Whither the Stand-Alone Fantasy Novel?

Fantasy is a genre that lends itself to sweeping sagas that extend beyond the confines of a single book. A lot of work goes into creating the mainstays of fantasy: a separate world or universe, an internally-consistent magic system, a pantheon of gods and a history. Most of the fantasy writers I've met personally enjoy this aspect of their work, and it's not uncommon for aspiring writers to get so caught up in world building that they "forget" to actually write their stories.

The trilogy is a staple in second world fantasy, and there are many reasons for this besides the success of Lord of the Rings. At the most basic level, stories often have clearly demarcated beginnings, middles and endings, and so breaking a long story into three makes sense.

Series are also increasingly popular. It's not unusual for a writer to keep writing stories about his or her characters. Some of the early classics of fantasy, such as the Conan books, come to mind.

Overall, this is just fine with me. When I fall in love with a world, universe or character, I want to keep revisiting them, and of course seeing them continue to evolve and change is a lot of fun. One small peeve I and some others sometimes have is the fact that second world fantasy settings are often stuck indefinitely in a sort of nebulous medieval era, but the concept of worlds evolving and changing is something I've seen other writers address recently.

But what if a story is complete in of itself and doesn't need to be revisited? What if the author doesn't want to disrupt a protagonist's happily ever after? What if the writer prefers to move on to a new world, setting or magic system? Does the current market actually force authors to keep writing about the same worlds and characters, even if they become old or stale?

There does seem to be a general shortage of fantasy, particularly in recent years, that is both completely stand alone as a tale and the only novel about a particular world or characters. Often, singletons represent early novels by authors, or novels by authors whose careers never took off. This is a shame, because sometimes it's fun to explore a world or setting without necessarily committing to them, even as a reader.

Here are a list of some stand alone fantasy books I've enjoyed.

The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs. Better known for her contemporary fantasy (Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega novels), this author has also published some second world fantasy novels.

The Wizard's Shadow by Susan Dexter. This tale of posthumous revenge combines elements of romance and humor. It's not clear if this book is set in the same world as her Warhorse of Esdragon books or one that is similar, but there is no overlap between the stories and characters.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. This was his debut novel, and it took place in a different world than his later works. Sanderson is very good at coming up with interesting and unusual magic systems, so he is an example of an author who might be hampered if he set all his novels in the same "universe."

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is possibly the master of modern stand-alone fantasy novels. This particular title is on my short list of all time favorites.

Watership Down. Many don't think of this when they think of fantasy, since Richard Adams's work is marketed to the "mainstream" fiction market. But this tale about heroic rabbits is a classic, and aside from the intelligent animals aspect, it contained elements of true prophecy and the supernatural.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. This retelling of the Arthur legend was unusual for its time, as it focused on the points of view and perspectives of the female characters, most notably Morgan La Fey. I believe she did eventually write another novel about Avalon that was set in the same "universe," but this book stood alone for many years and did not need a sequel or prequel.

Animist by Eve Forward. This book could have led to sequels, but it appears to be the last novel this writer has published. It's a shame, because the magic system and world she introduced in this story were intriguing, and her writing was a pleasure to read. Her only other novel was called Villains by Necessity.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman. This book dates back to an era where the "sequelitis" craze had not taken off yet. Just as well, because why spoil Buttercup and Wesley's happily ever after by continuing to toss villains at them?

The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle. Likewise for this book. One wonders if, were it written in the modern market, whether there would be an extended array of unicorn adventures, or whether Schmendrick's heroic transformation would continue in future volumes.

Stranger at the Wedding by Barbara Hambley. This is set in the same world as her Silicon Mage series, but it involves characters that don't appear elsewhere, and the story is completely separate. It is often cited as an example of a fantasy style called mannerpunk/fantasy of manners.

Anyone else have any candidates?