Reading is a key pleasure in life – and a great way to expand one’s understanding and appreciation of the world around us. Reading a wide variety of fantastical fiction, including but not limited to science fiction and fantasy, is also crucial to judging and voting in literary awards – including the Prometheus Awards.
With the previous awards cycle now completed and this year’s Prometheus Award winners announced, Libertarian Futurist Society members have begun the next cycle of reading and considering potential 2025 candidates for nomination for next year’s award. So this is a good time to share a variety of helpful insights into reading – and reading better.
Substack columnist Tomer Rozenberg offers a wide variety of tips in his recent column on “Why We Put Books Down and How to Pick Them Back Up” – tips worth considering not only for this year’s Prometheus-related reading but also for future years.
“As someone who has poured their heart and soul into writing—which is quite a sensitive point for me as a book author—I’ve found myself wondering: why do people stop reading books they’ve started? And more importantly, how can we rediscover the joy that comes from a truly engaging read?,” Rozenberg poignantly asks.
His perceptive and practical column – worth reading in its entirety – covers a wide set of factors in why people don’t read, what traps we can avoid and what positive steps to take to rekindle our enjoyment in reading.
Among his many suggestions that I find most useful:
* Reading, at its core, should be pleasurable. “Rather than forcing yourself through books that don’t speak to you, take time to discover what genuinely captures your interest.”
* Start small: “Even 10-15 minutes daily is better than an occasional two-hour marathon.”
* Create reading triggers: “Pair reading with established habits like morning coffee or evening tea.:
* Remove friction: “Keep books visible and accessible in your home.”
* Mix formats: “Audiobooks, e-books, and print all offer different advantages—find what works for your lifestyle”
* Experiment with genres: “If literary fiction leaves you cold, perhaps mystery, science fiction, or narrative non-fiction might ignite your passion.”
* Release the pressure: “Reading isn’t a competition or performance—it’s a personal journey.”
In short, his column suggests that sustaining a healthy reading habit is something built on consistency, “not intensity” – and that we should make reading as easy and fun as possible.
HOW TO OVERCOME READING DISTRACTIONS
Among the issues Rozenberg explores that factor into why people abandon some books: “The 50-Page Rule Debate” (over when it’s acceptable to give up on a book), the “Mismatch Problem” (sparked in some cases by social-pressure reading, aspirational reading and recommendation blindspots), the Patience Deficit and the inevitable daily digital distractions of living in the 21st century.
“Let’s face it—we’re living in an age of unprecedented digital distraction,” he writes.
“Our phones ping with notifications, our streaming services auto-play the next episode, and our social media feeds refresh endlessly. Each of these moments offers a small dopamine hit that books, with their slower-burning satisfaction, struggle to compete with.”
One of his most important reminders, in my view, is that reading books requires patience (and I confess that’s historically not been my strongest suit.)
“Unlike movies or TV shows that deliver regular emotional payoffs, books often build slowly, asking readers to invest significant time before revealing their full value. In an era of immediate gratification, this patience can feel like an increasingly tall order,” Rozenberg said.
WHY SOME GIVE UP ON TOLKIEN’S TRILOGY
Interestingly, in his discussion of “The 50-Page Rule Debate,” over whether it’s OK to move on if a book hasn’t captivated you within 50 pages, Rozenberg mentions one of the seminal bestsellers in the realm of fantastic fiction: J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, a Prometheus Hall of Fame winner for Best Classic Fiction.
“Book abandonment rates actually reveal interesting patterns. According to data from Goodreads, classic novels like Catch-22 and The Lord of the Rings have high abandonment rates despite their canonical status, suggesting that perceived cultural importance doesn’t always translate to readability or personal enjoyment,” Rozenberg said.
TAKING THE TIME TO READ
Speaking for myself, I know that I couldn’t have sustained my interest in and support for the Prometheus Awards over the past 46 years without developing a lifelong habit of reading – and, crucially, enjoying it as a key part of my week or weekend.
To his credit, Rozenberg deftly exposes the false excuse of “I don’t have time to read,” perhaps the most common excuse people offer.
“The issue isn’t necessarily a lack of time, but rather how we choose to allocate our limited attention,” he said.
“When we do attempt to read, it’s often squeezed into the margins of our day—those few minutes before sleep claims us, or brief moments between tasks. Reading becomes fragmented, making it difficult to maintain narrative momentum or conceptual understanding.”
As we strive to change and improve our reading habits, Rozenberg urges us to keep our progress – and our setbacks – in perspective.
“Reading, like any meaningful relationship, has its ebbs and flows. There will be periods of intense connection and times of distance,” he writes.
“The goal isn’t perfection but persistence—continuing to return to books even after we’ve drifted away.”
ABOUT THE LFS AND PROMETHEUS AWARDS
* Join us! To help sustain the Prometheus Awards and support a cultural and literary strategy to appreciate and honor freedom-loving fiction, join the Libertarian Futurist Society, a non-profit all-volunteer association of freedom-loving sf/fantasy fans.
Libertarian futurists understand that culture matters. We believe that literature and the arts can be vital in envisioning a freer and better future.
In some ways, culture can be even more influential and powerful than politics in the long run, by imagining better visions of the future incorporating peace, prosperity, progress, tolerance, justice, positive social change, and mutual respect for each other’s rights, human dignity, individuality and peaceful choices.
* Prometheus winners: For a full list of Prometheus winners, finalists and nominees – including in the annual Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) categories and occasional Special Awards – visit the enhanced Prometheus Awards page on the LFS website. This page includes convenient links to all published essay-reviews in our Appreciation series explaining why each of more than 100 past winners since 1979 fits the awards’ distinctive dual focus on both quality and liberty.
* Watch videos of past Prometheus Awards ceremonies, Libertarian Futurist Society panel discussions with noted sf authors and leading libertarian writers, and other LFS programs on the Prometheus Blog’s Video page.
* Read “The Libertarian History of Science Fiction,” an essay in the international magazine Quillette that favorably highlights the Prometheus Awards, the Libertarian Futurist Society and the significant element of libertarian sf/fantasy in the evolution of the modern genre.
* Check out the Libertarian Futurist Society’s Facebook page for comments, updates and links to the latest Prometheus Blog posts.
