Love of a Good Book
When I was younger, I read thousands of books; most of them were science fiction, a heavy dose of fantasy with a scattering of horror, and when I ventured into non-fiction, I usually opted for something historical. I read anywhere and everywhere as much as I could. Spending an afternoon in a bookstore (both retail and used) to check out the inventory was a regular activity. That changed when I started writing. Between trying to write, understand how that worked (how to tell a story), and working in a corporate job, the time I had for reading evaporated. Years passed without a single book getting read outside of those devoted to the craft of writing.
At some point, missing one of my favorite pastimes, I tried to remedy the matter with e-books. The market had undergone a dramatic change with the disappearance of chains like Borders and the domination of Amazon. Bookstores served a useful function- the inventory was curated both by the store and of course the publishers. But with Amazon, the market was awash in books with a wide range of execution making it difficult to find something readable. Older authors continued to publish, but often the quality had declined. New authors were often rejected by the publishing industry, which had consolidated into a few outfits where the creative art was secondary to the pursuit of money, and which had grown conservative in supporting fresh talent because of shrinking profits. I am of course one of those authors— whatever you judge about my first book, it probably would have been enhanced had it gone through Tor or some other print although these prints also had become somewhat restricted to formulaic novels which might have impaired the story I wanted to tell. Reducing artforms to a business model is inevitably going to degrade creative expression, and although there must be profits to sustain a market, the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of squeezing the turnip. Indeed, this has resulted in the trend to favor formulaic novels, particularly prevalent in fantasy, causing me to drift away from that genre. There is a tremendous number of options in the digital space, some of them amazing, but difficult to find, and I read a string of novels none of which I was able to complete. As a result, I turned away from reading in frustration and focused on the writing.
Before publishing my first book, I read an author copy in hardback and discovered how much I enjoyed it. Reading a physical copy is a more deliberate process than digital where my mind wants to race ahead. An intention reformed to cultivate my reading habits, but I still encountered resistance. That changed this week when I created a space in my home specific to reading. I love it! I have started my first fiction book in a long time, Legions of Fire, and I look forward to sitting in my chair, absorbing the space, and settling down to immerse myself in the story (I am a Babylon 5 nerd, and given the decline of Star Wars and Star Trek, of all the SF I have encountered, B5 has become my favorite). Having a space devoted to reading is like going to the gym vs trying (and failing) to workout at home. Thus far, I give high marks on the quality of the writing and the story— it FEELS like Babylon 5 whereas modern uses of established franchises tend to use the names but toss out the substance for something different, which for me, however good or bad it’s delivered (though let’s face it, generally bloodless and absurd), is a bait-and-switch tactic that is creatively bankrupt.
What I am discovering is that the act of reading a good book provides fuel for my writing. Most of all, I’m rediscovering the pleasure of reading a well-written physical book— the way the universe intended it! Our world is fast-paced and too often overwhelming. So grab a “real” book, find your special reading place, sip your coffee or tea, and enjoy the simple joy of a good book. Advice I intend to embrace!
