No. The Short Story Will Not Triumph in the End
The golden age of short stories is long past. Once upon a time, say, back in the 1930s and '40s, a young go-getter could make a good living out of writing them. Nowadays, however, forums are full of people who claim to only ever read novels. Publishers steer clear of anthologies. Collections are a tough sell and even well-known editors in the genre fields seem to have to paddle very, very hard just to stay afloat.
And yet, with the rise and rise of ebooks, I've come across several people over the past few years who claim that short-story salvation day is juuuuuust around the next corner. In these fast-paced times, they argue, a short story is perfect for dipping in and out of. It's exactly the right length for commuters or for those whose attention spans have been decimated by video games and the internet. Also, the purchase of a single short story, or finding one for free on the web, has never been easier.
Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I would argue that if the general populace struggles to concentrate these days, then the peril in which the shorter form finds itself is even more dire than that of its longer sibling.
You would know this to be true if ever you went swimming off the coast of Ireland.
The sea is cold here. Actually, no. It feels freezing when you first step in and only gets worse as it rises about your neck, numbing your body and causing your ears, which have yet to be submerged, to ache abominably.
Unlike a swimming pool, where this feeling lasts mere seconds, it takes a full two minutes for an evolved ape like myself to adapt to the Irish marine environment. And after that? Why, after that, it's lovely! Your body is in such shock that it starts to think it's nice and warm and the whole experience becomes enjoyable. Hurray!
We readers of fantastic fiction plunge into a disturbing new environment every time we start a story, and sure, it's nowhere near as awful as a winter swim in Donegal or wherever, but learning the ground rules and getting to know the characters definitely costs a certain amount of mental effort. With a novel, or better yet, with a series, this price of entry, need only be paid once and after that, it's enjoyment all the way.
I don't know about you, but when I am reading a collection, the good stories make me want to linger in their world, while the bad ones, only make me reluctant to start another.
What do you think? Am I talking out of my backside? I love short stories, both reading and writing them. I am a buyer of anthologies, but I wonder how much of an endangered species I am?
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And yet, with the rise and rise of ebooks, I've come across several people over the past few years who claim that short-story salvation day is juuuuuust around the next corner. In these fast-paced times, they argue, a short story is perfect for dipping in and out of. It's exactly the right length for commuters or for those whose attention spans have been decimated by video games and the internet. Also, the purchase of a single short story, or finding one for free on the web, has never been easier.
Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I would argue that if the general populace struggles to concentrate these days, then the peril in which the shorter form finds itself is even more dire than that of its longer sibling.
You would know this to be true if ever you went swimming off the coast of Ireland.
The sea is cold here. Actually, no. It feels freezing when you first step in and only gets worse as it rises about your neck, numbing your body and causing your ears, which have yet to be submerged, to ache abominably.
Unlike a swimming pool, where this feeling lasts mere seconds, it takes a full two minutes for an evolved ape like myself to adapt to the Irish marine environment. And after that? Why, after that, it's lovely! Your body is in such shock that it starts to think it's nice and warm and the whole experience becomes enjoyable. Hurray!
We readers of fantastic fiction plunge into a disturbing new environment every time we start a story, and sure, it's nowhere near as awful as a winter swim in Donegal or wherever, but learning the ground rules and getting to know the characters definitely costs a certain amount of mental effort. With a novel, or better yet, with a series, this price of entry, need only be paid once and after that, it's enjoyment all the way.
I don't know about you, but when I am reading a collection, the good stories make me want to linger in their world, while the bad ones, only make me reluctant to start another.
What do you think? Am I talking out of my backside? I love short stories, both reading and writing them. I am a buyer of anthologies, but I wonder how much of an endangered species I am?
Tweet
Give 10
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