The shortest published novel can vary depending on different criteria. Some might be just a few pages, possibly exploring a simple yet profound idea in a concentrated way. It could be due to the author's intent to be highly concise and impactful.
The definition of the 'shortest novel' can be quite subjective. Different people might consider different works as the shortest. Some very concise novels might focus on a single intense moment or a simple plotline.
I think 'Looked in the mirror. Saw someone else.' qualifies as one of the shortest. It gives that sudden shock in a brief sentence.
The shortest short story ever written could be something like 'For sale: baby shoes, never worn.' It's extremely concise but conveys a poignant situation.
There are various contenders for the title. But a commonly mentioned short one is 'The Last Man on Earth Sat Alone in a Room. A Knock Came on the Door.' It packs a punch in its brevity.
It's hard to give an exact number because it can vary, but some of the shortest novels might have only a few hundred words.
I think 'One-shot' manga series can be the shortest. They usually consist of just one chapter or a single volume.
The first published novel was 'The Tale of Genji'. It was an innovative work that introduced new elements to storytelling. Its influence can still be seen in modern literature.
The first novel published is a matter of debate. Some might say it was 'Pamela' by Samuel Richardson in the 18th century. However, there are many earlier works that have elements of what we now consider a novel, making it hard to give a definitive answer.
It can be just a few words. Some really short stories are like a single sentence or a very brief paragraph.
It could be the Dark Forest from the Three-Body Problem series: ``` Dark Forest part I: introduction On the scale of the universe, humans were insignificant. There are countless planets and galaxies in the universe, and each planet and galaxy contains countless life forms. However, mankind's knowledge of the universe was still very limited. At present, human knowledge of the universe is limited to a small part of the time after the Big Bang, and this knowledge is also limited by the universe itself. The Dark Forest Between the planets in the universe, there was a law called the " Dark Forest." The law was that all planets in the universe were afraid of being destroyed by other planets. Because they knew that if they were to go to war with other planets, the other planets would most likely destroy them. So every planet tried to avoid war with other planets because they knew that war would destroy them. Part Three: Hunter However, there was no shortage of planets in the universe that wanted to attack other planets. Some of these planets are evil, some are good, but their goal is to destroy other planets. In order to survive, humans must understand this law and find a safe haven. The Death God Is Eternal Mankind's understanding of the universe was getting deeper and deeper. They discovered that there was a power in the universe called " Death's Immortality." This power could make all life forms on a planet disappear forever. Part Five: The Three-Body Man In order to survive, humans must find a safe haven. They discovered a planet called Trisomy, where life forms were similar to humans. However, the Three-Body People were not kind. They wanted to destroy mankind.