I have come to love that term. There’s something special about it, it keeps people coming back for more. Too bad you can’t really cliffhanger someone in a blog.

But, that’s not the point. Point is that I’ve said a lot about the podcasters nailing their fans with cliffhangers. They excel at it. That is not, however, saying that books or movies can’t do the same thing.

I’ve read very few novels that have an excellent cliffhanger in them. A primary, and my favorite, example of one is Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop. When I recommend this book to people I tell them, emphatically, do not but this book alone. Since the whole series is out, that’s certainly possible, and if I hadn’t had my hands on Heir to the Shadows, Daughter of the Blood probably would have looked nice sailing across my room.

Seriously I don’t throw books as often as I make it sound. I think I’ve thrown three in my life. I digress again.

Books, movies and television can do the cliffhanger thing. Movies are better at it. They can end a film with the hero, evidence in hand, ready to go after the villain and the film ends. They don’t do it often, and usually it’s done in three part fantasy films (Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars), but it does happen. Television excels at it. That is, after all, what season finales are all about, keep them hooked and ready, eager, for the new season to begin. Woe to the station that turns a season finale into a series finale without warning, FOX being the most notorious of the offenders.

Podcasters, however, have it made and they treat their fans better. Sure we may have to wait months between podcast novels, but if someone like Scott Sigler hands you a cliffhanger this week, you can count on the resolution the next week. We’re not left wanting and waiting for months in-between doses of chapters. Mur Lafferty did it yesterday with the conclusion of Wasteland. Sure it’s not the killer cliffhanger she dumped on us in Earth, but now we’re left wanting like little junkies for the next story in the series.

Maybe I’m biased. Maybe my vision of the entertainment world has been clouded by how nice the podcasters have been to me. I just happen to think that in the world of cliffhangers, these people have it made.

Do you have a favorite “Oh my god they did not just leave that hanging” moment from a book, movie, show or podcast? Share it here.