Kelley Armstrong - The Case of El Chupacabra (serialized e-fiction)

[Kell]

Title: The Case of El Chupacabra

Author: Kelley Armstrong

159 pages (PDF)

Format: e-fiction

Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

Sean Nast has a dilemma: he's party to a problem that ethically, he can't ignore, but intervening means "outing" himself to his family. He passes the case on to Lucas, who investigates.

Review:

Each year, Kelley Armstrong embarks on a creative project that will only be available on her website for free, so that anyone can read it at zero cost. In each case, the author has consulted with her fans on a wide range of aspects, from lead characters to basic plot outlines, leading to a work of fiction that involves the fans from start to finish. It

[Liz]

Would you read another one that was set out like this?

(A serialized e-fiction, I mean)

[Kell]

I've read all of Kelley Armstrong's e-fiction novellas, all of which were serialised, although I came to them rather late and only the last two (El Chupacabra and the last few installments of the collected 2005 short stories) were read in installments. I think this kind of approach would only really appeal to the hard-core fans who would remind themselves to come back for the next bit when it's posted, but as they're all posted in full on the website, they can be read onscreen, or printed off & read, in one go by those who want to, which is what I prefer to do myself. I found that when it was spread out over the whole year, I had to recap by reading the last wee bit of the previous installment to remind myself of where I was up to in the plot, but most of it was retained pretty well in my memory, which is quite an achievement for something I've been reading all year long!

 

In the case of Armstrong, or other authors of whm I'm particularly fond, such as Pratchett, Brookmyre & Scarrow, I would go ahead & read them as they were serialised, but if it were an author I didn't love so much, I'd most likely wait till it was all posted & read it in one go instead.

[Liz]

I've never read a whole book from the net before, only short stories, but I prefer to print them off so that I can read them whenever I like. Also, it can give me a headache if I stare at a screen for too long, so I find it's best if I read it on paper.

[Kell]

I just received the last Kelley Armstrong newsletter of 2006 and she'll be doing two online e-fics this year. One will be a graphic novel (Becoming) which will be about Elena's becoming a werewolf (which I suspect will be a lot darker than her other e-fic has been, and a novella (as yet untitled), starring Nick (pack werewolf) in a basic plotline chosen by fans who wanted to see him take the lead for once. There'll also be two novels published in 2007 - No Humans Involved, an Otherworld novel starring the Necromancer, Jaime Vegas, & Exit Strategy, which is a completely new book - nothing to do with the previous novels. All exciting stuff!

[Purple Poppy]

My goodness. She (kelley A) has been working hard and setting herself some awesome targets. I hope quality is not sacrificed for quantity. I must get back onto her website. I would like to read the novellas. Are the previous ones on there too Kell?

 

PP

[Kell]

Yes, they're all on there & only available online as she's adamant that nobosy should be charged for them, so they're not likely to be put into any books for the forseeable future. If you check the left-hand column on her site & choose the online fiction link, it'll list them all for you. Happy reading!