That’s not
a question most people would ask but hardcore series readers sadly must cope
when their favorite author passes. No
more joyous hours immersed in plots and favorite characters that draw you into settings
and situations far from your present reality.
A comfortable or startling world that has enhanced your life from the
moment you read the first word…. now silenced. Favorite
authors should live forever.
Librarians
around the world share that sentiment, but not for the same reasons! Why should librarians care if a popular
author passes … because they often get resurrected and books begin to appear
“in the style of” the dearly departed author.
Messy at best. How can a dead
author write more books? He can’t.
Case in
point: The popular and prolific author
Robert B. Parker writer of detective and mystery stories as well as westerns,
creator of the characters Spenser, Jesse Stone and Monte Walsh. Parker is a favorite author of many of our
Azalea residents, or I should say he “was”, Mr. Parker died in 2010. And yet
there they are, books “in the style of” Robert B. Parker sitting on the cart
ready to be cataloged.
Two authors have started writing "in the style of" novels featuring the Parker characters: Ace Atkins now writes the Spenser series and Michael Brandman writes the Jesse Stone novels. So now Parker fans can enjoy once again these favorite characters -- if only they can remember who the new authors are!
Two authors have started writing "in the style of" novels featuring the Parker characters: Ace Atkins now writes the Spenser series and Michael Brandman writes the Jesse Stone novels. So now Parker fans can enjoy once again these favorite characters -- if only they can remember who the new authors are!
So librarians
create extra cards or additional online entries to link the reader to all three
authors, the “In the style of” title, and information entries to “See also” all
the other possibilities. They must also
explain to devoted readers that new Parker books are found under the name of
the new author and no they aren’t shelved under the dead author’s name… Wishing all the while that popular authors
could live forever.
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