Is pagination impossible or just hard?

To create navigation from Topic to Topic (and auto insert Back/Prev and Forward/Next buttons on each Topic in the sequence), I’m doing it this way

I’m repurposing the “Reply as Linked Topic” and then CSS styling the links like so …

And adding some CSS in the Theme Settings …

MINIMAL CSS JUST FOR THE BUTTONS
.post-links-container {
    margin-left: var(--topic-body-width-padding);
    position: absolute;
    top: 37px;
    right: 30px;
}

.post-links-container ul li .d-icon {
    display: none;
}

.post-links-container .post-links {
    margin-top: 0;
    padding-top: 0;
    border-top: 0;
}

.post-links-container .post-links li:last-of-type {
    margin-bottom: 0;
}

.post-links-container ul li a[href] {
    align-items: center;
    border: 1px solid var(--primary-low-mid);
    background: var(--primary-very-low);
    border-bottom-width: 2px;
    border-radius: 3px;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    color: #009a49;
    display: inline-flex;
    font-family: monospace, monospace;
    font-size: var(--font-down-1);
    justify-content: center;
    line-height: var(--line-height-large);
    margin: 0 0.15em;
    min-width: 24px;
    padding: 0.15em 0.6em;
}

.post-links-container ul li a::after {
    content: " ->>";
    padding-left: 0.15em;
}

kbd {
    align-items: center;
    border: 1px solid var(--primary-low-mid);
    background: var(--primary-very-low);
    border-bottom-width: 2px;
    border-radius: 3px;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    color: var(--primary);
    display: inline-flex;
    font-family: monospace, monospace;
    font-size: var(--font-down-1);
    justify-content: center;
    line-height: var(--line-height-large);
    margin: 0 0.15em;
    min-width: 24px;
    padding: 0.15em 0.6em;
}

kbd a {
    padding: 0;
}

kbd a::before {
    content: "<<-";
    padding-right: 0.15em;
}

INSTRUCTIONS AND THE FULL CSS I'M USING

/** Prev and Next Buttons for Books or other Topic Sequencing - this feature is built by repurposing **/
/**   the native Discourse feature "Reply As A Linked Topic" selector in the composer (top left). **/
/** TO SET THIS UP ON YOUR DISCOURSE **/
/** Paste <kbd>%{postLink}</kbd> in /admin/customize/site_texts/js.post.continue_discussion. **/
/** Then create 2 categories: BOOKS (for Blog Style topic sequences) and STORIES (for Regular Topic Style topic sequences). **/
/** Install the https://meta.discourse.org/t/blog-post-styling/110841 theme component **/
/** In the Blog Post Styling Theme Component Settings, assign the BOOKS Category (but not STORIES) as a Blog Category. **/
/** Then create a tag: BOOK and assign that as a Blog Tag in the Blog Post Styling Theme Component Settings **/
/** Then don't forget to paste in the below CSS! It goes in your Theme Header. **/
/** Of course the CSS here will need tweaking to work right in other themes. **/
/** Now you can create sequences of Topics in the STORIES Category which will have the nav buttons, **/
/**   but those Topics will otherwise appear in the Regular Topic Style). **/
/** If you can add the Blog Styling to these STORIES Category Topics by simply adding the BOOK tag. **/
/** A new Topic you compose in the BOOKS CATEGORY using "Reply as a Linked Topic" will already have both the nav buttons **/
/**   as well as the Blog Styling. **/
/** See a Demo at https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-pagination-impossible-or-just-hard/231838/16 **/



.tag-book,
.category-books {
    aside.sidebar,
    .topic-meta-data,
    .tag-book .topic-category .badge-wrapper,
    .category-books .topic-category .badge-wrapper {
    display:none !important;
    
    }
}

.tag-book .container.posts,
.category-books .container.posts {
    justify-content: unset;
    justify-items: unset;
    padding-left: 0;
    display: block;
}

.tag-book .container.posts .topic-post .row,
.category-books .container.posts .topic-post .row {
    display: block;
    justify-content: center;
}

.tag-book #topic-title .title-wrapper,
.category-books #topic-title .title-wrapper {
    display: block;
    margin: 0 auto;
}

.tag-book #topic-title,
.category-books #topic-title {
    display: block;
    margin: 0 auto;
}

.tag-book #topic-title h1,
.category-books #topic-title h1 {
    font-size: 2em;
    padding-right: 20px;
}

.tag-book #post_1 .topic-body,
.category-books #post_1 .topic-body {
    padding-top: 1em;
    border-top: none;
    max-width: 100%;
}

.tag-book #post_1 .topic-body .contents,
.category-books #post_1 .topic-body .contents {
    border-top: none;
    margin-left: 0;
    padding: 0;
}
  
.tag-book p,
.category-books p {
    /* put styles here for the main text in the Book pages */
}

/* Position the Forward button at the top right of the page */
.tag-book .post-links-container,
.category-books .post-links-container {
    margin-left: var(--topic-body-width-padding);
    position: absolute;
    top: 1em;
    right: 30px;
}

/* Position the Back button at the top left of the page */
.category-stories .post-links-container {
    margin-left: var(--topic-body-width-padding);
    position: absolute;
    top: 2.5em;
    right: 30px;
}

/* Remove the link symbol from the Forward button */
.tag-book .post-links-container ul li .d-icon,
.category-books .post-links-container ul li .d-icon,
.category-stories .post-links-container ul li .d-icon {
    display: none;
}

.tag-book .post-links-container .post-links,
.category-books .post-links-container .post-links,
.category-stories .post-links-container .post-links {
    margin-top: 0;
    padding-top: 0;
    border-top: 0;
}

.tag-book .post-links-container .post-links li:last-of-type,
.category-books .post-links-container .post-links li:last-of-type,
.category-stories .post-links-container .post-links li:last-of-type {
    margin-bottom: 0;
}

/* Style the Next/Forward button */
.tag-book .post-links-container ul li a[href],
.category-books .post-links-container ul li a[href],
.category-stories .post-links-container ul li a[href] {
    align-items: center;
    border: 1px solid var(--primary-low-mid);
    background: var(--primary-very-low);
    border-bottom-width: 2px;
    border-radius: 3px;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    color: #009a49;
    display: inline-flex;
    font-family: monospace, monospace;
    font-size: var(--font-down-1);
    justify-content: center;
    line-height: var(--line-height-large);
    margin: 0 0.15em;
    min-width: 24px;
    padding: 0.15em 0.6em;
}

/* Add arrows pointing right to the Forward button */
.tag-book .post-links-container ul li a::after,
.category-books .post-links-container ul li a::after,
.category-stories .post-links-container ul li a::after {
    content: " ->>";
    padding-left: 0.15em;
}

/* Alternatively Use an Image for the Right Arrow */
/*
.tag-book .post-links-container::after,
.category-books .post-links-container::after,
.category-stories .post-links-container::after {
    content: url('../../media/arrow-right.svg');
    display: inline-block;
    width: 12px;
    height: 12px;
}
*/

/* Style the Back/Previous button*/
.tag-book kbd,
.category-books kbd,
.category-stories kbd {
    align-items: center;
    border: 1px solid var(--primary-low-mid);
    background: var(--primary-very-low);
    border-bottom-width: 2px;
    border-radius: 3px;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    color: var(--primary);
    display: inline-flex;
    font-size: var(--font-down-1);
    justify-content: center;
    line-height: var(--line-height-large);
    margin: 0;
    min-width: 24px;
    padding: 0.15em 0.6em;
}

.tag-book kbd a,
.category-books kbd a,
.category-stories kbd a {
    padding: 0;
}

/* Add arrows to the back button */
.tag-book kbd a::before,
.category-books kbd a::before,
.category-stories kbd a::before {
    content: "<<-";
    padding-right: 0.15em;
}

/* Alternatively Use an Image for the Left Arrow */
/*
.tag-book kbd a::before,
.category-books kbd a::before,
.category-stories kbd a::before {
    content: url('../../media/arrow-left.svg');
    display: inline-block;
    width: 12px;
    height: 12px;
}
*/


Here’s the result …

You can test it live here …

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