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Where Are the New Authors of Stand-Alone Speculative Fiction Hiding?
By Doug M. on May 25, 2010 | In State of the Genre | 1 comment »
I often go on scavenger hunts for new reading material that take me to the ends of the internet and back. I rarely come back with an "arm-load of books". Why, you say? Because I'm a snobbish connoisseur whose tastes are far more refined than the average reader of speculative fiction? Hardly. It's because I belong to a rare breed of readers in this genre -- I prefer to read stories that take place entirely between two covers. Strange concept, I know... but I refuse to believe I'm the only member of that club. However, judging by the current state of affairs in the genre, I have to at least consider the idea that I just might be.
Don't get me wrong, I've read and loved many a long series in the past -- and I'm currently waiting patiently for all of the same "highly anticipated next installments" that everybody else is -- but I get frustrated with all of the book six of..., book eleven of... results when searching for something new to read.
I know it's nothing new. The Trilogy has been fantasy's wampeter ever since Tolkein's masterpiece set the standard, but stand-alone fantasy has its merits. It allows you to get a feel for an author's style -- to see how they handle the ending of a story as well as the beginning -- without a ten or fifteen year commitment. It's out there if you look, I know: Charles deLint, Guy Gavriel Kay, Tim Powers, Neal Stephenson, Michael A. Stackpole, China Miéville (et al), have given me some fantastic reading, but they're not exactly new authors anymore. Which leads me to my final point.
Why are publishers releasing books that have no ending from unproven authors? Debut authors should not be able to get a book published that does contain a complete story arc. There... I said it. The debut book can be part of a longer series, but the right to leave a reader twisting in the wind should only be granted after an author has proven themselves capable of completing a damn arc! The cliff-hanger is not a literary tool, it's a monetary one and should be off-limits to debut authors.
So are new genre authors just not writing stand-alone novels, or are publishers just expecting new authors to have a series in the works? And more to the point... am I truly alone in this clubhouse?
1 comment
Essentially it's a treatise on communication and compassion. After a massive earthquake has destroyed the coastal town of La Dársena, Michael's only chance of survival is to reunite with his best friend Maria, who lives in a cabin in the woods. First, however, they have to scare off a monster that's appeared living on her roof. The feeling of liberty after the disruption of normal life quickly is replaced by fear and panic.
As the clean-up methods of the Bureau of Crisis Management get more murderously negligent and the forest offers more dangers, Michael and Maria interrogate the idea that their thoughts, words and attitudes may be exerting more influence over the environment than is usually possible. Michael's inner struggle with selfish survival and compassion ends up taking everything from him.
Most of the background action is from real history (think November 1989 and August 2005), for which I have a bibliography.
Thanks for reading in advance, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Anthony
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