Can't agree more. The old Nero Wolfe mysteries are great examples of this too. I'd be remiss if I didn't engage in shameless self-promotion, either, especially since tight word count is the point. :)
Well said! As a reader with a very busy life, I like books I can read quickly. The bloat of longer novels and the peppy pace that a short novel demands are also good points.
That said, not all bloat is "bad". When I was a teen, I wanted novels that never ended. I wanted to sink into a fantasy world and get all the backstory and side quests the author could imagine. But when I became a busy homeschool mom and freelancer, I didn't have time to read at all. Now the kids are grown and graduated, but I'm still busy. So short is a great selling point for me. I like novellas, too.
Fantasy is indeed a notable exceptio. Those readers want to wade through the deep end of the pool. I also don't mind longer classics such as Crime & Punishment or, my favorite, Don Quixote. Thanks for chiming in.
I agree with you 100 percent. I do enjoy a good 19th century style novel now and then, but I would much rather read a stack of short, concise stories with strong characters that keep things moving. It is similar to the movie industry. Instead of making tight 90 minute films, they are putting out these two and a half hour epics that really do not need to be that long. With a 90 minute movie, you can fit five showings in a day instead of three. It is the same with books. We could read more if they were leaner. Great article. 🤙
Remo Williams, And the books in series like his...we would trade them around our group in high school. Fast reads, good stories, exciting in a boring world. I think it gave me a soft spot for gold hearted assassins.
I really miss those turning wire racks you’d see in drugstore with paperback books in them. I found a lot of great books there for inexpensive prices.
I remember a mom and pop bookstore near my house that had miles of crisp, new paperbacks. All slim.
Can't agree more. The old Nero Wolfe mysteries are great examples of this too. I'd be remiss if I didn't engage in shameless self-promotion, either, especially since tight word count is the point. :)
https://lorendean.substack.com/p/my-fiction-baseline-shadows-in-zamboula
We want to build a likeminded community, so plug away.
Well said! As a reader with a very busy life, I like books I can read quickly. The bloat of longer novels and the peppy pace that a short novel demands are also good points.
That said, not all bloat is "bad". When I was a teen, I wanted novels that never ended. I wanted to sink into a fantasy world and get all the backstory and side quests the author could imagine. But when I became a busy homeschool mom and freelancer, I didn't have time to read at all. Now the kids are grown and graduated, but I'm still busy. So short is a great selling point for me. I like novellas, too.
Fantasy is indeed a notable exceptio. Those readers want to wade through the deep end of the pool. I also don't mind longer classics such as Crime & Punishment or, my favorite, Don Quixote. Thanks for chiming in.
Hell, yeah! Lean and mean is where it's at!
Fuck yeah.
I agree with you 100 percent. I do enjoy a good 19th century style novel now and then, but I would much rather read a stack of short, concise stories with strong characters that keep things moving. It is similar to the movie industry. Instead of making tight 90 minute films, they are putting out these two and a half hour epics that really do not need to be that long. With a 90 minute movie, you can fit five showings in a day instead of three. It is the same with books. We could read more if they were leaner. Great article. 🤙
Completely agree.
Really appreciate this.
Thanks, Tom.
Remo Williams, And the books in series like his...we would trade them around our group in high school. Fast reads, good stories, exciting in a boring world. I think it gave me a soft spot for gold hearted assassins.
That's awesome. I only had two friends in HS who read for fun and one was a non fiction fan.