Congratulations to A.M. Harte, the winner of a free copy of TimeSplash for her outrageous suggestion that my fictional villain Sniper got his name from the Sonic the Hedgehog character Fang the Sniper. I don’t quite know why, but this really tickled me. (I think A.M. also deserves the prize for being the only entrant bold enough to put her entry in the comments section rather than use the secret form.) A.M. your prize is in the mail.
The most popular suggestion by far was that Sniper took his name in some way from the assassination of President Kennedy. It’s sort of compelling but not correct and nowhere near as cute as the Fang idea. Sorry guys. The most bizarre suggestion was that my villain is named after a piece of software that helps you place bids on eBay – I still can’t be sure if that one was a joke… or an ad. I also learned that there have been many books with Sniper in the title and at least one film.
Anyway, thank you to all those who entered. I wish I could send a free copy to each of you.
So, what was the real answer? Well, it was so obscure I was completely confident no-one would guess it. Anyone who knows what a David Bowie fan I am might have realised and made the connection to the track “Time” from his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. In the (somewhat silly) lyric you will find these lines:
The sniper in the brain, regurgitating drain
Incestuous and vain,
and many other last names
Hey! Don’t look at me. It was Sniper who chose the name. And, frankly, I can see why it appealed to his very warped mind (you’d need to read the book.) Meanwhile, as a sop to the gallant losers, I offer this link to the fabulous Mr. Bowie.