# Various questions



## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Aug 3, 2004)

I'm working on a new story idea for which I need to do some research. I'll list the areas I need to know about, and if anyone has any relevant resources to point me to, thanks in advance.

1. The early development of the publishing industry: I want to know more about how the publishing of books intended for a mass market developed, when novels and story-based magazines started being published in large numbers, and the sort of works that were initially published, and the technology in use.

2. 16th/17th century Latin America: I'm setting the story in a culture that may be slightly analogous to South America in the 16th and 17th centuries. I need to figure out a bit more about the sort of culture and society in place at the time, as well as the level of technology applicable. 

These are fairly background or peripheral elements to my story, and I suppose I can wing it, but research never hurts.


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## Foxbat (Aug 3, 2004)

There is a novel that might prove helpful to you if you can track it down. It's called 'Conquistador' by Omar V. Garrison and it covers the 16th century exploits of Vasco Nunez Balboa and the conquests of Latin America. It might give you some interesting background information.

Also, you might find researching the history of SciFi novels quite helpful (they started off as pulp magazine serials in the thirties and eventually evolved into full blown novels later on. There's a lot of info dotted around the net about this sort of thing.

The Scotsman newspaper recently revived the 'daily novel' which (apparently) was a Victorian thing - whereby, each day a few paragraphs were printed and, over the course of time, became a novel. It might be worth checking out their website for some info (if there is any)

Hope this helps you on your quest


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## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Aug 5, 2004)

Thanks for those cues, Foxbat.


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## Brian G Turner (Aug 5, 2004)

I'm sure I had a book on the history of sff publishing somewhere - darn it if I know where it is, though.


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