Yes, the news was never supposed to break that he ghostwrote "Star Wars" for Lucas. But the incorrect attribution to the first French edition of the TMP novelization had people connecting the dots.
Dafydd ab Hugh
- Thread starter James T. Vader
- Start date
Yes, the news was never supposed to break that he ghostwrote "Star Wars" for Lucas. But the incorrect attribution to the first French edition of the TMP novelization had people connecting the dots.
And yet, I seem to remember that ADF's ghost-authorship of the Star Wars novelization was alluded to pretty heavily back around the time Splinter of the Mind's Eye was published. I could get up off my butt and go look through the relevant issues of Starlog, but...
Anyhow, I was aware at least by February of 1986, when I had ADF autograph my first-printing copy (the one with the RMcQ cover and no photo insert) of Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (as it was originally titled.)
Getting back on topic...
What's the 'window' for writing a trillogy like Rebels anyway? Was it approved and mostly written before the final season showed how bad Kai Wynn was?
What's the 'window' for writing a trillogy like Rebels anyway? Was it approved and mostly written before the final season showed how bad Kai Wynn was?
There's usually a considerable lead time, except for "rush" projects like movie novelizations.
Just for example, I wrote The Weight of Worlds (which went on sale this week) last summer during a heat wave . . . and the outline had been approved weeks or months before I started writing the book. (I had a few other projects I needed to finish up first.)
Who's disagreeing? I said, "the news was never supposed to break".
^You don't see a disagreement there? It sounds to me like it wasn't much of a secret.
Christopher has grasped my point. I was kind of surprised when ADF's involvement was OFFICIALLY revealed in a book called "Skywalking", IIRC, published in 1983-ish. Not that it was new information, but that it was being acknowledged in a Lucasfilm-approved book. I'd already known for several years, as I recall.
But no worries, Therin, it's probably just my reading more into what you said than you meant.
I read an interview with ADF, IIRC, where he said he finally admitted publicly to being the ghostwriter, even though the original agreement with the publisher was that the story would not be revealed. "Splinter of the Mind's Eye" was essentially his compensation for not revealing himself as the author of the novelization.
So it was fan rumour for quite awhile, but eventually confirmed by ADF.
Yes, I think ADF signed his contract knowing he would not ever receive a credit. And that's why he fought to get the original novel to be released about the same time.
I had a friend in High School that was convinced that Dafydd Ab Hugh was a pen name for Peter David as the humor and some of the style of writing was similar.
I hadnt heard or read that but then I hadnt heard or read anything discounting that either so I didnt disagree with him as he was the only other person in school reading the books with me lol.
I hadnt heard or read that but then I hadnt heard or read anything discounting that either so I didnt disagree with him as he was the only other person in school reading the books with me lol.
I have met Peter David. I have met Dafydd ab Hugh.
Trust me, they're not the same person.
Fallen Heroes is brilliant, Vengeance and The Final Fury are good, I've never read his TNG novel. Rebels should probably have been a single novel. The only thing I remember are the alien Defiant crewmembers Hugh created - like N'Kduk-Thag and Virjaaj Aaastaak.
I wondered that too when I read Fallen Heroes. The name similarity (Dafydd vs David) and writing style were sort of similar. Apparently a lot of people did because ab Hugh actually denied he was a pen name for Peter David in the Foreword of his next book.
Having read more of his books now though, its clear they are quite different.
Fallen Heroes really was his best book, I remember loving that one. I wasn't all that impressed by the rest of them.
DorkBoy [TM];7904860 said:
I wondered that too when I read Fallen Heroes. The name similarity (Dafydd vs David) and writing style were sort of similar. Apparently a lot of people did because ab Hugh actually denied he was a pen name for Peter David in the Foreword of his next book.
Having read more of his books now though, its clear they are quite different.
Fallen Heroes really was his best book, I remember loving that one. I wasn't all that impressed by the rest of them.
I remember showing that foreward to my friend and he responded with a laugh like "oh that Peter is such a kidder" lol, too funny.
That was before one of his TNG books I think.
I only read Fallen Heroes once but remember enjoying it.
While I'm not a fan of the man's work, I do think this is going too far, especially as he did not make a mistake.
The convention in Welsh patronymics is to use "ap" when the father's name starts with a consonant, and "ab" when it starts with a vowel sound. However, even that's not a hard and fast rule, as there are plenty of exceptions going both ways if you look. H isn't a vowel, but the sound is soft enough that "ab" makes sense. Besides, it's his name, his choice.
As for the book where his name was misspelled Daffyd, all I can say is that one of the reasons I was named David rather than Dafydd is because no one who isn't Welsh can ever seem to spell it correctly on a consistent basis.
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