Fragmentation Masks Novel Revival

Against 'death of the novel' talk, Millman argues the form is thriving in a fragmented market that legacy gatekeepers don't see. Cheap tools and real self‑publishing have expanded output and readership, but attention metrics focused on blockbusters miss diffuse, niche success. Middle‑aged readers consuming YA and genre fiction outside traditional channels exemplify this hidden demand. — It challenges prevailing narratives about cultural decline and suggests our measurement and gatekeeping lenses undercount healthy, dispersed creativity.