Neat things authors do

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

The opposite of the "Author Habits That Annoy You" thread.

One thing I like is when authors include glossaries of whatever non-English language they sprinkle throughout the story (e,g, Pennsylvania Dutch)

 

[JD]

It's always cool when the authors can find ways to bring in unexpected characters or plot points from episodes or earlier books.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

The more obscure the reference, the deeper the (obvious) interest in/dedication to/love of the source material.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I love it when writers throw in comic relief bits, or flesh out backstory. ADF is rather famous for little vignettes. Like the Christmas Party scene at the beginning of Log Two, with Scott pitching a "four-dimensional Christmas tree" to Spock. Or the distracted crew members at the beginning of Log Three. Or Arex giving a concert at the beginning of Log Four. Or the flashback to M'Ress and her roommate at the Academy, at the beginning of Log Five. Even on the rare occasions when he ended up regretting one (like "Uhura killing the [simulated] lion" at the beginning of Log Ten), he certainly meant well.

There was another one, from Joe Haldeman's Planet of Judgment, with a quarter-Tarl Ensign Bill Johnson, who consumed alcohol for sustenance, and acidic food and beverages to get drunk.

Diane Duane threw in similar vignettes in her novels. All of them delightful.

 

[DonIago]

I'm very happy when authors are able or allowed to release annotations or footnotes or anything that gives us insight into their thought process and inspirations and what led them to write what they wrote. I would absolutely love annotated editions of the TWOK and TSFS novels, though I imagine that's sadly a pipe dream. :|

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Including recipes for foods mentioned in the story. I've never used one, but it's cool to read anyway.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Suddenly, I find myself thinking of a late Bantam release, one of their few non-narrative ones, The Starfleet Cooking Manual. In addition to recipes, it also includes a puzzle, in the form of FORTRAN source code for a program that, if executed, prints out the answer to the question, "What is Dr. McCoy's favorite dish?"

 

[Turtletrekker]

I've always enjoyed the fact that some of them take the time to come here and interact with the fans.

 

[Victoria]

Absolutely the neatest thing that authors do is write books for me to read!

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Soliciting and accepting reader input for character names, book titles, etc.

 

[DonIago]

Suddenly, I find myself thinking of a late Bantam release, one of their few non-narrative ones, The Starfleet Cooking Manual. In addition to recipes, it also includes a puzzle, in the form of FORTRAN source code for a program that, if executed, prints out the answer to the question, "What is Dr. McCoy's favorite dish?"

I don't think a mint julep is usually served on a dish, but if anyone would do it, McCoy would.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I don't think a mint julep is usually served on a dish, but if anyone would do it, McCoy would.

Without actually bothering to bring up my DOS box, and type in and compile the program, I can tell you that the output is

Spoiler

SKEPTIC
CHICKEN 3.141593
ENJOY IT IN
GOOD HEALTH

 

[Una McCormack]

The chef friend who supplied the recipe at the back of The Autobiography of Spock recently received a Michelin star, so definitely try that one out!

 

[Smiley]

I appreciate a good description of space or warp speed in the first chapter of a book before having the first character scene. Diane Duane and James Swallow are two authors I can think of who have used this technique.

 

[JD]

I like it when the authors take a one off character and develop them into something deeper, like they did in SCE, IKS Gorkon, and TItan.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Depending on how it's done, including their own original characters from previous stories in later works (sometimes as a significant character, sometimes an offhand reference).

 

[Christopher]

Depending on how it's done, including their own original characters from previous stories in later works (sometimes as a significant character, sometimes an offhand reference).

And not always in the same universe. I just reread Diane Duane's A Wizard's Dilemma from her Young Wizards universe, and one of the alien species that appears in the novel is explicitly a Sulamid from her Trek novels, by description and name. When it was first described, I thought it was a cagey cameo, but later on she explicitly called it a Sulamid.

Going the other way, the Song of the Twelve from Deep Wizardry is alluded to as part of the dolphin Hwiii's culture in TNG: Dark Mirror, and though Hwiii is described as a dolphin-like alien, I get the feeling that Duane originally wrote Dark Mirror with the assumption that it shared continuity with Young Wizards, with Hwiii actually being an Earth dolphin, but was asked to tweak it a little to make it stand apart.

 

[Therin of Andor]

... with Hwiii actually being an Earth dolphin, but was asked to tweak it a little to make it stand apart.

Correct. Richard Arnold, representing the Star Trek Office, was reluctant to allow a Trek novel to speculate on the future possibilities of Earth's cetacean species.

 

[Smiley]

When done with skill, I love it when an author can take us through the story in a nonlinear manner that flows in a satisfying manner. I am seeing it right now in The Light Fantastic by Lang. Bonnano was an author who excelled at the technique. Burning Dreams and Unspoken Truth are two major examples.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I like it when a story makes me cry.