First Person, Present Tense, and No Backstory. Can it work?

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

but are they finishing it, that is the question. I couldn't. I found it too distracting.

I don't think it would have gone into as many reprints as it has if the word-of-mouth on it was not largely positive, so lots of people must be.

[Cyclone Jack]

People who read my short story Tessellation seemed to like the method -- or at least be involved enough in the story that they didn't notice.