Why I stopped skipping the author's note in fiction books

I always used to skip those little notes at the end - they felt like extra credit homework or something. But last month I was reading a thriller called 'The Hollow Ground' and decided to read the author's note on a whim. Turns out the author based the whole plot on a real unsolved murder from 1972 in her hometown. She even included names of people she interviewed. Totally changed how I thought about the story. Has anyone else found a hidden gem in an author's note?

2 comments

2 Comments

robinmason7d ago

Ha, right? I used to think author's notes were just them flexing about how hard research was. Then I read one where the author casually dropped that the whole creepy cabin in the woods was based on a real Airbnb they stayed at. Now I'm paranoid any rental I book could end up in a horror novel. Its like finding a directors commentary on a movie but way creepier.

morgan_jenkins907d ago

Totally agree @robinmason, that Airbnb thing is exactly the kind of detail that sticks with you. I remember reading a historical fiction novel and the author's note mentioned they accidentally used real plague statistics from a specific town in the 1600s. Now every time I see an old house with a creepy basement, I'm like "yep, that's gonna be in a book someday." It really does feel like a director's commentary but way more unsettling because you know it's real life they're pulling from. Makes you wonder what weird stuff authors are secretly noting down when they visit your local coffee shop.