Conference thebay::joyoflex

    The second book in the set is usually called the sequel.
    
    The third book may make it a series. (However, books in a series can
    be related to each other but not necessarily a continuing story -
    i.e, many murder mystery series, where each is a "standalone.")
    
    From a practical point of view, it's all marketing hype: how does
    the publisher (and to a much lesser extent, the author) want the
    public to view the latest release? If the first 3 books in Blish's
    series sold only so-so, for example, the publisher might not want the
    4th one tied in with them.
    
    There are numerous exceptions, but I have been disappointed in many
    sequels et al, and found them inferior to the first book. I think
    the authors often get pressured from their publishers to write a
    sequel to a good seller when they would prefer to write something
    else.                                                  
    
    -bs
    
    -bs   

    	Tri and tetra are derived from Greek numerals, while logos
    (or something similar) is Greek for book. Bio is derived from the
    Greek for life, while the Greek prefix for two is bi. So, though
    I have never seen it used, I would guess the word you need is
    
    		bilogy
    
    
    	Dave

    Actualy, "bi-" is a Latin prefix.  The equivalent Greek prefix is
    "di-" so I suppose two books are a "dilogy," which I would prefer
    to pronounce "DIE-lo-jee" rather than "DILL-o-jee," for esthetic
    reasons.  I find neither "bilogy" nor "dilogy" in my desk-side
    dictionary, not that this proves much.  One could always call the
    book and its sequel a "pair."
    
    Earl Wajenberg

    I took the same approach as Earl, and couldn't find "dilogy" or
    anything resembling it in the American Heritage or Webster's
    3rd International.
    
    If you need a word, you could use "duad" or "dyad," both Greek-rooted
    terms for a pair of anything. 
    
    This has little to do with literary marketing; "trilogy" and
    "tetralogy" can apply to literary, dramatic, or musical works. Also,
    "trilogy" refers specifically to groups of three Greek tragedies, and
    "tetralogy" to three tragedies plus a comedy, performed together at
    some festival (maybe someone else knows more about this than I do...)
    
    So the absence of "bilogy" in our vocabulary may mean that the ancient
    Greeks didn't go for dramas in pairs. (Okay, so it may have to do with
    marketing after all; but it predates science fiction by a long shot.) 

    					Val

Not really relevant, but just to remind y'all that the book
"So Long, and Thanks for all The Fish" was billed as the fourth
book in the HitchHiker's trilogy.

	Nigel

    I suppose the next book will be the fifth one in the Hitchhiker
    tetralogy.
    
    -bs 

    Re: .2  logos is word, biblios is book.

    Re: .8
    
    Trilogy = three words?
    

        
    This word normally relates to painting (a pair of ancient tablets);
    but I've seen it used also for books. 
    
    Has anyone else seen this usage of diptych ? 
    
    
        
    
    

    re:.10
    
    I've never seen "diptych" used in this sense, though I've often used
    "triptych" for something similar. There have been a number of science
    fiction anthologies that contain three short novels based on a common
    theme; these I refer to as triptyches.
    
    --- jerry

I've seen "diptych" used that way in the NY Times book review.  I'm not 
as comfy with it as I am with the more common "two volume set."  

					>>>==>PStJTT

Isn't a triptych the map thingie that AAA gives you when you consult them
about an upcoming trip ?

/Eric

    re:.13
    
    I think AAA spells it "triptick" as a play on the word "triptych".
    A triptych is most commonly used to describe one of those three-
    hinged-plate thingies that people have on their desks that display
    photos of the spouse and kids or whatever. Specificly, a triptych
    displays three pieces or art in sequence that tells a story, usually
    of a religious nature.
    
    --- jerry

    "Triptych" is also used to describe the three-paneled paintings
    of the German artist Max Beckmann.  Some people, however, think
    they're unhinged.
    
    Bernie

    Re: .10
    
    I thought a diptyck was what you pulled out to see how much oil
    there is in your engine.  :^}

    Now that we've beaten trilogies, etc. to death, what whould you
    call a painting in 4 sections?  A tetraptych? (Yugh!)

		    Maybe it's a fourposter?