A novel is wonderful to get “sucked into”. We even love those that have sequels. I subscribe to Audible.com a talking book website. I love to get books that are 16 hours long. I know that I can escape into "That" world for a good long time.
But I also love short stories. A short story can be read during your lunch hour. Or enjoyed just before bed and not have to stay up 3 more hours to see how the villain gets thwarted.
You probably remember them as those annoying/dreaded English assignments in school. 1000 words about your summer holiday or some other "1st person" or "3rd person" retelling of your life.
And yet there are very famous authors that have achieved their fame all through short stories.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) began as short stories published in a monthly magazine.
Charles Dickens was the same. And least we forget our own Mark Twain The ultimate American short story writer.
Magazines were the vehicle for all these beautiful gems of escapism. The public craved them. Demanded them and once an Author had proved themselves they were launched into fame through their readers.
It must be the radio and later the TV that took the place of what was first the "storyteller" of the clan/village. When the printing press came about the storyteller wasn't immediately threatened because the common man couldn't read yet. But after a few centuries even the once esteemed storyteller lost to the printed short stories. and now. . .with our attention spans evolving and becoming shorter the TV creates 30 min short stories for us that we no longer have to turn pages to absorb. We only have to press the FF button to speed through the commercials.
For those of you that didn't know, or had forgotten, let me introduce you to the short story world that that has no FF button, no commercials, and is not scheduled for only Monday night at 9pm on ABC network. These pocket/purse size worlds are easily carried, consumed and recycled through Genre specific magazines.
I subscribe to Asimov and Analog, both are Sci Fi magazines that are FULL of short stories and novellas. These magazines are also a wonderful medium for artists that do Cover Art for these kinds of books/stories. There are also articles on REAL science.
What you don’t find in these kinds of magazines are pages and pages of advertising or ½ page articles on fashion or some Hollywood Diva’s divorce.
The Mystery genre has similar magazines as do the Spy/Espionage stories. Short stories are delicious appetizers, try them. Don’t let this wonderful literary art form die out. (these are links, they just don't show up in the normal blue color)
Eye Spy
Mystery (Alfred Hitchcock)
Strand
Asimov
Analog
I challenge you, this summer, instead of picking up a paperback book novel for your vacation read, pick up a Short Story magazine in your favorite genre. Devour it. . and tell me how you liked or disliked it. Tell me where you escaped too.
And if you happen to really like Sci Fi, I will share my back issues. And I have lots.
1 comment:
Thank you for your comment and information - I didn't know all that. It's nice to get a review, I look foreward to try it out now :)
I was a bit sad to find out, that the products aren't free of parabens (is it called that?) which I had kind of hoped it would be, because of its natural vipe. Well, it's hard to get all natural products to that price I guess.
Uh, and by the way, Pantene - big in Denmark as well :)
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