Writers Give People What They Need

Author Harry Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme with scenes of combat happening throughout many of his works. Turtledove is a shining example of giving people (aka—his readers) what they need. So what is this need I’m talking about? Closure—writers give people a complete story. They get closure, they get satisfaction, and they get a sense of completion through the writer’s most meaningful experiences. Deep, eh?

Here’s where it gets deeper: When Harry Turtledove was approached by a fan’s best friend—a man named Reddit, to ask if he could get an ARC (advanced reader’s copy) for his terminally ill friend, Nachu Bhatnagar to read, Turtledove responded in kind, not only sending Nachu a copy, but calling the young man to speak to him personally.

Here’s the letter Reddit sent to Turtledove:

“It is my duty as a friend to do whatever I can to fulfill Nachu's last wishes. Is it at all possible for you to send him copies of the remaining books in the series? I understand the risks involved in sending an advance copy of your books to him and I understand the potential copyright issues and backlash from publishers. That said, my friend needs some good luck and kindness to balance out the awful stream he's been on, and I couldn't imagine a better person for it than his favorite author.”

And we get even deeper: Besides giving Nachu the advance copy, which hits stores in July, Turtledove also agreed to spoil the entire War series in a phone call (or possible face-to-face meeting) with Nachu. Now, that kind of relationship between an author, a fan, and a best friend is priceless, and beyond measure. And it’s something to strive for as an author.

If you haven’t seen it already, here’s the link to the video of Turtledove giving a fan what he needs:

http://videosift.com/video/Terminal-Cancer-Victims-Birthday-Surprise