How Long Do You Think a Sci-fi Novel Should Be? - Page 4

DNSB · 08-10-2026, 04:25 PM

Fredric Brown was a master of the short-short story.

JSWolf · 08-10-2026, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Fredric Brown was a master of the short-short story.

Yep. He's the author of the two sentence 25 word story.

DNSB · 08-10-2026, 05:00 PM

The one that I still remember after too many years was one he wrote in 1948. 2 sentences, 15 words. It was later expanded but the original is the one that sticks in my mind.

“The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door...”
—Fredric Brown

Dr. Drib · 08-13-2026, 05:50 AM

And don't forget these two updated versions, special to Mobileread:

The last man on earth sat alone in a room. He realized there was no one else alive who could supply him with a Kobo Card Image.

The last man on earth sat alone in a room and rejoiced that there was no one left alive who would again ignore the Posting Guidelines.

Adam Scribentis · 08-21-2026, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

The one that I still remember after too many years was one he wrote in 1948. 2 sentences, 15 words. It was later expanded but the original is the one that sticks in my mind.

“The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door...”
—Fredric Brown

I remember reading that (the expanded version)!

bdub · 08-23-2026, 01:31 PM

The story should be as long as required to tell it.

I often reach for short fiction to read at lunch. I usually read short stories then. However, I'll read novels of all lengths.

If you do want shorter science fiction, look at books published in the 50s and 60s.

Quoth · 08-23-2026, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdub

The story should be as long as required to tell it.

…

If you do want shorter science fiction, look at books published in the 50s and 60s.

Yes.

Or books & short stories from 1920s to 1940s. Many on Gutenberg.

08-13-2026, 05:50 AM	#49
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 46,216 Karma: 61420445 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	And don't forget these two updated versions, special to Mobileread: The last man on earth sat alone in a room. He realized there was no one else alive who could supply him with a Kobo Card Image. The last man on earth sat alone in a room and rejoiced that there was no one left alive who would again ignore the Posting Guidelines. Last edited by Dr. Drib; 08-13-2026 at 05:56 AM.

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08-10-2026, 04:25 PM	#46
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 54,014 Karma: 182150291 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Fredric Brown was a master of the short-short story.

08-10-2026, 05:00 PM	#48
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 54,014 Karma: 182150291 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	The one that I still remember after too many years was one he wrote in 1948. 2 sentences, 15 words. It was later expanded but the original is the one that sticks in my mind. “The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door...” —Fredric Brown

08-23-2026, 01:31 PM	#51
bdub Connoisseur Posts: 55 Karma: 730488 Join Date: Sep 2025 Device: Kobo Clara BW	The story should be as long as required to tell it. I often reach for short fiction to read at lunch. I usually read short stories then. However, I'll read novels of all lengths. If you do want shorter science fiction, look at books published in the 50s and 60s.