjuring up, I know how it begins and how it ends. I can't help thinking though which would attract readers.

The series is about the college life of one student, and how he gets involved in thievery, gangs, etc. By the last book, he's become this "mythical figure" at his college, called "Rapscallion."

In that last book, part of the beginning actually isn't from his point of view. It's from the point of view from a new freshman. She eventually finds out who Rapscallion is and wants to know the tricks of the trade.

But if I release the books chronologically. . . then there's no real suspense as to her finding out who Rapscallion is. You know what I mean? The readers will have already known by reading the first three books.

If I write the last book first, readers would want to find out how this guy became such an infamous figure. Wouldn't they?

However, if I do write it chronologically, there will also be more suspense, that being: Does Rapscallion make it out alive in the end? There's that natural unfolding suspense of what's going to happen next.

[lalodragon]

Judging from what you've said here, I would think it best to put the last book first. It would be more interesting to read the last book first and then how he became who he is. There are books that do that. Many many books have a prologue of "who is that masked man" and then roll into a chronological story of becoming masked...
Besides, the chronological will-he-make-it suspense doesn't work for a lot of a books because we know the MC can't die. Your book may be better than that, but so many aren't that it often doesn't work anyway.

[Julian]

I agree with Lalo. If the last book can promise more suspense and a faster-paced plot, then go with it. Readers are fueled by mystery and the more mysteries there are, forming an intricate story line, the more they will want to read.