Some say that the novella is the ultimate form for Science Fiction. Ranging from between15,000 and 50,000 words they are somewhere in between the novelette and the short novel.
Although the wordcounts vary the general rule for adult fiction is:
1-1000 words = Flash Fiction
1000 - 7500 words = Short Story
7500 - 15,000 words = Novelette
15,000 - 50,000 words = Novella
50,000 - 75,000 words = Short Novel
75,000 ~ words = Novel
The novella is the sweet spot somewhere in the middle. If you have some time, you can read them in one sitting. They are dense and yet give room for vivid characterization and a twisted plot. Two-hour movie screenplays translate into novellas.
Before eBooks the novella was a hard length to sell but now, thanks to all those electronic readers awkward lengths are making a comeback.
Regina's 104 pages (or 34,000 words) SF novella "Dark Matters" has been published by Absolute XPress in 2009. You can find more about this novella here:
A new contemporary fantasy novella whose title is yet a secret is scheduled for publication by Dark Quest Books by the end of the year.
