Novel written by thumb
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-07-14 08:59

A Chinese author has written a novel meant to be read in 70-word chapters transmitted by cell phone text message.

"Outside the Fortress Besieged," the story of an extramarital affair, consists of 60 such chapters totaling about 4,000 words, the Xinhua News Agency said.

"The plot develops just like that of an ordinary novel," author Qian Fuchang was quoted as saying.

The potential market is huge: China has the world's biggest mobile phone market, with more than 300 million users. They are avid buyers of services that send news, sports, horoscopes and other material by mobile phone message.

Qian's employer, the Guangdong Literature Academy in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, is planning an auction to sell the novel to short message services.

"The novel, which contains all literary elements, will be a real literary work," said Xie Wangxin, the academy's vice chairman.

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