Goodbye, Mass Market Paperback
A couple of weeks ago I read about the discontinuation of mass market paperbacks. As someone who is fond of the smaller form and had great memories with mass market paperbacks, this was really sad news.
I'm not the most avid reader, but as someone who will read a couple of fantasy and sci fi books a year, I've preferred to collect mass market paperbacks because they've always been easier to take on commutes or long trips. For all except the longest of novels I could even hold them open with one hand.
My fondest memory of the mass paperback was when I started reading the Ender's Game series in college. I remember feeling especially stressed out mid-way through my major and, in an effort to decompress between classes, I would hold up and read "Children of the Mind" while eating. The fact that it happened to be a slow hour for the cafeteria made it feel extra peaceful. I distinctly remember realizing that this was one way that I would get through some of the anxiety and burnout I was feeling in college.
When I started working in Oakland, commutes on Bart going through SF became a breeze as I read Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series in mass paperbacks. Even when the train was full or I felt like letting other people sit, I'd read with one hand holding the book open and the other holding a grab pole. They have been such a great little companion.
I'm sure as the more economical option they didn't make other people enough money. E-books are also entirely too convenient, and I'm guilty of buying the e-book versions of novels, especially since it's the fastest, surefire way to get a highly anticipated book. For the most part, I'd usually try to grab the mass market paperback version once it was available. Who knows if companies will suddenly revoke our digital copies in the future! This news makes me look forward to my pre-ordered mass market copy of "Wind and Truth" coming in September. It will likely be my last new one.
Goodbye, Mass Market Paperback. Thanks for the memories.