Word Count
See the total word count for each story clearly displayed. This gives you a sense of the story's length at a glance.
Compare 2 or 3 books
Search this site's catalog and put books side by side. The tool compares measurable metadata and text statistics so you can see practical differences without turning them into a subjective quality ranking.
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Start typing a title or author. You can compare up to three books.
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What this comparison can tell you
The comparison tool lets you place two stories side by side to see their specifications at a glance. This can help you decide which story to read next based on length, time, and subject overlap.
Select any two stories from the catalog to see their word counts, reading times, and subjects displayed together. The tool is designed to give you a clear, objective view of the differences and similarities.
Reading Time
Each story lists an estimated reading time, based on the median reading speed. This is a useful guide for planning your reading sessions.
Subject Overlap
Subjects are listed for each story, so you can easily see if two stories share common themes or settings, such as space colonies or human-alien encounters.
Reading Side by Side: What the Comparison Tool Reveals
The Compare Books tool lets you place two or three stories from the OUFOS archive next to each other and inspect their measurable characteristics. It doesn't rank them or tell you which is better. Instead, it brings out differences in length, structure, and prose rhythm that can affect how you experience a story.
A quick example: "Car Pool — Context and Discussion" (id 296) and "Rat in the Skull — Background and Themes" (id 295) both come from the archive, but they differ in ways that matter for reading commitment. Car Pool runs about 8,670 words with one text section, while Rat in the Skull is about 11,919 words split into two sections. The first is a continuous read of roughly 38 minutes; the second offers a natural halfway point and takes about 52 minutes total.
Length and Structure: Planning Your Reading Session
Word count and estimated reading time are the most obvious metrics, but text sections add another layer. A story with a single section asks you to stay with it from start to finish, while a story with two sections gives you a built-in pause. If you're comparing two stories of similar length, the section count can be the deciding factor.
Consider "The Fishdollar Affair — Background and Themes" (id 293) at 11,173 words and two sections, versus "The Raider — Reading Companion" (id 289) at 8,935 words and one section. The former might be better for a reader who wants to split their reading over two sittings, while the latter suits a single session. The estimated reading times (49 vs. 39 minutes) reflect that difference.
The tool also shows page information when available, but in this catalog that field is not populated. Instead, the estimated reading time serves as the primary guide for planning.
Sentence Flow and Subjects: Beyond the Numbers
Average sentence length gives a sense of the prose's pacing. A story with a lower average, like "Car Pool — Context and Discussion" (id 296) at 12.7 words per sentence, may feel brisk or conversational. A story with a higher average, like "Pipe Dream — Key Ideas to Explore" (id 297) at 20.3 words, may feel more measured or formal. Neither is a quality judgment, but the difference can affect your reading experience.
Subjects can also help you understand why two stories that seem similar on the surface diverge. For example, "Rat in the Skull — Background and Themes" (id 295) and "Car Pool — Context and Discussion" (id 296) both involve experiments, but Rat in the Skull is psychological fiction about a college teacher, while Car Pool is about children and families. Those subject tags hint at very different tones.
When you compare three stories, the tool reveals a range of possibilities. You might see one story with a low word count and low sentence length, another with a moderate word count and high sentence length, and a third with a high word count and two sections. That spread helps you articulate what you're in the mood for—short and snappy, longer and more reflective, or something in between.