Evil Masterminds

In Poul Anderson's and Gordon R Dickson's Hoka (New York, 1985), the comedy threatens to become tragedy as a malign influence stirs the Hokas up into conflicts that could turn into massacres. Thus, the series approaches a climax as Alex Jones tries to get the planet upgraded but realizes that it could instead retrogress catastrophically.

Listing the villains that have appeared so far in individual stories, Alex wonders:

"'...if some evil masterminds aren't at work behind the scenes...'" (p. 178)

Unwittingly, he then goes on to identify the masterminds:

"'It's either believe that, or else believe we're only characters in a series of stories being written by a couple of hacks who need the money.'" (ibid.)

He has identified the true nature of his predicament although he cannot know it. This theme of author as villain was presented appropriately in a stage adaptation of Sherlock Holmes where scenes from Holmes stories including "The Final Problem" alternated with scenes in which the same actors played the parts of Conan Doyle and his mentor. Frustrated by Holmes' success when he preferred to write historical fiction, Doyle ended one scene by saying, "I could always kill him off!" And, like all villains, he failed...