Fix-up
A fix-up novel is a work of fiction assembled from multiple previously published or unpublished short stories, novellas, or other shorter pieces, which are revised and connected—often with new bridging material—to form a unified narrative presented as a novel.[1][2] The term "fix-up" was coined by science fiction author A. E. van Vogt in 1975 to describe this compilation method, which he frequently employed in his own works to repurpose magazine-published stories amid the booming paperback market for genre fiction.[2][1] Van Vogt's approach reflected the economic realities of science fiction publishing in the 1940s and 1950s, where authors contributed prolifically to pulp magazines like Astounding Science Fiction but sought to expand their material into longer formats for book sales.[1] This technique gained prominence in science fiction due to the genre's emphasis on episodic storytelling and thematic continuity, allowing disparate tales to explore shared universes or motifs, such as interstellar conflict or post-apocalyptic survival.[1] While not exclusive to science fiction, fix-ups became a hallmark of the field, with critics like Algis Budrys dubbing them "pasteups" in 1965 to highlight their patchwork nature, and Ursula K. Le Guin preferring "mosaic" to evoke more artistic integration.[1] Notable examples illustrate the form's versatility and enduring appeal:- The Weapon Shops of Isher (1951) by A. E. van Vogt, combining stories about a futuristic arms trade into a tale of rebellion against tyranny.[1]
- City (1952) by Clifford D. Simak, linking dog-centric future histories to examine humanity's evolution and decline.[1]
- A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959) by Walter M. Miller Jr., weaving post-nuclear vignettes preserved by monks into a Hugo Award-winning meditation on knowledge and faith.[3]
- The Forever War (1974) by Joe Haldeman, adapting serialized war stories into a Hugo- and Nebula-winning epic on interstellar combat and time dilation.[1]
- Accelerando (2005) by Charles Stross, merging online-published pieces into a post-Singularity narrative of technological transcendence.[3]