Phoenix Rises
asked
Neil Clarke:
What is your theory on short fiction in magazines versus novels in bookstores? What can be gained in a zine such as Clarkesworld that you miss out on with a novel from a bookstore?
Neil Clarke
I ran an online bookstore for about eight years. We stocked over one hundred different genre magazines (I'm nuts) as well as books. These are the three things that I think play into what people favor at any given time:
Variety:
I think that people (readers and authors) are more likely to experiment in the short form. It isn't a huge time investment, so I've seen more people more willing to read a short story by someone they've never heard of. I know that's introduced me to a lot of very talented authors and some great ideas. Some of those stories would have never worked as novels and others have later gone on to be expanded into novels or series of connected short stories that explore the world in a way that would have made a clunky novel.
Time:
When my kids were younger, I almost exclusively read short stories because that was all the time I had. In the car, I prefer short story podcasts for almost the same reason. Sometimes it's nice to be able to finish something you start.
Immersion:
Novels allow for more immersion. I know some people like to spend as much time as possible with their favorite characters or worlds, but I get frustrated when I see a series that looks like it's never going to end. I'd rather see the author start something new than take the series one book too far (much like some TV shows eventually jumping the shark).
If you lean too far into any of those categories you run the risk of missing some of the best our genre has to offer.
Variety:
I think that people (readers and authors) are more likely to experiment in the short form. It isn't a huge time investment, so I've seen more people more willing to read a short story by someone they've never heard of. I know that's introduced me to a lot of very talented authors and some great ideas. Some of those stories would have never worked as novels and others have later gone on to be expanded into novels or series of connected short stories that explore the world in a way that would have made a clunky novel.
Time:
When my kids were younger, I almost exclusively read short stories because that was all the time I had. In the car, I prefer short story podcasts for almost the same reason. Sometimes it's nice to be able to finish something you start.
Immersion:
Novels allow for more immersion. I know some people like to spend as much time as possible with their favorite characters or worlds, but I get frustrated when I see a series that looks like it's never going to end. I'd rather see the author start something new than take the series one book too far (much like some TV shows eventually jumping the shark).
If you lean too far into any of those categories you run the risk of missing some of the best our genre has to offer.
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