第1部分(第2/7 頁)

wanted　anyone　drowned；　but　they　were　curious　as　to　what　would　happen　if　serial　publication　were　tried　again　today。　Neither　was　immediately　aware　that　it　has　happened　（there　really　is　nothing　new　under　the　sun）　on　at　least　two　occasions。　Tom　Wolfe　published　the　first　draft　of　his　novel　Bonfire　of　the　Vanities　serially　in　Rolling　Stone　magazine；　and　Michael　McDowell　（The　Amulet；　Gilded　Needles；　The　Elementals；　and　the　screenplay　Beetlejuice）　published　a　novel　called　Blackwater　in　paperback　installments。　That　novel　…　a　horror　story　about　a　Southern　family　with　the　unpleasant　familial　trait　of　turning　into　alligators　…　was　not　McDowell's　best；　but　enjoyed　good　success　for　Avon　Books；　all　the　same。

The　two　men　further　speculated　about　what　might　happen　if　a　writer　of　popular　fiction　were　to　try　issuing　a　novel　in　chapbook　editions　today　…　little　paperbacks　that　might　sell　for　a　pound　or　two　in　Britain；　or　perhaps　three　dollars　in　America　（where　most　paperbacks　now　sell　for　6。99　or　7。99）。　Someone　like　Stephen　King　might　make　an　interesting　go　of　such　an　experiment；　Malcolm　said；　and　from　there　the　conversation　moved　on　to　other　topics。

Ralph　more　or　less　forgot　the　idea；　but　it　recurred　to　him　in　the　fall　of　1995；　following　his　return　from　the　Frankfurt　Book　Fair；　a　kind　of　international　trade　show　where　every　day　is　a　showdown　for　foreign　agents　like　Ralph。　He　broached　the　serialization/　chapbook　idea　to　me　along　with　a　number　of　other　matters；　most　of　which　were　automatic　turndowns。

The　chapbook　idea　was　not　an　automatic　turndown；　though；　unlike　the　interview　in　the　Japanese　Playboy　or　the　all…expenses…paid　tour　of　the　Baltic　Republics；　it　struck　a　bright　spark　in　my　imagination。　I　don't　think　that　I　am　a　modern　Dickens…if　such　a　person　exists；　it　is　pr