Posts tagged "Science-fiction"

Short stories – Dead In The Water Or Alive And Kicking?

The short story genre is one that is thriving – but only in certain places. Where are they?

A short story can be roughly defined as any work of fiction below about 12,000 words. A greater wordcount tends to move the story into the realms of the ‘Novella’ or Novelette’, a niche in the writing field that falls between the short story and the full-blown novel.

For many years the short story was a thriving branch of fiction but took a downturn during the middle section of the 20th. century. More publishers began to favour the novel as, understandably, they saw that a novel gave them more chance of turning a profit than a short story and, at the pinnacle, could be turned into a Hollywood blockbuster. But consider this – several short stories have been been the basis for not only movies but (oddly enough) a spin-off book! Perhaps the best known is ‘The Sentinel’ by Arthur C. Clarke. This went on to become one of the most famous films ever – ’2001, A Space Odyssey’ – and then the book of the same name was written!

It’s interesting to note that, these days, one genre where the short story is thriving is in science fiction and fantasy. Magazines such as ‘The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction’ are still going strong after better than fifty years, whilst ezines such as ‘Interzone’ represent the new wave. If there’s one area a new writer can compete in, it’s the Sci-Fi or Fantasy short story.

If , however, you’re not the least bit interested – or capable – or writing within the Sci-Fi or Fantasy field, what is there left to you? Well, a great area for short story writers to work in is within the field of magazines for women. Some of these have readerships in the millions and most exceed circualtions of 100,000. That’s an awful lot of exposure for any writer! In fact, most novelists would consider their latest book a huge success if they sold copies in those sort of numbers.

Short story writing is also a great discipline for a writer. Often written to a strict wordcount, and for a very discriminating audience, any writer will benefit from writing short stories – they encourage tight plotting, good character development and real attention to detail. Indeed, many short story writers have said that the experience they gained in the short story field was of huge value when they came to write longer work.

There is also a category of writer who writes only short stories. Again in the Sci-Fi field, Isaac Asimov is remembered for his famous ‘Robot’ books (the recent film ‘I Robot’ was based on his work), but his most prolific writing was in the short story field, in which he wrote literally hundreds of short stories, not only in Sci-Fi but also Crime and Mystery – his ‘Black Widowers’ stories being amongst the most fascinating ever written in the field.

These areas – Sci-fi/fantasy and women’s magazines – are then two major areas where short stories are not only holding on but are in fact thriving. If you want experience in writing and to see your name in print, they are a good way of achieving the status of ‘published author’. That’s not to say they are easy markets – competition can be fierce. However, they have been for many years the entrance level for many authors and there’s no reason you cannot follow in their footsteps.

The Ender Saga: a Noteworthy Science Fiction Series

January 1985 marks the beginning of America’s love affair with Ender Wiggin. It was that month that Ender’s Game was published, becoming an instant blockbuster, and “probably the most popular science fiction novel published in the last twenty years” (John Kessel). The child prodigy and ultimate savior of the earth, Ender Wiggin, had appeared seven years earlier in a short story published in the science fiction magazine Analog. Writer Orson Scott Card had spent much of his young life working in print, but had only set to writing science fiction when his meager salary as copy editor at a small press failed to pay a debt incurred from a failed business attempt. His magazine article won instant attention, and Orson Scott Card won the 1978 John C. Campbell Award for best new writer at the World Science Fiction Convention. But little Ender was destined for bigger things.

Orson Scott Card saw potential in his young protagonist and instantly set to work developing the short fiction into a longer work. Already he had two novels in mind, Ender’s Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead, published the following year in 1986. Card made history by winning both the prestigious Nebula and Hugo Awards in both consecutive years. No other author has managed this feat to date (2006.) Since that time, Ender’s Game has been translated into sixteen languages, and spawned two series.

The first series includes Ender’s Game (1985), Speaker for the Dead (1986), Xenocide (1991), Children of the Mind (1996), and First Meetings (2002). The saga follows Ender as he grows into adulthood and deals with the moral and ethical issues presented in his childhood.

The second series starts with a parallel telling of the original Ender’s Game, but from the eyes of Bean. Titled Ender’s Shadow (1999), it is the first of the Shadow Series, followed by Shadow of the Hegemon (2001), Shadow Puppets (2002), and Shadow of the Giant (2005).

Ender’s Game has been called “the science fiction novel for people who don’t think they like science fiction.” Truly it appeals to a vast audience. It is on the list of top books for college-bound students, and has been adopted as required reading in numerous secondary schools and university classes. Card explains that the focus on the human story as it unravels, rather than the science fiction elements, is what gives the novel power among its readers. Essentially, Card says, readers must relate and care deeply about the characters. Beyond that, he admits that the use of computer networks and the “mind game” are features in the book that appeal to many readers.

Ender claimed the spotlight again in the late 1990s when rumor caught wind that a film was slated. Indeed, Warner Brothers announced in 2002 its plans to produce the film. Director Wolfgang Peterson, known for his most recent films Poseidon, Troy and The Perfect Storm, is joined by screenwriter David Benieff (Troy). The movie is expected to hit the theaters in 2008. After winning the top prizes offered in science fiction literature, one wonders what is still in store for Ender Wiggen.