Re: Sci-fi authors
[quote=”lexxrobotech”]I get so angry when I go to the book store and look for a sci-fi book. Every freaking book I pick up is part of some sort of saga. There seem to be no stand alone books out there. Every book I pick up is ‘part three of pot-smoking-planet-rocket-dune-disc’ series or some crud.
Bah![/quote]
If I may introduce myself (hello!) and interject–
Since the late 80s when more and more small and mid-sized publishers were acquired and turned into “imprints” of conglomerates, editors and publishers increasingly will only give their time and patience to new talent willing to become human franchises. This has happened to every genre, not just sci-fi.
In an age of lowered attention spans, author franchises and character branding are the way you make money in the book business. Publishers believe people don’t want to see new characters. They want to see a new episode with old characters. It’s nearly impossible to sell a single novel without a plan– or better yet, an outline– for the rest of the franchise. Authors who get to do so are very, very lucky.
Even master of the trashy bodice-ripper Nora Roberts had to create a pseudonym to switch to near-future mysteries (featuring rampant near-future bodice ripping as well, I imagine) so none of her legions would be confused by the change. 🙄
Lyra
And Re: someoldguy and Flowers for Algernon. I have only read it once. It was heart-wrenching. I couldn’t bear to read it again. (It was that good.) I recommend it often.