Size Queens Ruined Fiction

Pulp fiction masters understood the importance of staying trim and fit

In the golden age of the mid-century paperback, most crime, thriller, western, and adventure novels came in under 200 pages. You could buy them for a buck at the drugstore, finish them in a night, and get walloped with tight, efficient storytelling. Writers like John D. MacDonald, Jim Thompson, and Gil Brewer didn’t need 500 pages to make you sweat. They had 150, maybe 180 pages to get you in and out of an entertaining story, and every one of those pages counted.

Starting in the 1980s, sadly, traditional publishers began shifting toward longer books, especially in genre fiction. Today, thrillers, mysteries, and even romances routinely top 400 pages. Some pass 600. It seems the size queens in Manhattan rule the roost.

Short novels, I’ll argue until the day I die, are better for readers. First, they don’t waste your time. There’s no room for rambling subplots, bloated backstories, or side characters with three-act arcs of their own. We don’t need 300 pages of dream sequences, traumatic childhood flashbacks, nor what motivates the detective’s secretary to fight crime via answering the phone.

Short books cut to the bone. Damn near every sentence moves the plot, develops character, and/or deepens theme. If a writer can’t hook you, thrill you, and wrap it up in 50,000 words, maybe they don’t have a story. Alternatively, they have a story that would be beautiful if it hadn’t let itself go and pack on a couple hundred extra pages.

Second, short books let you read more. One fast-paced 180-page crime novel leads to another. You stay in rhythm, you sample more authors, and you’re less likely to burn out. Discovery of your next favorite author becomes more efficient and exciting. A 600-page thriller, no matter how good, is a commitment. And if it drags? That’s a week of your life gone. A lean 160-pager that punches hard? That’s satisfaction with time left for another round. Variety is the spice of life.

Third, price. The original appeal of pulp paperbacks wasn’t just tone and content but also a reasonable jacket price for working and middle class readers. You could buy three or four short novels for the price of one literary doorstop. That pricing model is broken now, but with ebooks and indie publishing on the rise, it’s returning. Short novels are cheaper to produce and easier to sell digitally. A $2.99 noir novella makes more sense on a Kindle than a bloated $14.99 thriller that drags for 200 pages in the middle.

So why did books get longer in the first place? In part, it was about perceived value. As publishing shifted away from drugstore racks to big-box chains like Barnes & Noble, thicker spines stood out more on shelves. A 200-page book looked “thin,” no matter how good. Publishers also charged more and needed justification. Longer books gave them one. Word processors also made it easier for writers to churn out big drafts and for editors to get lazy about trimming them.

Things are starting to change for the better, though. Indie publishing and digital platforms like Amazon KDP have created space for short novels and novellas to thrive. Writers can publish fast, direct to readers, and price accordingly. Readers who are short on time and attention are discovering that short doesn’t mean shallow. It means sharper, cleaner, and better.

The short novel isn’t dead. It’s just waiting for the right kind of reader to bring it back. And if you're reading this, you’re one of them.