Fake Book Series – Cashing In
More Fun and Mischief in the Death of a Great Art Form
How could anyone put their name on a novel they didn’t write? Why, after becoming successful beyond their wildest dreams, why would he or she want someone else to write a book for them and pretend they didn’t?
I can remember being a big fan of Jerzy Kosinski. (Being There, Steps, The Painted Bird). I can remember how disappointed I was when he got caught. I think they called it “over editing” at the time.
This week I picked up a book by one of my favorite authors. I sensed from the first paragraph that something was wrong. Before I got to the end of the first page, I knew it wasn’t his voice. When the writer got around to describing the detective, I could tell it had been penned by a woman, she was describing the so-called author of the book, and that she was afraid of him!
Why?
Because the author’s name is a franchise now. Like a professional football team, the name alone is worth a fortune. The writing, the storytelling—it’s become an afterthought to the corporation. Sadly, I realized that “my favorite author no more” had published the book I was reading ten years ago, and that he’d been getting away with it all this time.
The cash just keeps rolling in!?
09/5/2026
