Though they weren't the first tie-ins I read, my interest in the business and craft of tie-in novels took off with Lee Goldberg's Monk series. At the time, Goldberg was already known as the writer of Diagnosis: Murder novels based on the Dick Van Dyke TV series he produced. Goldberg has since co-founded the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, whose members contribute to Tied In, a book of informative essays and interviews.
The book will appeal most to fans of tie-ins and those looking to get into the business, but it's also worth a look to anyone with an open mind about tie-ins. I especially enjoyed the essays by Lee's brother Tod, a journalist and literary writer who jumped at the chance to write Burn Notice novels; Jeff Mariotte, delving into the vast array of trivia a working tie-in writer must know; and Burl Barer, explaining how novelists create deeper motivation for characters whose lives are only partially shown onscreen.
2 comments:
First tie-in I ever read? "The Empire Strikes Back". Yes, I'm old.
The first tie-in I ever read was the novelization of the STARSKY AND HUTCH episode "Kill Huggy Bear", which, I suppose, makes me even older than Graham. I also read several of the original STAR TREK tie-ins, which were done as short stories. There were several episodes per book, if memory serves.
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