Sorry, this blog discontinued.

ANNOUNCEMENT           But a few posts are left here to demonstrate the concept. I hope somebody picks it up. Too much pablum is being churned out with more focus on movie rights than authorship. I plain don't like stories (or even comic strips) with more than five or six characters. Memorizing minor character names is worse than reading the phone book.

           You should be aware of a technical reason for not pursuing this blog. I found the only expedient way to keep track of the characters was with a spreadsheet. Then Google changed the blog templates and there is no visually appealing way to import the lists. Every time I re-wired my template with advanced HTML/CSS, Google regressively deprecated the tags. So phooey on them.

           Another great ideal shot down by the mad scramble to underestimate the American public.

CHARACTER BLOAT

           This blog addresses a common problem caused by contemporary authors: Character Bloat. That is, far too many characters than necessary to grasp and enjoy the book.

           Let's face it, most of us want to read fiction for the plot and the relaxation. Not get into a headache remembering dozens or more character names, most of which are not central to the story line. The following is a list of books and their characters. These are recent novels I've read, and I am a fan of spy and murder mystery themes.

           Anyone is invited to contribute, however, this blog is not just the usual list of characters, most of which can be found by reading book reviews of the publication in question. Those type of lists are tediously sterile and can often detract from chronological order necessary to understanding fast moving scenery by authors with an eye on movie rights. This list is also designed to flag books which have annoying large numbers of characters, and to indicate where in the book the character is first mentioned.

           Since the same book can be published in different formats (hardcover, paperback, etc.), I publish the total number of pages, the page on which a character is first mentioned, and the percentage into the book where that name appears. Thus, with a little arithmetic, the reader can locate the general appearance of the name and place it in the proper context.

           I have not yet decided on the best format to present this material. I would like it to be alphabetical by book title, but blog programmers don't much like that format.

Time Of The Assassins - Alastair MacNiell

WIP - trying to figure out how to get rid of this huge white space above the table below.

1. Jenkins, Dave:	Beirut bar owner, born in Windorah, Australia.	p1
2. Graham, Michael "Mike":	protagonist, loose cannon, UNACO agent.	p1
3. Laidlaw, Russell:	Graham's former partner, retired in Beirut.	p2
4. Al-Makesh, Salim:	Black June" advisor, supposed to be dead.	p3
5. Nidal, Abu:	founder of "Black June" terrorist organization.	p3
6. Bernard, Jean-Jacques:	PLO terrorist, also supposed to be dead.	p3

Total pages of edition: 358

1. Jenkins, Dave: Beirut bar owner, born in Windorah, Australia. p1
2. Graham, Michael "Mike": protagonist, loose cannon, UNACO agent. p1
3. Laidlaw, Russell: Graham's former partner, retired in Beirut. p2
4. Al-Makesh, Salim: "Black June" advisor, supposed to be dead. p3
5. Nidal, Abu: founder of "Black June" terrorist organization. p3
6. Bernard, Jean-Jacques: PLO terrorist, also supposed to be dead. p3
7. Barak, Nazar: informer, gets killed. p4
8. Devereaux, Alain: one of Bernhard's aliases. p9
9. Philpott, Malcolm: UNACO director, has heart trouble. p16
10. Kolchinsky, Sergei: UNACO "invaluable team member. p16
11. Whitlock, C.W. "Clarence Wilkins": field op, friend of Graham. p17
12. Carver, Sabrina: field op, friend of Graham, 28 years old. p17
13. Bailey, Robert: CIA Deputy Directory, unpopular. p18