Airport novel

Airport novels are typically mass-market paperback books.

Inexpensive books bound in paper have existed since at least the 19th century in such forms as pamphlets, yellowbacks, dime novels, and airport novels.

Hans Moleman asks, "Do you have anything by Robert Ludlum?"

On this theme, the animated television series The Simpsons included a joke in the episode "The Joy of Sect" (airdate February 8, 1998), in which an airport bookstore is named "JUST CRICHTON AND KING".

The Springfield Airport contains the "Just Crichton and King Bookstore", referencing Michael Crichton and Stephen King, authors famous for their airport novels, carrying only their works.

Airport novel(s) represent a literary genre that is not so much defined by its plot or cast of stock characters, as much as it is by the social function it serves.

Airport novel(s) represent a literary genre that is not so much defined by its plot or cast of stock characters, as much as it is by the social function it serves.

Airport novel(s) represent a literary genre that is not so much defined by its plot or cast of stock characters, as much as it is by the social function it serves.

An airport novel is typically a fairly long but fast-paced boilerplate genre-fiction novel commonly found in the reading fare offered by airport newsstands.

An airport novel is typically a fairly long but fast-paced boilerplate genre-fiction novel commonly found in the reading fare offered by airport newsstands.

An airport novel is typically a fairly long but fast-paced boilerplate genre-fiction novel commonly found in the reading fare offered by airport newsstands.

Considering the marketing of fiction as a trade, airport novels occupy a niche similar to the one that once was occupied by pulp magazine and other reading materials typically sold at newsstands and kiosks to travellers.

Considering the marketing of fiction as a trade, airport novels occupy a niche similar to the one that once was occupied by pulp magazine and other reading materials typically sold at newsstands and kiosks to travellers.

In French, such novels are called romans de gare, "railway station novels", suggesting that publishers in France were aware of this potential market at very early date.

In French, such novels are called romans de gare, "railway station novels", suggesting that publishers in France were aware of this potential market at very early date.

The somewhat dated, Dutch term 'stationsroman' is a calque from French.

Because of this length, the genre attracts prolific authors, who use their output as a sort of branding; each author is identified with a certain sort of story, and produces many variations of the same thing.

Well-known authors' names are usually in type larger than the title on the covers of airport novels, often in embossed letters.

The description "airport novel" is mildly pejorative; it implies that the book has little lasting value, and is useful chiefly as an inexpensive form of entertainment during travel.

Airport novels are sometimes contrasted with literary fiction; so that a novel with literary aspirations would be disparaged by the label.