I, as one rightly should, filter books by their covers.

If they catch my eye, by being pretty or intriguing, I will read that bashful text taking refuge on the book’s far side. If interest remains by my side, if it has not skipped merrily off (as it has so many times before), I will often scan a portion of the prose contained between those aesthetically pleasing covers. Yes, choosing a book can be a long, and arduous process. And, to be honest, many times you will be disappointed.

Often, I feel as if authors have not put as much thought into the book’s universe, or the characters’ histories, as I’d like seeking to explain it to their readers and themselves. My solution: skip the first book altogether.

I mean, sure, you may no know what’s going on, at first – or even later – but the universe will seem far more vast and detailed, and the characters far more complex.

The trick, I believe, is referencing past situations and events with as little elaboration as possible – allowing the reader’s imagination to spin off, fueled by wonderment and possibilities.

---

Unrelated, I made a three (or four) page comic, but it wasn’t very good, so I probably won’t post it.