Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums - View Single Post - Anthologies, collections and other things too short.

Barney · 5th December 2007, 05:37 PM

The way I read anthologies is to dip into them between finishing one novel and starting another. So it can sometimes take me months to finish an anthology, although if it is particularly good I will read it uninterrupted.

I agree with J.D. that appreciating the economy and concision of a well written short story is just as rewarding as reading a (possibly bloated) novel.
I re-read The Monkey's Paw recently (it would be my nominantion for an almost perfect short-story) and was struck by the similarities with Pet Semetary.
Although the details differ, the elements of each story are essentially the same. I like Stephen King, and enjoyed Pet Semetary, but i'm not sure it managed to say any more about grief and the dangers of "getting what you wish for" than W.W. Jacobs did in a fraction of the wordcount.

5th December 2007, 05:37 PM	#10 (permalink)
Barney Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 133	Re: Anthologies, collections and other things too short. The way I read anthologies is to dip into them between finishing one novel and starting another. So it can sometimes take me months to finish an anthology, although if it is particularly good I will read it uninterrupted. I agree with J.D. that appreciating the economy and concision of a well written short story is just as rewarding as reading a (possibly bloated) novel. I re-read The Monkey's Paw recently (it would be my nominantion for an almost perfect short-story) and was struck by the similarities with Pet Semetary. Although the details differ, the elements of each story are essentially the same. I like Stephen King, and enjoyed Pet Semetary, but i'm not sure it managed to say any more about grief and the dangers of "getting what you wish for" than W.W. Jacobs did in a fraction of the wordcount.