Why I Included a Prologue in My Novel

I really dislike prologues.

Yes, I read the title of this blog. And yes, I like my prologue—only because it serves a specific function for my novel. I’ll explain.

This can be a polarizing issue. Many people in the publishing industry advise against including a prologue and instead to start the story at the first chapter. Some readers skip over them, even though authors feel they have included these passages for a reason. Prologues have a place…when they are done properly.

Prologues are often found in stories with heavy world building. I usually find them to be boring info dumps, not relevant to story, or too distant from the connected later scene. I forget what was in the prologue. Even after I finish the book and flip back to the beginning, it still might not make sense to me.

So why did I include a prologue in my book?

Initially, I didn’t. But with an intricate backstory and references to Earth, the story’s place and time can be confusing, while also trying to learn the society. To help orientate the reader, my editor suggested a prologue. I wrote a short one—only a couple of pages in the print version—to establish the setting. As anti-prologue as I am, I fully believe that it was a necessary addition to my book.

I didn’t need it for Book 2 and I'm hoping I don’t need them for future books.

Readers can choose how they read. I am not fussed if people skip over my prologue. It takes more time to piece together the world, but readers will get there. And the prologue is there if someone wants to read it later.