# Authors having characters name check themselves **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2025, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221 "2025-09-20T10:42:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/41 "2025-10-05T02:35:32Z")
Not quite the same thing, but Nelson DeMille’s book _The General’s Daughter_ was turned into a movie starring John Travolta as an Army CID agent investigating the murder of said daughter. In a book written later, _The Lion’s Game_, the main character is flying from NYC to California; the in-flight movie isn’t named, but it’s described as “starring John Travolta playing an Army CID guy”. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/42 "2025-10-05T02:54:04Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Philip K. Dick’s VALIS has “Horselover Fat” which is a literal translation of the Greek-German origin of his name. Actually, it’s more likely that the origin of Dick’s last name is English or Scottish. Yes, ”dick” means “fat” in German. It’s probably not where his last name comes from though. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/43 "2025-10-05T03:21:48Z")
Yeah probably. That was his justification though. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/44 "2025-10-05T15:01:08Z")
Edgar Rice Burroughs inserts himself in some of the Mars books as John Carter’s nephew. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/45 "2025-10-05T15:48:14Z")
I recently ran across a movie example. We were watching _They Live_ a couple of nights ago, and there’s a scene where a television commentator is complaining about sex and violence in the movies. He says that filmmakers such as George Romero and John Carpenter have to show some restraint. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/46 "2025-10-05T16:20:07Z")
> [@digs](#): > > In later books featuring “The Lincoln Lawyer”, he complains about the movie, annoyed by the publicity and claiming he looks nothing like Matthew McConaughey. Other characters in Michael Connelly’s books that include the Lincoln Lawyer refer to the movie as though it’s a documentary. Connelly, in addition to shout-outs to other fiction writers, gives his real-life police officer consultants cameo roles in his Harry Bosch novels. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/47 "2025-10-05T16:27:16Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Edgar Rice Burroughs inserts himself in some of the Mars books as John Carter’s nephew. “Nephew”, not nephew. “I well remember the tall, dark, smooth-faced, athletic man whom I called Uncle Jack.” Through the rest of the narrative he refers to him as “Captain Carter”. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/48 "2025-10-05T18:25:25Z")
John Barth showed up as a character in _Chimera_ and in _Letters._ ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/49 "2025-10-05T18:37:40Z")
In Heinlein’s Pursuit of the Pankera (and in The Number of the Beast, I’m pretty sure - the two books are very similar), there’s a discussion of which fictional universe they should head for: > Did Heinlein get his name in the hat?” > > “Four votes, but split. Two for his _Future History_, two for _Stranger in a Strange Land_. So he didn’t make it.” > > “Well _I_ didn’t vote for _Stranger_ and I’ll refrain from embarrassing anyone by asking who did. My god, the things some writers will do for money.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/50 "2025-10-05T18:39:20Z")
Heinlein also refers to himself in “The Number of the Beast.” Multiple times in multiple ways. My favorite is when the characters slag him for writing “Stranger In A Strange Land.” “What some authors will do for money!” ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/51 "2025-10-05T18:42:59Z")
I told you they were similar! (Number of the Beast and Pursuit of the Pankera start out identically, then vary substantially (Pankera has way more Barsoom and Lensman stuff - Number has the British Mars prison colony) - but even when the grand plot varies, a lot of the individual conversations are identical. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/52 "2025-10-05T23:52:20Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Stephen King did it for Stephen King while writing as Richard Bachman, which seems worth a quick mention. I mean, he’s _in_ The Dark Tower series. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/53 "2025-10-06T13:55:50Z")
John Barth put himself in a couple of his novels. In _Chimera,_ he is conjured up by Shehezade to help her storytelling. He’s not mentioned by name but the description matches. He is also one of the letter writers in _Letters,_ writing to the other characters. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/54 "2025-10-06T16:27:48Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > He’s not mentioned by name but the description matches. David Lodge does something like this in _Thinks…_: a writing instructor asks her students to write a short story in the style of an author of their choice, and we see several examples with the spoofed author’s name just-barely anonymized (e.g. “H\*\*ry J\*mes”). The last example has no name attached, but the style is clearly meant to be a parody of Lodge himself. ---
**Author:** ![Meatwater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meatwater/32/20074_2.png) [@Meatwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatwater)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/55 "2025-10-06T17:01:54Z")
Jay Kristoff in his final book of the Nevernight Chronicles, Darkdawn, he includes the whole trilogy as a book series in the book. I can’t remember if he specifically namedrops himself but the protagonist skims the series then jumps to the book we are in to find out what she needs to do. The Spaceball-ification, in what was some strong fiction, was not my favorite part. Although his critiques on himself were indeed humourous. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/56 "2025-10-06T17:20:29Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > > [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > > > Edgar Rice Burroughs inserts himself in some of the Mars books as John Carter’s nephew. > > “Nephew”, not nephew. > > “I well remember the tall, dark, smooth-faced, athletic man whom I called Uncle Jack.” Through the rest of the narrative he refers to him as “Captain Carter”. But is that specifically Burroughs, or an unnamed narrator who frames the story? ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/57 "2025-10-06T20:15:17Z")
The sentence I quoted is from the foreword, which is written as a letter to readers. It begins > [@](#): > > In submitting Captain Carter’s strange manuscript to you in book form, I believe that a few words relative to this remarkable personality will be of interest. My first recollection of Captain Carter is of the few months he spent at my father’s home in Virginia… and ends > [@](#): > > Yours very sincerely, > Edgar Rice Burroughs" ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/58 "2025-10-06T20:24:22Z")
W. Somerset Maugham wrote himself as a character discussing the world with Larry Darrell in _The Razor’s Edge_. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/59 "2025-10-06T20:27:29Z")
Not quite the same thing, but in the TV show Bones, which was based on a series of books by Kathy Reichs, Temperance Brennan (the character in the KR books) is an author of similar books, and her character is named Kathy Reichs. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221/60 "2025-10-06T20:37:55Z")
In Rebecca Elliott’s “Owl Diaries” children’s book series, there’s a cameo appearance by a children’s book author named Rebecca Owliott. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/authors-having-characters-name-check-themselves/1023221.md?page=4)