Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle did the same thing with “outtakes” from The Mote in God's Eye, disposable elements of story they really liked even so and didn't want to just toss.
Me, I like when doorstop fantasy books have further Appendices full of such material. The Lord of the Rings and Dune are two examples; we get a look at the years following the War in the one, and the history of the other -
- Including how an absent-minded professor changed history when he barged in on the startled Fremen and started nattering messianic ecology at them with totally insane (i e oblivious) courage and absolute dedication. The Fremen were torn: Iron law and common sense said the intruder must die, but if you believe in God and the Prophets, whaddya want, a map? Finally they decided to err on the side of caution and sent a consecrated assassin to do the necessary. Doctor Kynes was lecturing when the assassin appeared, hooded with ceremonial blade drawn.
Dr Kynes gave zero <bleep>s. “Remove yourself,” he said and turned away, continuing to speak of planting anchor grass on the lee side of dunes, &c. What passed through his mind will never be known, but the assassin turned about, took three steps and fell on his knife, thus “removing himself.”
Well that did it. After that, Dr Kynes had only to say, “Go there,” and entire tribes marched…
Re: "a piece of my fiction is in the Yuletide 2020 tagset"
Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle did the same thing with “outtakes” from The Mote in God's Eye, disposable elements of story they really liked even so and didn't want to just toss.
Me, I like when doorstop fantasy books have further Appendices full of such material. The Lord of the Rings and Dune are two examples; we get a look at the years following the War in the one, and the history of the other -
- Including how an absent-minded professor changed history when he barged in on the startled Fremen and started nattering messianic ecology at them with totally insane (i e oblivious) courage and absolute dedication. The Fremen were torn: Iron law and common sense said the intruder must die, but if you believe in God and the Prophets, whaddya want, a map? Finally they decided to err on the side of caution and sent a consecrated assassin to do the necessary. Doctor Kynes was lecturing when the assassin appeared, hooded with ceremonial blade drawn.
Dr Kynes gave zero <bleep>s. “Remove yourself,” he said and turned away, continuing to speak of planting anchor grass on the lee side of dunes, &c. What passed through his mind will never be known, but the assassin turned about, took three steps and fell on his knife, thus “removing himself.”
Well that did it. After that, Dr Kynes had only to say, “Go there,” and entire tribes marched…
Fun stuff.