Reduce the book number

[Chad32]

Obviously I have trouble identifying the books by number. Sometimes I have trouble identifying them by their names as well.

[Hylian Dan]

Omit books 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 25, 28, 36, 37, 39, 40, 42, 44.
If you want to leave out more, add 17, 24, 46, 47, MM1, MM2.

That leaves 44 books. KA said she thought Animorphs probably should have been ten books shorter, so that works.

That leaves us with these books (not listed in chronological order):

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (Opening)
7, 8 (Kandrona arc)
AC, 13, HBC, 23, 34, 38 (Tobias's family story, Hork-Bajir story, Andalites emerge as potential antagonists)
15, 18 (Leeran war)
19, 29 (Yeerk Peace Movement)
20, 21, 22 (David trilogy)
10, 26, 27, MM3, MM4, EC, 48 (Ellimist/Crayak/Drode/Pemalites/Chee storylines)
32, 33, 43 (Anti-morphing ray, Taylor)
6, 31, 41 (Jake and Tom drama)
30, 35, Visser, 45 (Visser One storyline)
49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 (End of the war)

When looking at books to trim, I took more into account that what they strictly contributed to the overall story arc. If you look at it from that angle, a book like #3 isn't necessary. However, it would be pretty ridiculous to create the Animorphs story and leave out that material. The character of a boy trapped as a hawk was pretty darn unique, and people reading the series would likely be interested in how he's able to cope with the experience. It doesn't move the invasion story further much, but it's still one of the more valuable entries in the Animorphs series.

The facts and basic outline of the Animorphs story aren't what make it successful. It's how the story is told. Books like the Andalite and Hork-Bajir Chronicles were extremely engaging and moving. There's far more value to them than just what background info they contributed.

[Chad32]

I agree with Hylian Dan's idea, too. Even though it's 44 books instead of 30, that's a pretty solid series there. Even though it does include some books I'd leave out.

[Slushie Man]

I agree with Hylian Dan's list as well, except I'd probably leave out book 2, although if I did that, then i guess Rachel would be the only one to not have a narration in the opening books, but I didn't think it brought anything at all to the table, plot-wise or character-wise, except Melissa, whom doesn't really ever show up again anyway except a couple small parts later on, I believe.

[Chad32]

If Mellisa had been used later in the series, or even mentioned in a book other than MM3, then book 2 could have been very important. As it is, it just shows that the Yeerk invasion destroys families. Which is already pretty well explained otherwise.

[Slushie Man]

Yeah, exactly. It had the potential to introduce a great recurring non-Animorph character, but then she ended up never writing about her again, which ends up making the book quite pointless.

[wildweathel]

... we have 23 for revealing tobias is elfangor's son, hork-bajir chronicles is needed even less. what's it actually give to the overall plot? .

One word: tragedy.  The saddest part of HBC is realizing that the Yeerks eliminated the very best bioengineers in the entire galaxy, the ones who had the ability to give them perfect hosts, to end the Yeerk conquest--that is if the Yeerks and Andalites were willing to come to peace.  #18 and HBC work together to quite effectively show just how ruthless the Andalite military has become, leaving the later books on the same topic to deal more with how that impacts Aximili.

@Dan

Brilliant.  I'd keep #16, though.  It's great foreshadowing of just how dark the series will get, and I just love the ending.

 Who burned down the mansion?  Jake, Cassie, Tobias?  Marco wouldn't dare do it alone, and Rachel isn't that cold blooded.  Ax, not without orders.  Cassie's strangely quiet in #17, but she does say this: "And all the rights and wrongs, and all the lines between good and evil, just go wafting and waving and swirling around, don't they?"  Did she do it?  Jake's evasive at the end of his narration, and Tobias, well, about Tobias.

He spends an awful lot of time going behind peoples backs in the early part of the series--making good use of his ability to privately thought-speak, even as early as #2 (the flea-plan for example).  Shortly after #16, in MM2, he's responsible for disabling the explosive and allowing the meteor to strike.  In short, when there's something he believes is right, he does it and saves everyone else the pain of having to decide.

So that's three strong cases for three different characters to have burnt down the Fenestre mansion.  And we never get any resolution.  That alone is reason to leave #16 in.

[amy_animorph]

A lot of the books are pointless, but some of them are mentioned afterword. I read a lot of the series out of order, and I remember being confused reading #15 without having read some of the earlier ones (#5). But it would be easy to cut out some of the later pointless ones, like 36, 39, 42 and 44.

[Dameg]

I don't hate the gostwriters' ones. Just they aren't as good as the others... But I like reading them for fun. I wouldn't reduce, but I'd prefer more books about the important things...

[morfowt]

The facts and basic outline of the Animorphs story aren't what make it successful. It's how the story is told. Books like the Andalite and Hork-Bajir Chronicles were extremely engaging and moving. There's far more value to them than just what background info they contributed.

that's kind of my point. to limit to 30 books you'd have to take out all the extremely engaging and moving books...